Chapter Two

Rhett had convinced Scarlett to return to America. She had protested, she had nothing

left there, she could not go home to Tara, and she had sold the house in Atlanta. With a sigh, she

had agreed to follow Rhett home to Charleston. Now, on the deck of the steamer that was

headed home-yes, Charleston was now home-Scarlett fought down the fear that was clouding

her vision. It had been a week since Rhett had found her, yet he had yet to make any mention of

remarrying. She had sent a telegram to Fenton, calling off the marriage, and she was worried of

what society would say of this, and how Rhett would react when he found out. She smiled,

imagining Luke's reaction to her short message. She had received an equally short, yet polite

reply, but Scarlett's eyes lit up as she imagined Fenton storming around his lavish study, cursing

her, and himself for letting her slip through his clutches.

Cat came running up Scarlett, forcing her out of this pleasant reverie. Her daughter's face

was smeared with dirt, and her green eyes danced and sparkled in the bright sunlight.

"Mother! Rhett showed me how the boat works, and I met the Capitan, and he said that

we could eat dinner with him one day, and Rhett gave me a doll that he got at the market before

we left and..." Scarlett laughed, both at her usually silent daughter, and at Rhett, who was

already spoiling his daughter terribly. Rhett appeared at the top of the stairs, and Cat ran

towardshim, grabbing his large hand with her small one and pulling him towards Scarlett. Rhett

smiled his half smile, and said wryly to Scarlett, "This child has all of your spunk and then some,

my dear."

Scarlett laughed, and the three walked along the deck. Scarlett looked out over the

water,enjoying the fresh breeze that lifted the small wisps of hair that framed her face. Rhett

stopped to study her, and he could see how motherhood had softened her face. The fine lines in

between her eyebrows added maturity to her face, and there was a look of serenity on her face.

The flirtatious look had disappeared, and was replaced by a look of gentle assurance, the face

of a lady. Scarlett had always wanted to be a lady, and now she finally looks like one mused

Rhett.

The ocean breeze tasted salty in her mouth, and Scarlett passed her hand over the soft

hair of her daughter's hair before Cat wriggled away, farther down the deck, where she knelt,

peering out a the ocean. Scarlett could feel Rhett's eyes on her, yet she was afraid to look at

him. Though listed in the ships' books as Mrs. Scarlett O'Hara Butler, she was worried that this

was yet another of Rhett's ways of teasing her; she would not look at him, for if he was looking

at her with that teasing glint in his eyes, she would fall apart.

Some minutes later, Scarlett, Rhett, and Cat returned to their cabin to freshen up for

dinner. Cat, along with a steward, disappeared into Cat's room, where she would be fed and

tucked in for the night. Scarlett stepped into her room-it was Rhett's too she reminded herself-to

dress for dinner. It had been a while since she had really wanted to dress up, and as she looked

at the dresses in front of her, she realized that she was looking forward to dressing prettily. Erin,

an Irish ladies' maid headed for Boston, helped Scarlett into her petticoats. Scarlett sighed

impatiently, she was unused to wearing a corset, and the tight restriction on her breathing was

tiresome and annoying. Erin lifted up a forest green gown, low cut to show off her creamy white

neck, which Scarlett stepped into. The bodice of the gown clung to Scarlett, emphasizing the

smallness of her waist, and the skirts flowed out softly around her. The trim was gold, and it

sparkled in the lamplight, accentuating the smooth whiteness of her skin. Erin arranged Scarlett's

dark locks into elegant twists and curls piled atop her head, her hair brushed unto it shone and

reflected the light like black glass. Scarlett dismissed Erin, and lightly powdered her face, adding

a touch of rogue to her lips and cheeks. Finally, she slipped her almost invisible white gold chain

around her neck, centering the large diamond and emerald pendant just below her collarbone.

Ready, she swept out of her bedroom, and smiled at Rhett, who was dressed in a dark fitted

suit. He offered his arm to her, and together they swept out of the suite to the dining hall.

Rhett leaned across the table to peer at the pendant around Scarlett's neck, and when his

eyes looked up to met hers, she could see confusion and a hint of anger swirling in his dark eyes.

Setting her chin defiantly Scarlett challenged him with her eyes to comment, and when he asked

why she had taken the jewels of her engagement ring to use as a necklace, she replied, "Why

Rhett, you didn't honestly expect me to keep the ring of the man who had divorced me, and left

me to pretend to be a widow did you? So I had it made into a necklace, and I do believe that it

is just as good this way as before."

Rhett laughed in defeat, but he took a serious air as he leaned in once more. Scarlett

trembled inside. This was it she thought; he was going to ask to marry her again. She took a

deep breath and inclined her head towards him expectantly, when he asked softly, "Scarlett, did

you really believe that no one would find out the truth of you, er, situation the entire time you

were in Ireland?"

Like a pricked balloon, her insides deflated. He was not going to ask her after all. The

rest of the meal passed quietly, as Scarlett ate the ship's fare with downcast eyes. She wanted

the ship to turn around and bring her back to Ireland; she should have never come with Rhett on

the ship, headed back to America and some of her worst memories. She could see her return

now, Rhett would deposit her politely with Miss Eleanor, and disappear to Dunmore Landing,

just as before. She wondered if she had imagined the night in the Tower. No! She shook herself,

she knew Rhett loved her, he was just being difficult, he had to be, he couldn't already be

regretting coming to find her.

As they walked slowly back towards their suite, the moonlight reflected of the calm

water, and Rhett stopped, Scarlett with him. He looked down at her, and his eyes were

unreadable, Scarlett stood, arrested by his gaze.

"Scarlett," he murmured softly, "Scarlett, darling, can you ever forgive me for what I have

done?" She nodded mutely, her mind numbing.

"Scarlett, I want to make it up to you, but I am afraid that is not possible," Her heart

sank.

"Instead, I want to start over. Scarlett O'Hara, will you marry me?" Scarlett nodded

dumbly, her voice had forgotten how to work, and she accepted his quick kiss without a word,

surprised that her feet carried her the remaining distance to the suite.