'It looks like the young woman is in need of her rest, Rhett. Why don't you say goodnight to her and let Johan walk you over to your room above the saloon?'
Scarlett looked up and Rhett could see the panic in her eyes. Despite the fact that she never had been a mother herself, Henrietta de Vries could often be overbearing in her concern for the younger people around her.
Scarlett and Rhett arrived earlier that day at the other couple's house in Strawbridge, a one horse town situated in the middle of the Texan desert close to the Mexican border. It looked like the elderly couple had awaited Rhett's arrival eagerly and they had been nothing but kind since their arrival. Henrietta cooked them a lavish meal and when sitting in the cosy kitchen with a mug of tea Scarlett started to feel very tired. She could barely suppress her yawning.
Henrietta was a stout woman with light blonde curls. These days it was streaked with grey hair, but Rhett remembered how he had appreciated her as a woman when he first met her. Her soft features combined with the angelic hair gave her a sweetness that any man liked to look at. On top of that she was the most kind-hearted woman he had ever met, as kind-hearted as the gentle Melanie Wilkes. Thankfully Henrietta de Vries was not as ignorant as Scarlett's sister-in-law. Though not the type of woman that could hold his own attention long enough, Rhett could most certainly understand why Henrietta's husband loved her so completely. Johan was a man of few words. He had dull brown hair and his features were nothing special but there was a silent force within him that immediately installed respect in those around him. He was one of the few male friends Rhett had.
It was a pity that Scarlett was not drawn to Henrietta. Rhett had hoped that she would welcome the female company after only being with him for so many weeks. But he should have known that Scarlett O'Hara was never any good at building female friendships. She had even thrown Melly Wilkes' gentle ways back in her face.
'That's sounds like a good idea, Henrietta. I think both Scarlett and I can do with an early night', Rhett drawled in his typical accent.
'Alright, Rhett, I will see if the guest room is ready for Scarlett. Johan, why don't you fetch the horse for the jongen?' Henrietta shot her husband a glance that he understood right away; she wanted to give the young people some time to say goodnight.
As soon as the older couple left the room, Scarlett rushed over to Rhett.
'Oh please, Rhett. Don't leave me here. Take me with you to your room above the saloon'.
'Why, Mrs Hamilton, you are forgetting yourself! We are not married yet, it would be highly improper if we shared a room', he said mockingly.
'Don't be foolish, Rhett, after all, we have slept in each other arms during some of the trip'. Then she realised what she said and she bit her lip in embarrassment.
'I personally don't have a problem with it, but I know for a fact that Henrietta upholds the same beliefs that your dear departed mother had, Scarlett', Rhett smirked.
'She would put up a hell of a fight if I attempted to sneak you to my room'.
'That is just silly, Rhett. Besides, I cannot believe you are leaving me here with these Yankees. I fail to understand why you trust them', Scarlett pouted.
'They are not Yankees, Scarlett'.
'But you said that they come from New York'.
'Yes, originally they came from New York, but they only lived there for a short period. They are actually Dutch'. Scarlett looked bewildered. She did not remember a family with that peculiar last name. Rhett sighed.
'Mr and Mrs De Vries are from a little country in Europe called Holland and just stayed in New York to get the American documents they needed. They have been travelling this great nation since then'.
So the couple came from across the ocean, just like Pa? That explained the strange words they kept using. Scarlett had already tried to figure out which state they originated from; she had never heard their strange accent before.
'I told you that I met them in California, Scarlett. They have been my friends for a long, long time; I would trust my life to them. There is really nothing to worry about'.
'I am sure that I won't sleep a wink tonight, Rhett. I have never stayed under the roof of Northerners'. Rhett shook his head. He counted on the fact that Henrietta's good cares would make Scarlett soon feel different about her stay.
'Enough about that Scarlett, you are staying here for the night', Rhett said in a tone of voice that did not leave room for argument.
'I will come to see you after breakfast. Now give your old fiancée a kiss'.
Unwillingly Scarlett had to smile at the reference to his age. Rhett was not old. She had never seen a healthier looking, vibrant man. With a tingle in her eye, she walked towards him and they shared a short passionate embrace.
'Just two more nights and then there is nothing keeping us from sharing a room, Scarlett', Rhett whispered huskily. Goose bumps erupted all over Scarlett's skin. Reluctantly she pulled out of his embrace.
'I will see you tomorrow, Rhett', she said softly, letting her hand caress his bearded cheek for a moment.
'Have a good night, Scarlett', he said smiling, pressing a last kiss on her palm. And he was out of the door.
While brushing her hair in front of the mirror, Scarlett glanced around to take in her new surroundings. During the last miles of their trip Rhett had told Scarlett that the De Vries' lived in a remote little town called Strawbridge. In spite of the secluded area, Henrietta had managed to make the house look as if they were in the midst of a bustling city. It was a comfortable, well furnished house and Henrietta kept it very clean and tidy. Which must be a tremendous accomplishment with a dusty road nearby, Scarlett decided. Scarlett actually felt at home immediately after setting foot in the house. Longingly she looked at the clean bed with the soft covers. She felt awfully tired. She had tried to hide it from Rhett but lately she had been suffering dizzy spells regularly. Scarlett knew Rhett did not have the patience to be around a ninny so she kept her health issues to herself.
There was a knock on the door. Henrietta entered carrying a nice thick quilt along.
'I brought you this, meisje. You would not expect it with the temperatures we suffer in the daytime but it can get very cold at night. I will just put this by the end of your bed'. Henrietta busied herself arranging the blanket. Scarlett felt a bit awkward with the other lady present in her room, but she appreciated the woman's gesture.
'I want you to know, Scarlett', Henrietta said, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence between them, 'that both Johan and I are very pleased that Rhett is finally settling down. We have always regarded him as more then a friend. He is family, almost like our own son'. Scarlett arched one of her eyebrows but said nothing, anxious to hear more about the couple's close relationship with Rhett. Scarlett had never before been around people that seemed to know Rhett that well and she felt like she was finally receiving pieces to the puzzle.
'Have you known each other for a long time, Scarlett?' Henrietta asked.
'Why, yes, we have been friends for several years'.
'Ah, you were friends first? That surprises me. I somehow pictured that with you two it was a case of love at first sight. I know that Rhett has a passionate side to him and I can see you are just the same. But it is good that you both took your time to get to know each other. In a marriage it is very important that you are friends next to lovers'. Scarlett nodded and returned to her grooming in front of the mirror.
'Well, love, I can see that you are tired. I will leave you alone. Sleep well, meisje. If there is anything you need, we are right down the hall'. She closed the door behind her, leaving Scarlett alone with her thoughts.
It was strange that Henrietta called Rhett a passionate person, Scarlett thought. He seemed to be a person that would always think first before he acted. Then again, she knew from experience that once he let go of that ever present self-control, he could be a completely different man.
She slipped between the covers and mused some more for a few minutes but soon tiredness overtook her. She fell into a dreamless sleep feeling comforted by the freshly cleaned bed linen surrounding her and the fact that she stayed in a place that resembled a home for the first time in weeks.
*Escape from Destiny*Escape from Destiny*Escape from Destiny* Escape from Destiny *Escape from Destiny* Escape from Destiny*
Over the next few days, Scarlett and Rhett and their host and hostess were deeply involved in the preparations for the impromptu wedding. Johan and Henrietta never asked questions on the reasons for the couple to get married so far away from their respective homes. Henrietta managed to find a white dress for Scarlett that needed some alteration but would make her look like a real bride. Together the two women spent hours in the kitchen preparing a sober wedding buffet. Johan and Henrietta had invited some close friends for a small celebration afterwards. They really acted as if Rhett was their own son and Rhett appeared to be appropriately humble in their presence. This was an eye-opener for Scarlett. Rhett had always been a loner and never seemed to need anybody. This new role he played made him seem more like the other men she knew.
Scarlett herself started appreciating Henrietta's warm personality more and more. Some moments the older woman reminded her of her own mother and Scarlett allowed the lady to pamper her somewhat because of it. The last afternoon before the wedding Rhett and Johan were busy working in the small log cabin that Scarlett and Rhett would call home after their wedding. Scarlett spent a pleasant afternoon in the company of Henrietta while they both added the finishing touches to Scarlett's wedding dress.
Henrietta observed Scarlett who was busy stitching the hem of the dress. She was a very pretty girl, she thought. A bit too thin, in Henrietta's opinion. In the past Rhett always had been surrounded by more buxom girls but Henrietta guessed that war times in Georgia had been tough on Scarlett. She also deducted that information from the sometimes hard look that lay on the girl's features. Life had taken away the innocence of her childhood and one of its many scars was visible on the young woman's lovely face. She hoped that Scarlett would be able to share her tragedies with Rhett; just liked she hoped that he man in question would be able to disclose his own troubles to his new wife.
As if Scarlett guessed the things that occupied Henrietta's mind, Scarlett asked her about the time the De Vries' met Rhett for the first time. Henrietta searched her brain and then she started telling Scarlett of a time many years ago. A time when fortune hunters flooded the river banks of California.
'The first time I saw Rhett Butler, was when we lived as settlers near the Sacramento River during the California Goldrush. Rhett was still practically a boy then. He was as tall as he is now but his body was much leaner. He was all arms and legs back then'.
'Arms and legs and too cocky for his own good', Henrietta said, shaking her head.
Scarlett smiled.
'He just left home then and like other young bucks he thought he knew everything there was to know in life. To be honest, Scarlett, I did not think much of him then, but Johan must have seen something in the young man, because he immediately took him under his wing'.
'At first the other men made fun of Rhett. Most of them were fortune seekers that had gone through the mill a couple of times. They could just smell that Rhett came from a good home, that he had been fed with a silver spoon his whole life'. Scarlett by now had stopped sewing and was listening to Henrietta with great interest.
'But Rhett worked hard trying to win their approval. He worked twelve hour days, longer and harder than most of the other men. And gradually he became one of them. One day a man called Dave Harrison appeared on the scene. He owned advanced equipment for placer mining and for a small amount of money he allowed the use of his equipment. Johan did not like Dave very much. I remember him telling Rhett not to get involved with the man, that he was bad news. But Rhett did not want to listen. To make a long story short: Dave Harrison took a big share of Rhett's gold. He was claiming that Rhett owed him for the use of his equipment. Rhett tried to fight him but Harrison had his men organised and there was no way Rhett would win that battle. After that day Rhett suddenly disappeared. We thought we would never see him again but almost a year later he was back'. Henrietta smiled when she thought back to that day.
'He had always been too handsome for his own good, but when Rhett returned he had a new self-assurance. He looked untouchable. He also had far more money to his name than the year before. I suspect he earned it while living as a professional gambler, but Johan never told me as much. Rhett went into direct competition with Harrison and soon his buddies turned to his firm instead of Harrison's. Harrison tried every dirty trick in the book but Rhett was no longer a fool; he always came out on top. In the end Harrison left the area and Rhett became one of the most prosperous men on the bank'.
'Around that time he caught the eye of Clover McGillis. She was a fearless, lively woman that owned the local Sand & Gravel Saloon. You have to understand that honest unmarried women were a rare commodity in that area, Scarlett, and many men were angling for her favours, but Clover chose Rhett. Well, who can blame her? He was such a handsome devil back then. He still is', Henrietta mused before she remembered that she was talking to Rhett's current fiancée.
A little bit apprehensive she apologized to Scarlett for bringing up Rhett's former lover, but Scarlett quickly told her that it was alright. That she would love to hear more about Rhett's younger years. In reality Scarlett did not particularly enjoy hearing about this woman that Rhett had apparently been involved with, but she knew Rhett himself would never tell her this tale and so she dug her nails in her palms and with a pleasant smile she urged Henrietta to continue her story.
'It did not take long or Rhett moved in with Clover and despite the large age gap – Clover must have been in her early thirties by then - they seemed to be happy together. Clover was still a beautiful woman in spite of being much older than him and somehow they suited each other. I cannot say I approved of their illegitimate co-habiting but I remember how happy he was back then. I could even see them grow old together. One day I noticed that Clover's tiny waist was growing wider; she was carrying his child'. Scarlett let out a gasp.
Scarlett never before had entertained the idea that Rhett fathered a child. Somehow she could not picture him in that role. Then again: He always had a very natural way of dealing with Wade. He and the boy seemed to understand each other. They understood each other better then Scarlett ever understood the two of them.
'What happened, Henrietta? Where is the child now?' Scarlett blurted out. Henrietta frowned.
'He's hardly a child anymore. Rhett never told you about him, Scarlett?' Scarlett was visibly embarrassed.
She knew that Henrietta and her husband thought that Rhett and she were in love. That this was an ordinary marriage between two people destined to be together and so far Scarlett had been happy to keep up that façade but now it was plain that she did not know much about the man she was supposed to love. She was about to confess to her hostess that her marriage to Rhett was a simple business deal. It was Henrietta's next line that stopped her.
'Oh Scarlett, it pains me that Rhett is so reticent these days. He does not like to let people look into his heart. I had hoped that his obvious love for you would have healed him, but I can tell that has not happened yet'.
'Johan and I ran into him during his blockading days. He had just come ashore somewhere on the Louisiana coastline and we were visiting some friends there at the same time. The first thing I noticed in him was this new spring in his step. I told Johan that same evening that he must be in love again. And the next day Rhett confided in us. He did not mention your name but he told us he had met this woman that was so much like him. That one day he would make her his wife'.
Henrietta smiled broadly at Scarlett but Scarlett's face fell.
She was certain Rhett had not meant her back then; Rhett would have never married her if not for the current circumstances that pushed them together. Rhett must have meant his lady friend Alison instead. Ali, Tom Walker's wife. The one that Rhett ripped off when they recently visited New Orleans. Scarlett knew that Rhett and Ali had been lovers around the time the De Vries' ran into him in Louisiana. It shocked her to know that Rhett had intended to marry Alison.
Henrietta was unaware of Scarlett's confusion and continued talking.
'Being in a fix was hard on Clover. She was an older woman and this was her first pregnancy. Rhett looked after her as well as he could. The birth lasted for almost a week. The doctor managed to save the baby, a ten pound handsome black haired boy. But Clover died giving birth to him. Rhett was distraught. He confessed to me that he never wanted the child to begin with; that he had argued repeatedly with the mother over the child. He had made Clover's last months miserable and therefore he believed that it was his fault that she died. Of course I tried to reason with him but I did not seem to be able to reach him. He started drinking heavily. The few decent women in the area tried to look after the child but most of the time he would not allow us to take care of it. I felt for Rhett, he was like a son to me, but I felt worse for the poor innocent little thing. In the end Clover's relatives came and they took the child away to Chattanooga, where Clover originated from. Rhett did not put up much of a fight. However, I know for a fact that he has provided for the child ever since. Nevertheless, I am convinced the whole episode placed a stone on Rhett's heart'.
'Shortly after they took his son, Rhett left the river without giving us any warning. If we did not run into him in New Orleans a few years later, I doubt we would have ever seen him again. But the young man that we knew in California was gone by the time we met up with him again. He only lets people get so close now. He humours me, because of old-times sake, I guess, but I can feel that he wants me to stay at a distance. Maybe he confides in Johan, I couldn't tell'.
'That is why I am so glad that he has finally met someone that can give him a home. He needs to belong somewhere, Scarlett. All this drifting around has never done a man any good'.
Scarlet always assumed that the unattached lifestyle suited Rhett fine. For the second time during this trip somebody told her that Rhett needed a home. Either Rhett was a great actor that could make people believe things about himself that were simply not true or Scarlett had been wrong about Rhett all this time. Scarlett liked to think that Rhett showed her his true self, just like she never held back in his company.
'I do hope that you are going to give him a child very soon, my dear'. Henrietta softly said.
'I can see how much his love for you has changed him already. A child, the product of your mutual love, will heal his broken heart fully'. Scarlett started feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
She did not plan to give Rhett any children. She doubted that was what he wanted himself. The man that Henrietta described did not seem to have anything in common with the Rhett she knew. That Rhett took everything as a joke. He did not welcome responsibilities. He was a man that could not be touched by the simple events that brushed other people's lives. He had never mentioned his child to her and Scarlett assumed that he did not care that much about him. Just like her, he took on the responsibility for the child without attaching his heart too much to his son.
Scarlett had wanted clues to solve the mystery that was Rhett Butler. But the clues Henrietta provided just puzzled her more. Scarlett felt utterly confused and when the men came home to have dinner with their women, Scarlett was very quiet. Several times she glanced across the table and studied Rhett. His face looked familiar. It was a face she had come to know and grow fonder of over the last few weeks, but now she wondered if she knew the man underneath that well-groomed mask.
'Are you alright, Scarlett?' Rhett asked at one point, flashing her a smile that set off his white teeth amidst his dark beard.
'I am a bit tired, I think I will have an early night', Scarlett said before she excused herself. Worriedly Rhett watched her leave the table.
'She is just having pre-marriage jitters, Rhett, mijn jongen. Nothing to worry about'. Johan said. But Rhett could not help but be concerned.
He could not wait to place his ring on her finger and it disappointed him that Scarlett did not share his feelings.
