Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
This story was written by the request of Marylanascarlet. She wanted Scarlett to be a true femme fatale. At first, I thought about rewriting The Maltese Falcon with Rhett and Scarlett in the leads. I changed my mind because it was mainly a story about Sam Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy had a much smaller role. So, I stayed with the GWTW background and just made Scarlett a true femme fatale. She is definitely OOC.
I titled this story Maneater in tribute to the song by Daryl Hall and John Oates. Every time I needed inspiration for this story I listened to the song
Chapter One
If anyone had seen the young girl hurrying down the hallway, they would have been excused for thinking that she was just a pretty, silly belle but they would be wrong. That was the last thing she was, a silly belle. Yes, she was pretty, but she was also cold and calculating.
Scarlett thought back about the last few minutes as she hurried down the hallway. She had thrown herself at Ashley hoping he would elope with her. She had seen the looks of desire in Ashley's eyes. She knew he had wanted her. She knew he was a weak man just like every other man on this earth. He was going to do what his family wanted him to do because he wasn't strong enough to stand up to them. She had not loved him. She had wanted to marry him because his family was rich, and she had known she could bully him into doing what she wanted him to do. They owned the biggest plantation in the county. They were the most socially prominent family in the county. She needed that cover to overcome her Irish roots. She wasn't ashamed of her Irish roots but far too many people looked down on the Irish so if she wanted a position of power in the county, she would have to cover it up. That and being Catholic.
She had stood in the middle of the library while watching the coward leave the room. In her frustration at her plans having gone awry, she had picked up a piece of porcelain and thrown it across the room. Rhett Butler had popped up from behind the couch like a damn Jack-in-the-box. He had made all those mocking comments at Ashley's expense which she had wanted to laugh at but instead she had pretended to be angry. She had seen the desire in Mr. Butler's eyes. She had sized him up immediately. He was the kind of man that would not value anything he could get too easily. So, she had left in a huff. She didn't know if she could use Mr. Butler in the future, so she was going to let him marinate for a while.
Scarlett heard some women talking about her, so she hid in the alcove. As she stood in the alcove under the stairs she heard Honey, India and even Suellen talk badly about her. They were talking about her stealing their men today. India had even brought up Scarlett having stolen Stuart away six months ago. She had felt no guilt for having stolen their men away from them. If they were half the woman, she was they would have found a way to keep their men. They are all appalled that she would show a little bosom but if anyone of the three had ever bothered Scarlett would not have been able to steal their men. Not for the first time Scarlett wondered how that prissy, little ninny, Suellen, could be her sister. What's more Suellen wasn't even that pretty.
She heard Melanie defending her. That woman who had a flat chest and was plain looking was who Ashley wanted over her. That was the most galling of all. No, that was not right Melanie was the woman he was going to marry over Scarlett, because it was the honorable thing to do. Honor ha! Just another word for coward or hypocrite.
Scarlett watched the women leave the house and walk outside. There seemed to be a big commotion outside. She walked to the window and was staring out at all the people. People were hugging each other, and everyone seemed so incredibly happy.
In the middle of her vision was that spineless wimp, Ashley Wilkes. Scarlett smiled a mean smile and thought, 'Someday I am going to seduce him. It will destroy him. Him and all his supposed honor.'
She saw Rhett Butler driving away in Frank Kennedy's buggy. She thought, 'We will meet again, Mr. Butler. You are someone I want to stay in touch with. I already know you are as ruthless as I am. And I will have the last laugh over you.'
She heard Charles Hamilton calling her. She turned and smiled her prettiest smile. He said, "Miss O'Hara have you heard?"
Scarlett put the doe eyed look on her face and said, "Heard what?"
"The war has started. Mr. Lincoln has called for seventy-five thousand volunteers."
"Oh no. Tell me you aren't going to put yourself in danger."
"Of course, I am. Me and every other gentleman. Will you miss me?"
"I will cry in my pillow every night."
"Miss O'Hara, will you wait for me?"
Scarlett thought quickly. The Hamiltons were not as socially prominent as the Wilkes, but they did have a lot of social status. The cherry on top was that if she was married to Charlie they would be living in Atlanta. She certainly wanted to live in Atlanta. She smiled up at him and said, "I wouldn't want to wait."
"What? Oh! Miss O'Hara, I mean Scarlett, let me go talk to your father right now."
Two weeks later Charlie and Scarlett were married by a Baptist minister. There was no priest in the county and the priest in Atlanta would not marry them because Charlie wasn't Catholic. Scarlett was alright with being married by a Baptist minister because she was going to become Baptist with her marriage to Charlie.
That night on their wedding night Scarlett made Charlie sleep in a chair. The second night she had allowed Charlie to have relations with her. She had done it to consummate the marriage. As soon as Charlie had fallen asleep, she had gotten hot water and vinegar and douched herself. She had no desire to have a child. There was no payoff for her.
The next night Scarlett had cried and said, "It is just too much for me to endure."
Charlie had said, "We can wait until you are a little older before continuing having relations. After all we have a whole lifetime together."
"Thank you, Charlie. You are so wonderful."
Charlie had smiled and said, "Of course, my love. I can wait to let you get used to the idea."
"Thank you, Charlie."
Two weeks later Charlie left to go to Columbia and two months later the man was dead. Scarlett was not unhappy. In fact, Charlie dying was a solution to a problem. The problem that she didn't want to be married and especially not to that weakling.
A month after Charlie's death, Scarlett was making her plans for her future. Scarlett had to get to Atlanta to find out what Charlie left her. She would have to wait out her year of deep mourning, but it was alright. Nothing was going on in the county, so she wasn't missing out on anything.
In June of eighteen sixty-two, Melanie Wilkes sent her a letter. In the letter Melanie asked Scarlett to come visit since she was out of deep mourning for poor Charlie. With her parents' permission she accepted. Within two weeks Scarlett and her maid, Prissy, were in Atlanta and Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Meade were vying for her to come nurse at their hospital. She didn't want to do either one but finally decided on Mrs. Meade for that was the one that Melanie was working at. If she was working with Melanie, she could push the unpleasant parts of nursing off on Melly.
The entire time she had been in Atlanta she had done nothing except go to the hospital to nurse the wounded or go to church with Melly and Aunt PittyPat. Neither place was some place she wanted to go. She had gotten to go to the dress shop once to buy some new dresses but that had been so depressing. All she could order were black, gray, or maroon dresses but only two. She ordered a gray dress and a maroon dress. They would not be ready for at least two weeks.
That was fine she wasn't going anywhere anyway. Then she had heard of the Hospital Bazaar. A night out at a place where there was dancing. Not that she could dance, after all she was still in mourning but a night out of the house would be wonderful.
Aunt PittyPat and Melanie didn't think it would be right for her to attend such a joyous gathering when she was so sad. God's Nightgown! How was she going to get around this snag? She had to be careful because if her mother, that old fuddy duddy, heard she had attended a social event she would make her return to Tara. Damn! Her mother acted twice as old as her father did and the truth was her father was the one that was three times as old as her mother.
When Scarlett heard that the McCray sisters would not be able to man one of the booths, she made her move. She knew what she would do. She would use Melanie's tender heart and Charlie's memory to get what she wanted.
Scarlett was able to convince Melly that they had to man one of the booths at the Hospital Bazaar or the hospital would lose money. Scarlett was out of deep mourning and Charlie would want them to do it for the cause. Melly smiled with tears in her eyes and said, "Yes, Charlie would."
"Charlie was always thinking of others."
"Yes, he was."
Scarlett smiled. She was never thinking of others.
That night at the Hospital Bazaar Scarlett had enjoyed being out of the house. She had wanted to dance. She so enjoyed dancing but more than that she enjoyed rubbing her body innocently against men and feel them respond. Bitch that she was she loved to feel a man's erection and know he was going to go home to nothing but frustration.
She knew she could not dance to night. First it was too soon and second there was no one she wanted to dance with. Who was there to dance with? That man from Louisiana Rene something or that other man Tommy something? What grown man still used the name Tommy like a small child.
Dr. Meade was blathering on about some famed blockade runner, Rhett somebody. Then Scarlett saw him and smiled. She remembered him. Yes, Mr. Butler had come back into her world, and he was looking at her appreciatively. She would definitely have to act like she was still mad at him and embarrassed he had heard her declaring her love to Wimp. She knew that would intrigue him. He would not value something easily obtained.
She would have to play extremely hard to get. Scarlett smiled. She quickly hid her smile. Mr. Butler was making a bee line for her booth. Yes, he was definitely intrigued by her. She would not let him call on her after all he was not received. He would have to find a way to get welcomed into the household. She was sure he would.
Mr. Butler spoke to her and called her Miss O'Hara. She said, "I don't believe we have met."
He said, "Yes, we have it was in the library at Twelve Oaks."
"Yes, I remember you now."
Then Melanie entered the conversation. Scarlett marveled at the change in Mr. Butler. He suddenly became a gentleman in front of Melanie. That made Scarlett laugh. He may not want to be a gentleman, but he was, nonetheless. She would use that against him.
As they were standing there talking a soldier who had lost part of his arm was passing around a basket. He was asking for jewelry. Mr. Butler tossed in his cigar case. It looked to be gold, but it was probably gold-plated. Smart man. Melanie said, "We have no jewelry on. We are in mourning."
Scarlett saw the cheap wedding band that Charlie had given her on her finger. She suddenly knew how to make herself look like a martyr. She took the ring off her finger and said, "My husband is dead therefore my donations cannot help him but maybe it will be able to help his fellow soldiers. It is what he would want me to do."
She gently placed the ring on top of the rest of the jewelry. Melanie said, "Scarlett, you are so brave."
"Yes."
"Here take mine too. Maybe it can help my husband off my finger more than on my finger."
Scarlett was amazed at how Mr. Butler had bought Melanie's statement hook, line, and sinker. Like she was the one who had made the most noble of sacrifices.
Mr. Butler said, "Mrs. Wilkes, that is too great a sacrifice."
"No, greater than Scarlett's."
"I know how great Mrs. Hamilton's sacrifice is."
"No, you don't Mr. Butler. You have no idea how much I loved my husband."
Melanie had a look of compassion on her face. Rhett had a look of skepticism on his face.
Scarlett would have to keep her guard of with Mr. Butler. She could not afford to underestimate him. She smiled and thought, 'He may be the only person who actually sees what is going on behind my pretty face.'
