Hello all! Sorry it's kinda been a while since I updated…or maybe it hasn't really and it just feels like that to me. I dunno. Anyways, here ya go, Chapter 4! Oh yeah, pleeease review! Thanks bunches for all my reviews from last chapter. You guys are very cool. (insert smiley)

Chapter 4: Things Women Do for Vanity

Rhett's mind was spinning. He was in a daze. What was wrong with her? Why had she fainted? It couldn't have anything to do with modesty; she wasn't exactly a modest creature. He had seen her in much less clothing than half of her riding habit, and she wasn't even very modest at those times. There must be something terribly wrong. Rhett easily picked up her limp body and ran towards the house. He swung the back door open and yelled for Mammy.

"Mammy! Mammy! Get Doctor Meade! It's Scarlett, she's fainted!"

He headed for the front hall and up the stairs that led to Scarlett's bedroom, meeting Mammy somewhere along the way. He was too worried about Scarlett to remember exactly where. Mammy's big brown eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw Rhett cradling an unconscious, half-clothed Scarlett in his arms. She in turn called for Pansy, telling her to "get her bottom to the Meade's and to be quick about it."

Rhett carried Scarlett the remainder of the way to her bedroom and laid her gently on her bed.

"I don't know what happened, Mammy, we were going riding, and she fell—no, Mammy, not off the horse—she fell, and then my foot got caught on her dress and it got torn and she started screaming she couldn't breathe, and she fainted!"

"Oh good Lord! I done tole her and tole her she had no business…she gwine ter get herself kilt acting like dis. Mist' Rhett, we need to get dem there stays offa her. Thas whut be messin' wid her breathin."

Rhett, stunned that Mammy might know what was wrong with Scarlett, quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. "Will this work, Mammy?"

"You cain't cut the laces off of Miss Scarlett! We have to unlace her! I ain't never heard of cutting the laces off a lady, and you ain't gwine ter do no such thing as that in this household while I's got breaf in my body."

"We don't have time for that kind of thing! We need to get them off and get them off quickly!"

While the two stood arguing over small technicalities, Pansy had returned with the old Doctor Meade, the both of them out of breath from the fast pace at which they had arrived back at the house. He strode into Scarlett's bedroom looking curiously at the scene in front of him.

"What's going on here, Captain Butler?"

"Scarlett's passed out."

"Is that all? Why smelling salts should do the trick. Mammy, I thought you would have known what to do in a case like this."

"No, sir, that ain't all. Miss Scarlett's gwine ter have a baby, and she been wearin' dem stays tight as ever, then she pass out sayin' she cain't breathe. That's all."

"I had forgotten that Miss Scarlett was expecting. I'm sorry, it's more serious than I thought—Captain Butler, are you okay?"

Rhett had inhaled sharply at hearing this news. So she was pregnant. He could have smacked himself for not realizing it sooner. Why hadn't he been able to see it? His eyes were starting to swim…no! He would not act surprised! Not in front of Dr. Meade and Mammy. For one who had never cared about the thoughts of others, he certainly didn't want the two to know that Scarlett hadn't told her own husband of her pregnancy.

"Yes, Dr. Meade, I'm fine. I beg your pardon. I'm just…concerned about Scarlett."

"Yes, well. There isn't much I can tell you to do. Let her rest, and if she's strong enough she should pull out of it. Scarlett's strong, I have faith that she'll pull through."

Rhett was almost afraid to ask, but he knew he had to. "And the baby?" he croaked.

"As far as I am able to tell, the baby is still alive, likely unhurt, but I wouldn't doubt that another episode like this one could very well cause even the strongest of women such as Scarlett to have a miscarriage."

"I see. Well if that's all you can do for her, I believe Mammy can see you to the door. Thank you for coming so quickly, Dr. Meade. It was greatly appreciated," said Rhett, promptly dismissing the elderly man. After Mammy and Dr. Meade had exited, Rhett sat down in the chair by Scarlett's small dressing table with his head in his hands. He let out a deep sigh.

"So that was why she didn't want me touching her today. Didn't want me to figure out she was pregnant. The little devil!" Rhett sat there in the chair watching Scarlett for a very long time. Mammy finally knocked on the door and politely offered to take Rhett's place, but he refused. He wanted to be the first person Scarlett saw. Oh, he was really going to let Scarlett have it when she woke up. Please, God, let her wake up. Not telling him! The gall! Just as he was sitting back down, Scarlett's eyes fluttered open, and all anger he had felt flew from his mind, because as much as he tried to deny it to both himself and Scarlett, he was still very much in love with her.

So whatcha think? Good, bad, ugly, beautiful, moving, touching…? I could go on for days listing adjectives, but I'll never know which ones you guys pick unless you REVIEW! So instead of leaving me here wondering, why don't you just click the bluish-purplish (haha it sounds like I just described a bruise) and leave me a review! Thanks bunches…