A/N: Many thanks to an annoying little chameleon, who is a stubborn but good friend and whose beta-skills are beyond compare.
Scarlett sat on her side of the bed and watched the two men tear her house apart. Not so long ago an intruder had violated her. This intrusion felt almost the same. Except for the fact that these two men had every right to pick her room apart. Next to the famous Texas Rangers, Strawbridge and the greater Reeves County did not have much to uphold the law; Pecos' sheriff and deputy sheriff were the closest thing the area had to an authority.
She had hoped to see Rhett's face again today, but instead she had stumbled upon an unwelcome surprise when returning from some much needed shopping. The sheriff was waiting for her by her door bringing some bad tidings: Rhett had been arrested on suspicion of Pieter's murder and had spent last night in a jail in Pecos.
She had wished a number of terrible diseases on Rhett over the last few weeks, when she was in one of her more resentful moods, but she had never wished for something like this. She had no real worries about Rhett, he could deal with anything; next to taking her through the inferno of Atlanta another night in jail seemed meaningless. However, she wished that she could talk to him, to hear first hand how he was doing, although she was afraid she would start yelling at him for leaving her once again.
Scarlett also wondered where Johan was and what part he had played in all this. Apparently the feeble looking Emily had endeavoured on the trip to Strawbridge's neighbouring town to accuse Rhett of murdering her husband. Sheriff Jared Smith - a friendly looking figure that had approached Scarlett with fatherly concern - had not taken Emily's word for it but had summoned Henrietta to the sheriff's department. Rhett's arrest proved to Scarlett that Henrietta had betrayed her old friend.
Henrietta's apparent lack of loyalty irked Scarlett on two accounts: First of all she had confirmed Emily's story without hearing Rhett's side first, and second of all she had known for at least a day already that Rhett was in trouble and yet she had not come to Scarlett to warn her. After first arriving in Strawbridge Scarlett had regarded Henrietta as somebody close to a second mother, but now she felt annoyed with herself for having put her faith in somebody that easily.
Scarlett tried not to look as the friendly sheriff and his over-active counterpart were going through her personal things. The little cabin had not been her home for very long but so many things held special memories for her already; she could not stand it when one of the men examined her belongings closer. She sighed with relief when the less-sympathetic deputy sheriff transferred his scavenging to their small backyard.
Feeling much more at ease with only the older sheriff in the room, she stood up and walked over to him. He was just studying the stone pipe that had regained its honorary place on Rhett's bedside table.
'How is my husband doing, Sheriff? Do you think there is any chance that I could visit him?' The sheriff smiled at her but did not answer her question immediately.
'The older Mrs De Vries told me that you were attacked in your own home recently.' It was not a question; he was just stating a fact.
'I understand that this thing here drove the man away?' Scarlett nodded.
'I admire a lady with a bit of gumption, Mrs. Butler. However, I wonder who attacked you. So far I have not had reports of other attacks on women in the area.' Then he chuckled with embarrassment and attempted to correct himself.
'Well, by that I mean that I did not have similar reports: Women being assaulted in the middle of the night by trespassing strangers. The men outnumber the women in this area and I am afraid that I get complaints about drunken men not being able to keep their hands to themselves on a daily basis. I guess that in this lonesome little part of the world some men have simply forgotten how they should approach a lady.' He gave Scarlett a gentle smile.
'You don't strike me as the kind of woman that should be living in these parts, however. Why in God's name did your husband decide to bring you here?' He shook his head.
Scarlett cast her eyes down and looked at the floor. The sheriff noticed her embarrassment and quickly continued.
'A decent fellow, your husband, I have to say. He has so far cooperated with our investigation. He claims that he had nothing to do with young Mr De Vries' death and so far I have not found anything to corroborate the accusations. The bullet that killed Pieter de Vries did not come from the gun that Mr. Butler had on him when he was apprehended.'
Although not surprised, Scarlett visibly relaxed when hearing this news.
'As for visiting your husband... Why, of course you can, however, I am not sure Pecos is a place for a lady like you, Ma'am. I strongly advise you to take a chaperone if you go there. And maybe your husband will be home in the morning already. As far as I can see the murder weapon is not in Mr. Butler's house either.'
A derogative snort from the deputy interrupted their conversation.
'Butler could of course have thrown it away during the long trip he took up North.' Scarlett, who had been on the verge of thanking the sheriff for his encouraging words, turned toward the backdoor when she heard the younger man's voice.
'Or Mrs Butler here might have gotten rid of it for him,' he added as a malicious after-thought. Then his slanted eyes focussed on his superior.
'Look what I've found, Jared. Somebody has been burning some clothing in the backyard.'
He handed his superior a brown paper bag. The sheriff took out a small object from the bag and Scarlett recognized one of the marbled buttons that had once decorated Rhett's wedding jacket.
'Where...' she started saying. Triumphantly the deputy looked at her.
'Why, in your own backyard, Mrs Butler! Together with a few pieces of charred fabric. It seems as if your husband has tried to burn some clothing. A shooting can be messy business; his suit must have contained bloodstains or even fragments of Pieter de Vries' brain.' Scarlett stomach turned but she did her best to uphold her cold stare.
'As far as women go, you look like the clever kind; maybe it was you that destroyed the evidence for your husband?' the deputy said, returning Scarlett's hard stare without blinking.
'Now, now, Harry, you are jumping to conclusions,' Harry's superior interrupted.
'And you can see that all this is upsetting enough for Mrs Butler already. There is no need to make her feel any worse.' Scarlett gave Sheriff Smith a grateful smile. His eyes smiled back at her, the skin next to his eyes instantly cracking into several lines.
'Just collect all of it in those paper bags; we will take it down to our office. I guess we will have to question Mr Butler some more,' he added with a sigh.
Half an hour later the men seemed to be done with their investigation. Harry was putting the evidence safely into the saddlebags while the sheriff lingered at Scarlett's front door.
'I will advise your husband to consult the best lawyer in town. If your husband is telling the truth I am sure the lawyer will get him off the hook. Meanwhile I strongly urge you to stay with some friends. Strawbridge is no town for a lady on her own.'
Scarlett just smiled but did not say a word. She had not given it much thought but now she dreaded the upcoming night. Another night alone in that bed, without Rhett's comforting presence by her side. She knew she could not leave her husband at a time like this but somehow she wished she could return to Georgia.
That evening Scarlett did not have much of an appetite and she was nibbling on some dried bread when she heard somebody call her name. She walked closer to the front door and instantly recognized Johan's voice.
'Johan?' she said and he urged her to open the door.
He stepped into her home and when she looked him up and down she noticed that he was filthy. As if he had been on the road for days without a proper wash.
'Excuse me for the state that I am in, Scarlett. I have not been home yet. I have spent most part of today trying to get hold of a good lawyer.'
'For Rhett?' Scarlett said surprised.
'Yes, for your husband. I am sorry that my wife and my sister-in-law are putting him into so much trouble.'
'Oh, Johan!' Scarlett cried. 'I should be the one saying sorry. Sorry for the loss of your brother, I know you looked after him your whole life.'
'Yes, and a fine job I did,' Johan said cynically. 'I am sure one of his gambling buddies came to settle a score or maybe he was killed because of one of those young girls he seduced.'
'I am sure that whoever pulled the trigger did so with good reason, but I won't mention that in my letters to our mother.'
'She will be devastated,' Scarlett said, cringing at Johan's lack of feeling, although she understood that somebody like Pieter had not been the easiest brother to love. She wondered how two people from one family could be so different. Then she remembered Suelllen and she understood all too well how two peas from the same pot could taste so differently.
'Yes, she will be. However, I know Rhett did not kill him. Not because I think Rhett is not capable of killing a man that he believes has violated his wife, but because I know that he would never kill any of my family members.'
Scarlett's eyes started brimming with tears. She had felt so lonely all day and now this kind man was telling her that he shared her beliefs that it had not been her husband that killed Pieter de Vries.
Johan took her hand and tapped it lightly.
'There, there,' he said gently.
When Scarlett got grip of herself again he asked her not to mention his visit to Henrietta.
'She won't understand,' he simply said.
The next day Mr. Simoni, the older gentleman that owned the cement factory, was nice enough to be her chaperone when she undertook the trip to Pecos. Scarlett knew that Johan could not accompany her and so she asked the only other man in town that she trusted. Mr. Simoni was a gentleman in his autumn years and so Scarlett did not feel too safe with him by her side, but she hoped it would discourage any cowboys that were travelling the roads around Strawbridge.
Mr. Simoni said that he had some business to take care of when he dropped her by the sheriff's department. He would pick her up around two that afternoon.
Scarlett was led into the cell block behind the sheriff's office and the first thing she noticed was the fact that for the first time Rhett was residing in a proper jail. It gave Scarlett an uneasy feeling.
She had visited Rhett in jail twice in the last few months but those surroundings had never looked like a real prison. She realised now that she had never taken his imprisonment all that serious. She always knew that he would thwart fate in the end. But she doubted that he could do that a third time. The grim building suitably lacked all forms of luxury. It hurt her to think that Rhett had to stay locked up in one of the desolate little rooms.
Before she saw Rhett she noticed a rather portly man sitting on a small stool in a corner. He was dressed in a white suit that had seen better days. The buttons of his waistcoat were dangerously near popping off and the man was sweating so profusely that he wiped his forehead with an unsavoury looking handkerchief almost every five seconds. He looked like a revolting creature and Scarlett did not do much to hide the disgust on her face.
She heard a familiar chuckle and, when she turned her head slightly, she looked straight into Rhett's dark eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other. Rhett had a twinkle in his eyes but there was also an apologetic look in them. Or at least that was how Scarlett interpreted it. Scarlett had her own troubles with the feelings she felt inside. There was unexpected joy in seeing his face again. It made her long to put her head against his chest. At the same time she still felt bitterness over his untimely departure. To complement the cocktail of contradicting feelings she felt a hopelessness that she had never felt before in her life. She had no idea how she could control the situation that Rhett was in and worst of all she sensed that Rhett himself had no clue either on how to get himself out of this mess.
'Hello, my dear. How good of you to come. Did you travel here by yourself or...?'
'Don't worry, Rhett. Mr. Simoni was nice enough to accompany me.' Both their voices sounded hoarse due to the emotions that they felt.
'Well, I must remember to thank him once I am free to leave here.' Scarlett looked at him, assessing how much of his words was just bravado.
'Do you think they will? Let you go, I mean,' Scarlett said softly. Rhett gave her one of his confident smiles.
'With the help of Mr Jarvis Brooks here, I think there is every chance of that.' Rhett indicated with his head towards the heavy-set man in the corner. With a lot of sighing the big man lifted himself from his stool and came over to greet Scarlett.
His thick fingers took hold of Scarlett's small hand and Scarlett had to turn her head away when he bent over it. The man smelled like unwashed sweat. The sour smell almost made Scarlett retch.
While she turned her head back just in time to give Mr. Brooks one of her most dazzling smiles, she caught the look Rhett gave her: One of amused disapproval. She realised that her revolt must have been showing clearly on her face.
'Mr. Brooks is a well-respected lawyer in this part of Texas,' Rhett said, still amused by his wife's lack of pretence. 'Now that is saying something, since this county consists mostly of men that have not the best track records. So you can understand that Mr. Brooks is a busy man, Scarlett. But Johan convinced him to make time for me and my little problem.'
Scarlett could not understand how Rhett was able to make light of the situation.
'Little problem? Little problem, Rhett?' Scarlett said angrily while she stood close to the bars that separated her from Rhett. 'Have you forgotten that you are being accused of murder? Johan's family is convinced that you did it.'
Rhett stared at her. Scarlett could read nothing in his eyes.
'And you, Scarlett? Do you think I killed Pieter?' He asked, not taking his eyes off her face.
'No, of course I don't. The method does not suit you; you are more clever than that.' To her surprise Rhett burst out in one of his deafening laughs.
'Now I don't see what is so funny about that, Rhett,' she grumbled. Rhett shook his head.
'It shouldn't have surprised me that you don't hold my morals in high regards, Scarlett. But I am glad that you believe that there is nothing wrong with my mind yet.' Scarlett felt annoyed and closed her eyes for a minute.
When she opened them she turned to face Mr. Brooks who seemed to be perspiring more due to the fact that he had to uphold his massive weight on his two legs. Scarlett tried to forget the unpleasant smell that kept harassing her senses and asked for Mr. Brooks' professional opinion on the matter.
'Well, Mrs Butler.' he replied in his thick Texan accent. 'Yesterday I would have promised Captain Butler that I could have the charges dropped by the end of the day, but it seems the sheriff has stumbled on some new evidence and he has asked for your husband's detainment a little bit longer. You see, not only did they find new evidence in your home but a witness has come forward that claims that he saw a man fitting the Captain's description that morning in the neighbourhood of the alleyway where Pieter the Vries was found dead the morning after. Which puts him at the scene of the crime right after telling the dead man's wife of his resentment towards the man and that means in law terms that Captain Butler had motive and opportunity for this crime. And although they did not find the murder weapon on your husband, Mrs Henrietta de Vries' written statement - about witnessing Mr. Butler drilling a hole in a dime at fifty yards during his California-days - makes him certainly look capable of a clean headshot.
Scarlett swallowed hard upon hearing this and Rhett gave her an apologetic shrug. Brooks cleaned his forehead once more before he continued his explanations.
'Sheriff Smith has informed me that with this new evidence a judge needs to rule over Mr. Butler's involvement in this murder. The judge in question will have to travel here from Houston and that might take some time.'
'What?' Scarlett cried. 'Do you mean that my husband has to stay here for the next few days?'
'The next few weeks more like. The judge in question is the only one in this area and he has other cases he needs to attend to.' Scarlett turned towards Rhett. A pleading look lay in her eyes.
'Don't worry, darling,' Rhett said, trying to soothe her anxieties. 'They cannot stick this on me. It was not me that killed Pieter and I am sure the sheriff will realise that sooner or later.'
'And if he doesn't?' Scarlett asked.
'Well, you know by now what happens to people that they suspect of a capital offence.'
'I won't let that happen, Rhett. I will write those people in Washington and...'
'It would take too long, Scarlett. They don't waste time here in Texas when sentencing you. They have quite a routine in hanging lowlifes. Besides, I called in most of my favours already for the last murder they tried to pin on me. And let's not forget that then I was in Atlanta and the dirty secrets I could tell would not have fallen on deaf ears. But here in Texas most men have some dirt in the closet. Who will want to listen to my adventurous blockading life here in this infernal region? Before I could do any real damage to my friends in the Capitol they will have strung me up already.'
Rhett looked at his wife with concern. He refused to lie about the gravity of the situation but he would hate to see her break down in front of him. He felt pride in her when he saw that she did not look defeated. Instead he could see that her mind was busy trying to come up with a rescue plan.
'I could travel to Washington. I could make them listen,' she said stubbornly. 'Oh, Rhett, they can't do this to you!' Scarlett's voice was high.
Suddenly all her courage left her and tears started running down her cheeks
Rhett pushed his hand through the bars and let his fingers caress the one lock that had escaped her chignon. He smiled reassuringly but he could see that Scarlett was now on the verge of losing her nerve completely.
'Mr. Brooks,' he addressed his lawyer. 'Why don't you find out from the sheriff if he has received that telegram from Houston with the details about the Honourable's visit.' Mr. Brooks looked incomprehensive but when Rhett's eyes summoned him to leave the room Brooks quickly gathered his things and left the room in a hurry.
Once he had left the cell block, Scarlett leaned into the bars in front of her and could not control her sobbing any longer.
'Don't cry, Scarlett.' Rhett said softly. 'I cannot even pass you my hanky now. It is rather dusty from my days on the road.' Scarlett blinked and through her tears she noticed that did not appear to be his usual impeccable self; his clothes looked kind of grubby. However, he must have had the chance to wash himself because his face and hair looked clean.
'Can I please have it, Rhett? I don't care if it is filthy.' He did as she asked and just holding his handkerchief seemed to calm her down somewhat. His finger grazed her cheek.
'I can understand that the last few days have been hard on you, my pet. But I am hoping that these tears are not only due to the fact that you cannot play the part of the wealthy Mrs Butler yet.'
Scarlett's face, smudged by her tears and the dust that had remained on his handkerchief looked up at him with anger.
'How can you say such a thing, Rhett? I know you like to make a joke out of everything but sometimes you are overstepping the line.'
'Just verifying, darling,' he murmured softly but she did not seem to hear him, because she remembered something suddenly.
'The evidence they found in our home! Why did you burn your wedding jacket, Rhett? The deputy found the remains in our backyard.'
Ever since the nasty deputy uncovered Rhett's burned clothing in their backyard, Scarlett had been wondering if he, at the time, had serious regrets about marrying her. But she would rather eat her left hand than ask him that.
She was unaware that Rhett watched the display of emotions on her face.
'I have not regretted marrying you, Scarlett, if that is what you are wondering.'
Scarlett's muffled objections came too soon and confirmed his suspicions. His eyes turned soft and he gave her a genuine smile.
'Don't think that for one minute I have regretted marrying you, my pet. We had fun over the last months, didn't we?'
Scarlett pressed her lips together. She was still angry with him but they had some very good times together since their wedding day. Stiffly she gave him a nod.
'You really don't remember that last night we spent together? You don't have any recollection of what happened to my jacket?' When Scarlett frowned, he continued.
'I am not surprised, Scarlett. You were quite intoxicated that evening.' She blushed and he told her not to be shy about it.
'There is nothing wrong with letting yourself go once in a while, darling. In fact you were as sweet as ever that evening. Well, if I don't count the fact that you tried to set me on fire with one of my own cigars,' he chuckled.
Scarlett looked confused for a moment and then she gasped.
'I remember it now! I was trying to smoke your cigar that evening. What was I thinking?' She giggled with embarrassment. When she looked at Rhett she saw that he was not smiling. His eyes were studying her face. He seemed to be waiting for something.
'What?' Scarlett asked. 'Did I do anything else foolish that evening? I really cannot remember Rhett; you will have to remind me.'
Rhett had hoped that she remembered his declaration of love and more than that he hoped that it would make her remember what she seemed to feel for him that evening. But he knew Scarlett was not hiding the truth from him. She never could. If she realised that she loved him, he could have easily read it off her face. He was sure of that. It probably had been just the liquor talking that one single night when she came so close to telling him that she had feelings for him.
'It is not important, Scarlett,' he said dismissively. She did not seem to be eager to discuss that night any longer either.
'How am I going to get through the next few weeks, Rhett? I hate being alone in that dusty cabin. I would rather go back to the way Tara was during the war and eat turnips for days. At least I had my family around me then.'
'Well, being locked into this damp little cell is also not my first choice of accommodation, Scarlett.'
'I guess so, Rhett. But you would not be here if you stayed with me instead of running out on me once more.'
'Oh, honey, I did not run out on you! Henrietta forced my hand. Besides, I tried to wake you up but you were one blissful belle bacchante that morning.
Scarlett frowned and he quickly explained that the large quantities of champagne had made it impossible for her to wake up that morning.
Scarlett had no recollection of his attempts to wake her that morning and she did not believe him when he told her how hard he tried.
'Well, your loyalty should have been with me and not the De Vries',' Scarlett said. 'We would have made a run for it. We could have gone to Mexico and nobody would have been able to put you behind bars again.'
'I think I asked too much of you already, Scarlett. If I had run, I would have done so by myself. The only place you would have gone to was back home. In fact, I have decided that this is the place where you will be going. As soon as possible.' Scarlett's eyes grew big and Rhett braced himself for what was about to come.
'Well, if you think that I am leaving you at a time like this, you are badly mistaken, Rhett Butler! I never walk away from my responsibilities. Yes, our marriage is a business arrangement but I won't have people say that Scarlett Butler left her husband in his worst hour.'
'I told you before that a reputation is just a burden, Scarlett. Who cares what people will say? You and I will know the truth. That is all that counts.' He looked at her chin, that was set in a stubborn angle, and tried hard not to smile.
'Besides, as your husband I have a right to tell you what to do. And I am telling you now that I want you safe back in Atlanta. Or Tara if that is what you want. I have enough on my mind. I don't need the added burden of worrying about you out there alone in the midst of the worst scoundrels on the planet.'
'I can handle scoundrels, Rhett. You of all people should know that.' An unexpected grin appeared on Rhett's face. Rhett's swarthy face - now even darker because of a week-old stubble – revealed for a split second all the love he felt for Scarlett.
Scarlett saw his stern features relax and his handsomeness struck her like a blow. Her heart started beating in her throat.
'Oh, please Rhett, don't send me back,' she heard herself say while she grabbed the bars with both hands.
'It is for the best, my darling. When this is all over, we will start a whole new chapter in the Butler marriage. One that is devoid of all these strange twists and turns. I think I am ready to settle for the contented life of a married man, Scarlett. I promise you that the rest of your life will be uneventful and I mean that in the most positive way.'
Scarlett pleaded some more but Rhett was adamant. He even threatened to telegraph Johan and have him bring her across the state border. If it involved rendering her unconscious then he would give Johan his full blessing. Scarlett soon knew that she had been outdone.
She told Rhett that she had left some clean clothes and other items for him with the deputy sheriff and braced herself to say her farewells.
Both Rhett and Scarlett realised that it would be a long time before they would see each other again. And the next time Rhett could be awaiting a horrible fate. Scarlett fidgeted with her reticule, looking down, afraid to show Rhett the pain in her eyes. Rhett stood firm and tall in the middle of his jail cell. A reassuring smile was plastered across his face. Softly he urged her to say her goodbyes and go.
Scarlett stretched her long neck and looked at him one last time. Her eyes were shining but she held back the tears. Rhett noticed that the mark on her neck was barely visible now.
'You promised me that this marriage would be fun, Rhett Butler. So far the fun has not outweighed the misery. I expect you to do better in the rest of our lives together.' Rhett smiled. He saw her lip quiver slightly before she continued.
'You also swore to me that you would take good care of me. I expect you to make good on that promise too, Rhett. Don't you dare disappoint me!' she said decidedly before she turned around and walked out of the door. All the time her back remained ramrod straight.
Rhett watched her leave, his heart beating rapidly. He felt so proud of her. He loved that woman. He had for the longest time. He never thought his love could run any deeper, but the way she just handled the situation made his heart practically burst out of his chest.
He would get out of this jail alive, no matter what. If he had to shoot every last man in this town, he would. Scarlett O'Hara was waiting for him. Ready to have a marriage of fun. And fun he intended to have.
Once they reunited in Georgia he would stop playing this game of hide and seek. He would come clean about his feelings for her. He might not have the same place in Scarlett's heart as Ashley Wilkes did but this woman cared for him. She would not have refused to leave him here if she had not finally lit a candle for him in her heart.
A/N: Sorry to the Captain and the other person that gave a shout for more smut; could not fulfill your wish yet, but I might have a little non-Escape surprise up my sleeve soon ;-).