Chapter 62
Scarlett stood impatiently on the sunlit dock. Her baggage had already been carried to her little cabin on the ferry to New Orleans by the little porter with a wooden leg. It had been one hour since and there was still no sign of Rhett.
Scarlett forced herself to not think of Rhett. This entire idea of going to New Orleans had been a huge bluff on her part. She had only meant to capitalize on Rhett's habit of ignoring how he felt about people. Perhaps in New Orleans, riding the same carriages, visiting the same places and walking down the same streets as they did during their honeymoon, several unavoidable memories might come up and Rhett might become more kind to her-
"Perhaps" thought Scarlett, her face twisting with pain that came intermingled with hope. Suddenly she caught sight of Rhett's hat half-hidden from view by a group of fellow ferry-travellers.
Sure enough, it was Rhett! And he was walking straight to her!
"Well, Rhett!" cried Scarlett, in pleasure and relief. "It was getting so late, I thought you were never coming!" She smiled at him and he kissed her hand but he did not move forward to lead her up the ramp and into their boat.
Scarlett looked at him steadily. "I see, you are still in two minds, Rhett. Well, let me tell you something. Before you come up with me on this ferry, I want you to know that it isn't entirely out of the goodness of my heart that I've called you here. We've always been very good at making deals with each other, haven't we? Whether we kept them or not? Well, this is the last deal. Are you listening?"
"Go ahead" said Rhett, lighting a cigar and supressing a cynical smile.
"I want another baby! No, don't laugh, Rhett. I am not joking. If you think I have taken the pains to arrange this trip just to talk ideas with you, then you are wrong. I don't mind. But that isn't what I came for. What I came for is another baby!"
"You'll get one when you divorce me and marry Ashley!" returned Rhett, calmly.
"If I wanted to divorce you, and if I really loved Ashley.. oh, but those things never happened, so what is the use of talking about them?! And darling, you haven't divorced me! Doesn't that tell you anything about yourself? I know it seems too much to ask after everything that's happened- But I've got to have another child! If I don't.. everything just turns meaningless. I could never live with that. I just couldn't"
Rhett looked at her for a long while.
The ferry sounded out loud. The people began to walk up the ramp.
"I admit I said once before that I wanted to have your mind. So, under all that charm and sharp talk, you are searching for something meaningful." Rhett laughed softly. Then a bold, playful look came into his eyes.
"And now that you've told me what you wanted, let me tell you that I admire you for your frankness and I highly commend it. I find this new Scarlett a little frightening and perhaps even a little daunting but since you have been so kind as to show your hand, let me now show mine. I do not want to have another child with you. But since its part of your "deal", I won't promise you that you won't have a baby. You may or you may not. It depends. But you on the other hand have to state to reasons for not wanting Ashley. I do like to go after answers to questions that have plagued me for years and your "friendship" with Ashley Wilkes is one of them. I would be greatly obliged if you would give a conclusion to your unsavoury adventure into infidelity"
The ferry sounded again. Rhett offered his arm with a boyish grin on his face. Scarlett, looked annoyed and she saw the Captain beckoning the travellers to climb aboard. With a sigh, she took Rhett's arm and by the next booming bellow of the ferry, they were both off on their voyage to New Orleans.