Note : this chapter continues the same day, from chapter 9 to 13, between Atlanta and Charleston. At the end of the day, Rhett, Scarlett and Duncan will understand something.
Charleston, 1875, Saturday, March 27, 4:00 p.m., at the Butler home
We were entertaining at the Butler's that day. It was a sunny afternoon, conducive to good humor. Rosemary had invited her friend Roselyne. Eleonor Butler had invited her two friends Eulalie and Pauline for tea.
Rhett was present in the house. His sister had heavily insisted that he come and greet Roselyne Tucker.
Entering the living room, he went to the window where his mother and her two guests, the Robillard ladies, Pauline and Eulalie, were sitting.
A slight twinge surprised him. Being in the presence of Scarlett's aunts was like having a part of his ex-wife there in the living room with him.
Their last visit came back to him, painful because it was associated with the memory of his dear Bonnie at his side in Charleston. A pang of shame assailed him: he remembered that he had knowingly made it clear to them what a bad mother she was, since she preferred to stay in Atlanta and take care of her sawmills rather than accompany them to the family.
He perceived the embarrassment of the two old ladies, torn between their systematic criticism of their niece and their bitterness at a man who had branded the glorious Robillard name with the word "divorce.
He pulled himself together, shook his head as if to chase away a disturbing fly swirling around him, as if to brush away the mere name of Scarlett.
Elegantly, Rhett kissed their hands and smiled mechanically, then left the three ladies to join his sister and Roselyne who were standing by the fireplace.
The latter welcomed him with laughing eyes. A frivolous conversation started between the three of them. The two girls exchanged the latest gossip heard in their circle of acquaintances. With each new anecdote, Roselyne sought Rhett's assent, his amused look, a sarcastic or polite comment. Rhett would join in their conversation with undisguised pleasure.
"Everything is going the way I thought it would," thought Rosemary. She was very pleased with her little ploy to bring her young friend and her older brother together. "Of course," she admitted, "they have a big age difference. Rhett is 47 now, Roselyne is only 23. But that doesn't matter. My brother can be so teasing and playful that he looks ten years younger. And best of all, Roselyne loves him! »
The seasoned seducer that was Rhett Butler savored the effect of seeing his charm operate so easily in front of this young girl. His vanity was invigorated.
"A quarter of a century must separate us. And yet, I wouldn't be surprised if she succumbed after a few sweet compliments". Sure, he was being presumptuous, but his experience as a ladies' man told him that all the signals were green with Roselyne Tucker.
"And why not? Roselyne would be the solution for me to turn over a new leaf and settle into good Charleston society. She is pretty, very appetizing, I must admit. »
He threw a greedy eye once again on her cleavage a little more generous than the conveniences would have judged acceptable.
"She's even younger than you Scarlett, enough to make the former Clayton County belle you were a long time ago swoon! "Unconsciously, he addressed his ex-wife in thought and relished it wickedly. Stimulated by the phantasmatic image of a jealous Scarlett, Rhett hastened to admire his young interlocutor.
"She is cultured, of good family and will undoubtedly ensure me a sweet home. My goodness, her more or less discreet airs seem to invite me to tender moments..."
Oh, it wouldn't be hard to woo her. The knowing glances she gave him furtively were telling enough. It would be a way to start a new life, to be welcomed back into Charleston's good society, to enjoy the sweet life of the South. The desire for a settled life, he had made clear when he left Peachtree Street.
"Yes, Roselyne would be for him a loving wife, a perfect southern lady, classic, elegant, peaceful. His natural sarcasm made him specify: "And without glitter..."
But was he looking for the shine? No. He had given enough. "Enough violent passion. »
"The dream woman. "Young Melina's question had made him laugh. And that young greenhorn of Duncan Vayton had replied with his definition of "his" "dream woman. A disturbing description that sounded so much like Scarlett, his passionate, violent, sensual Scarlett. A woman who was in his nightmares rather than in his dreams.
So, yes! It was better to adopt the narrow conformism of Charleston. And turn to the dapper Roselyne.
Her eyes were laughing. "Rosemary and Rhett, have you heard about the concert that will be held outdoors for the dedication of the bandstand in our beautiful park near the Battery? It will be held next Sunday afternoon." With enthusiasm, Rosemary suggested that it would be fun for the three of them to go.
"What do you think, Rhett?" Roselyne's azure eyes stared at him intently.
The handsome Butler gave her his broadest smile, "It would give me great pleasure to accompany you. »
As the frantic conversation between the two young women resumed, Rhett glanced across the living room. The Robillard ladies were talking to his mother. The voice of one of them was loud. He listened distractedly. In the stream of words that escaped from her mouth, he heard the word "Scarlett". His heartbeat quickened. Then he suddenly saw one of Scarlett's aunts approach Eleonor, lowering her voice, mimicking the revelation of a secret.
Rosemary was still talking. Her brother hung up his smiling mask. But, with his senses on alert, all his attention was trying to catch the confidence that Aunt Robillard seemed to be making to his mother.
Rhett was still looking at the two young women, but it seemed to him that his body had become disassociated, and his amplified hearing was now polarized to the other side of the room around the theme "Scarlett."
Not resisting any more, to hear better, he detached himself from his two interlocutors and made pretence to approach the seated women.
Aunt Eulalie overheard her movement and suddenly stared at her sister. They stopped talking. His mother looked at him with an embarrassed air, suspecting that her son had grasped the object of their conversation in a low voice.
To create a diversion, Aunt Pauline raised her voice. In a falsetto tone, she said to Mrs. Butler, "Oh, my dear Eleanor. Do you know that I met Mrs. Boyd at the market yesterday? She asked me about you. "And then she went on.
From that moment on, Rhett lost interest in playing the seducer with young Tucker.
What had they said about Scarlett? What did they know that these two gossips feel compelled to keep their voices down in his presence? Another rumor? A rumor about what? About her and Ashley, of course, that's all it was! It was enough to see their guilty looks when he had looked at them.
He had to know. He hadn't heard from her for sixteen months now. He hadn't looked for any. Who would have given him any news anyway? Maybe Belle?
He didn't want to know. He didn't want to hear from her. He didn't want to care what she was doing now.
So, what did it matter to him to know the latest scandal initiated by Scarlett O'Hara that her aunts liked to report to his mother!
He turned to Roselyne and Rosemary. « Ladies, it was a pleasure to share such a pleasant moment with you. Unfortunately, work awaits me. I must take my leave. »
"Oh Rhett! How sad. But I understand. You are such a busy businessman. We'll see you at the bandstand on Sunday, won't we, as you promised? »
"I'll pick you up at your house. See you Sunday. " He gave her a distracted hand kiss and retreated to the library.
There, he waited for the agitation to end, for the guests to withdraw. Finally, through the window, he saw the aunts' carriage leave, then Roselyne's silhouette moving away.
Then, with a decided step, he returned to the boudoir, and placed himself in front of his mother.
Eleonor pretended not to understand her son's posture.
"This afternoon I could see that you and Roselyne were getting along well. I am glad of it, I can tell you, for she belongs to an excellent family and her manners are delicate. »
"Mother, don't pretend. " Rhett's voice was cold.
Eleonor acted surprised, "What do you mean Rhett?"
"Don't pretend. I heard all three of you. »
His brittle tone backed her into a corner. "About what? You know, we've exchanged trivia. We're such old friends! I like them, but their topics of conversation are pretty shallow, I must admit. »
Rhett didn't let her distract him. He continued in the same affirmative tone, "Mother, they told you about Scarlett. »
"Ah yes! That?" she said with a falsely detached air.
"What did they tell you? »
Eleonor then chose the attack. "Rhett! You told me you didn't want to hear about her anymore. »
Her son's voice had grown muffled. "Mama, I need to know. »
Eleonor's embarrassment was becoming more and more visible. She replied without looking at him, "Oh, you know, nothing really important. »
"But still? "He wouldn't let go until she told him the truth.
"Well..." Her intonation became more dragging in order to delay the moment when she would have to repeat the Robillard ladies' confidence. "Well, they just told me that Scarlett was now entertaining herself in theater or restaurant. »
Rhett took on a suspicious tone. "Does this constitute such a significant event that the gossip will spread all the way to Charleston?"
Eleonor was beginning to lose patience with her son's inquisitive tone. "Rhett, there's no point in talking to you about it. Listen to me! I can see that you've regained your strength since your return, that you're getting your life back together. What does it matter what Scarlett is doing in Atlanta? And what's more, you're the one who wanted a divorce so you wouldn't have to hear about her anymore."
Rhett turned to the window, glancing out at the sea. In an insecure voice, with his fists in his pockets, he repeated his plea, "Mama, I need to know! »
Eleonor realized the extent of her favorite son's distress. And understood that there was no way out.
"Well! They added that each time she was accompanied by Ashley Wilkes. »
Rhett felt as if his heart stopped. "Ah!" was all he could say.
Then, a few seconds later: "And that's it? "he added in a voice that forced indifference.
The evocation of Ashley had had the effect of a whip, making resurface his old demons.
"Her aunts reported to me that their friends saw them a fortnight ago publicly displayed together on a walk in the Atlanta park, along with the children, Wade and Ella, and Melanie's son Beau.
Rhett chuckled sadly. "Ha! Ha! What a great surprise! Now that the coast is clear, now that poor Melanie has joined Bonnie, they have plenty of time to share their schedules..."
And then he couldn't go on. It hurt. Why did it hurt so much? He knew it. He had always known. The very next day when he had left Scarlett, he had said to himself, "her declaration of love, she will forget about it the very next week and go running to her precious Ashley and comfort him. »
Well, here it is! The moment had arrived. Probably, soon, her dear aunts will hasten to announce to the family of the ex-husband that Scarlett ex Butler will be called Scarlett Wilkes from now on.
For as long as that devious Ashley had wanted her, he had succeeded! "I served Scarlett to him on a silver platter when I divorced her. How he must have relished the situation."
Oh, and then, it didn't matter to him. He was rid of her. So let her finally realize her teenage dream! "This is ridiculous. I am ridiculous. Let her do what she wants. This is what I wanted, damn it! »
It was pitiful to take this news so much to heart. He had left her because his love had worn out. That's what he had told her. So why did this wave of rage suddenly come over him? Jealousy had remained hidden. And here that it resurfaced. As violent as before.
Images of Ashley hugging his wife, of Wade and Ella holding hands, of a house where the five of them would live together - where Rhett didn't belong - clashed before his eyes.
Ashley had managed to take everything from him: his wife, his children-in-law whom he had considered as his own. And now, it was this puppet who would embody for them the image of the father. Had Ella already started to call him Daddy ?
Rhett didn't think about the fact that when he divorced his stepchildren, he also left them. He thought about them regularly. But he quickly put them out of his mind, because they belonged to a past he wanted to forget.
He had lost his little Bonnie, the love of his life. Now his lifelong rival was stealing what was left most precious to him.
He had nothing left. Only bitterness and a great emptiness in his heart.
Eleonor looked at her son with perplexity. His forehead and cheekbones were reddened by the influx of blood. His eyes looked hallucinated. He was clenching his fists. She thought to herself that she definitely did not understand him anymore.
Rhett thought he needed to get some fresh air. He was suffocating within his walls. He was suffocating in his life. If he stayed here, he would break everything around him.
He felt like a leopard in a cage, trying to find a way out, a way to get his ex-wife out of his mind. But every time the hope of an opening appeared, of a possibility of forgetting as with the young Tucker, a brutal recall of his old life came to smash the hope of cure which he had faintly glimpsed, to throw him again brutally against a wall and to prohibit him any exit.
He felt such violence, such fury!
He needed a drink. More than a drink, in fact. He needed whiskey and comforting arms. He knew where to find them.
He turned to his mother and said, "Don't wait for me for supper, I'll be home late, Mother. "He leaned over to her and kissed her furtively.
In the lobby, he grabbed his hat, slammed the door and headed for the Gentlemen's Club Haven.
Disclaimers : I do not own the history and characters of Gone with the Wind which belong to Margaret Mitchell.