A Dire Situation
Chapter Twenty Three
The kiss broke and they were left gazing at each other tentatively.
Rhett looked down at Scarlett. She appeared so vulnerable, so helpless in his arms looking up at him with uncertainty clouding her eyes, but Rhett was sure that he could see a glimmer of hope in them as well.
Neither spoke for a moment and that moment lasted an eternity, the surroundings became more pronounced and neither had ever been more aware of what encircled them. Both beginning to finally understand a little about the truth of the other.
Scarlett was dazed.
Could Rhett possibly love her? Love her without any agenda attached? He said he did, and his kiss had seemed complete in its sincerity. And Scarlett could see no reason why he would make such a thing up at a time like this. Even Rhett couldn't be such a scoundrel.
She almost couldn't believe it. But she wanted too. She wanted too so much. The knowledge had left her feeling safe, a feeling she now realised she'd only ever felt in Rhett's arms for the longest time. But now the silence was stretching and doubt was beginning to grow in the place of hope.
Rhett cleared his throat slightly. He could see that Scarlett was getting anxious. He had thought after his initial declaration that this next step would be easy, yet still he was nervous.
"And I was hoping, Scarlett, that you would do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
The question hung in the air, enveloping them both into a conspiring silence. Rhett, almost not believing he had finally said it and Scarlett not quite believing she had heard it.
Astonishment did not do justice to Scarlett's feelings. In such a short period of time Rhett Butler, her best friend, her worst enemy, had not only told her that he loved her, but he had asked her to marry him.
At one time long past Scarlett would have been devilishly thrilled at such a assertion knowing that such a powerful man was now subject to her power. The things she had planned to do to him, the things she had planned to make him suffer. These all seemed so childish now, so silly and cruel.
Rhett did not know he was holding his breath, but he was. He was waiting keenly, anticipating Scarlett's reply.
Scarlett knew that the situation was too unfathomable to attempt to make sense of it. The pair had too much history to even begin to decipher it now, to try and find a look, a touch, a comment that would show that Rhett indeed felt the things that he had said, how long he had felt them.
So Scarlett did the only thing that to her, in this moment, felt right.
She leaned forward, placing her small hands tenderly on the sides of Rhett's face, and she kissed him. Softly, painfully softly at first but soon it became apparent, she knew within herself, that this was the thing she should be doing and the kiss deepened.
Her kiss had the same effect on Rhett as his had done on her. It made him see the genuineness, the honesty of her feelings, something that words, even to one so eloquent with words, cannot illustrate.
As they parted a small, contented sigh escaped Scarlett's lips and she looked up at Rhett, almost expectantly.
"My my Mrs Hamilton," he drawled managing to look faintly amused even though his heart was racing and his breath came fast. "You fairly take my breath away."
"Don't call me Mrs Hamilton Rhett." She said in reply and Rhett was fearful that, as usual, he had destroyed what little peace they had managed to achieve with an ill-timed joke.
He looked so distraught, so frightened and unsure that Scarlett could do nothing but giggle lightly.
"For you see, I'm not to be called Mrs Hamilton much longer. Perhaps you might begin to call me Mrs Butler?"
Rhett looked incredulous for a moment and then, quite without warning he swept Scarlett up into his arms and spun her around letting out a yell of pure joy.
Scarlett laughed as Rhett set her to her feet.
"I think that can be arranged, Mrs Butler." He murmured, saying her new name as if it were a caress.
No one could ever say her name quite like Rhett could.
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Well, that's it. That is the end and I know this chapter is excruciatingly short but I was thinking as I wrote it that perhaps there is a place for a sequel for it. Just a piece about what happens when they go back into the house, a little on their lives from here out etc. It didn't seem right to put it here and ruin the moment. But let me know what you think on that subject. The last line is Margaret Mitchell's but it is one of my favourites in the book and it fitted so perfectly here. Thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it, even though it took two years to finish. Please leave comments etc in the form of a review I would love to hear what you think. And thank you again.