Chapter 91
The next day was promising to be an exciting one. Over breakfast, Rosemary informed Scarlett that she had arranged a coach to take her and the children to the Roman Catholic Church and then for a long afternoon ride by the sea to some quaint little shops that sold lovely things like beads, wooden toys, small antiques and trinkets, anything that the children might find interesting. Scarlett was delighted. She rushed up the steps to Rhett's room and knocked at the door.
"Come in" said a voice, harshly.
She went inside and the first thing she noticed was that Rhett's bed hadn't been slept in. Then she saw him, still sitting in his armchair, looking bleary-eyed and dour. There was a half-emptied bottle of whiskey at his elbow.
"You didn't sleep at all?" asked Scarlett, incredulously.
"No" said Rhett, morosely.
"Why? I thought after t-"
"You thought!" said Rhett, with a short laugh that unnerved her with its maniacal intensity. Suddenly he turned away and said, "Leave me-"
Scarlett stared at him helplessly. Things had seemed to go so well yesterday. Now all her good work appeared completely undone. She felt a wave of shame coming over her as she stood there twisting her fingers. Then deciding to try the same tack, she spoke encouragingly, "Rhett, you still didn't understand about your privileges. Why, when I was a little girl, I'd see my Pa waking up my Mother in the middle of the night if there was any illness or emergency in the servants quarters along the plantation. And Pa would go off right to sleep and Mother would go and stay up all night looking after the servants. If my Pa only saw you now, he'd feel sorry for all the trouble you take on yourself. Yes Sir, he may not be as clever or intelligent as you, but he was smart and he knew how to ask my Mother to handle things- If you were half as smart as him, you would have come and woken me up to stay with you."
Rhett's eyebrows shot up at this as the point went home straight as an arrow. He started muttering something under his breath and Scarlett was struck by the similarity between now and the time after Melanie's reception for Ashley, when he had carried her upstairs and used her throughout the night. He had looked washed out then too and strangely aggressive. The stranger who she saw just once and with such intensity. Then she said,
"Rhett, I'm only trying to help you out of this-" She reached out her hand and he immediately enclosed it with his own large brown hand. The spontaneity and warmth surprised and frightened Scarlett at the same time. She had imagined Rhett might pull away or act hard and tough. But this was something new. "What's the matter, Rhett? What are you thinking of?", she questioned.
"I had gone over what you said. Perhaps you were right. I've always been reckless, even more so after Bonnie's death. So I decided to visit my father's grave today. I never visited his grave. I don't know how I will be after I go there- you know my father disliked me with a passion-"
"Then, I'll come with you."
"What about your big plans for the day? I thought you were tracing your Irish roots."
"That can wait." replied Scarlett, emphatically. "I'll ask Rosemary to take just Wade and Ella. We will ride with them but get down at the cemetery-"
"You would do that for me?" asked Rhett, slowly looking up. He gazed so deeply into her eyes that she blushed suddenly.
"I..I told you." she said, wondering why her voice was trembling. "It's your privilege. I've seen it when I was growing up, that's why I feel so sure about it." she said, knowing full well that she was stretching things a bit.
"Oh?" said Rhett, with a ghost of a smile. He stood up and rested his hands on her shoulders."I had no idea Mr. O' Hara would be my guiding voice through all my troubles. Let's not make this day too solemn, Scarlett. After our visit, I'll take you somewhere pleasant. I am grateful that you are so loyal to me, dearest."
He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek .She flushed with sudden pleasure at the tenderness of his expression.
She had always been loyal to her family, especially her own mother and father. But she had never been appreciated like this.