A Dire Situation
Chapter Seventeen
Belle sat alone in her parlour feeling very pleased with herself. It was not that she didn't know that what she had just done to Scarlett was treacherous and cruel, breaking that unwritten code females had, especially females in her trade, of protecting one another against the wrath of men. It was just that she had been so angry, so bare-faced insulted that she had felt she had had to do something and she was proud that, for once, she had stuck up for herself.
She felt that from their short acquaintance she had grown to know Scarlett for what she was. A strong, determined woman who was equal on all levels to Belle herself.
Nevertheless, that was not how Rhett Butler had seemed to view her and this had infuriated Belle. The way Rhett was carrying on it was as though 'poor Scarlett' was on a par so high above other women that it was impossible for any other female to even attempt to reach her levels of courage, elegance and dignity.
Well Belle knew this was not true. Moreover, one of the many things she had in common with Mister Butler was that she could not stand a falsehood. It was the truth or nothing with her. In addition, knowing Rhett like she did she felt it was only right that she set the matter straight for him. She could only imagine how mortified he would have been had he gone on believing all those pretty untruths about Scarlett only to discover for himself later, after carrying on like she was virtue itself, that he had been so very wrong about her.
Feeling as though the cause outweighed the means Belle settled herself in to have another drink and to wait. If things went the way she expected them too then Rhett would come back to her before the night was over.
He had claimed he was going to his hotel. Belle knew with that sharp intuition she had gained from working with men for so long that that was not the case.
She had inadvertently slipped into the conversation with Rhett exactly where Scarlett's room was situated. She knew he would go to her now. But after he'd berated her for the fraud that she was, he would be back. And Belle would be waiting. Waiting like she always was.
Scarlett's heart was racing a mile a minute, thumping it's anxious beat loud in her ears, louder than the rolling drums of war, and she was certain that Rhett, from all the way across the room where he stood, deadly still, deadly calm, would be able to hear it.
What would he say to her, what would he do? A voice inside told her that really it was none of his business what she did. But for some reason that made no sense. It seemed perfectly natural for her business to be Rhett's business. But why?
He was nothing to her. Nothing except an old friend. And if the truth were to be told, they had spent more time in their tumultuous friendship arguing than anything else.
So why then did she feel as though he had the right to pry? It was all so confusing and Scarlett, scarcely analytical at the best of times could not for the life of her fathom the emotions she was experiencing. All she knew that for some reason she expected him to care, wanted him to care, needed him to care.
Slowly, deliberately, Rhett closed the door. She heard the door click shut and in the deathly silence of the room it sounded like a gun shot.
Her bedroom plummeted into darkness and neither occupant moved for a moment. Scarlett was dumbstruck, in awe of what was to come. She couldn't sense what Rhett was feeling. All she knew that she had never felt his presence as powerfully as she did at this moment.
"Pray light a candle Mrs Hamilton" He drawled, his voice as smooth as silk.
Scarlett, expecting cries of fury did not know what to make of this calm, controlled figure in her chamber. At a loss as to what to do, she merely complied.
Fingers shaking she drew back her bedclothes and set her feet onto the plush carpet that had only this morning felt like a luxury, tonight she felt as though she was drowning in it.
She fairly crept over to the mahogany desk near her bed and fumbled in the drawer. All the while Rhett waited patiently in silence. She could not see him properly but she knew his sharp black eyes were following her every move.
As she struck the match the room erupted into a shadowy glow. The warm reddish blaze threw unexpected silhouettes in all directions and Scarlett was immediately and unpleasantly reminded of Hell fire.
She lit a candle and then, slowly, unwillingly she turned to face Rhett.
In the new light his defined features were magnified tenfold. The sharp line of his jaw, the hollow of his brilliant black eyes. He was dressed smartly and with elegant style. His shirt stiff and starched his cravat neat. He looked in control, powerful. Scarlett shuddered.
She looked at Rhett with anxious anticipation in her startlingly green eyes. And he looked at her.
His eyes raked over her from her tousled hair to her bare feet. Taking in everything, missing nothing.
When he completed his mental undress of her, he looked Scarlett in the eye and raised one amused eyebrow.
Scarlett's checks burned with humiliation. In the intensity of the moment, she had forgotten what she was wearing. Not even thinking to slip a wrapper on she had climbed out of bed wearing only the tiny, sheer negligee Elizabeth had presented her with to sleep in.
Glowing with shame at the blatancy of her dishabille Scarlett scampered over to the arm chair beside the dieing fire and swung the wrapper that had been resting their around her shoulders, pulling it tightly covering her revealed body as much as possible from the neck down.
"Why bother with the pretence Mrs Hamilton?" Came Rhett's voice from the lustrous darkness. And it sounded so loud against the previous silence that Scarlett found herself overcome with shivering once again. However, not because she was cold.
"You're a run of the mill scarlet woman now." He surged into laughter at that. A laughter so unlike his usual drawling mirth. A frightening crazed laughter that Scarlett did not recognise or like.
He was Rhett as she had never seen him before. She had seen him angry and she had seen him upset but even then he had always kept his emotions in check, guarding them, never allowing them to break surface. But tonight he wasn't bothering. He had let all Hell break loose and Scarlett felt the fear of what may come tighten and freeze deep in her chest.
"Oh the bitter sweet irony" emerged Rhett's voice, hysterical now when combined with his crazed laughter. "How well named you are my dear"
Scarlett was shocked to immobility. She wanted to run, she wanted to run all the way to Tara and forget that everything since that day in the jail had ever happened.
But then again, perhaps she didn't. There was a part of her that wanted to stay. A part of her that was thrilled by the anxiety the anticipation, the strong manly presence of Rhett.
Oh how wonderful it was to be around a real man again. Not the shadow of a man as Ashley was. But a real man. A man who had strength and knew it, and knew how to use it.
With her soul tugging her both ways Scarlett was at a loss to anything but stand motionless hovering between a decision.
But she didn't need to make a decision. Rhett made one first.
The awful sound of his laughter died down and quick as a cat he was standing in front of her.
Reaching out with his strong brown hands Rhett took hold of the wrapper that Scarlett was clinging to herself like a lifeline and slowly, with his hands grazing against her bare skin, began to slide it off her.
Scarlett felt a shiver of sheer pleasure at the powerful physical contact. This was not lost on Rhett and he chuckled softly.
His amusement returned Scarlett to her senses and she began to wriggle away from his grasp muttering in protest.
"What's the matter my dear" barked Rhett harshly his hands suddenly clamping around Scarlett's arms in an iron grip that was bruising.
"You must become more comfortable, relax" his voice was calm now, almost patronizing.
"This is how women like you act." His comment was biting.
"But here now, surely a woman of your refinement" and he said the word as though it were an insult, "can't be expected to know all of the tricks straight away. I shall have to help you. Think of me as your teacher. There's none like a blackguard to teach a whore her ways. Alternatively, if it would make you feel better let us pretend that I am your first client. For after all I was nearly your only client" His voice was chipped and bitter then.
"Yes we will pretend I am your first client. I can't think of a more tainted pair of rogues more suited to the part."
His voice was measured and Scarlett could tell that his fragile control could not hold out much longer, and she was right.
With his last statement, Rhett tore the wrapper from around Scarlett's shoulders and tossed it carelessly to the floor.
She was left standing there exposed and shivering. But not for long.
Again Rhett clamped his hands around her arms but this time drew her too him, crushing her petite frame against his solid one.
"Lesson one my dear," he breathed into her ear. Scarlett's head was pressed tight against his chest and she was near paralysed with fright. Just what was he going to do with her?
"Rhett please, please" She begged, her voice a mere whisper and had Rhett not been holding her so tightly she would have slipped down his body and onto the ground.
"Please what Mrs Hamilton?" asked Rhett with careful politeness as though they were suddenly discussing the weather.
"You don't mean to tell me you're frightened? Surely Madame I expected better from you than that."
Scarlett merely whimpered in response and had she cared to look at that moment, a flash of pity softened the eyes of Rhett Butler before steely resolve set itself back in with a shudder.
"Sit down Mrs Hamilton" ordered Rhett pressing her away from him slightly and studying her intently.
Scarlett didn't move.
"A word of warning my dear; there are two ways that a client can make his whore do what he wants. That was to be lesson one. The first is by asking her nicely as I have just demonstrated. But you seem incapable of response to niceties, so alas we will have to move on to the second way."
Scarlett didn't need to ask what the second way was. Rhett did not hesitate in showing her. Using, what seemed to her, all the force he possessed, Rhett shoved Scarlett back into the fireside chair.
"There" he exclaimed with a self-satisfied nod, setting himself casually into the chair opposite hers. "That's better. Let us hope we do not need to resort to that method again shall we. For that leads on to lesson two Mrs Hamilton, one such as yourself should always appear to be willing."
Scarlett blanched. What an unseemly conversation they were having. Oh how glad she was her mother was dead. She couldn't bear the thought of her being alive and finding out just how horrible her eldest daughter really was.
Burning with shame and racked with the guilt of the past few days, Scarlett lowered her head as hot tears began rolling their way down her feverish cheeks.
Rhett leaned casually into the back of his chair and studied her. Oh he couldn't deny the pity he felt for her, she seemed so forlorn, so frightened. But how could he believe her now? There was no way he would allow himself to be deceived by her again. Not after the fool he had made of himself when she had come to him in the jailhouse.
Therefore, he would wait and let her do the talking and he would study her closely, analyse her movements, and discover the truth as to whether she was being false or not.
Scarlett could feel Rhett's eyes hot upon her, piercing and sharp. But for once in her life, she didn't care.
'Let him stare all he wants.' She thought. 'What does anything matter anymore?'
Scarlett was shaken up and suddenly very tired and weak and all she wanted was to be alone.
"Please Rhett" came Scarlett's voice from beneath her veil of hair, for she was careful not to raise her head otherwise he would catch sight of her tears and that would only serve to make the situation even more embarrassing.
"Please just leave me now"
Rhett was in no mood to leave. Not yet. He had come to find the underlying cause of the matter. He had been horrified to say the least when Belle had told him she had recently employed Scarlett. He had fairly swayed on the spot and had been reluctant to believe her. But it was true she had insisted. She had even told him where Scarlett's room was. Rhett had been grateful to Belle for telling him the truth though he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling he had that she had done it more for herself than for him.
"Not yet my dear I don't think I will" came Rhett's callous reply
"We still have much to discuss wouldn't you say? I would. Come, why don't we just have a friendly chat hmm?"
He sounded nice, too nice for Rhett. Scarlett didn't know what to think or what to say.
"But I'll choose the conversational topic shall I?" he continued
"After all I am your… hmm how shall I put this delicately for you my dear? Your guest. Yes, that should do it. Oh for God's sake stop shaking like that Scarlett I'm not going to kill you, though God knows I'd like too. We are old friends aren't we? Old, intimate friends, I think you owe me at least one civil conversation don't you?"
With all her remaining energy Scarlett nodded a feeble assent knowing she was too weak to argue and with a quick swipe of the back of her hand her tears were wiped from her face.
This gesture was not lost on Rhett but he said nothing.
"Well Rhett" began Scarlett, her voice wavering, her confidence having escaped her.
"What do you want to talk about?"
She was sitting stiff as a board her back far removed from the back of her chair and anyone who cared to look would not have been able to help noticing the startling contrast the two figures made; Scarlett upright and tense, Rhett lounging and aloof. However, for all his appearance of calm Rhett was as alert as a lion on the hunt. Alert and waiting, anxiously, for the slightest gesture, the slightest word.
"Why I think I should like to discuss you Mrs Hamilton," he drawled and his old sarcastic tone seemed to have returned.
"I'm sure you'd like that too wouldn't you?' He bit back a sharp surge of laughter and Scarlett shrank into her seat further, cringing with fright and apprehension.
"I don't see why you're here Rhett. What on earth possessed you to come?" said Scarlett slowly as gradually her animal courage returned to her and she felt a semblance of strength well up.
"I'll do the talking thank you Mrs Hamilton and I'll ask the questions. You my dear shall stick to answering. I should ask you the same thing. What the devil are you doing here Scarlett? This is no place for you and you know it."
Feeling stronger with each passing second, Scarlett felt a strong surge of rage at Rhett's interrogation.
"You know full well what I'm doing here Rhett." She replied squaring her shoulders, lifting her head and preparing for a fight.
Then taking a stab in the dark, "I presume Belle Watling told you." He bowed his head ever so slightly and Scarlett knew it was the truth.
Well, she didn't care about that now, she'd deal with Belle tomorrow, right now she had to face up to Rhett.
"And I don't see how it's any of your business. So I will ask you kindly now to please leave." With that, Scarlett stood up and abruptly Rhett did the same.
"Sit down" he ordered coldly his voice like ice his black eyes penetrating deep into hers.
Scarlett sank back down, some of her nerve lost.
As she sat so did Rhett and as he did he said, "It damn well is my business Scarlett. Never you mind why. So now tell me, I always knew you weren't a lady my dear, but to sink this low, for shame Scarlett however did you manage it?"
Scarlett spluttered on her own rage "It was never too low for you though was it Rhett? Not when you asked me to be your mistress, not when you've visited this same establishment yourself many times and not even," and she didn't even trouble to blush as she fairly screamed the next line, "and not even when I offered to become your mistress. You never acted this way then. Why? Why?"
She was growing hysterical now, hysterical and confused.
"Why was it alright for me to be your mistress but it's not alright now that I may be somebody else's? You never cared for my honour before so don't even try that. You would have taken me outside of wedlock before had I let you and you know it. So all I am doing Mister Butler is listening to your good advice and following your good example, it isn't my fault that you couldn't give me what I needed and had to take my offer elsewhere. All I have left is myself now Rhett, and it was just my good fortune that I was able to use myself to gain the tax money for Tara."
Rhett's face had become stonier and stonier as her speech had worn on. Pain flickering behind his dark eyes that Scarlett was too frenzied to notice.
Choosing to ignore all the personal truths she had unwittingly uncovered Rhett moved on to attack familiar ground.
"Why did you not ask the honourable Mister Wilkes for assistance Scarlett? I'm sure he would be more than capable to help, and willing too," he intoned bitterly, sarcastically.
"And surely he would never even consider lowering to the standards it seems you and I have slipped too. Perhaps you could have avoided all this mess had you just asked him." Rhett's voice was barbed and he knew he was being cruel.
He knew Ashley had known what Scarlett was up too. And Scarlett was no fool, she knew he had known too, and he had let her go. Nevertheless Rhett felt cornered, exposed, and all he knew was that when one was cornered it always paid to attack their opponent where it would hurt the most. And if there was one thing he was certain would hurt Scarlett right now, it would be the discussion of her eternal love for Ashley Wilkes.
He had never been so wrong.
Scarlett bristled, breathing heavily after her tirade.
She flicked her head impatiently, dismissively "Oh let's not talk about Ashley now Rhett, he's a cowardly mealy mouthed ninny if ever I was unfortunate to lay my eyes upon one. Fancy depending on your sister in law to support you and your wife and your child! No I don't want to talk about that right now I want to talk about you and why you feel as though you can boss me around so."
Rhett had never in his life heard Scarlett sound so incredibly sincere.
Without a word of warning Rhett leapt to his feet pulling Scarlett up with him.
And crushing her to his body, he kissed her.
It took a moment for Scarlett to realise what was happening. Rhett was kissing her.
Oh nobody in the world kissed like Rhett did.
His mouth was so firm and hot against hers, passionate and deep. She moaned into him, and was unsure herself whether it was a moan of protest or pleasure.
His arms looped around her slender body and pulled her even closer still as though Rhett wanted to absorb her body with his own.
Scarlett felt her head swimming and she was so thankful for Rhett's strong supporting arms. Rhett's lips continued their assault of hers and Scarlett was unsure of how much time had passed it seemed forever, it seemed like nothing.
Rhett was muttering things that Scarlett could not and did not care to understand. All she cared for was that for the first time in what seemed like her entire life, she felt safe at last.
She had always been the one in control. She was used to humbling others and making them feel lower than herself. However, that also meant she had always had to be the protector, the strong always protected the weak.
But Rhett. Oh Rhett. There was never a doubt that he could humble her, he seemed to take immense pleasure in doing it time and time again. After all Scarlett had been through recently it seemed nothing was more important to her than to always be protected. And she knew nobody stronger than herself, nobody except Rhett.
With these thoughts in her head, it was no wonder that Scarlett found herself kissing him back.
Suddenly, without warning Rhett swept Scarlett off the ground roughly into his arms, crushing her body against his chest the same way as his lips remained crushed against hers.
Hello everyone, I'm sorry this instalment took so long, I hope you liked it. Please review with lots of feedback as we are making our way to the climax of the story and I'd love to know what your input and opinions are. The next part shouldn't be too far away. Until then, thank you for reading.