Chapter 84
They took a long time to return to their own room. Scarlett had sunk into a world of comfort and ease in a big velvet chair and her eyes were starting to droop. She stole a glance in Rhett's direction but he didn't seem to mind what she did. So, she opened her fan and began gently fanning herself. The ring on her finger shone brilliantly. She was peering at its facets when she saw a finely attired couple make their way to the table.
"Rhett Butler! How nice to see you here- It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
The stranger was tall and very handsome. He had a large blond moustache and his hair was neatly combed back with oil and perfume. His suit was soft and well tailored and he wore diamond cufflinks. The lady on his arm was gorgeous too. She seemed to have peacock feathers coming out of her bodice and make a huge wispy drape across her white naked shoulders and the black choker on her neck with a single pearl made her look absolutely stunning. Scarlett took in the huge plumes on her bonnet which faintly dipped forward to cover one eye. "I must have a hat like that!" thought Scarlett to herself. She smiled and dimpled as Rhett introduced her as his wife and the couple commented that Scarlett and Rhett made a handsome pair. When they were gone, Scarlett's fatigue had gone as well. She leaned over her elbow to stare at the lady's peacock gown and commented, "She looks just like a princess from India, doesn't she? Did you see those feathers on her gown- Oh, I absolutely adored that hat!"
"It's a cheap make and your comment just now would make a real Indian princess reel at your blatant ignorance. I could show you dozens of dresses like that being made in a pile in tiny shops in the back street- Don't be fooled by all that shine, Scarlett. I'll take you to some genuine high fashion shops tomorrow and you can see what true elegance is like-"
"Oh, that dress looked fine to me! I could simply try a dress like that see what I could do with it-" replied Scarlett, eagerly.
"I'll decide what you try or don't try, my pet." said Rhett with a finality. "And I'll buy your frocks for you. But I'll make it fun for you, I promise."
He dropped her off at their room and walked back down the stairs without a word. Scarlett stared after him bemused and then shrugging to herself, she walked into their suite. Once again, the grand furnishings swept her off her feet and she filled with a sense of excitement. She undressed quickly and tossed all her clothes in a heap on the chair in front of the huge dressing table. She decided to run a bath just to get a feel of bathing in such a huge bathroom when she heard a soft knock on the door. She threw on a dressing gown and tip toed to the door.
It was the hotel boy who had carried their luggage. He came inside with a huge leather trunk and a few parcels. These parcels, he left on the side table. Scarlett realized these were Rhett's baggage and smiled at herself for not realizing his own things had just then arrived. She picked up one of the parcels and discovering a lock on it, she held it up to her ear and shook it to guess what was inside.
After she had her bath, sauntered in on bare feet and wondered what to wear on her first night with Rhett. She peeked into her wardrobe and looked at all her clothes. She had packed her best gowns and under-wear but they weren't anything as fine as her trousseau. She recollected her previous marriages and remembered wearing her white chemise to her night with Charles and an ordinary gingham dress with Frank. She also remembered gathering some details of what Frank liked and understanding something of his taste and the kind of woman he preferred being with and had adapted as best as she could. But with Rhett, she was all at sea and she wanted to avoid looking stupid. Her mind made clever but extremely vague jabs at how Rhett knew women from Paris and England and this did nothing to help her decide what to wear. Finally she gave up and simply wore the best dressing gown she had at the moment and went to the mirror to comb her hair. She was doing this when Rhett finally came inside.
"Hello, Rhett-" said Scarlett, cheerily and saw that he had some tickets in his hand. "What's that you are holding?" she asked, airily.
"Tickets to the theatre. I am going to improve your mind, Scarlett." quipped Rhett as he tossed the tickets in a shelf on the side table. "Those people we met were the Cunninghams and they are holding a dinner party tomorrow in our honor- We will do some shopping tomorrow afternoon and then take the carriage to their house. It should be engaging enough for you, shouldn't it?"
"It sounds absolutely heavenly, Rhett- I would love to get to know your friends-" And she meant it too. She meant to understand Rhett's preferences so that she could use them to her advantage later.
"More like acquaintances, honey." drawled Rhett, pleasantly. "They aren't my friends."
Scarlett good-humouredly ignored him. Rhett stood watching her pull down one curl after another and brushing her hair to a full length and with eyes full of curiosity and admiration, he walked over and stooped by her dresser. He took the brush from her hand and began to comb her hair, very gently away from her face. Scarlett immediately wore a look of superior tolerance on her face and even frowned a little to imply that Rhett's handling of the brush was doing her hair some harm. But there was a growing expression of pleasure on her face as she recognised the familiar sensation of a man working towards making love to her. Rhett pushed away all her clothes covering the nearby chair and sat down. Gently gripping her chin, he turned her face towards him and brushed away some more hair off her forehead and face. He reached for a coil of hair. "Is the pin here?" he asked. And when she nodded, he gently pulled it off and tossed it into her lap. When he looked up, there was sweet affection in his eyes. "It's nice to know that you've kept this length of hair, Scarlett." said Rhett, warmly. "You look very pretty, my dear-" Scarlett cast her eyes down and allowed herself to appear timid and shy since this usually invoked some noble feelings within a man's breast. But with every feeling of Rhett's long fingers running through her black hair, fumbling and finding the pins and gently pulling them down, she found herself impatient to be in his arms. But he went on brushing away and her hair bounced in waves and curls. Scarlett's gaze was now revealing a awkward embarrassment at being so tenderly handled and she endeavoured to ask if this meant, he loved her when suddenly he set the brush down and gasped, "I haven't carried you over the threshold yet! That's an important tradition, isn't it? Now that I've finally gone against all my fine principles-common sense and shoved my head through the marital noose, I'd better finish the job properly and follow all the rules, eh?"
Scarlett started at this in apprehension. "Now..now wait a minute." she began, trying to calm him down. But Rhett's eyes were already dancing in mischief and malice. She weakly raised a pointed finger. "You should have done it.. when we first came to this room. It.. It's meaningless to do anything about it now. I've undressed and.. Rhett! Stop it … what are you doing?!Put me down! Oh, great balls of fire!"
He had already swooped her up in his arms and was reaching to the door in long strides. "Stop it! What will people think! Put me down this instant!" cried Scarlett in furious anger. But he laughed at her outright and shot into the corridor. Her temper faded into confusion and fear as she found herself being ignominiously presented to an equally bewildered audience. Sure enough, the few people on the passageway and on the stairs, stopped and noted Rhett in his fine suit and Scarlett's half open dressing gown which was threatening to reveal more than her white ankles.
"Ohhhh!" cried Scarlett with growing horror at the hint of amusement in their eyes.
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen." announced Rhett, officiously. "But we have just been married and my wife was upset that I didn't carry her over the threshold. A tradition which I am performing now!" He nodded mockingly and Scarlett frantically pulled up her gown and shielded her face. He stepped over and then clicked his tongue in irritation. "We forgot to kiss each other. The evil spirits expect us to kiss or the whole thing loses its potency-" he cried.
"If you think that I-"
Rhett stepped back out and Scarlett knew that this would go on forever if she didn't comply and lifted her face to be kissed. He finally went inside and slammed the door. Scarlett could hear the laughter and cheers from outside and tried to shake the horror on her colour-drained face. Rhett himself had collapsed into a chair and his laughter rang out long and loud. Scarlett's heart beat faster because the only reason she could attribute to Rhett's wild behaviour was he must have behaved this way with Belle Watling. She could see him now, lifting one of those white powdered, red-mouthed, painted girls in Belle's nasty saloon and stalking off into those gilt mirror rooms or whatever it was and making violent love. She shook in rage at this. What a terrible thing she had done to marry this horrible man who thought nothing of women and yet knew them so ridiculously well. She was going to have to nip this sort of thing in the bud!
"I expect to be treated with respect. For Heaven's sakes, you've married me, haven't you?! I have never been more ashamed in my entire life! What a spectacle we must have made! I wanted to be nice to you but you've made me very cross. I'll never speak to you again!"
Rhett reached up and caught her arm. He pulled her to his lap and held her with both his arms. She struggled obstinately against his strength and finally fell into a sulk. "Now, there's no need to ruffle your feathers." said Rhett, in a vaguely apologetic tone. "If you take everything I do so seriously, how can we ever have fun in our marriage?"
"It isn't fun for me!" snapped Scarlett, unwilling to be pacified so easily. "You treat the entire thing as if it were a joke! It's humiliating to me!"
"All right, now stop fussing. I can't bear to see your face all scrunched up like that." Rhett took her hand and deposited a warm kiss on her palm. Scarlett was careful to maintain her sullen look although the skin on her neck crawled in immediate pleasure. "What a strange thing this is." said Rhett. "Here I am coddling my wife on my knee and she glares at me like a savage cat about to claw my eyes out. I thought the first order of marriage was to love thy husband-and what a husband, wealthy and generous- surely no amount of love could be sufficient in securing such a man as this!"
"There you go being perfectly horrid again!" said Scarlett, rising up and being pulled back down. "If that's all you are going to say, then I-"
Rhett sat up and reached down near her ankles. "I thought I found bare feet here-" He suddenly tickled her feet and she fell back on him in surprised laughter.
"Well! That's another pleasant discovery!" remarked Rhett. "Your feet won't be safe from now on! You better wear your stockings and shoes all the time. You never know when I might-" He tickled her again and she shook from side to side in a fit of giggles. The dimple appeared once again on her face. "Oh you black-hearted villain!" she cried, wondering how she might ever get through to this strange, incorrigible man who seemed to take keen pleasure in eliciting the most extreme emotions within her.
Rhett finally asked her. "Do you really mean to take this as seriously as this, Scarlett?"
"What do you mean?" asked Scarlett, now relenting a little.
"Our marriage- Is it really meant to be taken so seriously?"
Scarlett tried to look firm. "I can't be as contrary as you, you devil! Of course it is serious..to me! And I thank you not to treat me like one of your female companions in Belle Watling's house!"
Rhett feigned a stricken look. "Ah, I see your point." he said, nodding in comprehension. A look of bitter cynicism crossed his face. "And what about your eternal feelings towards Mr. Ashley Wilkes?"
"I don't see how he is any concern of yours since I have now married you"
"That is not an answer to my question" retorted Rhett.
"If you promise not to think of your filthy life in Belle Watling's saloon, then I promise never to bring Ashley in any circumstance into our marriage" said Scarlett, stoutly.
"That is a very good deal, Scarlett. Very astute of you to suggest it. Let this deal be the basis of our marriage. I only hope it will last." said Rhett. He pulled her over his chest until his breath was warmth upon her face. She did not resist him now. "And now that you have made this deal- don't you think we should seal it with a kiss?"
Scarlett closed her eyes and felt Rhett's hot lips upon hers. She felt her lips parting and the most nerve tingling sensations starting to crawl through her body. She felt herself being coiled into his chest as wave upon wave of feeling rushed upon through her, ravaging her. He kissed her slowly, warmly- as leisurely as he had kissed her on the road to Rough and Ready. These were not bruising kisses. The hands that grasped her were not hurting or hard. Yet when she drew back a little, she felt the hardness of his arms restraining her, as if to say "not yet.. not yet". They forbid her to move and advanced up her waist and shoulders, encircling her neck and raising her lips again to his. He forced her to part her lips further and she struggled against his steady power. She wished for it to end for she could not stay so quiet. How urgently his lips met hers now- She whimpered for a moment of reprieve. But now, his kisses had left her lips and were descending just as leisurely down her neck and into the folds of her gown. A hand parted the garment and warm breath blew across her soft flesh. She trembled and became frightened. Her heart raced faster as Rhett's mouth lingered longer, patiently working her into a pleasurable frenzy. She gripped his head, running her fingers through his hair. He would not let go. She gasped faintly and his lips were on hers again.
She found herself lying on the bed and he stepped away for just a moment to remove his outer clothing and unbutton his white shirt.
"Shall … shall I put out the light?" asked Scarlett, winded and afraid. He gave no answer. She saw his shadow beside her, helping her to remove her dressing gown completely . When she turned, his lips were upon hers again. The last thing she remembered was reaching her arms around his neck and surrendering to the darkness that enveloped her in maddening pleasure.