Chapter 37

"Darling, have you ever heard the story of a particularly large woman, a dowager, very much in the formidable shape of our charming Mrs. Merriweather who had a particular fancy for wearing plunging necklines and tiny, rather insufficient corsets?. The neighbors turned a blind eye until they observed the odd coincidence that whenever the dowager visited her personal doctor, her bosom seemed to grow a few inches more!"

Scarlett's eyes remained closed but she began to giggle, for despite herself she was unable to imagine the story without Rhett's wicked reference to Mrs. Merriweather. Why, the doctor could be Dr. Meade! She opened her eyes and found Rhett's face inches from her own breasts and his fingers once again teasing the soft undersides. She grew confused. While she listened to his oddly pleasant resonant voice, she found herself thinking of the large-bosomed dowager but in reality it was her own breasts that were being fondled. She knew she ought to push his hands away and she knew she shouldn't listen. But curiosity won the struggle over modesty and she listened on.

"Now after the third visit, her breasts were so large and full that they threatened to spill out of her dress! Naturally this alarmed the modest women although I daresay the men rather looked forward to such naughty events. They didn't know exactly what the good doctor was doing but it was a known fact that the doctor had a hands-on approach. He could press and knead the sickness out of his patients-"

Scarlett choked with mirth for Rhett was telling his ribald story with such a sober,straight face!

"So one day, just as the dowager was leaving the doctor's home, they cornered her and popped the burning question. The dowager fumbled for words but the doctor's nurse came to the rescue. She put her head out of the window and assured the party that the doctor was only treating the dowager for her acute breathing condition. When the people finally left, one woman lingered behind to comment that if only the dowager would stop wearing those pitifully small corsets, she could breathe much better. The attendant agreed. She said that's what the doctor said, every time he sheared off the dowager's corset and massaged the breath back into her chest-"

Scarlett collapsed into another fit of giggles and Rhett quietly parted her legs, slipped his hand in and examined her. She immediately stopped giggling and a red blush spread over her cheeks for she had been wet for quite some time now. His eyes never left her face and he remarked as he withdrew his hand, "I have never seen you look more doe-eyed or pretty." Scarlett dimpled at once and pushing her knees aside, he gave her bottom an approving swat. Then he got up and began to undress.

"Rhett?"

"Yes,darling?"

"You still didn't tell me what womanly qualities you wanted from me-"

Rhett glanced in Scarlett's direction and saw her lounging on his bed, her hands playfully twisting the coils of her black hair around her fingers. Her green eyes now carried a strange softness in them. They were very mellow and utterly bewitching. When Scarlett felt Rhett's gaze, her mouth curved to a smile and she gracefully swung her hips towards him. The rest of her body followed slowly after in one smooth, seductive movement.

"Oh, they are beautiful qualities-" answered Rhett, mesmerized by the sudden streak of boldness in her."-caring selflessly for others, trusting implicitly, being sincere and honest, being calm in the midst of uncertainty, nurturing the good in others- These are things that only a woman can do." He blew out the candles and approached the bed, the moonlight upon his brown face. "I could never compete with you there-"

"Well" acquiesced Scarlett, graciously. She reached up and entwined her arms around his neck. "If that is what is meant in being a woman, then I wouldn't mind being one."

"I am glad to hear you say that" said Rhett, feeling her legs part under him as he stretched himself upon her.

"But you were the one to tell me not to worry and tell the world to go to hell-"

"Well, I'll leave that up to your discretion. I said a lot of damned things before, Scarlett. I wanted to make you fall in love with me. I wanted you to see that I meant no harm."

"And I picked up all those cynical, sarcastic words and phrases from you, Rhett. What you say now contradicts with everything you said before."

"Well, Bonnie's death opened my eyes to several glaring truths about myself. I realized that I wasn't above anybody else and had to take my share of pain in this hell we live in-"

She felt Rhett's moustache tickle her lips. "I hope I have a little boy as dark-eyed and handsome as you."

Rhett paused a moment before answering. "I hope you do too." He placed his mouth near her ear and whispered, "Can I really kiss you now?"

Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise at the absurdity of the question. "Kiss me?!" she began, hotly. "What do you think you've been doing for so-" Feeling his hot breath upon her face, Scarlett abandoned her sentence and surrendered entirely to his passion.

They lay, wrapped in each other's arms in the stillness of the night. Scarlett was wide awake, staring quietly at the rising wisps of smoke from Rhett's cigar. She sighed.

"What are you thinking of, Scarlett?"

"Tomorrow, when I go to Tara, if I don't bully the people into submission, then they might know my weaknesses-"

"Yes?"

Scarlett sat up and looked at Rhett. "Listen Rhett, if I talk to Suellen, tell her that I am just as afraid as her about the safety of Tara, then she'd know I was weak and the first question she would ask me is why I took Frank Kennedy away from her. She will. I know she will. She wrote the most frightful letter, full of the bluntest truths about my character when she heard that I had stolen Frank away from her. And if I speak openly now, I know that she will hate me. Careen is a real sugar baby but Suellen has a tongue as sharp as mine!"

"Then you have to explain yourself her."

"But that's not fair. I did so much for Tara. If Suellen had married Frank, she would have spent all of Frank's money on expensive clothes for herself, because that is all she ever wanted. She wouldn't have cared about Tara at all. That's why I had to do it-"

"Then, tell that to her. It's the truth, isn't it?"

Scarlett blinked at this. Rhett laughed softly. "I told the truth about myself, didn't I? The only person I have ever bullied is you, Scarlett. Once I found you that you were just as sensual as me.. you remember the night at your Aunt Pitty's porch? All I had to do was kiss your wrist and your hands were trembling and you were shaking like a leaf. I was absolutely thrilled."

Scarlett playfully slapped his cheek when she heard this.

"I used that to bully you into marrying me. And I bullied you again after Miss. Melly's reception- But that was only because I wasn't as good a lover. I didn't know how to bring out your emotions and really love you. I told you all this just now-"

"But I forgave you"

"Yes."

"Suellen and everybody else I've never manipulated might not be as forgiving as me, Rhett." said Scarlett, worriedly. "What if they cut me off?"

"Then, you can't do anything about it, can you?"

Scarlett looked downcast and Rhett continued,

"People can do whatever they want, Scarlett. You cannot control them. When you came running home after Miss. Melly's death and told me that you were such a fool and that you loved me all along, what did I say?"

"You told me not to be humble before you-"

"That's right. I never wanted that. I don't want you to come to me out of fear or shame. Because I'm really not any better than you." Scarlett gazed at him, confused. "All right, when I finally confessed the truth about myself, why didn't you throw it in my face and walk away?"

Scarlett looked bemused. "Well, Rhett.. we have so much in common and you are terribly amusing.. all those ribald stories you tell.. My sides are still aching with laughter."

"Well, maybe Sister Sue and everybody else might find something attractive in you too. You will never know until you try."