During the last six months I spend so many hours at this site .I have read so many beautiful stories about what happened after the end of gone with the wind and myriads of what-if stories. This is my first attempt in fun-fiction. It's about what could have happened, perhaps in a happier and more fair world, where bad things don't happen to good people, after Rhett and Bonnie return home from Charleston.
I wrote the story initially in Greek and I translated in English so I am afraid there will be many orthographic and syntactical errors. If you detect any please let me know!
Please read and review. Any comment, good and bad is welcome!
Unfortunately I own nothing. Everything belongs to M. Mitchell Estate!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing!
Please inform me if you would like more!
The prodigal husband's return
Scarlett O Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler opened her eyes and sighed. For the last three months she woke up in exactly the same way. Every night she had the same dream. Or variations of the same dream, to be exact. Mostly, she was dreaming of her husband, the long estranged, always calm and cynical Captain Rhett Butler. The most peculiar thing is that in her dreams he wasn't at all like that. These dreams was a weird combination of the romantic girlish dreams she made as a little girl in Tara and until now she was sure that the hardships of the war and the fear of poverty had completely erased them from her mind and her memories from the pre-war life but mostly from their honey-moon in New Orleans and from the last night she spent with him. It was these last images that made her turn crimson every time she thought of them, even when she was completely alone in the room and that brought a twinkle in her eyes every morning. Other times, like today, she dreamed the prodigal husband's return, she dreamed that he was holding her tightly in his arms and he was kissing her with the unique, exasperating, wonderful way that only he knew how and...and...and...
And every time she was waking up at the best, only to find herself alone again on the enormous bed in her vast and frozen room. She had to admit it, at least to herself, because she couldn't say such a thing in front to him without dying on the spot. But it was the truth. She missed him. And she couldn't't understand how it was even possible to miss this black- hearted cad who not only had he left her and made her look even more guilty in front of Atlanta's Old Guard, but he also kidnapped like a common thief her youngest and most beloved child.
The void Bonnie's absence created in Scarlett's life was huge. For the first time in her entire life she hadn't the courage to do anything from all the things that mattered before and used to be the centre of her life, her raison d' être. She couldn't care less for the store or the mill. As far as Ashley Wilkes was concerned, he was nothing but one more source of disappointment. Not only was he proved to be incapable of stopping his sister India from spreading her lies against them, but also, at the few brief occasions they were met, always in public, he was avoiding her and he didn't dare to speak to her or even to look her in the eyes. Scarlett was pretty sure that if it wasn't't for Melly's discreet, considerate but in the same time dynamic intervention, her reputation would be completely ruined.
Scarlett was, despite her faults, an honest and fair person. So she couldn't feel nothing but gratitude for her former sister-in –law. Inevitably after gratitude a wave of remorse followed. She realized she had betrayed the only person, apart from her mother, who ever helped her, who was ever there for her when she was in need. This thought left her speechless and shook her for good. But Scarlett was a woman of acting, not of thinking. Since she couldn't make sense of her confused thoughts and her way more confused feelings, she decided to leave the introspection for tomorrow and to devote herself to those she was unwillingly unfair with, id est Melanie and her own older children.
During the three months of Rhett's absence Scarlett has realized how true he was in regard to her parental abilities. It became clear to her that it wasn't Melly's fault that her children felt more at ease in her house that in their own and she also understood that it was her children's right to feel comfortable in front of their mother. She came to the conclusion that giving them food and provide shelter for them wasn't enough now that the war was over and since she had a lot of free time, thanks to Rhett's money, she ought to make an effort and create a bond with them, and with Bonnie of course when she would return home.
The worship and adoration by which her former sister in law always showered her has created a beneficial effect on her mood. As far as her relations with her children were concerned, things went extremely better a lot more quickly than she had let herself to expect. Both of them were literally starving for love and affection and that was heartening. Of course there was still aloofness but Scarlett could feel optimistic that things would get better and better in time.
Unfortunately, as far as her thoughts of Rhett were concerned, there was nothing she could do to put them in provision. Why, in hell, she missed him so much since he was just "a mule in horse harness" as Mammy had wisely once said? (she had successfully managed to erase from her memory the fact Mammy had said the same for her too!) Could she be in love with him? No, she rejected the idea as completely absurd. And what about Ashley? How she could be in love with him since she had felt nothing but cold friendship while she was in his arms the last time? And why Rhett's touch made her feel so heavenly? Exactly there Scarlett decided to stop thinking about it. She decided she was mad at her husband and let the rest to think about tomorrow in accordance to her favorite habit.
Two relatively peaceful months passed when a completely new information came to agitate her new found calm. She visited Doctor Meade because she was suffering by a serious and very persisting stomach flu. And she was informed that she was pregnant. This was absolutely the last thing she was expecting to hear. For a peculiar reason though she didn't feel upset or nervous. Just surprised and happy.
Suddenly she wanted desperately to see Rhett and tell him the news. When she realized that she couldn't because she didn't have a clue where he was she felt an urge to throw a vase at his direction.
The morning our story begins, Scarlett was thinking that without further delay she should swallow her pride and write a letter to Rhett's mother in order to learn his whereabouts. But at the same time, she heard unusual commotion on the ground floor. She heard trunks plunking, Mammy's heavy steps descending the stairs with unusual rapidity and a familiar high voice, which she hadn't heard for three whole months yelling "Mommy I am home!"
She jumped up, she put hurriedly her wrapper on and went out at the corridor. Once she reached the stairs she saw Bonnie. She was wearing her favorite blue dress and she was holding a kitten. Scarlett thought that she seemed taller and prettier than ever. The little girl's face lit up once she saw her mother and she run impetuously to her open arms. At once exultation and serenity spread inside her. She had never missed another human being so much and she thought that this is how true love should be.
"Bonnie, my darling angel, I missed you so! Tell Mommy did you have fun in Charleston?"
"Charleston is a horrid place," the little girl pouted. "But Grandmother is very nice! She gave me this!" and she waved the kitten high for her mother to see. "Daddy said that..."
But Scarlett wasn't listening anymore because "daddy" has just entered the hall. Once he laid his eyes on her she detected a glimpse she hadn't seen on him for many years, since his visits at Aunt Pitty –Pat's house during the war. But before she had enough time to think about it his expression changed again, it became impenetrable, the mask he wore throughout their marriage.
She felt her heart racing inside her chest. He was wearing a gray traveling suit, flawless as ever, without a single black hair out of order.
"Damn him!" Scarlett desperately thought "Why did he have to be so handsome?"
Then she reflected the mess that her appearance surely was. She was wearing a simple wrap, she hadn't had time to comb her hair and she was wearing no make-up. Additionally she was sure that Rhett would notice that she was sleepless and pale. "I hate him" she thought, "Surely now he will make me his laughing stock again. If I try to talk to him, he will throw one of his common barbs and he will go straight to his room." It was the first time in her entire life that she didn't know what to say in front of a man.
Bonnie pulled her sleeve and yelled "Can I go and see Mr. Butler now, please?"
Scarlett said she should find Mammy first to accompany her to her pony and the little girl run out full of excitement.
In the meantime Rhett was approaching. He made a mocking formal bow.
"Mrs. Butler I presume..."
She just stared at him, speechless. "Hello Rhett," she managed to whisper. She realized that her best option was to disappear, to hide to her inner sanctuary for now and organize her counter- attack on her own terms. She rose up her chin, exactly like her father whenever he was provoked, and said at completely fake ease, hoping he wouldn't be able to call her bluff "I leave you to rest from the long trip and settle down. We will talk at dinner, at seven o' clock as always,"
Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine this answer. "But I am not staying. I came just to be sure Bonnie would arrive safely at home. As it seems, a bad mother is better than nothing. Or maybe it's Mr Butler that she missed the most. We will have to wait and see. I return to Charleston with the next train."
Literally he pull the rug under her feet. Suddenly the world was spinning around her and she couldn't breathe.
Rhett looked leeringly at her "Not that you are slightly interested in anyone or anything that it isn't your honourable Ashley Wilkes," he snorted. When he received no answer he started to worry. Clearly this wasn't his Scarlett, something around her was different and he tried to figure out exactly what it was. He decided to provoke her. "You do look terribly pale though you know. Could it be possibly a sign that you miss me?" he laughed.
Still no answer. Scarlett tried to compose herself but she failed. She closed her eyes. The dizziness subsided a bit but all her repressed emotions, which she had to hide from everyone for so long, emerged. Range, bitterness, disappointment and something else on which she couldn't put her finger, overwhelmed her.
"If I'm pale is your fault, not because I missed you of course, but because...because I am going to have a baby. Your baby!" she spitted out with hatred.
All the plans, thoughts and strategies were erased from Rhett's mind. He just knew he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go. The old familiar glimpse in his eyes returned and he took a step towards her to hug her. But she was more furious than ever. She twisted to escape his arms and started to punch him on his chest with her fists.
"I hate you!" she yelled, "How could you do this to me? After the night we spent together how could you leave me like this? And take my child with you! Go away! I don't want to see you again, ever! You can laugh on my face now! I was so happy when I found out about the baby, I hoped that things could go better between us. But I was wrong! You don't give a damn about me!"
As he heard her last speech, Rhett tried to hold her closer. Amazingly enough, she didn't step away. She stopped punching and wrapped her arms around his neck crying with sobs. Rhett knew Scarlett didn't cry, not in front of others, especially not in front of him, as she didn't want him to think of her as "a silly little ninny" as she had told him once. Now though, she couldn't make herself stop. He could remember only one time he had seen her crying like this, the night Atlanta fell. At this memory he sighed, he hold her in his arms whispering comforting words, stroking her hair and waited for her to calm down.
"I don't want to ever see you again," She said between sobs. "I will take my children and I will go to Tara and you can't stop me!"
Rhett's patience was evaporated. He grabbed her and in his old- familiar routine he took her up the stairs and straight inside her room. He sat on an armchair and put her on his lap. "You aren't going anywhere and I am not going anywhere either! You listen to me? We will both stay put and we will sort out the mess that our life together turn to be. You will obey this time, even if I have to whip you!" he said and kissed her passionately.
Scarlett was looking at him completely fascinated. Her range was gone. A feeling of security and calmness fell upon her and it was wonderful. She hadn't felt so good in years, if she had ever felt that way in her life before, which she seriously doubted. She smiled at him.
"Everything you told me the last night we spent together was true. You do love me!" It wasn't a question. She hadn't been so sure for anything else in her entire life.
He smiled back. "Heaven help me!" he said. They laughed and she nestled up his arms. For the first time after the war she felt the weight on her shoulders to lighten.
Today is another day she thought and she was eager to spend it with him.
