Hey everyone,
I'm really sorry, but my computer is still broken and I haven't had a lot
of time to use the library computer. I just got back to school and am
trying to get back into the swing of things. I am really trying to set some
time aside. This chapter isn't my best, but I hope you all like it.
Scarlett was more excited than she had been in weeks. There was only one more day until the ball, and she was on her way to pick up her dress. "Oh, Rhett," she said, "I just can't wait until tomorrow evening. Isn't it so wonderful? We haven't had anything like this since before the war. Why.. the last time I was at a real ball, was the time you placed a bid on me."
Rhett chuckled. "That was one of the few balls that I have actually enjoyed in my lifetime. I thought it would be my last, but I should have expected that with you in my life, that could never be possible."
"Oh, fiddle dee dee Rhett. You know you will enjoy yourself tonight. We will both have a marvelous time. Just you wait and see. I'm going to dance the soles out of my shoes. And so will you."
"Now Scarlett darling, you may have recovered considerably, but you are not well enough to dance all night long." Scarlett pouted at him, but he was ready. "Don't give me that look, my pet. I won't stop you from dancing, but if you begin to feel faint, I need you to promise me that you will tell me. I don't want you to get ill again."
"Oh, Rhett really? Thank you. I promise. Thank you." Scarlett was so excited now. She knew that Rhett was right, and she probably wouldn't be able to dance the entire night, but she had his permission, so now she could decide when the time came. 'Oh, my,' thought Scarlett, 'I am actually waiting for Rhett's permission to do things? And he is actually giving me permission? Things are changing.' To Rhett, she said, "Are you ready to go darling? I just can't wait any longer to see my new dress. It's been so long since I've worn a ball gown."
"Yes darling, I'm ready."
With that, the two left the house and climbed into the carriage that was awaiting them outside the fine house. Rhett took the reins of the horse and they were on their way to the dress shop.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
"Oh," Scarlett gasped, "It's marvelous. You did such a wonderful job Mrs. Walters. I can't believe that you made such a captivating dress in so short a time period."
"You look spectacular my darling." Rhett told Scarlett. " I've never seen you more stunning." There was an edge in Rhett's voice, an emotion that Scarlett had never heard in it before.
"Thank you Rhett." Scarlett was perplexed. She had never heard Rhett sound so sincere, so caring.
"You are most welcome, my pet." Rhett now sounded like his old self. "Now, Mrs. Walters, I believe we are quite satisfied with the dress, if you would like to give me the bill."
"Of course, Captain Butler, I am glad that you are pleased with the outcome." She retrieved the bill quickly and Rhett met her at the register. "Your wife is absolutely stunning, captain. She seems different now. Everyone can see it. Is she doing well?"
"Yes, Mrs. Walters, she is very well. She gets happier every day. I must tell you, I was worried at first that she would not get over our terrible loss. I think this ball is the best thing I could have hoped for right now. She really needed something to be happy about." Rhett said to her, "I want to thank you for making this beautiful dress for my wife." Rhett gave Mrs. Walters some extra money for the dress out of appreciation. She tried to give it hack but he wouldn't have it. "I told you Mrs. Walters, this ball and this dress have been a miracle for my wife. Have a good day." With that, Rhett walked out onto the street and helped his wife into their wagon.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Scarlett and Rhett had a private dinner outside on the patio that night. They watched as the red orange sun disappeared into the expansive sky. Scarlett could no longer hold back her feelings. She had heard the love in Rhett's voice earlier that day and decided to confront him.
"Did it really happen?" She asked quietly. Rhett was unsure of her meaning and she could see the question in his eyes. "That night, when I fell off the bed, I don't remember much, but.." She let her words drift off.
Rhett knew exactly what she meant now. He could see that she had let her guard down, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to do the same.
Scarlett looked into Rhett's eyes and could see something she had never seen before. She saw fear. Scarlett knew that it was her turn to put her heart on the line. "I meant it, Rhett. I love you."
Rhett was dumbfounded. He had begun to think that she hadn't really meant it. That she had just been caught up in a dream. At first, he didn't know what to do, but slowly his body began to take over. Rhett stood up and lifted Scarlett up out of her chair. He kissed her as he never had before. This time, it was slow and loving. And this time, Scarlett kissed back. After a short time, Rhett pulled away and looked into Scarlett's eyes. "I love you, too."
The couple was overtaken by emotion. They had both been holding in their feelings for so long, now that they let it out, there was no stopping it. Rhett scooped Scarlett up into his arms and carried her up to her bedroom. Once there, Rhett's kisses became deeper. He began to make a line of kisses down her neck to her bosom. But as suddenly as he began, he stopped.
"What is it?" Scarlett asked. "Don't you want me?"
Rhett laughed at her. "Of course I do. But darling, you just had a miscarriage. I don't know if it is safe." Scarlett's eyes began to fill with tears. She was already emotional, and the mention of her miscarriage threw her over the edge. "Scarlett, please don't cry."
"Don't cry? How can you say that? For the first time, I actually wanted to go to bed with you. And I can't. For the first time, I actually wanted a child, and I lost her. How am I supposed to not cry?"
"Don't worry, my pet. I will talk to Dr. Meade tomorrow. I am sure you will be able to have more children. I just want to make sure that it will not harm you. I don't want to lose you. Now, I think you should go to bed. I'll go get Mammy."
As Rhett began to walk out the door, Scarlett grabbed his hand. "No, you can do it." She said. "Stay here tonight."
Scarlett was more excited than she had been in weeks. There was only one more day until the ball, and she was on her way to pick up her dress. "Oh, Rhett," she said, "I just can't wait until tomorrow evening. Isn't it so wonderful? We haven't had anything like this since before the war. Why.. the last time I was at a real ball, was the time you placed a bid on me."
Rhett chuckled. "That was one of the few balls that I have actually enjoyed in my lifetime. I thought it would be my last, but I should have expected that with you in my life, that could never be possible."
"Oh, fiddle dee dee Rhett. You know you will enjoy yourself tonight. We will both have a marvelous time. Just you wait and see. I'm going to dance the soles out of my shoes. And so will you."
"Now Scarlett darling, you may have recovered considerably, but you are not well enough to dance all night long." Scarlett pouted at him, but he was ready. "Don't give me that look, my pet. I won't stop you from dancing, but if you begin to feel faint, I need you to promise me that you will tell me. I don't want you to get ill again."
"Oh, Rhett really? Thank you. I promise. Thank you." Scarlett was so excited now. She knew that Rhett was right, and she probably wouldn't be able to dance the entire night, but she had his permission, so now she could decide when the time came. 'Oh, my,' thought Scarlett, 'I am actually waiting for Rhett's permission to do things? And he is actually giving me permission? Things are changing.' To Rhett, she said, "Are you ready to go darling? I just can't wait any longer to see my new dress. It's been so long since I've worn a ball gown."
"Yes darling, I'm ready."
With that, the two left the house and climbed into the carriage that was awaiting them outside the fine house. Rhett took the reins of the horse and they were on their way to the dress shop.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
"Oh," Scarlett gasped, "It's marvelous. You did such a wonderful job Mrs. Walters. I can't believe that you made such a captivating dress in so short a time period."
"You look spectacular my darling." Rhett told Scarlett. " I've never seen you more stunning." There was an edge in Rhett's voice, an emotion that Scarlett had never heard in it before.
"Thank you Rhett." Scarlett was perplexed. She had never heard Rhett sound so sincere, so caring.
"You are most welcome, my pet." Rhett now sounded like his old self. "Now, Mrs. Walters, I believe we are quite satisfied with the dress, if you would like to give me the bill."
"Of course, Captain Butler, I am glad that you are pleased with the outcome." She retrieved the bill quickly and Rhett met her at the register. "Your wife is absolutely stunning, captain. She seems different now. Everyone can see it. Is she doing well?"
"Yes, Mrs. Walters, she is very well. She gets happier every day. I must tell you, I was worried at first that she would not get over our terrible loss. I think this ball is the best thing I could have hoped for right now. She really needed something to be happy about." Rhett said to her, "I want to thank you for making this beautiful dress for my wife." Rhett gave Mrs. Walters some extra money for the dress out of appreciation. She tried to give it hack but he wouldn't have it. "I told you Mrs. Walters, this ball and this dress have been a miracle for my wife. Have a good day." With that, Rhett walked out onto the street and helped his wife into their wagon.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Scarlett and Rhett had a private dinner outside on the patio that night. They watched as the red orange sun disappeared into the expansive sky. Scarlett could no longer hold back her feelings. She had heard the love in Rhett's voice earlier that day and decided to confront him.
"Did it really happen?" She asked quietly. Rhett was unsure of her meaning and she could see the question in his eyes. "That night, when I fell off the bed, I don't remember much, but.." She let her words drift off.
Rhett knew exactly what she meant now. He could see that she had let her guard down, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to do the same.
Scarlett looked into Rhett's eyes and could see something she had never seen before. She saw fear. Scarlett knew that it was her turn to put her heart on the line. "I meant it, Rhett. I love you."
Rhett was dumbfounded. He had begun to think that she hadn't really meant it. That she had just been caught up in a dream. At first, he didn't know what to do, but slowly his body began to take over. Rhett stood up and lifted Scarlett up out of her chair. He kissed her as he never had before. This time, it was slow and loving. And this time, Scarlett kissed back. After a short time, Rhett pulled away and looked into Scarlett's eyes. "I love you, too."
The couple was overtaken by emotion. They had both been holding in their feelings for so long, now that they let it out, there was no stopping it. Rhett scooped Scarlett up into his arms and carried her up to her bedroom. Once there, Rhett's kisses became deeper. He began to make a line of kisses down her neck to her bosom. But as suddenly as he began, he stopped.
"What is it?" Scarlett asked. "Don't you want me?"
Rhett laughed at her. "Of course I do. But darling, you just had a miscarriage. I don't know if it is safe." Scarlett's eyes began to fill with tears. She was already emotional, and the mention of her miscarriage threw her over the edge. "Scarlett, please don't cry."
"Don't cry? How can you say that? For the first time, I actually wanted to go to bed with you. And I can't. For the first time, I actually wanted a child, and I lost her. How am I supposed to not cry?"
"Don't worry, my pet. I will talk to Dr. Meade tomorrow. I am sure you will be able to have more children. I just want to make sure that it will not harm you. I don't want to lose you. Now, I think you should go to bed. I'll go get Mammy."
As Rhett began to walk out the door, Scarlett grabbed his hand. "No, you can do it." She said. "Stay here tonight."