Hi, sorry for the long gap in between stories, I'm blaming a combination of RL and writer's block although it could also have something to do with the fact I've become incredibly lazy lately! Anyway, this is a four-parter focusing on moments from the Butler's honeymoon and alternating between two morning episodes told from Scarlett's pov and two night episodes told from Rhett's. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think, I love getting reviews to the point where it's probably unhealthy! Finally a massive thank you to areadergirl who made sure I didn't give up on this, I really appreciate it.
Scarlett moaned softly to herself as she opened her eyes and took in the sight of her surroundings. The sun was just beginning to seep in from under the thick curtains of her hotel suite, illuminating its plush splendour, so removed from the simple furnishings that adorned her room in Aunt Pittypat's house. A satisfied smile broke out across her lips as she luxuriated in the feel of the silk sheets that were wrapped loosely around her body, her ever-practical mind congratulating herself on her sudden rise in fortune.
This time two days ago, as she waited anxiously to undergo her third, and hopefully final, wedding ceremony, Scarlett had been less than confident about her decision to marry Rhett. Of course it had its obvious appeals, he was wealthy beyond compare, more handsome than was entirely decent and, for all his taunting and teasing, he understood her in a way that no one else ever had. Yet despite all this she still had her reservations, there was just something so unyielding about Rhett as a man, an inner steel that made her fear that she would not be able to control him as she once had Charles and Frank.
She had been so uncharacteristically nervous that morning in fact that she had practically screamed at Mammy and Melly as they helped her to get ready, even reducing Prissy to tears when the ditzy girl had pricked her with a needle while attempting to make some last-minute alterations to her dress. Scarlett's heart had been in her mouth when the carriage rolled up outside the house ready to take her away to her new life and for a moment she had earnestly considered locking her bedroom door and refusing to come out until the whole sorry business had been called off.
It was only the thought of the scorn that Rhett would no doubt pour on her if she dared to do so, the way that his dark eyes would burn with mockery as he berated her for her weakness, which finally forced her shaky legs to move. Marriage to him may not be perfect, but it was infinitely preferable to having him think her a mealy-mouthed coward who was too afraid to even face him.
Scarlett sighed as she snuggled deeper into the cocoon of her warm bed, safe in the knowledge that she had made the right decision and that her fears regarding Rhett had been proven wrong. For all his swagger and strength, he had been nothing but gentle and attentive to her in the forty-eight hours since she had become his wife. Scarlett's smile deepened as she recalled the smouldering look that he had given her as she recited her vows, his normally unreadable expression softening until she felt that she was finally getting a glimpse of the man that lay behind the mask that he so rigidly wore in front of the rest of the world.
He appeared so overcome with emotion, and for once so willing to openly display it, that all of her anxieties had fallen completely away and for the first time in her life she felt that perhaps she could be happy married to a man who was not Ashley Wilkes.
Scarlett yawned and stretched out in her bed, making use of every last inch of the king-sized mattress she was currently lying on as she sprawled out. Having spent the previous night in the cramped sleeping car of the train that had brought her and Rhett from Atlanta to New Orleans, the extra room felt all the more wonderful.
She had never slept aboard a train before and had found the prospect of doing so to be both daunting and exhilarating. On one hand it was undoubtedly satisfying to know that she would be doing something that no other married woman in Atlanta ever had after their weddings. It pleased Scarlett's vanity to know that, while Rhett may have insisted on a low-key ceremony, he was more than willing to splurge on their honeymoon in order to make her happy, and flaunting her new-found wealth in front of the very people who had always looked down on her made her very happy indeed! However, despite the vindictive pleasure she took in this act, the thought of spending her wedding night alone with Rhett, stranded on a moving train miles from anywhere had filled her with more than a little apprehension.
Though she had experienced her fair share of marital relations in the past, none had been what you could call a pleasant experience. Indeed, Scarlett had come to abhor the entire practice, only managing to stomach it at all by squeezing her eyes tightly shut and forcing herself to think of other, more pleasant things. Things that that would take her away from her immediate surroundings and block out the sight and sound of Charles or Frank above her, sweaty and disgusting, as they used her body for their own pleasure.
Even more worrying was the fact that these relations, swift as they were, had been at best uncomfortable and at worst positively painful. Knowing the hurt that such puny men had inflicted on her, Scarlett could not help but to fear what Rhett, with his imposing frame and large, muscular body, was capable of.
The moment she had stepped on the train with him she had felt numb with fright, barely able to wave her hand in farewell to Melly and Ashley who had come to the station to see them off. If Rhett had noticed her discomfort though he had not mentioned it, in fact she could not recall a time when she had seen him in such high spirits, as unable to supress a smile as she was to raise one. His black eyes shone with light as they swept repeatedly across her face and frame, appearing slightly glazed as if he could not quite believe that she was truly there with him.
If her anxieties kept her uncharacteristically silent, then Rhett's almost incessant chatter made sure that there weren't any awkward pauses in the conversation, his stream of small talk making time fly by as quickly as the countryside outside of their carriage window.
His good mood had continued through supper, as he regaled her with tales of his past escapades in New Orleans and opened bottle after bottle of champagne with which to toast their union. At first, Scarlett had been grateful for his exuberance, drinking the sparkling liquid down as quickly as Rhett could pour it, eager for the alcohol to calm her nerves and dull her overwrought senses.
She had feared that Rhett would mock her for her actions, making some spiteful comment about her drinking habits as he had so ungentlemanly done in the past, but he remained silent, indeed his smile seemed to widen secretively with every glass that she consumed. Had she been in her right mind then his countenance would undoubtedly have raised her suspicions, but unfortunately her plan was working a little too well, clouding her senses until she could concentrate on nothing other than the spinning sensation in her head and the decidedly nauseous feeling in her stomach.
Attempting to conceal her rising discomfort by covering her mouth with her napkin and taking deep, drawn-out breaths, Scarlett wondered how best to excuse herself from the table without alerting Rhett's suspicions. Sinking the nails of her free hand into the table in a bid to steady herself, she lifted her drooping head and willed the contents of her stomach to stay down as she opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could utter so much as a syllable though, Rhett's deep drawl cut through the heavy air of the dining cart, 'My pet, as much as I am enjoying the pleasure of your company this fine evening, I do believe it has been a rather tiring day for the both of us and we would benefit immensely from an early night.'
As sweet and reassuring as his words sounded, Scarlett could not help but frown as she focussed her blurry vision on his face. The look of amusement and superiority that she found there left her with little doubt that beneath his show of husbandly concern lay an ulterior motive, one which made her feel faint in a way that had nothing to do with the vast amount of champagne she had just consumed.
She had been hoping that he would remain in the dining cart for a while after she made her excuses from the table, giving her an opportunity to clear her muddled head and prepare herself for the ordeal that was surely to follow. But, it seemed now that she was to be denied even this small respite and reluctantly she nodded her head, her usual fiery nature extinguished by the cold, hard reality of married life.
Mutely she rose from the table and followed Rhett out of the dining cart and along the corridor, the sensation of the train rocking around her making her dizzier than ever. She kept her eyes fixed onto his back as they made their way towards their room for the night, becoming hypnotised by the way in which his muscles rippled and undulated under the loose cotton of his shirt like a moth fascinated by the beauty of the flame which it knows will bring about its destruction.
So caught up in her study was Scarlett, that she almost crashed into Rhett when he stopped abruptly outside one of the many doors that lined the corridor. Extracting a key from his pocket, Rhett moved to insert in the lock, Scarlett feeling her heart race inside her chest as he did so, suddenly terrified of the reality that awaited her behind the door to their sleeping quarters. Part of her wanted to curl up into a ball and sob while another wanted to turn and flee from Rhett, to run away despite the fact that there was nowhere she could go inside of a moving train where he would not be able to find her. The more dominant part of her however wanted to strike out at him, to fight back against her state of helplessness and refuse to submit to his will by instead forcing him to surrender to hers.
As this internal battle raged inside of her, Rhett's hand suddenly stopped midway through inserting the key into the lock and he turned to look at her with an expression both amused and concerned.
'How are you feeling my dear?' he asked, his voice deceptively smooth in a way that suggested he already knew the answer to his question.
Unwilling to show weakness, Scarlett forced herself to look him in the eye as she replied in as steady a voice as she could muster, 'I'm perfectly well thank you Rhett.'
Rhett's lips quirked upwards slightly at her answer before he commented archly, 'Why, I am glad to hear that Scarlett! You know just between you and me, I had heard that some brides tend to get a little jittery on their wedding night, but I should have known that a woman such as yourself would be above such things.'
'Jittery? Why what in earth is there to be jittery about?' Scarlett cried, adopting a bravado that she wished she truly felt, 'After all this is hardly my first marriage.'
If some of the playful light fled from Rhett's eyes at her statement, Scarlett did not notice, being too wrapped up in her own anxieties to take account of his. However she could not fail to miss the poorly-concealed bitterness in his voice as he replied, 'Indeed it is not my dear, and judging by the vast amount of alcohol you felt it necessary to drink at supper, your previous experiences must have been exceedingly pleasant I am sure.'
Startled by the anger in his voice and believing it to be aimed at her rather than her former husbands, Scarlett blushed deeply and felt her own rage rise to meet Rhett's. 'How dare you speak to me like that! If I did drink a little too much champagne at the table it was only because you kept on offering it to me! Clearly you weren't raised to be polite, but I certainly was and I refuse to debase myself just because I had the misfortune to marry an uncouth brute of a man!'
'Uncouth? Why Scarlett, someone has been reading their dictionary lately haven't they?' he sneered nastily.
Incensed, Scarlett made to retort only to be overcome by a wave of sickness and have to clamp her mouth firmly shut.
Seeing her distress, some of the malice drained out of Rhett's face and he moved quickly towards her. Unwilling to give into his touch though, Scarlett darted away from his intended embrace, her eyes communicating all of the venom that her words could not.
Rhett halted instantly in his actions upon seeing her deadly expression, his arms dropping back to his sides as if burnt by her rejection. While his jaw tightened minutely though, his face remained carefully void of emotion as he chuckled lightly, 'Only you could conduct an argument after consuming two bottles of champagne my dear! Indeed, you put on such a performance that even I forgot how unwell you must surely be feeling.' His voice grew gentle as he looked upon her, 'Do you wish to lie down?'
Touched by his show of concern and exhausted by the day's events Scarlett could only nod in response, too tired even to feel fear as she watched Rhett unlock the door to their room and move aside so that she could enter first. Her breath did catch a little however when she took in the sight of the cramped quarters, her face creasing up into a frown as she surveyed the single bed and wondered how Rhett intended for the two of them to fit inside of it.
Her consternation was forgotten however when she heard Rhett clear his throat behind her. Plucking up her courage, Scarlett raised her head proudly and turned to face him ready, if not wholly willing, to endure what was to come. She stopped short though when she saw that Rhett was not in the room with her as she had supposed, but rather that he was still standing outside in the corridor, a secretive smile playing out across his swarthy features as he held out the key to the room towards her.
Slowly she took it from his grasp, raising confused emerald eyes to laughing onyx ones as she curled her fingers around the cold metal object. Her expression made his grin widen and she found herself growing irritated at his silence, angry at the thought he was teasing her like a cat playing with its prey before going in for the kill. She opened her mouth to demand that he explain his strange behaviour when Rhett cut her off by closing his fist around her hand and raising it chastely to his smirking lips. Kissing her skin softly yet firmly in a way that had always made her shiver, he held her captive in his gaze for a moment before unexpectedly dropping her hand and stepping away from her.
'Sweet dreams Mrs. Butler' he drawled, caressing the last two words almost sinfully as he called her by her now-rightful name for the very first time. With that he turned sharply and walked away down the corridor leaving Scarlett alone in the darkness of her room bemused and unable to understand what exactly had just happened.
After a few moments of uncertainty Scarlett gathered her wits about her and rushed out after Rhett, only to collide straight into his back when she found him stood outside another door directly next to her own. Emitting a deep laugh, Rhett turned to gather her up in his arms, smoothing her tumbled hair and dress as he smiled down at her.
'My dear, I had heard that women become more affectionate towards their spouses after marriage, but if I had known that a wedding was all it took to ensure you couldn't bear to go five seconds without seeing me then I would have endeavoured to place a ring on your finger years ago.'
Still slightly dazed from his swift departure from their room and her subsequent collision, most of Rhett's words flew over Scarlett's head and, rather than becoming angry at his taunting, she could only look at him blankly. 'What are you doing Rhett?' she asked openly, 'I thought you wanted us to retire to our rooms early?'
Rhett smirked at her state of confusion and looked as if he would have enjoyed teasing her further if her earnest entreaty hadn't made it impossible for him to continue his game without it becoming cruel. Instead he smiled softly and said, 'Indeed I did my dear and so we have retired to our rooms, you to yours,' he paused to point towards the open door behind them, 'and me to mine' he continued, indicating the closed door in front of him.
Rather than easing her confusion though, Rhett's words served only to deepen it and Scarlett stuttered slightly as she asked, 'You mean that we're not sle-… we're not staying in the same room?'
'Yes my dear that is exactly what I mean, indeed it amazes me how quickly you deciphered my intentions, I doubt there is another married couple in all of the South who are as perfectly in tune with one another as we are.'
Ignoring his mocking words, Scarlett felt herself sigh in relief at the knowledge that they would be sleeping apart that night. Yet, once her initial elation had subsided her vanity could not help but be a little wounded at the thought that Rhett did not desire her enough to claim his marital rights immediately.
Her eyes grew stormy at the notion that Rhett did not want to be with her in that way and she wondered how she was ever to keep him from Belle Watling's door if he seemed to have already grown tired of her before they had even been wed so much as a day. She turned despondently to make her way back to her room when she felt a warm hand enclose her wrist and, looking up, she took in Rhett's sombre, hopeful expression.
'If you are wondering why I decided we would benefit from separate sleeping quarters on our first night of matrimonial bliss then it is because trains, though the fastest and most practical means of travelling between states, are hardly renowned for their comfortable and sizeable sleeping quarters. And while our prolonged separation shall wound me deeply my dear,' he drawled, his mouth turning up into a rakish, predatory grin, 'after waiting for so very long to make you mine I refuse to now do so under anything less than perfect conditions.'
Blushing slightly at the indecent connotations of his words, Scarlett could not help but be flattered by the fact that, rather than not wanting her, his decision was based on the desire to make the act as comfortable for her as he could. Furthermore, it eased her fears about the act itself, as surely Rhett wouldn't go to all this trouble regarding its location unless he meant to ensure that it was as painless for her as possible.
Touched by his rare show of affection, Scarlett could not help but match his smile with one of her own, enjoying the way his eyes flashed as he took in her unusually tender expression. Wishing him goodnight she had retreated back to her own room, smiling slightly to herself at the thought that marriage to Rhett might just prove to be fun after all.
Scarlett smirked mischievously to herself as she sat up in her bed, thinking that fun was exactly what the last thirty-six hours had been. After debarking from the train the following afternoon, they had made their way to their hotel by carriage, Scarlett almost spraining her neck as she twisted it constantly in every direction in an attempt to take in as much of the bustling city around her as she possibly could.
Rhett had laughed at her antics, assuring her that New Orleans would still be there tomorrow and she did not need to see all of it in the twenty minutes it would take them to arrive at their lodgings. Too caught up in her surroundings, Scarlett had neither the time nor the inclination to grow angry at his teasing and so she contented herself with simply telling to him 'Hush up!' before continuing in her endeavour to drink up the city with her eyes.
She had never been somewhere so alive before, the colour and rhythm of the streets around her making Atlanta appear even more staid and drab than it had always had. Her appreciation for the city grew even further when they pulled up outside of their hotel, its beautiful architecture and plush interior making her feel as if she was finally being given the chance to live the sort of privileged life she had always wanted to, the life that she had been raised to before the war had come along and spoilt everything.
And then there was last night, the night she had been dreading for so long and which had confounded all her previous experiences and dismantled everything that she had ever been taught to expect from married life since she was a child.
She had thought it would be painful, but it was not. She had thought he would remain aloof, but he did not. She had thought she would stay silent, but she could not.
He had taken everything she thought she knew and proven it false, opening her up to a world that she had never even suspected existed, much less experienced for herself. His murmurs and caresses had awakened something within her that she did not know she possessed, made her want things that she could not name, and do and say things that she had never dreamed of.
It had been too much and not enough at the same time and it had made her realise just how little she knew of the man she had just married, how little he had let her see until this night.
Thinking of Rhett in this way made Scarlett suddenly aware of the empty space that lay across from her on the bed, a space which her newly-wed husband should currently be occupying. Leaning back against the headboard, Scarlett scanned the room for Rhett, growing concerned when she realised that it too was empty of his commanding presence.
Thinking that he may have wandered into one of the other rooms that made up their honeymoon suite, Scarlett called out to him only to be met with a resounding silence. Her concern turning swiftly to consternation, she wondered what it was that could have caused him to leave her without a word only hours after them having shared such a wondrous night together.
Unless of course, she thought bitterly, such nights were common practice for him. Indeed, she chastised herself bitterly, she had been a fool to think that because their union had been a revelation to her it had also been one to him. Why, he probably felt pleasure like that every time he visited that ghastly saloon, perhaps more seeing as Belle was bound to know ways of pleasing a man that Scarlett's civilised upbringing had kept her deliberately ignorant of.
Such unpleasant thoughts broke through Scarlett's previously jubilant mood making her fearful that she had unwittingly revealed too much of herself to Rhett in the heat of the moment. She wished she could go back and relive the previous night, to hide her emotions by biting her tongue and preventing the moans and endearments she had uttered from ever leaving her lips. Each one had given Rhett power over her she now realised, by reacting to his touch she had shown him that she was not averse or even indifferent to it, but rather than she welcomed and longed for it.
Suddenly, the sheets in which she was covered seemed thin and insipid as she became wholly and painfully aware of her naked state beneath them. Her exposure seemed to underline the way in which she had lain herself physically and emotionally bare in front of Rhett the previous night and how he had betrayed the trust she had shown in him by abandoning her this morning. Unwilling to remain in such a vulnerable position, Scarlett climbed swiftly out of bed, hurriedly picking up her nightgown and wrapper which lay discarded on the floor where Rhett had dropped them in the early hours of the morning.
Dressing quickly, she walked over to the vanity in the corner of the room and sat down to brush her hair in preparation for heading out, determined not to let Rhett's absence get in the way of her exploring the city she had been so eager to see only yesterday.
Before she had set the brush to work untangling her knotted curls though, she heard a shuffling sound outside of her bedroom and looking into the mirror before her she saw Rhett enter the room carrying a large tray.
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest at the sight of him, unshaven and dressed in yesterday's crumpled clothes. She could not remember a time she had seen him look so unkempt. Yet, rather than being affronted by his ungentlemanly appearance, Scarlett felt her stomach clench and heat rise in her cheeks upon seeing the famously debonair Rhett Butler so obviously dishevelled. A small smile played upon her lips at the thought that perhaps last night had rocked him as much as it had her after all.
She watched as he looked towards the bed that they had shared, seeing him frown in confusion upon finding it empty. Her anger all but forgotten, she could not help but giggle at the lost look upon his face. Her laughter made Rhett spin round to face her, his expression clearing as his eyes fixed upon hers through the glass.
'You're up early,' he commented, seeming to sulk slightly as he indicated the tray in his hands, 'I was planning on serving you breakfast in bed but I see that I left it too late, unless of course you want to humour me by getting back in.'
'And get crumbs all over the silk sheets?' Scarlett said, wrinkling her nose up in distaste, 'Just set the tray down next to me Rhett and I'll eat it when I'm ready.'
Rhett sighed exaggeratedly and pulled his eyebrows down in mock despair at her suggestion, yet his playful expression did not quite manage to reach his eyes, 'What a romantic suggestion my dear, you put my efforts completely to shame.'
'Romantic? Who cares about being romantic?'
'Most women on their honeymoon.' He answered shortly.
Scarlett huffed contemptuously, 'That's because most women are silly little ninnies who have to wait round for their husbands to do nice things for them because they don't have the gumption to do them for themselves.'
Rhett's lips thinned as he struggled to keep him tone light, 'Doubtless you are right my pet, but seeing as your husband has endeavoured to do a 'nice thing' as you so charmingly put it, perhaps you could humour him just this once.'
Scarlett frowned, the thought of eating in bed reminded her of the times when she'd been ill as a child at Tara and Ellen and Mammy had forced her to remain lying down for days on end when she wanted to be out playing and making mischief with the Tarleton twins. Feeling suffocated by the memory of her enforced confinement, Scarlett's voice was harsher than she intended when she bit back, 'I'm not some child for you to pet and fawn over Rhett. I'm perfectly capable of eating my own breakfast when and how I want, I won't have you treating me like a baby!'
'It wasn't my intention to treat you like a child Scarlett, I'm perfectly aware of how independent you are, indeed I find it to be one of your more attractive qualities.' Rhett said, his voice becoming dangerously smooth, 'If I was trying to treat you as anything, it was as something precious, after all you didn't seem to object to such gentle handling last night.'
Scarlett gasped at his scandalous words, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment as she tore her eyes away from his, unwilling to let him see the tears of mortification that were threatening to spill out. Trying furiously to blink them away before he saw how his cruel comment had affected her, Scarlett did not hear him move across the room to her side. As such, she jumped violently when she felt the warmth of his large hand come to rest on her shoulder before she tried to jerk her body out from under his touch.
'I'm sorry Scarlett,' Rhett breathed, reaching out with his other hand to softly stroke her hair. Scarlett froze, unable to remember the last time that he had apologised to her for something that he had done. 'I didn't mean to upset you. I wanted this day to be as perfect as last night was, perhaps I was trying a little too hard to make that happen.'
Comforted by his words and the feel of his hand in her hair, Scarlett felt herself relax into his touch, closing her eyes as she revelled in the soothing sensations he was evoking. Still tired from lack of sleep, Scarlett had almost drifted off when Rhett's fingers snagged in a knot of hair and made her cry out in pain.
Swiftly he withdrew his hand, his eyes widening comically in the mirror as he took in her bedraggled state for the first time since entering the room. His mouth turning up into a smug grin he taunted, 'My dear I don't believe I've ever seen your hair so untidy, I wonder how it came to be this way.'
Blushing once more, Scarlett turned round in her seat to face her husband, hitting him playfully in the stomach before murmuring embarrassedly, 'You know full well how it got so messy Rhett, it's all your fault!'
Rhett grin grew wider as he chuckled, 'Indeed it is my dear, now why don't you let me make it up to you by feeding you breakfast.'
Scarlett rolled her eyes, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused by his stubborn behaviour, she had never seen Rhett act so freely before and while it was undeniably disconcerting she could not help but by swept along by the tide of his enthusiasm. Struggling to compose her features, Scarlett employed the negotiating skills that had helped make her such a formidable business woman, 'I'll eat my own breakfast Rhett' she stated, her neutral expression almost breaking up into a smile as she took in his look of disappointment, 'but if you promise to take me shopping this afternoon then I will allow you to brush my hair for me while I eat.'
Rhett's eyes snapped joyfully as he smiled, 'And what makes you think that I even want to brush your hair my dear, let alone badly enough to put my hard earned money at the mercy of your greedy paws?'
Putting on her best game face Scarlett squared her jaw and turned back towards the mirror before picking up the brush that lay discarded on the dressing table, 'Fine' she taunted, 'have it your way.' Fixing her eyes on Rhett's in the mirror she raised the brush to her tangled tresses and began to brush them out. She supressed a smile as she watched his conflicted expression through the glass, well aware of the internal battle he was fighting within himself at that moment, torn between the desire to be close to her and the fear of giving in so easily to her demands.
After a minute or two he sighed loudly and turned away, disappointment gripped Scarlett as she watched him walk across the room to the door and she wondered if she should sacrifice her pride by calling him back and telling him that she had only been teasing. Before she had made up her mind though, Rhett had reached the other side of the room, but instead of heading out of the door he walked over to the table next to it and picked up the breakfast tray he had left there.
Turing round, he caught sight of her blinding smile in the mirror and threatened playfully as he walked back towards her, 'Not a word Mrs. Butler, not a word, and you better eat every single bite if you know what's good for you.'
Still grinning stupidly, Scarlett could only nod her head in silent agreement as Rhett placed the tray down in front of her and lifted the lid to reveal freshly baked croissants with jam and butter. Handing the brush over to her husband, Scarlett reached out and grabbed one, too impatient to bother with the fillings as she eagerly crammed the warm pastry into her mouth. Laughing lightly at the mess she was making Rhett slid onto the stool behind her, coming to rest his legs either side of hers as he began to gently untangle her hair.
'I thought you didn't like crumbs my pet?' he teased, earning himself a scowl from Scarlett as she took another bite, covering herself with a fresh shower of pastry flakes as she did so.
They sat like that for some time, Scarlett devouring her breakfast while Rhett made his way gently and methodically through the haystack that was her hair, brushing it until it fell against her head smoother and shiner than ever. Scarlett felt the warmth of his body seep into her own through the thin fabric of her wrapper and couldn't help but lean back into his embrace after she had finished eating, closing her eyes as she felt him put down the brush and wrap his arms around her stomach as he pressed her tightly against his frame.
Lowering his head he pressed soft kisses into her hair and along her neck, making her shiver despite the heat of his body as her skin erupted in goose-pimples. Making his way up slowly to her ear, he nuzzled her skin with his nose before sucking gently on her lobe in a way that made her feel hot and slightly dizzy. Leaning back, he blew cool air over the wet skin before whispering huskily, 'Why don't we go back to bed?'
Her stomach erupting into flames, Scarlett pulled away from Rhett, overcome by the tide of emotion that was currently sweeping across her body. Overwhelmed by such unfamiliar emotions and terrified of how much she had come to feel for the man behind her in such a short space of time, Scarlett scrambled for an excuse that would allow her to put some much needed distance between herself and her husband.
Remembering their earlier bargain she quickly protested, 'But you promised me a day of shopping if I let you brush my hair, or would you have me tell everyone that Rhett Butler isn't a man of his word.'
Pulling her back into his embrace, Rhett murmured, 'My dear right now I couldn't give a damn what you tell everyone, God knows they're probably heard worse things about me as it is.'
Struggling against his hold Scarlett rearranged her face into a pout, 'But Rhett,' she whined in a voice that she hoped sounded petulant rather than breathless, 'you promised me, and I do so want to see New Orleans!'
Sighing Rhett relaxed his grip, allowing Scarlett to scramble free, 'You're a hard woman Mrs. Butler' he grumbled as he watched her walk away towards the closet to get dressed.
Regaining her composure now that she was out of the dangerously powerful draw of his arms, Scarlett turned back towards him and smiled confidently, 'Maybe I am, but that's why you married me.'
As she entered the closet and prepared to pick out a dress for the day, Scarlett thought she heard him reply, 'There is only one reason why I married you my pet and it wasn't that.'
Her curiosity momentarily peaked, Scarlett considered going back into the bedroom and asking him what that reason was before she remembered that their marriage was nothing more than a business deal for him, a way of acquiring her body in the only way he could.
She wondered why the thought hurt her so badly, after all he had made his reasons perfectly clear from the start and it was not as if she was in love with him anymore than he was with her. Yet, these first moments of married life had been so intense, so utterly different from what she had been expecting that she had almost forgotten that this marriage was a sham, that they weren't really in love.
Forcing such unpleasant and confusing thoughts out of her head Scarlett concentrated on the task at hand, comforting herself with the thought that if Rhett's heart was not hers then at least his wallet was and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to make the most of it. After all Rhett had promised her fun and she was going to make sure that's exactly what she got, even if it wasn't quite in the form that these lat two days had made her long for.
