AN: I am sick for the first time since January 2019...I forgot how crappy this is. So many things to say, probably missed a bunch of mistakes in this chapter, but I figured you guys would rather read it now than wait.
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Part Seventeen
November
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They had been married for two months when he took the entire family to Atlanta. He hadn't thought much of it aside from wanting to spoil and pet his wife, especially because of the baby she carried. He wanted to give her as much of the fun he had promised her before she grew too large to leave their property. She was already mournful every time she saw someone else riding Shimmer, which Mrs. Tarleton had seen fit to come over and do nearly every single day this week since she'd heard the news.
Scarlett needed some shopping, some dancing, some laughter in a crowd. All things they could only easily accomplish in Atlanta. He had gotten them invited to a supper at the DeVaughns' townhouse for the following day, the couple socialized heavily with northerners, which had practically turned Scarlett's hair white at the thought of, but their neighbors out in the country, who were from Connecticut, would also be there. And it was slowly dawning on Scarlett they only way she'd be able to socialize in the country without mournful remembrance were with the rich northerners and Percy DeVaughn was at least one of them. No one at the barbeque Rhett had hosted over the summer had any issue with Percy and his family being invited and the entire party had looked pleased at the idea of the DeVaughns' hosting a barbeque next summer once the house and grounds were finished being restored.
Rhett had been having a lovely afternoon with the women, he had been hesitant to leave Scarlett alone and return to his old activities in Atlanta. Showing his wife he was a changed man, unfortunately meant he had to behave as a changed man. A country gentleman, devoted husband and father. He longed to go into town and get the details of Bullock that were never printed in the paper and certainly never made it out to the country because no one in their right mind went out to the country, which he knew firsthand since he had been driven to madness by Scarlett before he had followed her out to the country.
There would be no long night ahead of him with cards in one hand and a drink or a cigar in the other. Not that he truthfully wanted to be away from Scarlett for as long as that always took. He had played a few nights in New Orleans, but the moment he had noticed that Scarlett was starting to grow tired he hadn't hesitated to call it his last hand.
His lovely afternoon died a swift death when Ashley Wilkes walked into the room and the longing look crossed Scarlett's eyes.
Scarlett. His wife. The woman he had risked his life for on more occasions than she knew. The woman he had followed into the country. The woman he had mediated fights over okra versus string beans. Charmed countless neighbors for. Was building a monstrosity of a house for. The woman he had courted for six years, been making love to for half a year, the woman who carried his child. Lusting in her heart for the man who would never be brave enough to walk away from his good wife. Unfaithful in his mind, but incapable of being unfaithful with his body. It was very nearly worse to know Scarlett's affections were not one sided, it seemed so easy for Miss Melly to overlook what lay between her husband and her sister-in-law. The longing between them that would forever lay unanswered even if he had to put a bullet in Ashley Wilkes to do so, although the idea of crushing the man's windpipe held even more appeal, to watch as the life drained from Scarlett's love's eyes.
Rhett dismissed that from his actions and words. He charmed the table full of Wilkes and Hamiltons at dinner, then kissed his wife and Ella goodbye after the meal, making his apologies claiming he had business to tend to since they had a full day ahead of them tomorrow, telling Scarlett and the children that he would see them back at The National.
The business he intended to tend to was a drink, several of them at Belle's.
He was walking through town when he saw it in the window. The drawing was simple, but he could easily see it was a creole townhouse, why Scarlett had mentioned the style right after mentioning a jail cell. He examined the listing more closely, soon he was inside nearly barking at the agent, but the man was following after him as he strode to call a cab.
The wrought iron fence around the property immediately appealed to Rhett, the facade was brick, the shutters were green, but most importantly the top two floors had their balconies framed in by more wrought iron. A prison within a prison, with the two layers of iron.
He would let her decorate it however she wished. Plum valences, cornices, swag, whatever she wanted. The most ornate wallpapers. Colors that made no sense together. Hell, he'd commission a life-sized portrait of her if she wanted. A fountain with gaping mouth koi fish with water streaming from them.
She could have it all. Secured away in their house. The prison she had agreed to by marrying him.
"The lot next to it?" Rhett questioned still standing in front of the house.
"They just broke ground last week, the expect building-"
"No house. I want the lot, as is."
"Captain Butler, the house is already on a fairly large lot."
"I will pay double whatever the lot is worth. I want it vacant. My family is from the country, they enjoy space."
"Uh yes sir, I'm sure that won't be a problem."
"Wonderful, let's see inside. If the work's any good, I have no doubt we'll need the builder for at least several weeks to make any improvements my wife sees fit."
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It was bizarre how his mood lifted the moment he saw Scarlett sitting at the small table in their suite, already in her dressing gown with Ella in her lap and Wade across from her.
"Daddy," Wade smiled.
"Dada," Ella exclaimed with arms open wide ready to be picked up.
"We were worried you were going to miss supper," Scarlett said as if she hadn't just spent an afternoon with a lost love. She accepted his kiss on her cheek and he took Ella from her.
"I'm sorry for the delay, but as I said I had business in town," Rhett said going to sit with Ella in his arms.
"Anything interesting?" Scarlett questioned going to serve Rhett since he was now occupied with Ella.
"I've purchased a house for us."
"But we have a house," Wade asked in confusion.
"Rhett, I don't want to live in Atlanta," Scarlett was a mix of confused and angry. He would of course change the rules the moment they married.
"Not to live my sweet. A place for us to stay when we visit. This might be nice for now, but once the baby comes and we are a family of six instead of four, we'll need our space and our things."
"Oh, I suppose that makes sense. Why couldn't I have gone with you? Did you really purchase a house without me?"
"I did my love, there aren't many on the market and I certainly don't want to undertake building another house while ours is nowhere near done. It's a fine house and has plenty of land."
"Well what style of house?"
"French Creole."
"Oh Rhett, but you couldn't have-"
"Scarlett there are very few houses on the market. They are all either stuffy, boring or a jail. You'll simply have to get over the façade and focus on the inside of the house."
"The inside?"
"Yes, the builder will come meet us at the house tomorrow and you can go over any changes you want done. You need an activity for the pregnancy. It will certainly be easy enough for you to hire a middleman, swatches, sketchings, it will be like you're right there designing everything on site."
"I suppose that does sound fun."
He smiled at her, "I did promise you that I would make this pregnancy as bearable as possible, did I not?"
"You did. Thank you, Rhett," she smiled at him.
"Anything for you my sweet."
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She was in bed without him. Sound asleep in the hotel's bed while he sat in an armchair smoking. He had meant to be looking out onto the city, but instead, he was watching her.
He had misjudged the lot of it.
Her feelings for him, her feelings for Ashley, Atlanta, the baby.
He had thought himself far more important than Ashley; he had thought that he had finally driven the other man out of her mind. Today showed him he hadn't. Gone, but not forgotten. Out of sight, out of mind. There were a litany of phrases that he had apparently overlooked.
He had become one of those fools memorized at the picnic table that Scarlett had deigned to grace her attention upon him that he had convinced himself it was all true. She was with him because Ashley Wilkes would never be man enough to chose either way. To truly walk away from Scarlett or to walk away from his wife. Oh, Scarlett would have had a rude awakening if Ashley had left his wife. To find that the glitter of Ashley Wilkes was a thin shell with nothing underneath. To be with a man so trapped in the past and unable to make his own way in the present, impossible for him to plan for a future because the options were all so unsavory when compared to his past.
Rhett had made a grave mistake with the baby, yet he couldn't even wish for the baby to not have been conceived. Even though it was far too soon.
He had planned on showing and giving her the world.
The baby had clipped her wings.
There would be no second trip to New Orleans this year, certainly no trip to Paris. Why there wouldn't even be many trips to Atlanta and exposing Scarlett to the wealthy world that ran alongside the pious and stodgy.
No late-night suppers, trips to the theater, or dancing until the sun rose.
He hadn't realized how little he had seen of her pregnancy with Ella. She had cast up the contents of her stomach and gone about her day. Why word echoed through Atlanta up until Frank's death of how Scarlett had gone out in public even when obviously expecting. She had appeared to be nearly unaffected by pregnancy.
He hadn't given thought beyond that.
He hadn't realized how miserable she would be over her beloved food now causing her suffering. How tired she would be that she would fall asleep in the middle of the day and then still fall asleep on the sofa in the early evening and fall asleep as soon as supper was concluded. How intimate relations would nearly cease. How quickly they appeared to become a chore for her and how driven his thoughts would be not upon pleasure, but not causing her displeasure.
He had planned to undo all the years of suffering, but instead, he had frozen them in their tracks with the baby. Her horse was gone, the trips were gone, the decadence was gone.
They would be biding time until the baby came. The only thing he could do was not make it any worse
He watched as Scarlett shifted in bed, tugging the pillow down. She shifted again and he wondered if she was awaking for the day before he had even gotten into bed. She had been asleep for over four hours, he had only moved from the sitting area of the suite into their bedroom an hour prior, hopeful something would lull him into sleep.
She made a slight noise and then her eyes began to open. "Are you not coming to bed?"
"I was just finishing my cigar."
She made another murmur, "Don't forget to clean your teeth."
He laughed lightly, grateful she hadn't found the smell of cigars on his person as repugnant as she found them upon his breath, in particular his morning breath. "I won't."
She shifted again, "Can't you put it out now."
He laughed again as he put out the cigar, "My dear are you requesting my services as your pillow?"
She shifted again, "My leg has nowhere to go."
"You can drape it over me in a moment," he said going to the basin.
Less than two minutes later Scarlett made a satisfied groan as she nuzzled into his side and draped her leg across his own.
"Are you comfortable my sweet?" he smirked.
"Mmmhmm," she said with closed eyes.
"Are you going back to sleep?"
"Mmmhmm," she nuzzled in closer.
"Sweet dreams," he said running a hand along her arm.
"You too," she murmured.
Thanks for reading!
