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Chapter Seven

Scarlett was surprised a mere two weeks later to see Rhett's luggage sitting inside the door when she and Ella came home from the dressmaker's. Ella glanced up at her mother, "Is he home?" She quizzed.

"So it seems," Scarlett murmured while her eyes slanted as she considered her plan. It had to work. It was all she had been able to come up with.

Ella went shrieking through the house yelling for Rhett. "Uncle Rhett," she squealed as she threw her arms around him outside his bedroom door. "Oh, I missed you so!"

Rhett smiled and pulled her close to him. "Oh my Ella." He crooned. She beamed up at him with adoration in her eyes. For in her eyes, there was no one as perfect as he, other than mother and Aunt Melly.

"Well hello Rhett." Scarlett said as she came to the place where they stood. "Have you seen Wade?"

"No Scarlett I haven't, I only this moment got back." He replied. "You are looking a little pale. Is there a shortage of…" His voice faltered. Those were not words that he would taunt her with again.

Scarlett turned to her daughter and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Darling, can you please go find your brother, I am sure he will want to see Uncle Rhett immediately." And Ella quickly went running off in search of her brother who was probably somewhere reading.

"So Rhett…" Scarlett said in a soft voice while her eyes blazed at him. "What brings you back so soon?"

"There has been trouble on Wall Street and I came to handle a few matters." was Rhett's response.

"Oh, Rhett is my money in danger?" Scarlett's eyes flashed worriedly.

"Imagine you being most concerned about your money when people will be losing their jobs left and right." Rhett chuckled. It was the first time to hear that sound in a long time, too long. "No Scarlett, as long as I am still legally your husband I will ensure your monetary future." He stated with a sardonic grin.

"What else will you be doing in town?" Scarlett simpered with her eyes wide and downcast.

"You are no innocent. You can't win me back by using the very tools I despise Mrs. Butler. We are married in name alone." He added.

Pouting her lip, she glared at him. He always had such power to make her angry. "Will you spend time with the children? They missed you, but I don't know why on earth why they would miss a cad like you." Scarlett stated unsheathing her claws.

"Aww my pet, I still see you can't control that temper of yours." He smiled at her. "Of, course I will spend time with the children, I'm the only decent parent that they have ever remembered except for dear sweet Mrs. Wilkes."

Color flooded Scarlett's face, her eyes glittered and her eyebrows arched. "You cad! I love my children…. How dare you!" She seethed.

"You have an awfully funny way of showing it." He turned and began walking away from her.

"At least I haven't killed my child!" She said the one thing that she knew she should never say.

He rushed to her; her words had found their mark cleanly and precisely. He grabbed her arms and shook her violently. Her thick hair loosening from its pins and tumbling over her shoulders "You will never…"

"Rhett, I'm sorry…please… you're hurting me." she pleaded.

"I should kill you for that and then I wouldn't have to worry about a divorce."

At that moment Wade chose to come running up the stairs. "Uncle Rhett!" He cried, but almost immediately the scenario became clear. Wade rushed to defend his mother. "Uncle Rhett, she isn't well!" He cried.

Rhett glanced at the boy and released his mother who sank to the ground. Scarlett was shaking. Wade was instantly at her side, the devoted loving, protective oldest child. He hugged his mother. "Uncle Rhett, I think she needs to lie down for a while." Wade inserted.

Scarlett's face was a pale as her name was vibrant. Rhett reached down and scooped her into his arms and carried her into her room.

"Uncle Rhett, please be gentle with her. I know she is strong, but even the strongest have a breaking point." Wade admonished.

Rhett nodded, "I'm sorry that you had to witness that Wade. She is my wife and I promise to take good care of her."

Wade left the room to follow his own pursuits. Rhett set Scarlett on the bed. And then he deposited himself at the foot. She watched him warily. He moved closer and she moved away.

"I'm sorry, Rhett, I should never have said that. You didn't kill Bonnie." She said quietly, as far from him on the bed as she could be.

"But I did Scarlett. I let her. She threw her little tantrum, and I let her as I always did." Rhett stated regretfully.

"But Rhett, you didn't know. You couldn't have known. You would never have let her if you had." Scarlett said with all sincerity.

"But I killed our baby as well, and I almost killed you." The grief seemed to be eating him from the inside. He was rotting from the inside as the grief constricted his heart. His head bent as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.

"No, you didn't. If I hadn't tried to slap you…"

"Scarlett, I said '"Cheer up, maybe you'll have a miscarriage." And then you fell, and I was sure that you were dead. And then maybe if you called to me, but you didn't, you didn't want me at all." Rhett stated dejectedly.

"Rhett, you didn't do it." Scarlett implored. He gazed at her as if she were the Devil himself.

"I can't do this Scarlett. Not now, not ever. They are gone, and we are over forever." He rose from the bed and hurriedly left the room. Scarlett ripped a boot off of her foot and threw it with all of her strength. She could hear him laughing from the other side of the door. "What no vases by your bed, Mrs. Butler?" And she could hear the muffled sound of his footsteps going away, and she wanted to cry, but more than that she wanted to cry in Rhett's arms. But obviously the occasion hadn't presented itself. And so she sat silently on the bed rubbing her arms where he had held her and fuming as she planned her next attack.

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