Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
I think that what prompted Rhett's cruel and mean actions was that he was frustrated and angry that the woman he loved saw him as nothing more than a checkbook. Do we all have the ability to be that cruel and mean? I would like to say no but I can't say it with 100% certainty.
Chapter Seven
Scarlett had decided that she was not going to spend all her time doing chores. She knew now that she had been trying to keep the perfect home to make Ashley happy. She also knew that Ashley had never acknowledged her efforts. She knew the only thing he had commented on was when she didn't do something like Melly would have done it.
Wednesday Scarlett started taking the children and her father to the park every day. She would much rather spend her time at the park than go out visiting with other ladies.
She told India, "I am going to take the children to the park. They don't get to play enough. Pa is going with me. He needs to get out of the house. I will be back in an hour. I will do my share of chores while you are out visiting.
India said, "You don't want to go visiting. It is your one day out of the house."
"Not really. If I miss it, I can go with you next week."
I will get started on our chores without you."
"Thank you."
When Scarlett got back from the park, she joined India on the back lawn. India was beating the rugs. That was hard work also. As they were working, Scarlett said, "Why did you tell Ashley I had gone to the park instead of doing laundry with you?"
"I had not meant to get you in trouble. Ashley said something about you acting strange and I said, 'Yes, like her going to the park when we were supposed to be doing laundry. Ashley was the one that acted like you had abandoned me. I'm sorry. He got on to you?"
"Yes, but it is alright."
The ladies talked pleasantly while they finished beating the rugs. Scarlett was finding that India wasn't such a bad person, that is when the woman wasn't glaring at her.
Scarlett took her father with her when she went to the park. He enjoyed playing with the boys. It was good for him to get out of the house.
Scarlett ran into Rhett at the park one day while she was there with the children. After they had greeted one another, Scarlett said, "You were right, Ashley was not the man I thought he was. I made a mistake marrying him."
"As gratifying as it is to hear you say that I am still going to say I told you so, but you would never listen to me. You always have been such a child."
Scarlett smiled and thought, 'Look who is calling me a child. The biggest spoilt child of them all.' Scarlett said aloud, "Yes, Rhett, I was a child. I was a spoiled, pampered, daughter of a rich planter who had always gotten everything she wanted just because she wanted it. Not anymore. One can't remain a child when the blows of life are bouncing one around like a boat in a hurricane."
In a gentler tone of voice, Rhett said, "Has your life really been so bad?"
"My life is so bad that India my archenemy is being nice to me."
"Who is India?"
"Ashley's sister but let's not talk about her. Tell me instead an amusing story. Something to lighten my mood."
Rhett did that. He told her several stories and was happy she had laughed at them. Finally, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Butler. I must get back home. I have chores to do."
"Maybe, I will see you again here in the park."
"I would like that. It would certainly brighten my life. I come to the park almost every morning around nine. We go right after breakfast."
As Scarlett walked back to her house, she had a smile on her face. Her face that had not seen a smile for a while. She kept the smile on her face until Ashley got home.
The next day when she ran into Rhett she said, "Tomorrow would you bring my boys and my father something to eat. They don't get enough to eat because we cannot afford to feed them."
"Of course, in fact let me go get your boys and your father something right now."
As Rhett walked away, she knew she had done something she would not have done a month ago. She suffered shame and humiliation so someone could have something they needed.
Rhett came back in fifteen minutes with four sandwiches. He said, "I thought you might be hungry too."
"Thank you, Rhett. I mean Mr. Butler."
He smiled and said, "You can call me Rhett."
With a smile she said, "You can call me Scarlett," She then turned and called out, "Wade! Beau! Pa! Come here," When the boys and Gerald got to her, she handed them each a sandwich. She said, "I got you each something to eat. Sit under the tree and eat it."
After the boys had run off. Scarlett said, "You too, Pa," After Gerald had walked off to join the boys, she said, "I don't want them to know your name. I don't want them to mention you when Ashley is around."
"I agree completely. I didn't know what to buy for the baby. What is her name by the way?"
"Melanie Anne."
"You named your daughter after your husband's first wife?"
"Ashley insisted."
With a gentle tone Rhett said, "Does it hurt?"
"Not anymore. He blames me for Melanie dying."
"What did you do but deliver her baby and get her out of Atlanta before the Yankees took over."
"He thinks that Melanie would not have died if she had not had to suffer the trip to Tara."
"That is crazy. If you had stayed in Atlanta all of you would have died."
"Have I ever said, 'thank you' for getting me out of Atlanta despite the fact you left me at Rough and Ready? I know I cursed you a lot for deserting me, but I wouldn't have been able to get out of Atlanta without your help and I know we all would have died if we had stayed in Atlanta."
"No, and in truth I probably deserved to be cursed. I deserted you in the middle of a battlefield for a crazy idea of honor."
"Oh Rhett. I know about honor. Ashley is irrational as far as his first wife and honor are concerned."
"That must be hard."
"I trapped him into marriage."
Scarlett didn't know why she was telling Rhett all this except it was Rhett and she had always told him everything.
Rhett said, "I assume he resents you for that also."
"Yes, he knows we were friends during the war, and he thinks that you pushing him is your way of getting back at him for marrying me. He resents me for that also."
"That is not the true reason. The true reason is he is useless at his job if someone isn't pushing him and pushing him. Well, I may push him more than I need to," Scarlett smiled at Rhett. He added, "But he absolutely requires pushing."
"Why did you not sell the sawmill after Frank died? You are usually not an on hands investor."
Rhett smiled. He had kept the sawmill to be involved in her life in some small way and to torture her husband. That was why he made Frank give Mr. Wilkes a job so Scarlett would remain in Atlanta. He said, "I felt like keeping it. I was spending a lot of time in Atlanta making money off the Republican government."
"Why do you not fire him?"
"For your sake, my dear."
Scarlett blushed and said, "Thank you. It is obvious that he is no good as a sawmill manager but what would he be good at?"
"I don't know."
"All he wants to do is read books and avoid reality."
"You know what he might be good at?"
"What?"
"Being a law clerk. I am having a little bit of legal difficulty and my lawyer said he would have to get his law clerk to research the issue. The clerk will have to look for other cases similar to mine and try to find some past precedents that support my defense."
"What are past precedents?"
"Basically, it is a previous case that was ruled the way I want my case to be ruled."
"Yes, that would be a good job for him," Scarlett looked at her watch and said, "I must go. Thank you for the sandwiches."
"Will you be here tomorrow?"
"And everyday thereafter."
"See you tomorrow with some more sandwiches. What do you want for the baby?"
"Something mushy. She only has four teeth."
"I'll see what I can find."
"Can you bring me some honey?"
"Honey? Of course. Why?"
"We don't have enough money to buy anything but the bare necessities. Oatmeal is bad enough, but unsweetened oatmeal is a whole new level of awful."
Rhett laughed and said, "I'm not very fond of oatmeal either especially since my Mammy made me eat it."
"Mine did too."
"I guess there was a reason they did that but damned if I know what it is."
Scarlett laughed and said, "Goodbye and thank you again. Boys! Pa! We are returning to the house. I have chores to do."
A smiling Scarlett turned the baby buggy around. She and the children left the park. As Rhett watched her go, he cursed Ashley Wilkes for destroying the vibrant, amazing Scarlett O'Hara.
She saw Rhett at the park the next day. It reminded her of when he used to drive her back from the mill when she was pregnant with Ella. That may have been the best their relationship ever was. Scarlett would make herself think about why next time she fed Melanie.
He handed her a brown bag which she assumed had the sandwiches in it. She saw that he held two containers. One was quite a bit larger than the other. After Scarlett looked at him, Rhett held up the smaller container and said, "Cooked squash," He held up the larger container and he said, "Honey."
Scarlett laughed and said, "That's enough to last me for a long time. Thank you. Boys! Pa!" They came over and she gave them their sandwiches. The boys ran off to sit under a tree while Gerald just stood there looking at the sandwich.
Scarlett said, "Go with the boys, Pa. Go sit under the tree."
Scarlett handed Rhett back the last sandwich and took the honey container from him. She put the honey in the baby buggy next to Melanie. She took the other container and opened it. She started feeding the baby. Luckily, Melanie liked squash and was eating it happily. After a few minutes, Rhett said, "Let me feed her so you can eat your sandwich."
"Are you sure? Have you ever fed a baby before?"
"Yes, I am sure. No, I have never fed a baby before, but it doesn't look too difficult."
"Alright, thank you."
As Rhett was feeding Melanie and Scarlett was eating her sandwich, he told her amusing stories. Some she had heard before, but he didn't know that. She still enjoyed him trying to amuse her.
Rhett for his part enjoyed listening to Scarlett laugh. He decided that indeed she did have a very unhappy life. Although he was sorry, she was so unhappy, it gave him hope that she would run away with him.
That afternoon when she nursed Melanie, Scarlett thought about why hers and Rhett's relationship had been so good when she was married to Frank. She knew that part of it was because Rhett still believed he just needed his opportunity to win her love with his gifts and his body. She also knew that at that time she had been focused on him as a person. Just as she was now. Rhett had been the only person making her happy at that time. Just as he was now. After they were married, Rhett wasn't trying to make her happy anymore but also, she was not giving him an opportunity to make her happy. She was focused on her house, her new fun filled friends, her businesses, and as always Ashley. True, he had done some hateful things, but she had never really wondered why he was doing hateful things. She knew now it was to get her attention. She smiled sadly when she thought, 'Not really a particularly good plan. My husband is such a birdbrain sometimes.'
Scarlett smiled when she thought, 'I was probably the first woman who had not fallen for his charm and good-looks." She giggled when she thought, 'He still struts around like he is the heir apparent to the Butlers of Charleston's fortune.'