Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Twenty-Six

As Rhett picked up the cloth, he turned to Scarlett and said, "Let me explain. She was my business partner until I sold my half of The Painted Lady a month after we got married."

Rhett would expect Scarlett to be horrified with that knowledge, but she had already found a way to justify him doing that. They had to make money, didn't they. Nonetheless she said with outrage in her voice, "You were a part owner of a brothel."

"Yes, there is good money in the sex trade."

"I am sure you know since you have frequently purchased that service."

"Yes, I do and yes, I have. I am not ashamed of having used whores. You knew I used whores before we were even married, didn't you? You surely didn't think I was a virgin."

"No, I didn't think you were a virgin. I just… I just… I don't want to think about it."

"I don't either. I sold it almost immediately after we got back from New Orleans because I knew that if you found out you would not be happy."

"What is your relationship with that creature? This isn't the first time she has given me one of your handkerchiefs. She gave Melly and me one during the war filled with gold coins."

"As far as I was concerned, we were business partners and friends."

"Were you intimate with her?"

"Yes, I paid for her services. How much did she give you?"

"When was the last time you paid for her services."

"The last time I paid for her services was in New Orleans. She never charged me once we became business partners."

"Three hundred dollars."

"What?"

"She gave me three hundred dollars in gold."

"I don't know why she gave you so much. She would have made the same point if she had given you a handkerchief with ten dollars in gold in it. Her point was to let you know that I was not an honorable man, but you already knew that didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Why did you keep letting me call on you after you knew I wasn't honorable?"

"You brought me hair pins."

Rhett laughed and said, "Maybe I was a little bit of fun."

"Yes, you were fun."

"Maybe I was a little bit exciting."

"Yes."

"Scarlett, Honey, I have entered The Painted Lady once since we got married."

"The what?"

"Belle's saloon."

"And brothel."

"Yes. Scarlett, I entered the saloon to get my profits and tell Belle we were no longer partners. I haven't seen her since. I don't know why she gave you this. It is from a long time ago. Remember what I told you when we were in London about the yellow stitching. That it made it difficult to read the script."

Scarlett stared at Rhett while she tried to remember what he was talking about. Finally, she did remember, and she said, "Yes, I recall that conversation."

"This handkerchief is from almost eight years ago. Because I didn't like the script, I rarely bothered to get the handkerchief back if I loaned it to someone. Sweetheart, remember I was a single man who didn't have a reputation to ruin, and I had no desire to get married."

"Why did she keep the handkerchief all this time?"

"I suppose she has stronger feelings for me than I ever knew."

"Why did she do this?"

"I think she did it so you would kick me out of your bed for using whores."

"Didn't she think I was going to confront you about it first?"

"Maybe she didn't think you would be reasonable enough to listen to an explanation before you kicked me out of your bed."

"If she hadn't done the same thing during the war maybe I would have leapt to the wrong conclusion."

"Grateful as I am for the fact that you immediately believed in my innocence. Why did you?"

"Oh, Rhett you don't have the time or the energy to be unfaithful to me."

"There is that. Maybe in my younger days but not now," After Scarlett scowled at Rhett, he smiled and said, "Belle is smart enough to manage a saloon and a brothel but beyond that she is not very smart."

Scarlett whispered, "Rhett she came into the store as bold as day. Mr. Elsing and Phil know she came to the store and asked for me. You know that is going to be all over Atlanta before tomorrow night."

"Maybe Mr. Elsing nor Phil will say anything out of loyalty to you."

"I will never know if they do because nobody would ever tell me if they did. Rhett this is so horrible. They will say that I have a relationship with a madame of a whore house."

Rhett said words that he rarely said in his life, "I'm sorry. I will think of some way to fix this." He put his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder. Rhett just had to pray Mr. Elsing and Phil kept their mouths shut. Rhett cursed himself for not having killed Belle when he got back from New Orleans. What did he think that she would just slither off and hide under a rock. He would not be making that mistake again. For a man who rarely trusted anyone he had trusted that creature far too much.

Finally, Rhett said, "It is time to get ready for supper."

Scarlett lifted her head from his shoulder and said, "Alright."

Rhett looked down at Scarlett's tear-stained face and said, "I will fix this."

Scarlett nodded her head and hugged Rhett. He hugged her back. Yes, Rhett was going to take care of the problem that very night. Nobody would ever be allowed to cause Scarlett one minute of distress ever again.

Neither Wade nor Ella noticed anything different about their parents over the supper table. Rhett read the children a story. Scarlett had a glass of brandy. She tried to limit herself to one glass of brandy right before bed but tonight was going to be at least a two-brandy night.

Rhett came down to the family parlor. He sat down next to her and kissed her. He said, "I am going to go talk to her and make sure she never does anything like this again. I will be back before you go to sleep."

"Alright."

Rhett walked to The Painted Lady. He would have to be much more circumspect this time because he had not been a fixture of the saloon in the last year. He snuck in the back door which wasn't hard. Nobody was at the back door trying to keep people out. There were too many gentlemen sneaking in the back door for that.

Rhett looked at his watch. It was five minutes after seven. Perfect. She would be alone. He smiled. Her desire to have thirty minutes of peace would give him the chance to give her eternal peace. Of course, not if she went to hell. Rhett paused. Would he go to hell for this? It didn't matter. He had to stop that creature from ever hurting Scarlett again. He would not let his past hurt Scarlett in anyway. He would never let her be soiled by the dirt that had been part of his everyday life before he married her.

Rhett slipped into Belle's office. She smiled so big at him. It was sad to Rhett that the woman actually thought he had come back to her. She said, "Did she kick you out of her bed?"

"Yes, of course. What lady would tolerate her husband using whores?"

"Well, none. That I know of."

Rhett took off his jacket and Belle said, "Do you want to do it already? I guess you are tired of the missionary position."

Rhett walked behind where Belle was sitting. Belle was not alarmed. She thought she had won. She thought he had come back to her. Her question about Scarlett kicking him out of her bed had triggered a memory. Belle had said something similar when he had run to Belle to lick his wounds and receive comfort after Scarlett had told him she didn't want any more children. He also remembered how Belle had kissed him. Rhett could not say she seduced him for he had immediately taken control of the situation.

Although Rhett had reveled in feeling wanted and desired. He had enjoyed very much Belle orally stimulating him especially because that was something he had not even suggested Scarlett do for he knew she would have been appalled and would have refused to do it. The truth was that Scarlett at that time basically just allowed him to use her body. She had not really participated in the sex act.

Belle would have done it all the way to completion if he hadn't decided to fuck her instead. He had been brutal in his thrust. Hurting Belle because he could not hurt Scarlett. After it was over, he had felt such guilt but instead of acknowledging his guilt he had gotten madder at Scarlett. Rhett laughed. He had turned his anger at himself onto Scarlett.

Rhett took the knife from his boot and slit Belle's throat much the same way as he had before. He watched the body fall to the ground. He used her skirt to wipe the blood off his knife. He said, "I said this to you once before, but it bears repeating. Do you think I would let you live once you had hurt my sweet Scarlett, my wife? Hopefully, Elsing and Phil will keep their mouths shut about your visit. If not, I will protect her from all their slings and arrows."

Rhett slipped out of the office. No one saw him. He was not sorry he had killed Belle. No, he was sorry he hadn't killed her when he got back from his honeymoon.

Rhett walked to the Blue Bird of Happiness to establish an alibi. He played a few hands of poker. He didn't win a single one which was remarkable. So remarkable that everyone at the table was teasing him about it. He took the teasing. He smiled a secret smile. It had been harder than he thought to lose five times in a row to these yokels. But he had to establish an iron clad alibi. He had to make sure everyone remembered what day and when he had been in the saloon.

Scarlett was in bed when Rhett got home. He was disappointed. He always like to watch her brush out her hair. He looked at her sitting in the bed and her hair was in a braid. She braided her hair every night to keep it from getting tangled. When she wanted to have relations, she would leave it loose. That was another clue he had missed. He smiled at all the clues he had missed because he had been too drunk or too angry or both to see. Yes, she would give him shy smiles when she wanted to be intimate, but she would also leave her hair down when she wanted to be intimate because she knew he loved to run his hands through her hair.

Scarlett's hair being in a braid would not stop Rhett from being intimate but her accommodating his desires was an awesome thing.

Rhett took off all his clothes and left them on the floor for someone else to pick up. As he got in the bed, he said, "She will never bother you again."

"What did you say?"

"I just explain that I would not tolerate anyone embarrassing or disrespecting my wife."

"How do you know she is going to be warned off?"

"I just know."

"Thank you, Rhett."

"I was serious when I told you that nobody will disrespect my wife. Now let's get that nightgown off of you," Rhett helped her off with her nightgown. In the process he said, "Why do you put this on? You know I am just going to take it off."

"I feel nasty sitting there with nothing on."

Once her nightgown was off, Rhett said, "Do you feel nasty now?"

"Yes, but I want to feel nastier."

With those words, Scarlett slid down and took Rhett's penis in her mouth. Just the feel of her mouth on his member was amazing. When all she did was hold him in her mouth, he knew she didn't know what else to do. He said, "Suck on it," Scarlett did. Rhett was in heaven. He said, "Move your head up and down." She did.

Rhett felt like it was his first time of being pleasured in this way. He pulled her off of him and said, "I have a lot to explain."

"Alright."

Rhett quickly entered Scarlett. She was already going over the edge. She took him with her. They called out each other's name in their passion.

Rhett had not done what he needed to do to keep her from getting with child, but he didn't care. It had been a magical night. He would endure her anger for such a wonderful night.

Scarlett knew Rhett hadn't done what he needed to do to keep her from getting with child, but she didn't care. It had been miraculous.