Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Five
For the next several months, life moved on. Melly and Scarlett worked at the hospital. Shortages got shorter. The war dragged on. People were not as confident that the Confederacy was going to win.
Scarlett did go spend Christmas at Tara. It was nice but she could tell the war was impacting life on the plantation also. She found out that Brent was writing Careen and that Stuart was writing India. Scarlett had always found Brent and Stuart amusing companions but now she was remembering all the stupid things they would say. Things that even she had known were absurd and inane.
Scarlett was thinking about Charlie and how smart he had been. Yes, he had been socially awkward but that was probably because he had spent more time reading than interacting with other people. He certainly had been right to draw up a will. She was fortunate he had, or she would not have had any money to invest in Rhett's ships. Rhett was very smart also. He had found a way to appear to be doing his part for the cause while also making a lot of money at the same time.
In January after Rhett had docked in Charleston, he was able to get a message to his mother. They were able to meet in Gramercy Park at their spot. It was a spot with a large monument at it. The monument was large enough for Rhett to hide behind if his mother had not been able to get away alone.
Fortunately, that day when Rhett saw his mother approaching him, she was alone. As Rhett watched his mother approach him, he wondered how old she really was. He guessed she was in her late forties or her early fifties. He had turned thirty-five this year and she had probably been seventeen when she had given birth to him. He briefly wondered who she really was under all that Charleston breeding.
Mother and son hugged. Rhett told her of his travels. Elizabeth told him of her life for the last three months.
Rhett said to his mother, "Do you think there is any way I can get Langston to let me back in the family?"
"No, son."
"Do you think there is any way I can get received into proper society again?"
"Not in Charleston. You might be able to get received in Atlanta or Savannah by being a war hero."
"Go on."
"Several people have told me how brave you are for doing your part for the Confederacy."
"So, when people praise me for doing my part for the cause, I shouldn't correct them and tell them I'm only doing it for the cause of Rhett Butler."
Elizabeth smiled and said, "You most certainly shouldn't. You are going to have to act remorseful if someone brings up the buggy incident. And say it was the biggest mistake of your life."
Rhett gave his mother a half smile and said, "It was."
Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed her son's cheek and said, "I have to go. Love you."
"Love you, too, Mother."
As Elizabeth walked away, she thought, "I wonder what her name is."
On the train to Atlanta, Rhett decided his mother was right. This was his chance to get himself somewhat received somewhere in the South. He was going to behave himself while he was in the Confederacy while the war was going on at least. He was going to work on getting himself received in Atlanta. He knew that would be where Scarlett would want to live.
When Rhett had thought about Scarlett becoming his mistress, he found himself instead thinking about her being his wife. He thought about them having children. He thought about them growing old together. He knew he would never grow tired of her.
Rhett knew that he had to marry her. He also knew that she would never marry him if he wasn't received. What's more her father would never give his permission for Scarlett to marry him if he wasn't at least sort of received. Like his mother had said he had an opportunity to get received by being a war hero whether the Confederacy won or lost.
Rhett arrived in Atlanta, and he went to see his lawyer, Bruce Hancock. Mr. Hancock was his client's attorney not their conscience. His role was not to tell someone if something was right or wrong but to tell them if something was legal or illegal. Rhett had to wait a few minutes. Finally, Ross, the secretary told him to go into Mr. Hancock's office.
After some pleasantries Rhett said, "I want to sell my half of The Painted Lady."
"How much do you want?"
"I want five hundred dollars, but I will settle for three hundred dollars."
"Have you asked your partner if she wants to buy it?"
"No."
"That would probably be the easiest route. That way at least Mrs. Watling knows what you are doing and she doesn't get blindsided by you selling your half of her business to someone she doesn't like."
"That is actually a very good idea, Mr. Hancock."
"That is why you pay me for my counsel. Pay Ross on your way out for fifteen minutes of my time."
A smiling Rhett stood up and left the office. He did pay Ross for Mr. Hancock's time. He then went to see Belle about her buying his half of her business.
Belle was in her office which was also her bedroom. Rhett knocked on the door and let himself in. He did not sit down nor touch anything in the room. He never sat down in Belle's office/bedroom. He was afraid to sit down or touch anything. He was sure every surface in the room had once had someone's naked butt on it. Not his. He and Belle had a strictly professional relationship. Maybe he should say a strictly nonsexual relationship since Belle's profession was that of a whore.
When Belle saw Rhett walk through the door she didn't stand up. She didn't try to hug him. Rhett didn't like her touching him. She knew it was because he didn't want her to get her perfume on him. She said, "Welcome back. Let me get your profits."
"Thank you."
After Belle placed the bills on the desk, she said, "A little bit more than twenty dollars. Trade is down with all the men being off fighting the war."
"Another casualty of the war."
"I am going to sell my half of The Painted Lady."
"Alright."
"Do you want to buy it?"
"How much?"
"Five hundred."
"I will give you two hundred."
"Four."
"Three."
"Three fifty."
"Deal."
"I will get Mr. Hancock to draw up the papers. I will let you know when they are ready. You can go see him and sign the papers. You can give him your money at the same time. I will already have signed the papers."
"You know that if you are no longer the owner you will have to start paying for everything you get here."
Rhett smiled and said, "No more running a tab, huh?"
"No more running a tab."
Rhett paused and thought about how much it was going to cost him to sell his half of the saloon. He decided to go ahead and sell it. Scarlett could never know he had used whores much less owned a whore house.
Rhett said, "I probably will see you later tonight."
Rhett went back to Mr. Hancock's office and told Ross to tell Mr. Hancock to prepare the bill of sale for The Painted Lady to be sold to Belle Watling for three hundred and fifty dollars. Rhett wasn't sitting down in Mr. Hancock's office. That would cause him to have to buy another fifteen minutes of the lawyer's time.
Rhett then went to the Hamilton House. When Uncle Peter opened the door, Rhett said, "Is either Mrs. Hamilton or Mrs. Wilkes home?"
"No, Sir. They are both at the hospital."
"When do you expect them back?"
"By supper."
"Will you tell them I stopped by, and I will return this evening?"
"You are?"
"Rhett Butler."
"Mr. Butler, Miss Scarlett said that if you called to ask you to come to supper that night. Will you be able to return for supper?"
"Yes. At six?"
"Yes. I will tell the cook and send Mr. Henry a note asking him to supper also."
"Wonderful."
With that Rhett left the porch. He was thrilled that Scarlett had made arrangements to invite him to supper as soon as he called on her. He was getting tired of all these other people always being around when he was with Scarlett. Yet, it was all they could do until she had been a widow for at least two years. Although her father had said, "Three."
As he was walking down the street to the hitching post where his leased horse was tied up, he met Mrs. Meade on the sidewalk. She said, "Good day, Mr. Butler."
"Good day, Mrs. Meade."
"Dr. Meade was wondering the other day, if we gave you a list could you bring us some medical supplies."
"Yes, of course. I did bring in some medical supplies this last time specifically for Dr. Meade. Maybe I already have what he needs."
"That would be wonderful. Can you come to supper tonight?"
"I already have plans with the Hamiltons."
"Stop by our house after you leave the Hamiltons. It is four doors down. The yellow one."
"Why don't you and the good doctor come to the Hamiltons around seven? I am sure we will be finished eating by then."
"Alright. See you then."
That afternoon when Peter told Melly and Scarlett the news, Scarlett raced up the stairs to fix her hair and put on her new dress. It was a maroon dress her parents had given her for Christmas. She hadn't worn it yet. She had tried it on, and it fit perfectly. The dress wasn't in the latest Paris fashion, but it was new, and it wasn't black. Two wonderful things.
When Rhett arrived at the Hamilton House, it was Scarlett that let him in. She had never been so overt in letting a man know she liked him as she was being with Mr. Butler. She just couldn't help herself.
As Rhett walked into the house, he had a package in his hand. He handed the package to Scarlett and said, "It is totally improper at this stage of our relationship and also the fact that you are still in mourning, but you must take it. When I saw it, I thought of you, so I bought it for you. Hurry run it upstairs. I will wait for you here."
Scarlett did run the gift upstairs. She took the time to open the package. It was a gold shawl. It had a beautifully embordered parrot on the back. She hurried back downstairs. Rhett could tell just from her expression that she loved the gift. That made him so very happy.
Scarlett whispered, "It is beautiful, and you are correct it is totally improper at this stage of our relationship but thank you. I don't think I could give it back even if my mother threatened to take me back to Tara if I didn't."
"I would have to visit you at Tara to update you on your investment even if it meant sitting on the porch the entire time."
"Or meeting at the Feed Store in Jonesboro."
"Or just the train station."
Scarlett laughed and said, "Let's go into the parlor."
"Wait! You look lovely in your maroon dress."
"Thank you, Rhett. Let's go."
At supper Rhett sat across the table from Scarlett. It appeared to him they both had the same plan. Scarlett had quickly walked to the other side of the table and stood by a chair. While looking at Rhett, she said, "This is my chair." She then looked at the chair across from hers.
Rhett put his hand on that chair and said, "Is this seat taken?"
"By you."
Henry looked a little annoyed and Rhett guessed that was where the older man usually sat but he didn't care. By sitting across from each other the couple could make a lot of eye contact without being obvious. Well, completely obvious.
Author's Notes:
I have often thought how hurtful that was to Scarlett that Bonnie was worth Rhett humbling himself to get received in Atlanta while Scarlett was not. Rhett also never even appreciated that Scarlett threw away what was left of her reputation to marry him.