Chapter 12

As Scarlett's eyes opened to the morning sun she turned to look the clock on her bedside stand.

"9:30, then why is it so quite around here" she said not hearing the usual sounds of the house.

That's when she saw the note that had been slipped under her door. She stepped out of bed and reached over to get it.

Mother,

I know you did not sleep well last night. I heard you up several times.

So when Harriet asked if we would like to go to the market with her, I suggested we let you sleep in.

We should be back in time for lunch.

Enjoy your quiet morning.

Love,

Katie

Scarlett smiled. Katie was always so thoughtful. And she had been right. Scarlett had hardly slept at all. Her conversation with Rhett from the day before keep running through her head. She just did not understand what he wanted, or what he was doing.

One hour later Scarlett came down the steps dressed and ready for the day. As she neared the bottom step she heard someone knock at the door.

When she opened it she was face to face with Rhett.

"Good morning, Scarlett. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Rhett.ah.Good morning. No you're not disturbing me."

"May I come in then, or were you going to make me stay here on the porch?"

Scarlett moved aside never saying a word. She was trying to figure out why Rhett was there. She knew her heart could not handle much more of this.

Rhett turned to look at Scarlett and noticed the very odd expression on her face "Are you sure I've not come at a bad time, Scarlett?"

Scarlett put a determined yet polite face "Oh course not Rhett. I was just going to make some coffee and have a bite to eat."

"Well then my timing is impeccable." Rhett said as he produced a bag from behind his back. "There are two custard filled pastries in this bag. One with my name on it and one with yours."

Scarlett had to turn away from him. Standing there in front of her was the Rhett that had spoiled her, that had loved her. The Rhett that she saw on their honeymoon. The Rhett that she had pushed away all those years ago. The Rhett that she would never have again.

Trying to cover how upset she was, Scarlett said with much fake enthusiasm "How wonderful Rhett. Bring them into the kitchen won't you and I'll start the coffee."

But being in the small kitchen with Rhett, Scarlett felt caged. She did not understand what was going on. Why didn't he just go back to Charleston and his wife and family? Her heart could not handle this intimate scene knowing he would go back to his family once again leaving her and Katie alone.

"Penny for your thoughts" she heard Rhett say.

Before she had time to think she heard herself asking him "Rhett, what are you doing here?"

"I told you I'm here on business."

Scarlett turned from looking out the window. Looking at Rhett she clarified her thoughts "No that's not what I meant. What are you doing here today?"

Rhett thought about it for a moment. He didn't have an answer. He did, but he would not admit it. To himself or to Scarlett.

Before he could speak they both heard the front door open and voices enter the house. Scarlett froze. It was Katie and Harriet. Just then Katie appeared in the kitchen door way.

At first she did not see Rhett sitting at the table. "Mother I forget one of my lis..."noticing Rhett she stopped mid-sentence. After catching her breathe she stammered "I'm ...sorry. I ...didn't mean to interrupt." Katie was nearly turned and out the kitchen door before she even finished her sentence.

Harriet then looked into the kitchen "Scarlett, what in the world is wrong with..." she too then noticed Rhett. "Oh I'm so sorry Scarlett. I did not realize you had company. We just need another of Katie's list and we'll be leaving again". Harriet then too hurried out of the kitchen.

For a moment after Harriet left, neither Rhett nor Scarlett spoke. Finally Rhett asked "Who was that?"

Scarlett knew whom he had meant, but decided to play dumb. "That was Ashley's wife, Harriet".

"No who was the young woman?"

Scarlett knew she had to answer him, finally quietly saying "That was my daughter, Rhett. That was Katie." Part of her so badly wanted to scream at him 'she's your daughter too', but she dared not.

"Why did they both seem so upset to see me here?"

Scarlett's mind raced. How was she going to answer that? Slowly gauging her words she started "Well I think Harriet was just embarrassed at interrupting, that's just her way. And Katie, well" Scarlett took a deep breathe, hoping she could pull of her lie "maybe it just bothered her seeing me with you. She knows my ex-husband is in town. So I'm sure she assumed correctly that's who you are. Maybe it just bothered her."

"Bothered her, why? To see you with another man other than her father?" Rhett knew he was fishing, and probably too deeply but he had to try to find out. Ever since that day at Marshall's office when he found out that Scarlett had a daughter he had wondered about who the father was. What the circumstances where. Why Scarlett had given the child her last name? Was the father still part of Scarlett's life? Now seeing that child, no that young woman made all those questions come back again. The very thought of Scarlett with another man made Rhett feel physically sick, and he hated that. Gauging by her daughter's age Scarlett had wasted no time after disappearing from Charleston. She had walked out on their life together into the bed of another man! Had their life really meant so little to her? Even though he had told her that they were not meant to be together, Rhett thought that at least their marriage and all their years together meant more to her than that. Rhett was so angry at what he thought Scarlett had done, that he could not see that he in fact had done exactly what he was accusing Scarlett of.

Scarlett swallowed hard, hoping she could keep up her lie "Yes, something like that."

Hoping to change the subject Scarlett spoke again "Rhett you never did answer me, why are you here?"

Scarlett watched as the expression on Rhett's face changed. It changed to the cold, callous look she had seen so many times in their years together. "It was a mistake to come here today. I'm sorry for bothering you Mrs. O'Hara. I'll be leaving now" Rhett said as he stood up from the table and started to walk toward the door.

Totally confused by Rhett's change in demeanor Scarlett didn't know what to do. Had she said something wrong? Why had Rhett become so angry? She thought to herself 'I still don't understand him, even after all these years'. Finally she turned to look back out the window. She could not watch him leave again. Quietly she whispered "Yes, I think you should go."

As Rhett reached the kitchen door way he stopped and turned "Scarlett answer me one question before I leave."

Never turning around Scarlett spoke "Alright Rhett, what is it?" Inside she was just begging him to leave. She could not handle this. It had been so long since they had acted this way. She was not the same person she had been back then and this cold aloofness of his was even more painful now.

"Do you know what you did to my Mother when you disappeared all those years ago without one word to anyone?"

Scarlett turned to look at Rhett "What are you talking about?"

Rhett was becoming angrier by the minute. Now she was trying to play dumb. "You know what I talking about. You packed up and left without saying one word to Mother. You might as well have dropped of the face of the earth."

Now it was Scarlett's turn to be angry "I'll have you know Rhett Butler, I did leave your Mother a note."

"Well that's rather funny, they never found one. What did you do with it, bury it in the yard?"

"No. I left it with Rosemary." Scarlett stopped then continued in a much more strained voice "But why didn't you just tell your Mother why I left. Or did you not want her to know that her son was such a despicable character after all. First you try to kill me out on that boat, then..." Scarlett stammered trying to find the right words "Then what happened afterward, then your cowardly letter. You used me Rhett. That damn letter proved it. So I did what you asked me to do. I left. I didn't know that I had to tell you were I was going." Scarlett was desperately trying to control her tears. Of course she had lied about her feelings when she left Charleston. She hadn't felt used, she knew or so she thought that Rhett loved her and would come after her. What a fool she had been.

Rhett looked at her, but he did not see that pain in her eyes. He saw what he thought was a woman who had used him all their life together, who had bed someone when weeks of leaving their marriage. A woman who had a illegitimate child to prove it. He knew if he stayed any longer that he would not keep his temper under control. So once again he turned to walk out of the kitchen.

Scarlett's mind was racing. Why after all these years had he come to see her then verbally attacked her like that? The old Scarlett came creeping back as a defense mechanism against his words.

"That's right Rhett, leave. Just like you always have. Go back to your precious Charleston and that ninny of a wife of yours. I'm sure she filled your Mother's house with a pacel of Butler brats. Go back to her. I walked out on you sixteen years ago and have done just fine with you. I don't need you here Rhett."

Scarlett could not see the pain that her words caused. But it was plainly written on Rhett's face. For a split second he stopped, feeling that sharp knife-like pain dig at his heart again. He would never let her know what those words had done to him. So he casually put on his hat and walked through the house and out the front door.

Scarlett stood there affixed in her spot until she heard the front door shut. After a few moments of absolute silence she sat down at the table and wept.