Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hugh went home and told his mother and sister about Captain Butler and his sappy sentimental actions. Also, how Captain Butler took care of the child more often than Mrs. Butler. He also told the women about how Mr. Wilkes thought he had a location of the Confederate gold and he planned to find the money then run away with it.
Mrs. Elsing said, "That is awful that Mr. Wilkes would plan on running away with the Confederate gold when so many people in the South were starving."
Fanny who had always had a soft spot in her heart for Rhett because he had tried to save Tommy's life said, "Although Captain Butler has done some questionable things, I guess he didn't steal the confederate gold."
"That man is crazy about his daughter."
"It is unusual for a man to be so sentimental."
"Scarlett is such a lucky lady that Captain Butler is willing to shoulder some of the responsibility of caring for his child."
"He takes care of all the children."
Mrs. Elsing and Fanny couldn't wait to share this gossip with the other ladies. It became the topic of discussion at every sewing bee, committee meeting, and visitation that India, Melly and Scarlett were not at.
Someone would always say, "It seems Captain Butler didn't steal the Confederate gold. It is buried somewhere in the Elizabeth River where Mr. Wilkes plans to dig it up and run away with it. Probably without his wife and child. Whoremonger that he is."
Mrs. Merriwether overheard Scarlett say, "India, listen to me. After Rhett told me that he had offered to let you and Mr. Townsend have your wedding and reception at the mansion. I told him that it would be done right. I wasn't going to host a pathetic affair. Rhett laughed and said, 'Spend as much as you see fit.' So, my dear friend, invite everyone you want to invite. You only get married once," Scarlett had giggled and continued, "Except for naughty girls like me."
India and Melly had laughed. Even Mrs. Merriwether had wanted to laugh but she restrained herself because she wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.
India said, "I don't want you to spend too much."
"If you knew what I had spent for my debacle of a crush when like a dumb bunny I invited all those awful people into my home you would be appalled. I even invited the Republican governor. In my defense I thought he was just another of Rhett's business contacts. Rhett had told me to add him to the guest list and I did," She sighed and said, "Sometimes I am just a nitwit. I didn't even know he was the governor of the state."
Both India and Melly said, "Now, now. You didn't know any better."
"India, now stop quibbling with me over the guest list. I will not hear of you not inviting someone just because of money. I would be mortified if someone's feelings were hurt because they didn't get an invitation."
India said, "Thank you Scarlett. I also do not want to hurt someone's feelings by not inviting them to my wedding."
Mrs. Merriwether was aghast at the words and at who was saying them. Dolly looked at Scarlett and thought, 'Maybe she is that much of a dumb bunny.' In that moment Dolly Merriwether's opinion of Scarlett began to change. Maybe that was all she was a foolish child who had not truly understood the dos and don'ts of society. Dolly had heard that Scarlett's mother was a reserved woman who spent little to no time with her daughters. Lord knows her Irish peasant father wouldn't have known any better. That would have left her vulnerable to the suave, charming Captain Butler who had been leading her astray for a long time. Yes, Dolly decided all Scarlett's problems could be laid at Captain Butler's doorstep. Yet how can you truly despise a man that loved his daughter so much.
Melly said, "Oh dear, I just wish I had known you were going to invite Bullock I would have talked you out of it."
"Yes, you would have."
"Here, dear, take my handkerchief."
"Thank you," Scarlett used the handkerchief to blot her eyes. She said, "So you see India if you want to invite everyone in polite society, I am alright with that."
"Scarlett, thank you."
"You're welcome."
The conversation turned to their children and Mrs. Merriwether had wandered off. Scarlett had known the old battle axe was there the entire time. She had seen her orange dress out of the corner of her eye. Scarlett had often told Rhett how much Mrs. Merriwether looked like a pumpkin in that dress. She wore it a lot it was her favorite.
Later that night Scarlett thought about getting herself an orange dress made like Mrs. Merriwether's dress but decided the older woman would know Scarlett was mocking her. She sighed in disappointment. She wondered if she could torture Ashley by dressing like Mrs. Merriwether. She decided she couldn't and sighed again. Rhett listened to her sigh and wondered what she was thinking about. He knew she wasn't thinking about Wilkes or if she was it wasn't in a good way.
He said, "Would you like for me to tell you more about Queen Elizabeth?"
"Yes, please."
The next afternoon, Mrs. Merriwether shared the entire conversation with the ladies at the sewing bee. She went early so she could share everything before Melly, Scarlett and India had arrived. Fanny had been posted as lookout to be sure none of the trio walked into the room in the middle of the conversation. Her mother promised to tell her everything that was said when they got home.
Dolly said, "Captain Butler has offered to Mr. Townsend that the couple can get married in the mansion's back yard with the reception on the back porch."
"Isn't that so kind of Captain Butler to allow the wedding and reception to be held at the mansion."
"He is probably paying for most of it. We all know India doesn't have the money and Mr. Townsend is just now getting his school started."
Dolly said, "I think he is paying for all of it. I heard that although Scarlett wasn't happy about Captain Butler offering up the mansion for the wedding and reception, she told him that if they were going to have the reception on their back porch it would be done right. That she would not be shamed by having a pathetic reception at her home. He told Scarlett she could spend as much as she wanted."
"It doesn't surprise me that Captain Butler is being so generous with his money to help Mr. Townsend and India.
"Wasn't Mr. Townsend such a nice man even if he did have to accept Yankee children in order to keep his doors open."
"Captain Butler has always been a little different."
Of course, someone always said, "If Mr. Wilkes wasn't spending his money on whores, he would have the money to pay for India's wedding."
They were also seeing Scarlett in a brand-new light.
"I'm sure Scarlett isn't happy about Captain Butler doing that kind gesture that would benefit her enemy. It is no secret that India and Scarlett hate each other."
"I don't think they are enemies anymore. I have seen them laughing and talking like old friends lately."
"I understand that Scarlett stole India's beau away from her before the war. India blamed Scarlett for the fact that India ended up an old maid."
"I guess now that India is getting married, she is willing to forgive and forget."
"Didn't India and Mr. Townsend meet at a supper party the Butlers gave?"
Mrs. Baker said, "I was there. Scarlett did more than introduce them. When we got there India looked awful. Her hair was pulled back too tight, and she had the ugliest dress on. Scarlett spilled wine on India's dress then hurried India out of the room. When India came back, she looked like a young belle again. I could tell Mr. Townsend was pleased with the transformation."
Mrs. Smith said, "I think Scarlett spilt the wine on purpose. The change was amazing. A happy India is such a joy to be with."
Nobody added unlike an unhappy India.
"Maybe Scarlett felt guilty about stealing India's beau but in Scarlett's defense if the beau had truly been committed to India, then Scarlett wouldn't have been able to steal him away."
"True, true."
Halfway through the week Mrs. Madison shared, "I was at Mrs. Browning's shop last week. Scarlett and Melly were in the shop picking out the pattern, fabric and lace for India's dress. It is a secret from India."
"That is to not shame India because she is having to accept charity because of her brother's inability to pay for the dress. Whoremonger that he is."
"Of course, Melly is so kindhearted that even though she is probably embarrassed by her husband's tight-fistedness she is putting India's happiness above her own personal discomfort."
Nobody wanted to embarrass India by letting her know that they knew that Captain Butler was buying her dress for her although for propriety's sake everyone always said that Scarlett was buying the dress. Nobody wanted to embarrass Melly by letting her know that they knew that Ashley could not afford to pay for his sister's wedding. Nobody talked about it in front of Scarlett because they didn't want to embarrass her by mentioning she was helping her enemy.
After two weeks had gone by the ladies were seeing Captain Butler in a brand-new light. The stories about him bathing his child or rocking his child didn't surprise anyone.
"Isn't it so nice of Captain Butler to feed the child so Scarlett could enjoy her meal in peace?"
"The man is crazy about his child?"
"Isn't he always asking them their advice as far as raising his child?"
"Isn't it so cute how Scarlett tolerates him questioning all of her decisions?"
"How she just smiles at him, like a person indulging a favorite child, and lets him ask all the questions he wants to ask?"
"Don't they remind everyone else of a couple in love?"
"Maybe it was a love match after all."
"Didn't Scarlett always defend Captain Butler?"
"Wasn't Captain Butler always talking about Scarlett in such glowing terms?"
"Dolly told me that Captain Butler told her that Scarlett was the best thing that ever happened to him. That he feels bad for introducing Scarlett to all those Yankees, Republicans, and Scallawags."
"That was improper of the man."
"Wasn't it awful about Captain Butler forcing Scarlett to invite Bullock to her Crush?"
Dolly said, "I can't bring myself to despise Captain Butler anymore. He approved my loan and gave me great advice to get my bakery in the black. He loves his daughter so much. Who else but a sappy sentimental man would buy a wedding dress for a spinster because he wants her day to be special? The day that the old maid never thought was going to arrive. In truth that none of us thought was going to arrive."
"I heard that after their child was born Scarlett refused to let those people in her home again. That was why the Butlers had separate bedrooms because Scarlett refused to be intimate with Captain Butler while he was still making her receive those people."
"Nobody has ever seen Captain Butler coming out of one of those rooms at Belle's at least not since he and Scarlett got married. Before that who could blame him. Boys will be boys."
The ladies all giggled.
As the ladies were gossiping about her, Rhett, Melly, India and Ashley, Scarlett was happily helping her son, redecorate his new room. Scarlett smiled at Wade when he said, "I am going to hang my father's sword over here. Do you think Dad will mind?"
"No, he won't mind. He understands that you still want to honor your father."
During those same two weeks Johnny had been trying to decide how he could make use of the information that Wilkes was spreading the lies of Butler being a sappy sentimental man. Johnny knew they had to be lies for Butler was too much of a man to be sentimental much less sappy sentimental. Not thinking of any way to benefit from the information Johnny forgot all about it. He in passing thought about telling Butler but there was nothing in it for him, so Johnny didn't. He wondered if he could get to Virginia and look for the Confederate gold. Maybe.
The couple believed they were getting received back into polite society. Wade was getting some invitations to birthday parties and Ella had even received an invitation. They attended all of the birthday parties and were as charming as they could be.
Rhett and Scarlett had not been invited to any events. Rhett said, "Nobody wants to be the first one and have the matrons come down on them. India and Stuart's wedding will be the crucial test."
One afternoon as Rhett was riding home from picking up his share of the profits from Belle, he decided that he was going to sell his half of The Painted Lady. He no longer wanted to be the kind of man that owned a bordello. He was going to make Scarlett sell the land that the saloon was on also. They were going to have to be squeaky clean from now on.