Chapter Ten:
With the realization of another child, Scarlett's mind began to race a million miles a minute. When the doctor was finished his examination, he wrote down some instructions for her to follow and some diet recommendations as well. He let himself out as Scarlett sat in her bed at the hotel room, and stared straight ahead. There were so many thoughts and emotions running through her head in that moment that it was difficult for her to keep track of them all, individually. It was overwhelming.
She was just around two months gone into her pregnancy. While she had several weeks before it became outwardly apparent that she was carrying a child, she knew that those weeks would fly by. So far, the people that she'd met in Newnan through Cathleen hadn't seemed overly concerned about where her husband was, and she wondered if since Cathleen's own husband travelled a great deal, they expected the same from Rhett. Still, Cathleen's husband wasn't gone for more than two months at a time, and would soon be returning. Scarlett had no idea where Rhett was, and more importantly, she'd not told him where to find her, either.
After ordering a meal sent up to her room, she found herself feeling physically better, although mentally more exhausted. She usually looked forward to the days ad she'd spend the majority of them with Cathleen, but that day she went straight to the house to check on the work without stopping first at her friend's. The workers moved about the house in quick succession. She could see the house turning into what she imagined for it, and it made her smile. Ella and Wade would each have their own room, and Scarlett had put quite a lot of thought into what would go into each of them.
She walked up to her room and looked around. It had had the least amount of work done to it. The plans had been drawn up, and the furnishings ordered, but she'd wanted to make sure the main part of the house as well as Ella and Wade's rooms, were done first. Scarlett had instructed all of the workers to save the bulk of her room, for last.
With the news she received that day, she would have to make some changes to her plans. She still had several months before the baby would be here, and she knew those months would pass by quickly. There were two small rooms attached to the main bedroom. She'd planned one to hold clothes, and the other to be used as a bathing room. Now, she thought the smaller of the two might do for a room for the baby.
The house was certainly spacious enough that rooms could be adjusted and added as needed, but as the workers made progress, she found that she wanted to keep the main layout of the house as close to the original as possible. She heard Cathleen's voice call out from the downstairs entryway, and Scarlett quickly moved toward her friend.
"Scarlett! I heard a doctor was sent for, for you. Are you alright?"
"However did you hear that?" Scarlett wasn't alarmed that the town knew she saw a doctor, but she hoped the end verdict still remained a secret.
"Don't worry, dear, I am well acquainted with the hotel manager. I stopped by this morning to visit you and he told me the doctor was with you. He knows we're old friends. He hasn't told the entire town, I promise." Cathleen patted Scarlett's arm as she spoke.
A little more comforted, Scarlett smiled and looked around her, ensuring that nobody was near them as she spoke. "Do you have a moment?
Cathleen's eyes widened a bit with alarm,but she nodded. "Of course, Scarlett."
The two women walked around the fence line that bordered the property. Not much had been done to the land accompanying the house, she had plans for it too, but again, the house had been more important. After they were sufficiently away from any workers that might overhear their conversation, Cathleen began to talk.
"You are alright, aren't you Scarlett?"
"Yes, or at least I will be. I'm… Well, I'm expecting."
Cathleen's eyes widened in excitement. "Oh, that's wonderful news! Are you happy?"
"I am. I think. I'm quite surprised but I think I am happy about it." Scarlett laughed nervously.
"I'm sure it's been a lot to process. Will Rhett be joining you soon, or will you need to write to tell him the news?"
"I think we're going to need to extend our walk if I'm to answer you properly."
"Oh, Scarlett, whatever are you going to do?" Cathleen looked genuinely concerned for her as she asked.
They'd spent the better part of the last two hours with Scarlett explaining to Cathleen the major points of the Butler marriage. "I have no idea. I'll have to tell him of course, but…"
"Why should you tell him? You've got the house here, and Wade and Ella will be coming as soon as it's done. You're set up financially from selling everything, you don't need him."
"She's right," Scarlett mused, "I don't need him." She'd known that for a while, even before he'd left her and the children. With the money she'd saved from selling the mill to Ashley, and the money the store had brought in, she would have been able to survive. She wouldn't have lived in the same comfort that Rhett's money had provided her, but she would never be at the point she'd been all those years ago when she'd returned to Tara.
In some ways, that seemed like a lifetime ago to her. She remembered being so incredibly hungry and tired and miserable. The thought brought Melly to the front of her mind, and she saddened for a moment. "What would Melly think about this?" she wondered to herself before answering her own question. "She'd be so happy I was having a baby. She'd think it would solve all of Rhett and I's problems…"
Scarlett had yet to reply to Cathleen, and when she heard her friend's voice, she snapped out of her quiet thoughts. "Is it the idea of keeping the baby a secret that has you smiling, or something else?"
"I was thinking about Melly. She always did love babies…"
Cathleen offered a kind smile. "I'm sure you miss her a lot, what with her being Charlie's sister, and Wade's Aunt."
"Yes…" Scarlett didn't elaborate. She'd shared so much of herself that afternoon, she didn't want to begin talking about her relationship with Melly.
"Well, I should head back before the children think I've left them completely. John is due back this evening and we're having a little dinner party, please say you'll come?"
Scarlett didn't particularly feel like dining with a stranger, an especially a Yankee stranger, but she found she couldn't turn down the invitation. "Yes, I'll be there. It'll be nice to eat somewhere other than the hotel for an evening." Scarlett chuckled, although she was quite serious. Despite the hotel being grand, it was quickly losing its allure for her, she just wanted to be back in a home of her own.
Scarlett left the house shortly after Cathleen, and went back to the hotel to freshen up and change for the dinner party. She hadn't been to a party in a long time, and she was forced to admit to herself that she was looking forward to it. Scarlett had procured several new dresses in Newnan as she waited for the house to be ready. They were different to what she'd normally picked out, but she found she liked them better. She put on a deep blue colored gown that flattered her figure nicely. She ran a hand across her still-flat abdomen and sighed, wondering how long it would be before her new gowns would stop fitting. While it wasn't an overly welcome thought, it didn't fill her with the same sense of hopelessness and apprehension that it once had.
"This is my fifth pregnancy. I'm lucky I'm really not as big as Aunt Pitty." Scarlett said the words out loud, and then rolled her eyes at herself in the mirror. "Good Lord, I'm talking to myself now, I've got to get the house going so people can be in it with me."
On the way out of the hotel, Scarlett had to stand still a moment to stop her head from spinning. The man at the front desk noticed, and hurried over to her. "Mrs. Butler, are you alright?"
"Yes, I apologize, I seem to be a bit light-headed is all. It will pass in just a moment."
"Can I help you to the dining hall?"
"Oh, no. I'm heading out tonight, thank you."
"You're not walking, surely?"
She had planned on it. She'd found she'd quite liked her daily walks to and from the house. The thought of the walk seemed less appealing as her head continued to spin. "Could you hire a cart for me, please?"
With a bow and affirmation, the man left her standing against a wall, and went to find her a hired car. She felt silly using it for such a small distance, but perhaps it would be for the best. After a short wait, and a smooth drive, she found herself knocking on the door of Cathleen's house, and one of her daughters opened it up quickly.
"Mrs. Butler's here mama!" The girl ran off after she hollered out the words, leaving Scarlett to step into the house by herself.
Cathleen rounded the corner soon after, smiling. "I'm sorry Scarlett, she has friends over and can't waste a minute to be polite, apparently." Scarlett smiled. She couldn't help but imagine that Bonnie would have done something similar. Before she could say anything, Cathleen gestured to the small main room of the house. "Let me introduce you to everyone."
Scarlett made her way around the room. There were only six or seven additional people to Cathleen's family, but in her smaller home, it seemed quite confined. She felt a bit of her stomach rise up into her throat, and willed it back down. Cathleen's hand guided her around in the small circle as she was introduced to everyone she didn't already know. "And where is…. Oh! There. One last person to meet, right behind you Scarlett."
Scarlett spun around to meet the final person, anxious to move out of the warm, closely confined room. She placed a smile on her face halfway into the turn, but as she made the circle she felt her head spin once more. She felt her knees buckle beneath her, and felt two strong hands reach out to grab her around the waist right before everything went black.
A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the reviews- , Guest 1 and 2, gabyhyatt, Romabeachgirl1981, gumper, and Aunt Flora
I'm struggling to name this chapter and the last one. Ideas?
I'm playing a BIT with legalities in the next 1-2 chapters, so forgive me in advance.