A/N: Just to clarify something for everyone on here, Scarlett is indeed NOT pregnant. I reject the notion that she is some fertile Myrtle and Rhett never shoots blanks. LOL!
Again, thank you all for the reviews! I'm happy some of you are actually enjoying Scarlett's time away in San Fran :)
Chapter 29: Shot Through the Heart
"Keep eating those squares at that rate Scarlett and you'll eat half the chocolate in San Francisco by nightfall," Anysa chuckled.
"It'll serve everyone right for not enjoying them at the rate that they should," Scarlett replied as she picked up yet another Ghirardelli chocolate square.
Anysa and Scarlett had decided to spend the day carousing around some sights in San Francisco and the first place they went was to the chocolate and coffee shop, Ghirardelli. Scarlett had grown quite fond of the place and enjoyed coming as often as possible. It was also likely part of the reason she had regained the weight she had lost after Rhett had left and a few more pounds to boot. As time passed, she found that she no longer cared as much about her weight as she had in the past. Not to the point where she was willing to become as big as those old peahens in Atlanta, but to where her supple curves took on a more voluptuous appearance. Surprisingly, she was even more satisfied with her new body than she had been as a girl with a 17-inch waist.
"I really must stop you now my dear! If you continue you'll lose your appetite for lunch and you know how that upsets James!" Anysa laughingly protested as she finished her coffee.
In the months after her arrival and as her relationship with Anysa grew, Scarlett became increasingly close with James. Although he was attractive and would have undoubtedly been a target of her charms when she was a belle, she found that her attraction to him was strictly platonic, as was his attraction to her. It was through his guidance along with Anysa's unfaltering support of her that she was taken into society without a hitch.
Through the initial few months of their acquaintance, he saw a happy Scarlett on the surface, but his sixth sense was as keen as Anysa's and he knew something was wrong. James' first clue to it was the way she ate, or better yet, the way she struggled to eat. While it was still considered ladylike to eat in such a way in public, Scarlett held little consideration for many social norms so he found it peculiar for her to hold onto that particular one when his own wife, her closest friend, did not. One day he sat her down and asked point-blank, in a most ungentlemanly fashion, why she ate so sparingly. After minutes of protesting and arguing, she confessed to him the source of her troubles and its affect on her eating habits. From that day forward, she was forbidden to eat so lightly when in his prescience and if she did, he stayed at the table with a reproachful expression until she cleared her plate. Eventually the habit of clearing her plate transcended dinners with the Lacroix's and she began to eat as voraciously as she did on her honeymoon with Rhett. This pleased the Lacroix's to no end, as well as Scarlett, and her relationship with James grew from there.
"You know, one of these days I'm going to make sure I don't clear my plate just to irritate him," Scarlett joked. "But today won't be that day. You know how I love Gioia."
"That's why I insisted on it. Now finish your coffee and we can get going to the tailor. There's a lot of fittings and fabric selecting ahead of us before lunch," Anysa said with a wink.
Scarlett and Anysa were both looking to rejuvenate their wardrobes with the latest fashions for the upcoming fall season. Many balls were already in the process of being planned and Scarlett intended to wear a beautiful new dress to each one, seeing as she was invited to all of them. Unlike in Atlanta where she was a social pariah, the great people of San Francisco took her in and appreciated her for what she was. They loved the stories of scandal that came along with her and her self-assured attitude. San Francisco's love for her even helped to gloss over Anysa's own begrudging acceptance since she was the one who brought her in.
Being the center of attention suited Scarlett just fine and she loved the privileges it afforded her. She could wear fitted, low-cut dresses that pushed the bounds of fashion and face praise rather than criticism. Instead of sticking to society's usual limit of one glass of wine at dinner for women, she had as many as she pleased. Rather than keeping to herself as any woman in her position normally would, they supported her being social and flirting with men.
The position Scarlett had put herself in was that of a woman in limbo between hope and mourning. As far as the public knew, her husband, Captain Rhett Butler, was lost at sea after an ill-fated business trip to South America over a year ago. People allowed her to carry on with hope that he was still alive (as she hoped her marriage was), which meant that she could conduct her business as if she had every right to still be happy. However, everyone acknowledged in private that he was most likely dead and that made her one of the most eligible women in San Francisco. It was only the Lacroix's who knew the truth about Rhett and why she was both hopeful and sad in relation to him.
Men coveted Scarlett as if she was a young woman again and she would be lying if she said she didn't revel in the attention. She enjoyed knowing that men still desired her and while she allowed them to court her to a point, it lacked the appeal the prospect once held. Scarlett's heart still ached for Rhett and not knowing where the hell he was was aggravating. She thought, with amusement, that her story about a missing husband was truer than most knew.
"Scarlett your eyes are as glazed over as the doughnut you had awhile ago. Is something wrong?" Anysa asked, effectively yanking Scarlett out of her reverie.
"No, not at all. Let's get going," she replied as she stood from her seat.
Scarlett had already selected the fabric for her new dresses and was now sifting through more samples to select the fabric for a new long coat. She had put several samples to the side for consideration when she was taken aback by one towards the bottom of the swatch pile.
The blue velvet swatch was lying there, innocuous as can be, when she stumbled upon it. Touching the fabric gingerly, she closed her eyes and was instantaneously inundated with images of Bonnie in her blue velvet riding habit. Before she knew what she was doing, Scarlett ran out the backdoor of the tailor's shop and threw up in the back alley.
"Scarlett, honey, what's wrong? What happened?" Anysa asked as she quickly pulled Scarlett's hair out of her face.
"Bonnie. I saw Bonnie," Scarlett managed to gasp out as she tried to regain composure. It wasn't that she feared Anysa's reaction to her emotional outburst, she had witnessed many of them over the past few months; it was the fact that she was in public that made her want to compose herself quickly so no one else saw.
"What do you mean you saw Bonnie?" Anysa posed, evidently confused.
"The swatch in there, the blue velvet one, it was the same fabric her riding habit was made of. I picked it up and..." she trailed off as she looked into Anysa's eye which held nothing but concern.
"Oh I'm so sorry sweetheart. And you've been doing so well with coping lately," Anysa soothed.
Over the past several months, Scarlett had made a conscious effort to stop mourning the passing of Bonnie. Not so she could forget her, she could never do that, but so she could think of her and feel joy in the fact that she lived rather than depression because she had passed. This was the best way she could think of to honor Bonnie's memory; after all, she was such a ray of light that to think of only sadness when thinking of her was almost sacrilegious. She would deliberately stay awake for hours into the night thinking of her until a happy memory of her no longer inspired depression and spurred genuine laughter instead, as it should have. It had become easier to do this as the months passed and she was now at the point where she could look at the goofy family portrait the family had taken about a year before her passing and laugh freely.
The family portrait Scarlett loved looking at had been a happy accident. Instead of the serious one she had hoped for, what she got was a candid moment provided by Bonnie and Ella. Scarlett could remember that day vividly. The girls had been picking on each other back and forth the whole day and any attempt by her or Rhett to stop them had fallen on deaf ears. They continued to pull each other's hair, trip each other, steal the other's toys and hide them, or pinch each other's arms. Once at the photographers, Scarlett and Rhett threatened to take away dessert from whoever caused trouble during the shoot. Both promised to do nothing, but once everyone was in position for the picture Bonnie pinched Ella behind the arm, causing her to yelp. The resulting picture featured a retaliating Ella punching Bonnie in the arm, Bonnie screaming, Wade rolling his eyes, and Scarlett and Rhett wearing the same affronted look while reaching towards the girls to separate them. Though furious at the time, they couldn't help but laugh at the resulting picture and ordered several of them made; they elected to have none of the serious ones printed. Scarlett had kept this photo with her in her move to California and counted it among her prized possession.
"I have been, but that fabric was just too much and so unexpected," Scarlett feebly replied.
"Listen, why don't we cancel lunch with James and head back to my place instead? You can rest there if you like," she suggested, knowing that Scarlett often became tired after thinking of Bonnie.
"That won't be necessary," she said regaining her bearings more by the second. "Besides, I've been looking forward to lunch with James all week. He's been far too busy with work you know."
"Yes, I know he has been looking forward to today as well. Why don't go ahead and leave now then?" Anysa asked.
"Sure, but first I'm ordering my long coat be made from that blue velvet. I'll be damned if I ever react like that to fabric again."
Instead of walking the ten or so blocks to Gioia, Scarlett and Anysa rode the cable cars through the hilly streets. The cable cars were so fun to Scarlett that she rode them whenever she could, although it wasn't as often as she liked since there weren't too many lines yet. Scarlett always chose to stand and hold onto the railing over sitting down, now more than ever because she needed the wind blowing past her face to calm her nerves after seeing the blue velvet. Her hair was obviously not a priority at this point and it never was when her destination could be reached on the cable car.
Reaching Gioia, Scarlett and Anysa jumped off their ride and made their way into the Italian restaurant. She attempted to tame her black hair back into the neat ringlets they had started the day as when James walked in laughing with an older gentleman.
"Father!" Anysa shrieked loudly in excitement as she ran to embrace her father. Scarlett always felt a pang of jealousy at seeing them together since she missed her own father so much. She had only met him a few times, but she enjoyed his company immensely.
"Mr. Anton," Scarlett greeted cheerfully as he made his way around the table to greet her after Anysa finally released him from an embrace.
"Scarlett, darling, please call me Soren. You're too dear to my Anysa to be so formal with me," he replied as he kissed her hand.
"Soren," Scarlett corrected graciously before she turned her attention to the beaming James. "You have some explaining to do James! Of all the days you choose to bring along such an important guest I look awful! If I had known he was coming I would have done my best to look decent," she playfully scolded.
"Self-deprecation was never a good look on you Scarlett. However, it does look a right side better than you do right now," he teased as he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"You're a cad James. You better watch what you say during this lunch or I'll be forced to retaliate," she joked as everyone took their seat at the table.
"I'd be willing to bet that's the most warning a man has ever received before having to face your wrath. You're either sick or getting soft of spirit; either way I don't like it," he chided in return.
"Hush you two," Anysa laughingly chimed in, stopping the playful back and forth. "Now Scarlett was right in saying an explanation is in order. I had no idea you were coming Father. Last I knew you were in England."
"I was in England, but decided to come home early. Only James knew because I wanted to surprise you. It has been far too long since I have surprised you dearest," Soren said, obviously proud that he had surprised his daughter.
"I pride myself on my ability to sniff out a surprise before it happens," she giggled. "But, either way, I'm happy you're here Papa."
"Me too. Now I've been here for a couple of hours with no opportunity to eat. So let us order our food first!" he replied as he picked up a menu to see Gioia's lunch selection.
The lunch went on with much merriment as Soren recounted his travels, with much humor and embellishment Scarlett assumed, and told of all the presents he brought for Anysa and James, their twin boys George and Dom, and even Scarlett. She always enjoyed the presents he brought her. It made her feel as if she had her father again and she suspected that's why he brought her gifts. He always thought to bring her something from his travels and this small gesture always made her feel loved and grateful. Although she was not close with him, she had a great amount of respect for him and all he did for his family.
"That reminds of something I've been meaning to ask," Soren said after James mentioned the now nearly depleted gold mine outside of the city. "Scarlett, is your husband Rhett of the Charleston Butlers?"
"Yes, he is. Why do you ask?" she replied wondering why he would ask such a question. He always seemed to tiptoe carefully around the subject of her disappeared husband, so his direct question was out of character.
"I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. I was just asking because I believe I knew your husband a few decades ago," he smiled kindly.
"Really?" Scarlett asked intrigued. "How?"
"Your Rhett participated in the gold rush, did he not?" he asked.
"Yes he did," she replied proudly, although why she did she was not sure.
"Well then I did know of him," he said laughing heartily. "My dear, did you know your husband is the embodiment of the old adage 'don't bring a knife to a gun fight?'"
"No," Scarlett said laughing. She was surprised someone here remembered of who he was and they thought of him in good terms rather than bad. It was interesting and she desperately wanted to know more. "Why do you say that?"
"Now I don't know the whole story, but I do know some of the facts. Did you know he was stabbed while out here?" he inquired.
"Oh yes! He still has the scar on his stomach," Scarlett revealed, blushing that she had said something so private. No one seemed to notice though since Soren went on as if nothing so personal had been revealed.
"Well, all I know is that he got it one night while protecting a pretty pile of gold he had discovered in a mine. He had fallen asleep next to it and during the night a miner who had not nearly as much luck as he, stabbed him in the hopes that it would kill him so he could take his gold. Either that Rhett of yours had fallen asleep with one eye open or had not fallen asleep at all because when that man stabbed him, he pulled a pistol out from beneath his head and shot him," Soren laughed recalling the old story. Everyone at the table laughed, including Scarlett, who was in disbelief of how good an aim Rhett had even while asleep.
"That sounds like my Rhett," she replied once she could control her laughter. "You know, he once told me he could drill a dime from fifty yards!?"
"That would surprise me none! His aim is practically legendary; even here," Soren winked at her. It was then that Scarlett regaled them with her retelling of the duel he had participated in as a youth, much to everyone's amusement. After only talking about him in depressing terms for so long, it was pleasant to finally speak of him in a bright light.
