Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Four
Rhett and Bonnie were on their way back to Atlanta. Bonnie was beside herself with happiness. Rhett was happy also. He had missed Scarlett so much but not as much as he had missed Mammy. He could finally stop being solely responsible for Bonnie. A month ago, the child had started peeing in her panties. There had been three or four occasions when she had not told him when she needed to poop. That had been awful. He had to clean the entire mess up. He had nearly thrown-up several times. He had started asking her every hour if she needed to poop. She would usually say 'no' but often five minutes later she had peed in her panties. He had ended up having to put her back in a diaper.
He had stopped taking her to restaurants to eat. If he tried to get her to eat something healthy, she would start screaming at the top of her lungs and she would push everything on the table to the floor including his plate full of food.
He couldn't get her to wear anything but one dress which he had to wash every night because she always got dirt all over it. Once when he told her she wasn't wearing that dress that day, she laid on the floor and made herself limp. When he tried to put another dress on her she didn't fight him, but she didn't help either. As long as she was wearing the other dress, she would not do anything but lay limply on the floor. He eventually put the other dress back on her.
In the last month they had done nothing but travel. He had not been able to conduct any business because where he met other men were places, he could not take his daughter.
Rhett had rented a sailboat and they had sailed up and down the California coastline. Rhett had hired a couple of men to work the sails. He had enjoyed talking to them even though neither was very bright. It was the only adult conversation Rhett had in weeks. He had not hired another nursemaid for he knew it was pointless. Bonnie would just run her off. Fortunately, Bonnie had enjoyed sailing a lot.
Rhett had stopped lying Bonnie down for a nap in the afternoon because her lying down always brought on a crying jag for her mother. Her not taking a nap made her go to sleep so much quicker at night although there was always the same conversation.
She would say, "Mama kiss."
"Your mother is not here."
"Go home."
"Soon. We will go home for Ella's birthday."
"Night."
Rhett would kiss her forehead and she would turn over. He could hear her whimpering, but he also knew she didn't want his comfort. Bonnie would cry because she really wanted to go home. She really missed her mother, Ella and Mammy.
Scarlett had settled back into the loving arms of the county and things were going great. They didn't get very many visitors because the truth was that she and Suellen were not very popular with the rest of the county folks. Also, they were in the middle of cotton harvest. Nobody had time for visiting unless they wanted to borrow something. Scarlett was fine with that. The less people who knew about her baby the less chance someone would tell Rhett. Of course, Rhett would have to return to Atlanta for anyone to tell him.
Scarlett was happy being at Tara and she knew that Rhett would never be happy here. She was alright with that. She honestly never wanted to see Rhett Butler again as long as she lived. Will and Suellen didn't asked about her baby, and she didn't mention the child. Will and Suellen didn't asked about her husband, and she never mentioned Rhett either. Will and Suellen didn't even ask her how long she was staying. Scarlett wondered how much of the gossip they had heard about her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. She knew they had heard enough to not question her about anything.
She had taken on a lot of Suellen's chores and Sue had been grateful. Sue was pregnant also. Sue's baby was due in January also. Scarlett smiled when she thought, 'Hopefully they won't come on the same day. That might be too much even for Mammy.'
The telegram arrived on October 15th. It stated: Bonnie and I are in Atlanta STOP We are staying at the National Hotel since our home has been sold STOP We will talk about you doing that without my permission STOP I have talked with Henry Hamilton STOP I will expect you and the children to come to Atlanta tomorrow STOP Bonnie wants to celebrate Ella's birthday STOP
When Scarlett read the telegram, she giggled when she read the part about the mansion being sold. She said to herself, "Why would I need your permission? It was allegedly your gift to me. What's more you hated it. I would think you would be happy."
She sent a telegram to Rhett stating: Wade, Ella, and Mammy will be on the ten o'clock train tomorrow morning STOP I am extremely sick and cannot travel STOP I am in anguish at not getting to see Bonnie STOP I will come to Atlanta when I get well STOP
She knew she was delaying the inevitable. If Rhett was in Atlanta, he would make her return. Maybe she would stay right here and make him come get her.
Scarlett hugged her children and Mammy. She didn't need to tell Mammy or Wade not to tell Rhett about the baby, they knew. Ella was turning five on this birthday so if she said something about the baby Wade or Mammy could cover for her. If anything, Ella would just say, 'Mother has gotten fat.' Scarlett was alright with that. In fact, she would be perfectly happy with Rhett thinking she had gotten as fat, as the Cuban women for then maybe he would divorce her. Sight unseen of course.
Later that afternoon Scarlett got a telegram from Rhett. All it said was: When will you be able to travel? STOP
She replied: I am really sick STOP I don't know when I will be able to travel STOP Not for at least a week STOP
A week later Rhett sent another telegram. It stated: Are you well STOP
She replied: No better STOP
He replied: I must be in London in a month STOP I cannot take Bonnie STOP
She replied: Send her back with Mammy STOP
He replied: You cannot come to Atlanta STOP
She replied: I am too weak to travel even into Jonesboro STOP
He replied: Are you planning to return to Atlanta STOP
She replied: I will return when you return in December STOP I will not be in Atlanta when you are out of town. STOP
He replied: I will return before Christmas STOP Are you so sick that I need to be concerned about you dying STOP
Scarlett looked at the telegram and the tears pricked her eyes. Had he ever worried about her dying? Maybe once. Now he was probably more concerned about his whores dying than her. She stopped her thoughts. She replied: No I am getting better STOP Just too weak to travel STOP I should be fine in a few weeks. STOP
He replied: I will send Bonnie to Tara with Mammy. STOP I will let you know when I am back in Atlanta STOP
She replied: Fine STOP
While Mammy, Wade and Ella were in Atlanta, Scarlett went to talk to her mother. She was so ashamed of all the things she had done to survive. She needed her mother to tell her she understood. Of course, her mother couldn't tell her anything now. Scarlett went to her parents' graves. She sat there and told them about Wade, Ella and Bonnie. Scarlett then started telling them all about her life since she went to the finishing school. She told them about being bullied by Abagail Newman. She told them about all the other women always talking badly about her. From the women in Clayton County to the matrons in Atlanta. She told them about stealing Stuart from India. She told them how she hadn't loved Charlie but had married him to spite Honey. She told them about what she had said to Ashley that day in the library. She told them about dancing at the Hospital Bazaar. She told them she had not done it for the cause but because she had simply wanted to dance. She told them everything she had done over the last years. She had spent the entire afternoon telling them her sins.
When she stood up from her parents' graves to go back in the house, she knew several things. That Rhett and Melanie had been part of everything in her life for the last several years. That Rhett had loved her when he had married her, and that Melanie still did. That Ashley had never loved her and that she had never loved him. He was just a man that she had put a suit of clothes on and had made him wear them. That she loved all three of her children very much. Lastly that she was not going to let Bonnie go without a fight.
She would gladly give Rhett a divorce, but she would not give up her daughter. If Rhett wanted to try to live together, she would try but she would not tolerate him using whores. He had to swear he would never run off with any of her children again also. She would be fine with resuming relations and sharing a bed. She had missed sleeping with him. If he could repeat what happened that night, she would like that.
A week later Rhett sent a telegram stating: Your children will be on the ten AM train STOP
Scarlett said to Will, "Will you go into Jonesboro and pick-up Mammy and the children tomorrow morning? I can't …."
"Drive the wagon."
"Yes, that's right. I can't drive the wagon."
"I will be glad to."
Scarlett smiled as Will walked away. Will always could see far more than the average person.
Scarlett heard the wagon pull up in front of the house. She stayed in the house until she was sure Rhett wasn't with them. Scarlett was beside herself with happiness. She had missed her children so much. She had never known how much she loved her children until they weren't there. She had been so afraid that Rhett was going to run away with all her children. She had not been sure that her children would return until she saw them in the wagon. Bonnie was there. Mother and child hugged like they were never going to let each other go. While still holding Bonnie, she hugged all her children. She hugged them all like she was never going to let them go.
As Scarlett started to carry Bonnie in the house, Mammy stopped her. She said to Scarlett, "She hasn't heard the word 'no' in six months."
"Is that why he gave her to me?"
"Yes. That and he is tired of hearing her crying for you. When you didn't get off the train, she threw herself down on the station platform and threw quite the temper tantrum. She was screaming and crying. Mr. Rhett couldn't get her to stop. She made quite the scene. Even Mr. Rhett was embarrassed. Every night when he put her to bed she would say, 'Mama morrow?' Mr. Rhett would reply, 'Not tomorrow maybe the day after tomorrow.' She would roll over and start crying. She must have been doing it for a while because Mr. Rhett never tried to comfort her. I would pat her back and she would go to sleep."
Scarlett just smiled. She thought, 'Maybe Rhett will leave her with me.' She really didn't think it was possible, but a girl could hope.
Scarlett noticed Bonnie was wearing a diaper. Bonnie had not worn a diaper since she was twenty months old. She had decided that she was no longer a baby and therefore she no longer needed to wear a diaper. She had basically trained herself to use the privy. What had happened to make her revert to needing a diaper. As often as Scarlett was going to need to use the privy these days Bonnie would be quickly out of diapers.
The two weeks that the children had been gone she had thought about Rhett and her relationship with him. He had been her best friend. She had never lied to him. Something had changed between them that night in New Orleans. As she thought about it, she knew that despite what Rhett had said that day he had proposed he had loved her. She knew he didn't love her now. No, he had stopped loving her that night in New Orleans. She hadn't known he had loved her, yet she had killed his love with a sigh.
She wouldn't think about that right now. She would think about her children. She was going to enjoy every minute of her time with her children, especially Bonnie. It was the first time she had been allowed free access to her own child.
