Can marriage be fun?
Two years later, in Atlanta.
Scarlett was squirming in her bed. She was furious. Surprisingly enough, the target of her wrath wasn't her husband, but her cousin, Pierre. Why, on earth, did he have to invite them for a family weekend, as he had called it, to Tara? Surely soon, the whole Clayton County will know that her marriage was a farce, that her husband didn't share a bed with her. The fact that it was her decision didn't make her situation any better at all. Of course her husband wasn't innocent too. He had eagerly accepted the invitation, no doubt in order to humiliate her in front of her family.
How had her happy, cozy life with Rhett turned into a nightmare? She wondered. She wasn't in love with Rhett. She had always loved and would always love Ashley Wilkes with her whole heart. He was everything Rhett wasn't. Honest, idealist, a true gentleman. She loved him and sometimes she couldn't avoid thinking of him, although she knew Rhett was mysteriously finding out. She couldn't understand why her husband reacted that way. He knew she didn't love him, she was always honest on that matter. She was sure he didn't love her either, so she reached the conclusion that she must had hurt his pride, when she declared she didn't want any more children.
Of course she didn't intent to implement her threat that she was going to lock her door in case he made any attempt to enter their room. She would never have said such a thing in the first place, if he hadn't turn her mad, as he always tend to do, since the first day they met, with his counter-threat that he would divorce her if she insisted in her decision. A divorce in the O' Hara family! It was unheard of and she would never allow him to disgrace her family in such a way.
She hadn't handled the situation properly and she had made an awful mistake. She could see that clearly now. She wanted to take it back but she couldn't bring herself to do the first move. She knew that afterwards he would mock her, mercilessly and endlessly, he would regard her as a hopeless silly little ninny and he would take advantage of it. She couldn't allow that to happen either.
During these last six months, she had tried to imply that she didn't mean the things she said to him that dreadful day. She used to leave her bedroom door ajar, but he didn't seem interested at all to cross the threshold. He preferred to spend his nights with that red haired creature, Belle Watling, at her ill- reputed saloon. As if it didn't make any difference to him if he spend the night with his wife or with any common prostitute. And that hurt her famine vanity immensely.
She felt her desperation growing every day. She didn't love him, but she truly enjoyed the luxurious, extravagant life he was offering her. She had to admit he was right. Marriage with him was indeed fun and during the two years of their marriage she was thriving in it. She remembered their secret wedding and honey moon in New Orleans. It was just the two of them and Pierre, Rhett's best man. And there, exactly as her husband had promised, she had more fun than ever. She adored everything in New Orleans; their dances, the delicious food, the funny, bold stories with which Rhett used to "lull" her as he teasingly said every night, his beautiful presents.
But even when they returned in Atlanta and they found their daily routine, life continued being delightful. He accompanied her to all the festivities she enjoyed to attend and he never stopped keeping her on her toes with little surprises. Despite his notorious fame, he was a perfect husband, the living embodiment of every woman's dream, and she would be a happy wife, if it wasn't for Ashley Wilkes. The mere thought of Ashley, the idea that in a way she was betraying him, even though he was also married to Melanie, was enough to dispel the magic. That's how she ended up miserable and alone, without both Ashley's love and Rhett's fun. In addition to this terrible mess, now, thanks to Pierre, she would have to face a visit to Tara too.
It wasn't that she didn't want to go to Tara. She missed her family home every minute she was away of it. In addition to her precious childhood memories, they had spent during their visits there some of the most amusing and warm moments together, especially after Careen's marriage with Will. At the beginning, she was reluctant if it was indeed a good idea to bring Rhett to Tara. The mere idea that he could be acquiescent with her father, or that he could mock Will's humble origin, was terrifying. Her love and admiration for her father hadn't changed a bit, despite the fact he had lost all his fortune and power or his mental instability. She wouldn't let anyone think ill about him, not even her own husband. The same stood for Will. He was a Georgian Cracker, but, even before his marriage to her sister Careen, she felt he was a member of her family, because he loved Tara almost as much as she did and he was the only one who helped her through the dark days after the war. He was the best overseer Tara ever had and Scarlett was grateful for that.
Rhett had taken her by surprise when he proposed that she should visit her favorite "White Elephant" of Clayton County, as he was always mockingly referring to Tara, a few days after they return from their honey moon. He had shown such a genuine interest in her childhood home that Scarlett couldn't bring herself to deny his proposal or to go alone. So they went together and within the next few days Rhett had become an inextricable part of the family. Gerald loved him and he was impatiently waiting his next visit ever since. He enjoyed the small gifts his son-in-law always brought for him. Excellent Cuban cigars and bottles of MacCatcheon's whiskey, which was known to be the finest Scotch and Gerald's favorite. He always called him "my son" and he declared he was proud that his daughter had enough brain to choose a decent man who knew how to drink like a true gentleman. But Rhett also enjoyed his company. They spent several hours playing cards, smoking and talking. Amazingly enough despite his disorientation and memory lapses Gerald hadn't forgotten how to play cards and most of the time Rhett found it impossible to beat him. Pierre informed him that his uncle used to be one of the best poker players and that he had won Tara (and his loyal servant Pork) on a poker game a few days after he arrived to America from Ireland, but that didn't make him feel any better. On the contrary, he was indeed relieved once he saw with his own eyes that Pierre couldn't beat Gerald either. Scarlett was quite excited when, after his first game with her father, and probably his first loss, her husband mumbled in her ear "this is the second time I am beaten by a member of this family. This is getting serious!" He was rewarded with a dashing smile and later with an unforgettable night.
Will, of course, joined the boys' group a little later and he was a serious competition in drinking as he could consume amazing amounts of alcohol without getting drunk. He also enjoyed Rhett's Cuban cigars and he supplied the group with Tara's excellent hams and sausages, perfectly baked by himself. But he stubbornly refused to engage poker playing. Scarlett could still remember how hard she and Careen had laughed when Will declared that he couldn't play with them because the day he left his village -Coldwater Creek, Georgia- in order to find a job in Atlanta, just before the war broke out, his mother had made him swear that he would never touch a pack of cards, because according to her, people who earned their living by card playing could be very dangerous. He looked to Gerald, Pierre and Rhett and supplemented, "No offense, but you guys, look quite professional to me!"
All those happy moments brought tears to Scarlett's eyes. She was sure that the upcoming visit would have nothing to do with such happy memories. There was no way she could hide from her family that her marriage crumbled. Truth be told, she never cared about what people said about her, but this time she didn't want to let her younger sister down. A sister who always looked up on her since before the war, and who now regarded Rhett as the older brother she never had. She couldn't dare to imagine Careen's hurt expression when she would find out that Scarlett slept in her bedroom and her beloved husband…
Suddenly she sat up on her bed. Where would her husband sleep? She wondered. Her new mansion in Peachtree street in Atlanta, Rhett's present for their wedding, was huge, so after their fight he moved at one of the numerous guest rooms at the other side of the house, as away from her as possible. But Tara was a rather small building. She brought it vividly in her mind. Just five bedrooms. The Benteen's occupied her parents' old room, as Gerald refused to return there after Ellen's death and now he stayed at Careen's old bedroom. They had turned Suellen's room into a nursery, although Scarlett had proposed that they should use her old room as it was the biggest and most warm of the house, but Careen was adamant that Tara was her home too and she was entitled of her own room. As a result, the Butlers always stayed in Scarlett's old room and Pierre occupied the only guest room.
"There is no vacant room," she mumbled all alone in the dark and a wide grin appeared on her face. "There is no free room," she repeated more loudly and she started laughing. It was a happy sincere laughter, from the bottom of her heart. She was so thrilled that, if Pierre was near her, she would kiss him. This was the perfect opportunity to bring Rhett back. If he was forced to return to her side, even for just one night, she would be able to sooth his anger, to show him she had regretted her foolish mistake. She remembered well that during their intimate moments he was a different man. There was no mocking demeanor, no slide remarks. Once the door closed behind them, Captain Rhett Butler was turning into a tender, affectionate lover. It would be easier for her to talk to him then and, when his range was gone, they could recapture their wonderful life from where they left it six months ago.
She laid back at her pillows with the wide grin stuck on her face. Once she closed her eyes Ashley's image emerged once again, but she ignored it. Ashley's love and her marriage with Rhett were two completely different things she decided. How they were different she couldn't tell and she didn't want to think about it. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
Then another disturbing thought crossed her mind. What if their reconciliation brought another baby in her life? She wasn't the mothering type, she found babies rather annoying and most of all she hated how pregnancy destroyed her figure. But surprisingly enough she realized that she didn't found the thought so abhorrent any more. Rhett was a wonderful father, money weren't an issue and Bonnie was by far the prettiest and less annoying baby of all.
She fall asleep still smiling. She was dreaming of Rhett.
A few bedrooms away, Pierre wasn't sleeping either. Rhett and Scarlett and now their daughter, was the closest thing to a family he ever had, and he could tell that something was wrong with those two. The tense between them was tangible. Scarlett was sad and didn't dare to look him in the eye. Rhett was bitter and ironic as every time he was hurt.
"A classical marital squabble," Pierre presumed. "That's why I don't want to ever get married." He knew he shouldn't interfere in a married couple's affairs, but he couldn't stand to stay uninvolved and just watch them suffering. So he proposed a trip to Tara as he had noticed they always seemed happier and more relaxed there. He truly hoped that Tara would make it's miracle once again, and with that he let his mind go back to happier times, in fact to the happiest day in the life of all three of them, the day his niece and goddaughter was born.
T.B.C….Stay tuned….
