Chapter 45
When Scarlett awoke from her dizzy spell, she found herself propped up on pillows in the tiny parlour room of the Meades. Her bonnet was lying on the table beside her and the doctor was patting her hand and rubbing it vigorously. Mrs. Meade stood nearby with a worried yet stiff look on her face. She was obviously displeased to have Scarlett in her house but she was acting under the doctor's orders. "Drink this, Scarlett- It will make you feel better-" she said, with distant politeness. The maid set a glass of lemon water beside Scarlett on the table.
"It's all right" said Scarlett, wearily. As she stood up, her head seemed to grow heavy as recent memories rushed forward like waves in a stormy sea. Unsteadily she sat down again and raised her hand to her head.
"If you are thinking of going back to your house, I suggest you stay here for the day. You aren't well, Scarlett. That was quite a fall you took and you are in a lot of stress. And if you are worried about Rhett, Pork is there with him, isn't he? He will help him come back to his senses!"
The doctor harrumphed in importance and then eyed at Mrs. Meade to take over but the lady simply looked uneasy. She was unsure if Scarlett wanted any feminine comfort.
Scarlett sipped her lemon water slowly and silently. But as the seconds ticked on, she grew more and more angry until she burst out in fury. "There's no use covering the whole thing up. You all saw him, yelling and laughing and-"
Scarlett shivered in anger and disgust and a man who could so utterly and completely abandon her to public opinion. Rhett had never ever acted this way before. For the first time in her life the thought of divorce genuinely crossed her mind.
The doctor harrumphed again and left the room. Mrs. Meade sat down opposite to her on the sofa and replied quietly, "He was drunk,dear. And anyway, I thought it was very brave - the way you came to meet Captain Butler. And very kind-"
Scarlett wiped away hot tears and set her glass down. She felt very very sorry for herself just then. "The way he went on about ...about some Pro.. someone.. I can't even remember the name- He's always like that. Rhett's impossible. He's always quoting something or the other and making me look foolish. The way he talks - in riddles and ideas. It makes me so mad!!"
Mrs. Meade smiled lightly. "When Dr. Meade gets into his medical terms, I too give up and simply leave the room. I can never make much sense of those things- Men are like that , Scarlett. And Rhett Butler has always cut a contrary figure. You must give him some time-"
"He never talks to me like one human to another- always like a perverse devil!"
"Scarlett!" cried Mrs. Meade, shocked.
"Oh, I'm sorry. But I feel so angry just now-" The anger burned away and now Scarlett felt frightened and ashamed. Were there many people laughing at her for being made a laughing stock by her own husband? But she was more ashamed that Rhett had seen through her actual motives and had ridiculed her to the core of her being. And below these feelings, she suddenly realized that Rhett had played by her own tricks and had won and it had stirred only angst and pain in her heart. This final thought caused her to be pensive for a moment.
"Perhaps I've been wrong. I've always been trying to outwit Rhett. Perhaps instead of that, I should just stand my ground and make him come down to me-" said Scarlett, amazed by the thought taking shape in her head.
She looked at Mrs. Meade and she looked back, both of them grasping at the daunting task of bringing Rhett Butler to their understanding.