Thanks again for all the nice reviews! I really appreciate all of you taking the time to review for me and hope that you will continue to do so!
Again, there are a few tiny little rated M elements so look out and enjoy!
As always, I do not own the rights to the characters of GWTW...
The howling wind and driving rain against the cottage windows awakened Rhett in the early dawn hour and immediately served as a reminder of the tropical storm still raging outside. After tightening the warm bed covers around them, Rhett watched Scarlett as she peacefully slept; her body snuggled close to his. Marriage between them now had been just as he always had hoped for…just as he always knew their life together could be. However, the day finally arrived in which Rhett promised to finally reveal everything Scarlett needed to know about his past in order to completely have the fresh start they both desired and he began to worry. Rhett knew that telling Scarlett everything was not the smartest move on his part as certain knowledge could possibly put her in danger, yet on the other hand Rhett no longer could bear hiding anything from her anymore. "I won't worry about that now, I'll deal with that later," he thought as he pulled Scarlett closer, his large hands gently cradled over her womb as he closed his eyes and sighed.
Shortly after Rhett had fallen back asleep, a loud crash sounded from outside the window, instantly waking both of them. "Rhett, what's wrong?" Scarlett's groggy voice sounded from the direction of the bed after he raced over to the window to look outside. "Go back to sleep Scarlett. The storm has worsened overnight and a large oak has fallen nearby. I need to go check on the boat….I am sure it's secure but I want to confirm that anyway," he rushed to explain as he haphazardly threw on a jacket after first getting dressed in his clothes from the previous day. "Now stay here…and I mean it!" he warned, "I'll only be gone a few minutes." Before she could object, Rhett gave Scarlett a quick peck on the lips before racing out the door, struggling to securely close it against the vicious wind.
Fully awake now, Scarlett's eyes searched the room for her clothing and spotted the green silk chemise carelessly tossed at the foot of the bed. Quickly slipping it over her head, she shivered in fear while watching, through the window, how easily the ancient trees bent in the wind, dozens of thick branches and an uprooted oak littering the ground only a few yards away from the cottage. "Rhett was right, the storm is much worse," Scarlett thought as she frantically began pacing the room with an eye on the activity outside, hoping to catch the sight of Rhett's immediate return. As her anxiety and fear for Rhett's well-being grew with each passing minute Scarlett thought to herself, "Why isn't he back yet?" Feeling completely helpless as ten then fifteen minutes quickly went by, Scarlett began crying as thoughts of finding Rhett's battered body under a fallen tree played with her emotions and finally emboldened her with the bravery necessary to head out into the storm herself in order to find him.
"Damn it Scarlett! I told you to stay in bed!" Rhett shouted over the roar of the wind as his rain-soaked body crashed into Scarlett's like a brick wall after she reached the bottom of the porch steps. Rhett roughly grabbed Scarlett's arm, dragging her back inside to the safety of their cottage before releasing his anger. "What the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay inside!…..This isn't quite a hurricane but it's close…You could have been seriously hurt out there if I hadn't returned when I did!" he raged, coal black eyes darkening even more. Scarlett's indignation grew at Rhett's reprimand and immediately reacted by giving him a piece of her mind, "Damn you then for running out there just to take care of your stupid boat! You scared me and were taking too long…. I was just coming to your rescue, you stubborn fool!"
As they both stood there glaring at one another in an impasse, silently stewing in their shared anger over the others safety, Scarlett turned white as she noticed blood slowly beginning to trickle down the side of Rhett's face. "Rhett! You're hurt!" she gasped, "Lie down and let me take a closer look." Quickly helping him out of his soaked clothes, Scarlett then tossed off her own wet clothing and slipped on her robe before attending to Rhett's injury. With a look of loving concern in her eyes, Scarlett carefully dabbed the deep cut with a dampened handkerchief in order to staunch the blood flow while Rhett watched her intently, his anger quickly fading. "Your doctoring skills are quite becoming, my dear," he gently spoke out then paused for a moment while trying to find the right words for an apology. "I'm sorry for having been so harsh, Scarlett… I know you were just concerned for me as much as I was for you," he admitted.
Scarlett smiled for a moment while remaining focused on her task. "What happened to you out there…is the boat okay?" she finally inquired as she walked over to the side table, her eyes searching for something, then finally grabbed a bottle of Rhett's favorite Scotch. "Yes, it's secure and undamaged but it was a struggle fighting against the wind and rain to get to it and I didn't notice a large cedar had fallen along the path on the way to the river until after I tripped over it," Rhett explained, watching with interest as Scarlett drizzled a small amount of the Scotch onto a handkerchief. "In all honesty, I was dazed for a few moments after having fallen hard on the ground but as you see my dear, I made it back to you in one piece so you won't be rid of your future bridegroom just yet," he joked, wincing when the alcohol from the Scotch bitterly stung as Scarlett used it to clean his wound.
Satisfied with her treatment of his cut, Scarlett moved on and remained quiet as she thoroughly poked and prodded the rest of his unclothed torso in her search for other injuries and raised an eyebrow as her delicate hands ran over a large purple bruise on Rhett's side. He sharply drew in his breath alerting Scarlett to his acute pain and she gently palpated the area searching for the signs of a broken rib. Discovering he was fine after all, Scarlett turned to look Rhett in the eyes. "Don't ever scare me by doing something so foolish ever again… do you understand? If something had happened to you…" Scarlett chastised before her voice trailed off, Rhett slowly nodding in complete understanding and watching as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I can fully understand now how you felt Rhett…. after my miscarriage I mean…." she sadly explained before Rhett held her in his comforting arms.
As they listened for a few moments to the ferocity of the wind, Rhett decided to lighten the mood. "Scarlett my dear, if only I had known how capable those delicate little hands of yours were I would have been purposefully injuring myself years ago! I sure as hell hope you didn't touch every soldier you cared for at the hospital like that," he teased, then winced as Scarlett accidentally jabbed his ribs that were still sore from Ross' direct punch days ago. "It seems I have taken quite a few hits within the past week, both to my body and my ego," he acknowledged. "It sure makes me feel better to be here right now with you…especially with this storm raging outside…..What was it you said yesterday?... I do believe it was something like 'all alone and with nothing to do'…Does that bring any ideas to your pretty little head, my pet?" Rhett joked as his hands slowly opened Scarlett's robe.
Scarlett playfully slapped his wandering hands away. "Rhett, this storm is frightening me and sounds as if it's going to blow this cottage away," she admitted just as her hungry stomach let out a loud rumble. Rhett raised his eyebrows then chuckled while protectively wrapping his arms around Scarlett's tiny waist. "You Scarlett …frightened? I don't think anyone or anything has ever frightened you in your entire life!" he teased before noticing her eyes widen further as the loud sound of another tree limb crashed down outside the window and quickly decided to ease up on her. "My dear, this storm is nothing compared to the many frightening hurricanes I lived through as a boy and even some storms I experienced while out at sea during my blockading days….. But fear not, my little piggy…. your loving husband will keep you safe from any big bad wolves huffing and puffing outside our door," he joked, the loud wind and Scarlett's hunger having had reminded him of one of Bonnie's favorite bedtime stories. "In all seriousness though Scarlett, I do have to admit this home is quite strong being made of stone and not straw or sticks and we are safe as long as we remain inside here," he admitted then took a long pause before continuing on in a gentle voice, "You know I am still quite mad at you even though you were attempting to come to my rescue. If anything had happened to you or to our baby…"
"Oh Rhett, don't be ridiculous!" Scarlett spoke out, "You know Dr. Meade said that…." Rhett interrupted her as he gently covered her mouth with his fingertips then quickly took over the conversation. "I don't care what Dr. Meade said. Don't ask me the particulars but all I know is that I have a sneaking suspicion you are with child after our fun little interlude last night and if you would care to wager a bet with the happy father we will find out who the winner is in another month or two," he explained as Scarlett nodded in silent resignation and Rhett continued on. "I'll tell you what, let's make it a fun wager for the both of us…..I suggest the loser must be submissive to the winner for an entire day so that even when you do lose, you will still stand to win at the same time! Of course, your submission sure would make Reverend Kershaw proud at what a fine lady you are turning out to be…..and right before your own wedding too I might add," Rhett concluded, slyly smiling while fully anticipating Scarlett's response.
"You are a conceited skunk, Rhett Butler! Your victory is not a foregone conclusion you know…. but of course I can't refuse a bet against you… especially since I seem to have such a natural talent at winning," Scarlett fumed then became quiet as the reality of what she was betting against hit her. "Of course, this is the only time I would be happy to lose," she quietly rushed to admit before deciding to change the subject. "Rhett, I'm starving!…What are you making us for breakfast today?" Narrowing his dark eyes, Rhett intently studied Scarlett's face and finally answered her question as he dragged her off the bed and carried her towards their makeshift kitchen in front of the fireplace. "You my dear will be preparing our breakfast today and fortunately for the both of us it just so happens that your husband is a fantastic teacher!"
"I never knew cooking could be so physically stimulating and satisfying, Rhett dear," Scarlett admitted after finishing a tall stack of pancakes. "I think when we return home we should make our own meals quite often!" Rhett chuckled from across the room as he prepared their coffee, lustfully eying the sight of Scarlett as she sat naked in their bed. "My pet, I truly love the way your mind works and if every meal could be as pleasurably enhanced as this one then I am afraid I will never let you leave the environs of our kitchen," he joked as he walked over with Scarlett's coffee then kissed her cheek before climbing back under the bed covers. "At least I got your mind off of the storm for a little while. Are you still frightened?" he asked. Scarlett took a quick sip of coffee before shaking her head. "No!…I finally know as long as you are with me I will always be safe," she quietly admitted to both of their satisfaction.
An hour earlier, after dragging Scarlett out of bed, Rhett had stood close behind her…too close than was considered decent by anyone else's moral standards…while directing her step-by-step as she made pancakes and scrambled eggs for the first time in her life. It wasn't long before the closeness of their bodies as she worked preoccupied both their minds, the need for nourishment quickly forgotten. Their food had been quite cold by the time Rhett got around to serving Scarlett's breakfast in bed as a reward for her hard work in preparing their morning meal. Now, after she proudly finished devouring her food and lay back on a pillow with a satisfied grin on her face Scarlett found she had been completely relaxed even as the frightening storm outside raged on. After a few moments Scarlett spoke out, breaking the silence between them as she reminded Rhett, "You do remember… Rhett dear… that today is your day to dazzle me with all your dirty little secrets…. Don't think I have been distracted enough by your many charms to have forgotten."
Even with the weather outside forcing them to remain indoors, Rhett still found plenty to keep Scarlett preoccupied with inside the tiny one-room cottage. After cleaning up from their breakfast meal, Rhett braced himself against the wind and lashing wind as he quickly ran in and out the door with buckets of water from the well just off of the front porch while Scarlett stood nearby laughing hysterically. After warming the water in a large kettle over the fire, Rhett poured it into a small tub where he and Scarlett took turns bathing one another in the steaming water. Before long, both of their minds predictably took a turn towards amorous pursuits. Thus, the remainder of their morning was spent with Scarlett on top of Rhett in the cramped, overflowing tub then eventually in the roomier, cozy bed. As they both lay staring at the ceiling in a state of post-coital bliss lost in their own thoughts and waiting for their breathing and racing heartbeats to return to normal, Rhett climbed out of the bed without a word and walked over to the table where his bottle of Scotch and two glasses sat.
Returning to the bed, Rhett carefully poured out a glass for Scarlett and one for his self then quickly drank his down, reveling in the warm sensation as the alcohol traveled down his throat. "I guess now is as good a time as any for me to begin explaining my scandalous past, my dear," Rhett announced just before climbing back under the covers. "I don't want to put it off any longer and it may take a while…..You know, I woke earlier this morning knowing we were going to have this conversation today but now I have to truthfully admit that I am a little hesitant as it may be dangerous for you to find out just how much of a scoundrel I really am….Hopefully you'll still love me after discovering more than any wife should about her terrible husband," he teased but knowing the certain truths behind his words.
"I figured that was why you've kept me so busy since after our breakfast, Rhett dear," Scarlett sweetly admitted as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tenderly rained tiny kisses alongside the wound on his face. "Once, the truth may have bothered me more than I care to admit but everything is so different now between us and I find that I really don't care anymore what you've done….I'll love you no matter what, Rhett Butler!... But just in case, I think we both should have another drink," she joked then waited expectantly while he poured her another Scotch. After setting their glasses down on the bed side table, Rhett thoroughly kissed Scarlett, leaving no secret as to how much he loved her then after resting his head against the soft down pillow Scarlett snuggled in closer to his chest. Clearing his throat in preparation for a lengthy explanation, Rhett deeply sighed before finally beginning to speak, "Well my love, most of my troubles all began the year I turned eighteen and Father decided I should be sent off to West Point…."
Rhett briefly paused, turning his body to one side after suddenly having decided to watch Scarlett's reaction as he spoke. After pulling her body closer, Rhett draped an arm over Scarlett's hip, finally satisfied they were both comfortable before continuing on. "Please bear with me my dear, but I think I need to backtrack a little in order for everything to make more sense in the end. I need to start with my grandfather, John Butler… Mother has always told me how I am so much like him in looks and attitude… I wish I could have known the man but he was killed in a bar room fight years before I was even born. Anyway, the rumor goes that there was something about womanizing and drunkenness but I can't seem to remember exactly what it was that happened…" Rhett muttered while Scarlett laughed out. "Oh Rhett…it sure does sound like you are a chip off the old block!" she teased. Meeting her eyes, Rhett smiled then got back on track as he continued on, "Anyway, my grandfather's father settled here in Charleston in the mid-1700's after having owned a modest sugar plantation in Santo Domingo that had been passed down to him. Apparently the plantation fell on hard times because of a few unruly slaves who burnt it to the ground, prompting my great-grandfather's sudden move here where it had been rumored that good land was readily available and the slaves were much more malleable. Eventually his son, my grandfather, wasn't content with running the family plantation which once stood on this land, and as the only son he would have been expected to do. You see, his dream was to find adventure and fortune on the high seas so he became a sea captain… but not just any old type of sea captain…he became a pirate… and a very drunken one at that!"
Rhett watched Scarlett smile knowing she recognized the certain similarities between him and his grandfather too. "I won't get into the unsavory specifics explaining exactly how he made his fortune as a pirate but let me just say that my grandfather was extremely successful with both the ladies and amassing quite a large fortune. My great-grandfather ended up dying from yellow fever about ten years after establishing his fledgling rice plantation here and in the end my grandfather Butler ended up inheriting the land he didn't want in the first place but effectively put an end to his seafaring days and resigned his self to life as a planter anyway. In the end, he became highly successful, significantly increasing the family's wealth even more.….In addition, he had met and fallen in love with my grandmother who I heard was the most beautiful and popular society girl in all of Charleston at that time and was only sixteen years old to his thirty three when he married her," Rhett explained then stopped as he noticed a strange reaction on Scarlett's face. "Yes, I know my dear a striking similarity between us, isn't it?" Rhett admitted before he leaned in closer for a lingering kiss.
Finally pulling away, Rhett continued his story, "I never was told how a rogue like my grandfather was able to marry a proper lady but anyway keep in mind my grandmother was actually a lady unlike another Mrs. Butler I am reminded of, which makes their marriage quite a mystery to me and what's even worse is that she raised her children to be as proper and honorable as she was. As a result, my father was excessive in his lack of tolerance and respect for his own father even though it was because of grandfather that the Butler family came into their extreme wealth in the first place. In the end, my father ended up hating him and never failed to point out the similarities between Grandfather and myself from the time I was a young boy and got caught doing the normal types of boyhood mischief." Scarlett raised an eyebrow then began giggling. "You, Rhett Butler? Involved in mischief? I can't ever imagine!" she teased before planting a kiss on his lips.
"So what happened with your father after he caught you getting into trouble?" Scarlett finally asked with wide eyed interest, waiting for Rhett to answer her question. "My dear, remember when we were in the cemetery how I mentioned he completely changed after my sister Rachel's death?" Rhett asked then continued on after Scarlett nodded. "That was when I was around nine or maybe ten years old and that's when any little thing I did wrong warranted a severe whipping with a hickory switch at his hands. Knowing you have such an ungentlemanly husband, you can imagine the beatings were frequent…almost every other day or so…and soon it came to pass that he realized I was exactly like my grandfather and was just as stubborn and unyielding... He hated me, Scarlett!…. My own father hated me because I was something he didn't expect nor wanted me to be and being the oldest son, I was supposed to be honorable, proper, and a gentleman… exactly like him! He had my whole life mapped out and I just couldn't take it anymore once I got older as I had my own hopes and dreams for the future, just as my grandfather had too." Scarlett adjusted the bed covers around them then decided to ask a question that had come to mind, "What about your mother? Was she on your father's side in all of this? It seems you and her are pretty close now so I can't imagine she didn't know all this was happening and that she would ever be able to hate you too."
"Scarlett dear, my poor mother has had to suffer so much throughout her marriage….not only with losing her other children but also having had to deal with my father's mental and physical abuse. In his desire to completely remove any similarity between his self to my grandfather, Father took the life of being a gentleman to the extreme and sadly, Mother was the one who most suffered. Yes, I have always been close to her as well as Rosemary and for a while Ross, yet Father tried to make them all suffer in varying degrees for their loyalty and affection towards me. As his mind deteriorated more and more over time, he would verbally insult and degrade Mother even more than he had ever done to me. The worst moment was when one rainy day she was entertaining me with the more colorful stories behind our family history. Father happened to overhear and something in him completely snapped. He commanded me to stay where I was before smacking Mother across the face then dragged her crying up the stairs. I am assuming he forced his self on her because not too long afterwards, Mother's pregnancy with Rosemary had been announced. When Father returned downstairs later to deal with me…well, all I'll say is that I had been on laudanum for a few days to ease my pain and couldn't even leave my bed during that time. This was shortly after Rachel had been killed and he wasn't in his right mind to begin with and had been drinking quite heavily at that point….He blamed Mother for the way I turned out, you see... And being the bastard he truly was, he hated her and me for it until the day he died," Rhett bitterly explained, his black eyes growing darker by the second.
"Rhett…that's terrible!" Scarlett cried, "Your poor mother…I had no idea! I do remember our conversation when you were visiting Atlanta years ago and you told me how your father had died and your mother and Rosemary had lost the family home to taxes. You mentioned then that you weren't upset he had died and you didn't even like him in the first place….I always wondered what had happened between you two." Rhett gently ran his fingers down the side of Scarlett's face, cupping his hand under her chin as he responded, "Well, now you know the gist of it but it gets even worse and there is still so much more to explain. In the end though, I ended up purchasing a house for Mother and Rosemary on East Battery after his death but when the home we live in now came up for sale shortly afterwards, I immediately snapped it up when Bonnie and I were here….You see, it was Father's favorite house in all of Charleston and he always aspired to own it someday. I know it's spiteful but I can only hope he is spinning in his grave right now knowing his disowned, former heir is now living in it!" Rhett kissed Scarlett hard while releasing years of pent up frustrations in dealing with his father's abusive ways. After a few minutes, Scarlett pulled away as their passionate kiss deepened even further, knowing they were quickly approaching the familiar point where their conversation was about to end in exchange for physical intimacy.
"I'm sorry Scarlett… I couldn't help myself as usual when it comes to your charms. I know you want to hear more and I did promise you that you would learn the truth today," Rhett admitted after he moved away, waiting for his breathing to slow down. Finally ready to continue, Rhett turned towards Scarlett so their eyes were only inches apart. "Well anyway, once Father realized his frequent beatings weren't working to break my spirit, he resigned himself to the fact that it was his duty as a Christian father to try another approach in molding me into becoming a proper gentleman. He put me to work manually in ways he felt would be productive towardseventually undermining my dishonorable behavior. So as a result, I was forced to work the rice fields for hours on end alongside the slaves I played with after first having been given my school lessons at the crack of dawn. As I got older, he slowly relented on my physical labors when he began teaching the common gentlemanly pursuits such as how to shoot a pistol, ride a horse, and play poker… As you already know, he was the best player at the time in all of Charleston so I did learn from the best… Anyhow, we would gamble in the afternoons before supper and then he would force me to read Shakespeare and the classics every night, probably thinking redirecting my mind in those ways would prepare me well for being out in proper society. I do have to admit even though I knew what he was attempting to do to me, I secretly enjoyed learning the new skills, knowing someday I would find a way to put them to good use. I also have to say that after working the fields it wasn't long before I completely fell in love with this plantation land…. If anyone can understand your love for Tara, it's me, as I love this land in a similar way."
After a long pause, Rhett continued on. "Remember Anne Wentworth, my dear?" He asked with a sly grin. Scarlett scowled while she replied, "That flighty, mealy-mouthed, husband-stealing, little wench? What does she have to do with this story?" Rhett chuckled and gently began caressing Scarlett's tense shoulders as he looked into her narrowed emerald eyes. "My dear, to Anne's credit she did not steal your husband's affections and never could but she does play an integral part of my life story in the end… William Wentworth, Anne's father, was my father's best friend growing up and our two families were always close. In my father's eyes, I was finally making slow but steady progress towards becoming a gentleman while all during that time I was actually sneaking out of the house at all hours of the night in pursuit of women, whiskey, and sneaking in to gamble in the local saloons. Of course, Father eventually put an end to my fun when he discovered the truth of what I was doing and, unknown to me or Mother until much later, Father confided in Mr. Wentworth his issues concerning me in his desperation. It was at that point talk of sending me off to West Point in order to completely straighten me out materialized. Mr. Wentworth's brother was a congressman in this district so he nominated my name for entrance into the academy and I easily passed through the rounds of the application process thanks to his influence," Rhett explained before suddenly jumping after hearing an oak branch crash down on the roof above them then noticed Scarlett's frightened eyes. "Scarlett honey, don't worry….We are perfectly safe and the slate roof is very strong. Why don't you turn around so I can massage the rest of your back and I'll continue my story for you…I am sure the storm will be over long before this conversation is anyway," he reassured her as Scarlett turned, her body now spooned with Rhett's.
As he gently began kneading the tense knots in her back, Rhett continued his thoughts where he left off. "My dear, I must admit all the time spent working out in the rice fields eventually gave me the trim, muscular physique you seem to enjoy so much," he teased, not waiting for Scarlett's response before continuing on, "Apparently Anne Wentworth noticed my physical charms as well because it wasn't long before her intentions towards me became obvious. She became like a puppy dog following me everywhere, always trying to throw herself in my direction, making me presents such as the birthday cake you obviously heard all about. She was… and still is… exactly the same and quite annoying! When it became obvious that I couldn't avoid her attentions because of the friendship of our parents then I decided to take another approach and tried to irritate her with my sarcastic kindness thinking she'd grow wise to my ruse and eventually realize I couldn't stand her. Of course, everything backfired for me as all I did or said she took the wrong way and, instead, increased her pursuit of me."
Rhett's hands quit massaging Scarlett's firm rear then quickly found their way between her legs. "Rhett, how absolutely dreadful!" Scarlett sputtered out in reaction to his story. In an instant, Rhett's nimble fingers suddenly pulled away, instantly angering her. "I meant that about that vile wench Anne, you skunk!" She hissed then reaching for his hand Scarlett guided his fingers back inside her. Covering her hand over his, together they quickly brought Scarlett to a climax. "Mmmm….Now that was a nice idea my pet, and quite scandalous of you, you should know," Rhett admitted with a grin as he slowly maneuvered himself inside her warmth. As they lay spooned into one another yet completely joined, Rhett hitched one leg over Scarlett's hip before driving away deep inside, his rough hands fondling her breasts; mouth and teeth roughly nipping the back of her neck. Shouting out as she climaxed again, Rhett quickly exploded inside her then held Scarlett tight as his shaking body slowly calmed down. Completely coming to, Rhett was the first to speak. "…And that my pet, is the benefit gained for both of us when your jealousy of Anne Wentworth comes out," he teased.
Rhett positioned Scarlett between his legs as he sat up against the pillows along the headboard then reached over to the side table to pour them both another drink. "My love, are you ready for me to continue?" He asked after taking a long sip of Scotch. Scarlett turned around to face him, her face calm and radiant from the afterglow of their intimacy. "Of course I am, Rhett! I wasn't the one who so rudely interrupted the story in the first place!" She teased before giving him a peck on the lips while waiting for him to continue on. "Well, well…I'll have to remember next time that its business first before pleasure when it comes to my charming wife's wishes… is that the way you really want it to be, Mrs. Butler?" He joked just as Scarlett playfully pinched his arm.
"You know, it does pain me to inform you how desperately Anne Wentworth wanted your scandalous husband and she made it her life's mission to have me one way or the other…and this all began when she was only sixteen years old! What is it with women at that age being so foolishly driven to chase after older men who don't love them in return?" Rhett asked in all seriousness. Scarlett wanly smiled as memories of her own foolish obsession with Ashley Wilkes came to mind. "It's called foolish immaturity Rhett, and some women don't outgrow it until it's too late…just look at Anne Wentworth since you already mentioned her….She's a perfect example of that!" Scarlett explained. Eyeing Scarlett suspiciously, Rhett raised an eyebrow as he responded, "Hmmm…I suppose you are correct in that… Yet it does seem there was another woman I once knew who also was foolishly immature for many years while her future lover relentlessly pursued her. I can't seem to remember a name because she had so many of them but I do remember clearly her beautiful emerald green eyes that I still dream about, even to this day."
"Quit running on, you varmint!" Scarlett teased then continued on in a more gentle tone, "By the way, though, I am mighty jealous of you dreaming of some mysterious, unappreciative, nameless woman but at least I know that I won you in the end!... So now can you finish your story Rhett dear?"
Rhett leaned in to kiss Scarlett, suddenly finding his head being pushed away after his searching lips eventually found their way between her breasts. Glancing up at the look in Scarlett's eyes, Rhett sighed as he sat upright, knowing she was impatient to hear more. "I understand completely… business first before the pleasure of your husband's many charms… as you wish my pet, but I will make you pay for your poor decision later!" Rhett joked then quickly grew serious again as he continued his story where he previously left off.
"Well as I started by saying from the very beginning, my real problems began the year I turned eighteen and was sent off to West Point Military Academy in New York. Anne desperately wanted me to court her and baked that damn cake that I never ate, other than a taste to appease her in front of our parents. The Wentworth's showed up unexpectedly at the town house on King Street in order to celebrate my birthday, yet looking back I realize our fathers were trying to push us together into an understanding of some sort before I left for my four years of military training.
Mother eventually told me how my father confided that he figured since I had known Anne from the time we were young children that I would straighten myself out eventually for her benefit. He desired nothing other than for me to uphold the respect of the Butler family name by one day marrying her, a Wentworth, which is also a respectable name here in Charleston. Of course, he knew after graduating from four years of intense instruction and discipline at West Point I would be nothing other than a completely changed and respectable twenty-two year old gentleman and he expected I would be disciplined enough, at that point, to follow his every command. Anne's father, on the other hand, not only desired to merge our two families but also our plantations in order to increase the wealth and social prestige between the two estates. As you can see, a marriage to Anne would have been for all the reasons I absolutely despise and have avoided at all costs," he explained.
"Rhett, that is absolutely horrible! I just can't imagine you ever marrying Anne... let alone any other woman!" Scarlett sadly admitted after she thought how obnoxious and dreadful Anne Wentworth was. She suddenly felt a surge of pride that she had somehow been the only one to have captured the love of the elusive Rhett Butler even through all of her many faults and years of foolishness. Sensing Rhett recognized the sudden glazed look of desire in her eyes, Scarlett leaned in to claim a kiss then decided his story could wait a little while longer as they had more immediate pleasurable business to attend to after all.
Rhett slowly climbed out of the bed after their urgent physical need for one another was quickly attended to and threw a couple of large logs onto the fire, instantly causing it to burn brightly once more. "Scarlett dear, are you hungry?" Rhett asked as he stood near a small bag filled with fresh fruit sitting on the table. Still breathing heavily from their physical exertions, Scarlett nodded and watched Rhett as he returned to their bed then began peeling an apple for her with a small knife. "I was going to teach you how to make a cobbler later but seeing how we keep getting sidetracked I think it's wise we just eat this now," he explained with a knowing smile as he placed a small apple slice into her mouth. Quickly finishing, Scarlett ran her fingers seductively over Rhett's chest and grinned as he quickly turned to meet her eyes with suspicion.
"Don't worry, Rhett dear! I am in no condition right now for yet another average, ordinary, unprovoked attack!" She joked and watched as Rhett let out a soft sigh of relief, causing them both to laugh out loud. "I was just merely curious as to the fact that you and I just can't seem to get enough of one another, if you know what I mean," she explained while lowering her eyes in slight embarrassment at having blurted out such a thought. Rhett adjusted Scarlett's body between his legs then covered her with the warm covers while laughing out loud. "My pet, I did warn you that I have quite a way with women but when it comes to you, I certainly have no thoughts other than the fact remains I can't get enough of your charms and am anxious to make up for our many years of lost time. I find it's apparent your similar mind agrees. Do you remember how years ago right after I gave you the green bonnet I mentioned how badly you needed kissing and by someone who knows how?" He asked her with a knowing sparkle in his eyes. "Of course I do, Rhett…but what does that have to do with anything?" She anxiously replied in heightened anticipation for his explanation. First giving Scarlett a quick peck on the cheek Rhett finally admitted with a sly grin, "Well at the time knowing how only I was the proper person for you, I certainly meant a whole lot more than just kissing when I made that comment but I was afraid I'd get a hard slap across the face if I mentioned the word f***! Besides, I am quite proud that you are now such a willing and adventurous partner!" he truthfully admitted as Scarlett laughed while playfully slapping his cheek in response at hearing his vulgar language.
Getting back on track, Rhett changed back to the original subject. "Well my dear, as I mentioned twice now, my time spent at West Point was truly the turning point of my life and obviously did not produce the disciplined gentleman my father desired," Rhett rambled on after they both laughed at the scandalous truth behind Rhett's word in Aunt Pitty's parlor long ago. "But first off, I think it's essential you get a little background on what everyday life there as a cadet was like. I had no control over my daily schedule and almost no ability to find free time as basically every minute of every day Monday through Saturday, from reveille at sunup to lights out at 10pm was planned out for me. During those six days, I took a varied range of intense courses in mathematics, French, drawing, economics, and history. Courses began at 8am and I was given a graded examination over the course material I had just learned every single day. My examination was called a 'recitation' as I basically had to recite out loud every detail I learned in front of a mix of my cadet peers and my instructors. Those at the top of their class after the graded recitations were given progressively harder course work to complete while those at the bottom had to learn the basics before they could move upwards in their level of instruction. You may be quite surprised to learn that your very own husband was at the very top of his class my dear," Rhett explained, completely surprising Scarlett.
"That is quite impressive, Rhett! But then again, I always knew you were a smart man…you did marry me of course and what's more, you are more than willing to make the same mistake twice," she teased. Rhett grinned at her then continued on, "Very funny Scarlett and of course, there's more for me to explain… In addition to the classroom component, from late afternoon until sunset were military exercises then finally study time before room inspections and lights out at 10pm. So as you can see, my father thought West Point would keep me quite busy and would be the perfect way to discipline, control, and mold me into becoming something I never could be. Of course, it wasn't long before I began searching out more entertaining diversions in my spare time," he admitted to Scarlett's astonishment prompting her to inquire, "When in the world did you ever find spare time?...And better yet, exactly what kind of diversions, Rhett dear?"
Rhett breathed in deeply and let out a long sigh before answering, "This is where my life story begins to get a little uncomfortable in the telling, my pet and certain details may be unpleasant for you to hear. However, I would rather you know them anyway as we promised to be completely honest with one another… did we not?" After Scarlett quickly agreed, Rhett wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder as he proceeded to explain, "My dear, let's just get one thing straight first before I go on any further. Whatever I may have done in the past before I knew you is inconsequential to our marriage and my love for you, do you understand?" Scarlett rested her head in the crook of Rhett's elbow while looking up into his eyes. Surprised at discovering the signs of nervousness there, Scarlett made a conscious decision in which she would willingly accept whatever he had to say with no disappointment or bitterness on her part. She knew Rhett completely belonged to her and had desired no one else's love from the moment they first met. Whatever he was about to admit would not change her love for him in the least.
Empowered by her unconditional split-second decision, Scarlett pulled Rhett's head closer and gently opened his mouth with her tongue. As their kiss quickly deepened and Scarlett let out a low groan, Rhett knew he had the answer he had been looking for and slowly pulled away in order to finish his explanation before he lost his nerve. "Rhett, you know I love you and nothing will upset me, I promise! Besides, whatever you did happened when you were just a young man and we are both such different people than we once were anyway," Scarlett spoke out with true understanding and wisdom surprising them both with her words. The memory of Cathleen Calvert gossiping about Rhett at the Twelve Oaks barbecue suddenly came to mind and Scarlett quickly added, "Besides, I heard the reasons behind your expulsion years ago on the day we met at Twelve Oaks. You stood at the bottom of the staircase with a mint julep in your hand while grinning at me with the most impertinent look as I ascended it with my friend Cathleen. Of course I was affronted at the look on your face yet thought you were quite handsome and mysterious. It was then that I inquired from Cathleen who you were and she told me all the gossip making the rounds about you, mentioning you had been expelled from West Point because of something to do with drinking and womanizing."
Rhett laughed out loud at her explanation, having wondered all those years ago what she and her mousy friend had been discussing. The innocent memory of Scarlett giggling as she kept turning her attention his way while walking upstairs always remained in his mind, even during their darkest marital times. "Scarlett dear that, of course, is West Point's 'official' version for their reason in showing me the door… I assure you I had my fair share of scandals there but the truth of my expulsion is a lot less exciting," he admitted with a loud laugh as he continued on with his story.
"Not so fast, Rhett Butler!" Scarlett announced. Staring Rhett down with a sweet smile firmly planted on her face, Scarlett continued, "I just admitted to you my thoughts as I pretended not to secretly admire your handsome looks from afar all those years ago…now it's your turn to tell me what was on your mind that day as you kept your beady little black eyes glued on me…so come on, fess up!" Rhett chuckled then tightened his grip on Scarlett, lowering his head until his mouth hovered inches over hers. "How shameful, my pet! I would have thought by now you would have realized the truth…As I watched you slowly ascend the staircase that day wearing that most scandalously low-cut gown for an early afternoon barbecue, only one thought had entered my mind and it wasn't until many unfortunate years later that I finally got the answer I had been searching for," he teased, intentionally baiting Scarlett as he took a lingering pause after his long-winded speech. "You skunk! Quit playing your maddening games with me and just tell me the truth already or I will be quite mad at you after all!" Scarlett impatiently responded as her fiery Irish temper quickly rose. Still chuckling, Rhett finally decided to let her off the hook as he finally answered, "My dear, don't you know? All I could think about was how good you probably looked without your shimmy on!"
After sharing a long laugh over Rhett's early impressions of Scarlett, they lay back in the comfortable bed once again as Rhett attempted to conclude his story. "Well my love, let me just start off with the worst of it. As I mentioned, I tried to find more entertaining pursuits and was not the only cadet to do so. By the time I was a yearling… that means I was in my sophomore year, darling… I made the conscious decision that if I couldn't find a tiny amount of freedom away from the confines of the barracks then I would go as mad as Father had. It wasn't long before I discovered the cadet secret of Benny's pub," he explained. Noticing Scarlett's bewildered expression, Rhett continued on, "Benny's was a pub in town near the Point. Mr. Benny Havens and his wife Letitia operated a tavern that was quite popular and an underground secret with the cadets who were brave enough to risk expulsion by sneaking out of their barracks at night. However, that was only half of the risk. The other was in trying to find your way in the dark through the dense woods outside the barracks, then finding the rough footpath that led directly to the pub. Once there however, Benny and Letitia treated us 'illegals' like we were their own sons and provided us with home cooked meals and fine drinks for our risky efforts. Remind me someday, Scarlett, and I will make you a hot flip…that was the pub's specialty drink made of rum, eggs, and sugar and a couple of those went quite a long way in soothing the soul," he said, placated with fond memories of times long ago. "That sounds delicious Rhett, and you were so daring to leave your barracks in the dead of night… but you could have been hurt or lost in the woods!" Scarlett chastised. "Of course I already understand you would have been expelled if you had been caught sneaking out at night but I'm guessing something else you did was much worse, am I right?" She anxiously asked, impatient to discover the truth.
Chuckling out loud, Rhett nodded as he spoke out, "You are very astute my dear and you may find this difficult to believe but your husband was quite the poker player in his day. It wasn't long before word quietly spread through the barracks and then through town that I was the player to beat. Before long, I had accumulated a small fortune that I secretly hid away and as the gaming stakes became larger, the social status of those playing against me rose higher. Of course, everything came crashing down around me right before final examinations of my second year. Being the scandalous varmint I was, I already held claim to 198 demerits out of the 200 allotted to cadets before complete expulsion from the Academy, so I was already in a precarious position before the final straw occurred that ended my illustrious career there."
Scarlett began running her soft hands sensuously over Rhett's chest and smiled at him as he leaned back against the headboard. Raising an eyebrow, Rhett laughed as she began placating him with kisses along his neck. "Scarlett dear, don't think I don't know what you are doing and I was going to tell you the rest of my story anyway. However, your charms are quite persuasive and I suppose I will now have to tell you exactly what it was that put me in the precarious position I just mentioned," he admitted, drawing a bright smile out of Scarlett as she patiently waited to hear more.
"I was given most of those demerits when the gift I gave myself for my twentieth birthday was discovered after it was well past the time for lights out. Of course, I should have been immediately expelled from the Academy at that time but certain facts worked in my favor instead. You see, I was the most promising cadet in my class and there were no other witnesses around other than the two Lieutenants who caught me when making their rounds in the early dawn hours. As a result, I was let off the hook after I had been given an excessively stern warning and 175 demerits as they confiscated my gift," he explained with a sly grin.
"Exactly what is it that you did, Rhett?" Scarlett impatiently asked. His shoulders tensing, Rhett knew the time had finally come to let her in on his first major scandal. He reached over for Scarlett's hand then kissed it before hesitantly admitting, "It does pain me to admit this truth to you my love… But all I simply did was sneak a couple bottles of whiskey and two beautiful prostitutes into my barracks to celebrate my birthday with me. I felt so dreadfully lonely you see, and needed some female companionship in order to cheer me up. Of course not long after my birthday celebration ended the three of us passed out before I could send them off on their way. Thus, I was caught red-handed trying to sneak them out my door right before it was time for reveille," he concluded then turned Scarlett's way trying to decipher her reaction as she remained quiet.
"Aren't you jealous, my pet?" Rhett finally teased, fully expecting Scarlett to have already exploded in a jealous rage. Instead, Scarlett completely took him by surprise when she shook her head while quietly admitting, "It's pointless to get upset and worry over things from the past I have no control over. Besides, that happened ages ago and well before you even knew I existed so I am not going to think about it ever again nor am I going to think about the many women I suppose you have been intimate with through the years." After a minute went by in silence as they both pondered Scarlett's wise observations, she added one final point to the subject, her anger slowly rising as she admitted, "Of course Rhett dear, all of that doesn't apply when it comes to Anne Wentworth and if she ever gets too close to you again I am really going to let her have it!" Together, they had a long laugh while reminiscing over Scarlett's recent antics with Anne; both immensely glad Rhett had not been the gentleman his father expected to dutifully marry Anne years ago.
After their laughter died down, Rhett was finally able to continue his story where he previously left off. "As I already explained to you my dear, the birthday incident alone didn't get me expelled but my undoing was in fact, gambling…More precisely, it was my continual winning at high stakes poker that did me in. It was right before the final week of my second year and I had no idea at first that I had been playing against a very well-known and well-connected congressman from Boston. He had somehow learned of my reputation and was passing through on his way home from visiting his family's conglomerate of banks in Manhattan when he decided to seek me out at Benny's one night. In front of three of his gentleman friends, I easily beat him after playing eight hands of poker; the final jackpot holding the deed to his most prized possession: a large, custom-built sailboat docked in Boston Harbor. His face turned as white as a ghost when he realized that he had just lost his final hand to my royal flush but a gentleman's code of honor dictates he couldn't renege on the deal. Of course, he could have later called me out to a duel but he knew I was a West Point cadet even though I wasn't in uniform, and realized I would be well versed in weaponry. So he did what any other affronted gentleman would do…he handed over the deed then immediately left Benny's without a parting word."
"I knew I probably hadn't heard the last of him and sure enough a few days later, I was called in for a hearing process in front of my peers and Academy faculty members, all instigated by the vengeful congressman through his high-level connections at West Point, of course. Not only was my scandalous birthday incident brought to everyone's attention for the first time but also the fact that I had blatantly disregarded Academy rules by leaving my barracks for Benny's was, of course, also mentioned as just cause for my immediate dismissal." Scarlett tightly squeezed his hand in a show of her support. "Rhett, that is horrible! How embarrassing for you especially since you told me how most of the cadets sneaked out to go to the tavern too!" Scarlett sympathized while squeezing his hand.
"Thank you, my love," Rhett spoke before he kissed her hand. "At the time I actually wasn't upset. In fact, I was eager to be expelled and leave that constricting prison to go and claim my boat. However, even though the congressman knew with all the truthful allegations against me I was as good as gone from the Academy, he still went one step further in trying to blacken my reputation by insinuating I cheated during our poker game. Unfortunately for me, a well-connected congressman going up against a young cadet caused most of my peers and faculty to believe his word over mine in that matter," he further explained while watching as Scarlett took a bite out of a juicy red apple that she grabbed from the table alongside their bed.
Rhett wiped juice off of Scarlett's chin then himself took a large bite of the apple before continuing on, "You should know that the West Point cadet's code of honor is that a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do so, of course, my reputation was immediately blackened for being called out as a cheater even though I had been officially expelled already anyway at that point. My friends there knew the truth, however, in that it was never necessary for me to cheat as I was just a great player and the congressman wasn't…. You can stop laughing now my pet, and tell me what's so funny!" Rhett remarked after being interrupted by Scarlett as she burst out. Quickly calming herself, Scarlett remarked, "I'm sorry Rhett but I just thought it all to be quite funny! I can't imagine sitting there in a serious hearing in which your many scarlet sins are discussed then this man starts calling you a cheater… How embarrassing for him, don't you think, to let everyone there discover how immature he was after losing to you?" Rhett smiled then laughed too as he agreed with her accurate observations.
"The best part my dear, is that I had the last laugh in the end. You see, I not only won his very expensive boat which I later sold for a large profit but I used the proceeds years later along with the other funds I earned speculating as the starting capital needed to purchase my fleet of blockaders. Luckily for me, my connections with some of my fellow cadet friends I kept in contact with served to my great advantage during the war. You know, almost all of them were Yankees and my business dealings during the blockading days were with them when I docked in New York. I still have business for my bank there from time to time so maybe someday we can take a trip together and I can arrange for you to meet them," Rhett explained then decided to conclude their conversation for the time being after they both noticed the sounds of the storm slowly ending.
Scarlett's ready acceptance of the early scandals in his life was quickly causing Rhett's appreciation of her as well as his libido to quickly rise once again and he found he was quite anxious to pleasure her before it was time to make dinner together. Quickly thinking over the rest of the past he needed to explain, Rhett looked into Scarlett's inquisitive eyes after he stopped speaking and made a quick decision, thinking to his self, "Tomorrow is another day...I"ll find a way to tell Scarlett the rest then." Taking another bite of her apple, Rhett threw the core into the fire from across the room, leaning in for a lingering kiss before slowly lowering his body over hers.
I hope you liked that and didn't find this chapter too boring but I thought it was essential to portray Rhett's scandals and early life before moving on with the story. Hopefully, I answered some unanswered questions from his life with this chapter.
Please review!