Chapter 85

Scarlett woke up from these memories that had eventually crept into her dreams and stretched herself cosily on her bed. She felt at peace and happy with herself. Mrs. Finch had been right. Scarlett was in every sense a woman- it was only that she had thought herself so much masculine and different from other women that made her feel so constricted and confined in the end. And now she remembered that she had been the one who had given some meaning into her marriage to Rhett!

It felt as if she had solved something of the intrigue surrounding her husband. He had impulsively proposed to her and she had married him with the genuine intent of making him happy. She beamed with happiness at this. And this happiness followed her through the day. She relinquished her desire to monitor Ella and Mrs. Finch daily. She still accompanied Wade every other day but now she planned a trip to Tara. She did not know when but she wanted to go before Rhett should suddenly invite them all to go abroad.

On a whim, she decided to pay a house call to Aunt Pitty. She ordered Cookie to make some cakes and covering the dishes with a lace cloth, she mounted her carriage and rode down the street. People were more kind to Scarlett now. Word had quickly gotten around that Scarlett had hired someone of quality for educating her child and Mrs. Finch herself dropped in a good word whenever she found the opportunity. So, Scarlett enjoyed a better reputation now. She walked into Aunt Pitty's small saloon with a bright smile and luckily everybody was there- India, Aunt Pitty and even Ashley. They were all chatting together and having a good time when Aunt Pitty suddenly told Scarlett that she had just mailed Ella's painting to Rhett as a reply to his last letter.

"I know that he will approve of it, dear Scarlett. It was a little painting -just the one flower in a vase. I thought it was wonderful-"

Scarlett's throat grew parched. "Rhett has been writing to you?"

"Why, yes dear.. Doesn't he write to you as well?"

Scarlett recovered sufficiently enough to manage, "Yes, of course he does. But I didn't tell him about Ella's classes. I was keeping it for a surprise. I wish you hadn't mailed it to him, Aunt Pitty!"

"I didn't know about it, Scarlett. Oh, I do feel terrible that I've spoilt the surprise." fretted Aunt Pitty.

"There's nothing we can do about now" said Scarlett, quietly. From that time on till an hour later when she left for home, she remained only passively engaged with the conversations. She felt too hurt to be friendly and engaging. "How do you like that?!" she said to herself. "Not one letter to me and he writes to Aunt Pitty getting all the information about me through her! What a sneaky, wretched, wicked.."

"Aunt Pitty, how often does Rhett write to you?"

"Every two weeks, dear-" replied Aunt Pitty.

Scarlett fumed in silence. She was still fuming when she met Mrs. Finch on the stairway. The sight of the quiet lady in her crisp calico gown with the lace shawl around her shoulders assured Scarlett that her world was still all right. She called her into the library and asked to talk to her for a while.

"Mrs. Finch, my last talk with you was very peaceful to me. You have helped me in a way that you couldn't possibly know-"

Mrs. Finch set down her books and tilted her glasses. Her eyes twinkled in merriment. "Why, thank you, Mrs. Butler. I am happy to be of service in any way I can."

"There is one more thing I would like you to suggest- My Aunt Pitty mailed Ella's painting to my husband a week back and I don't know what he will think about it. But I do want him to think well of me. But he is a bit frightened you see-"

"Frightened?" exclaimed Mrs. Finch, in surprise. "Frightened of what?"

"Well, er.." Here Scarlett faltered hopelessly. "I guess he is frightened of being stuck in a rut with me and my children- Now, I know I can be very frank with you. My husband had always been this way- You see, we had known each other for a long time and we married after the war. He is several years older than me. And we had a little child called Bonnie. Bonnie Blue Butler. But Bonnie died and Rhett blamed himself for her death and we just drifted apart. And when Melanie died, I tried to tide things over, promising to make life happy for him but he left me and went- I am so confused, Mrs. Finch. I want him back but he keeps suspecting my intention and thinking up the most ridiculous ideas-"

"Why did you promise to make life happy for him?"

"I was desperate. I had no one to turn to. Melanie was such a strength to me and when she died, I felt I was all alone in the world!"

"But if you were desperate, how could you possibly have made your husband forget his troubles."

Scarlett shrugged. "He made me forget mine when I married him. I thought he expected me to do the same thing for him."

"Ah!" said Mrs. Finch, knowingly. "Believe it or not, Mrs. Butler, I know that type of a man. That type is the hardest to snag."

"Oh?" asked Scarlett, wonderingly.

"Yes, he doesn't want to forget his troubles. He is already good at doing it. Does he go to parties often, drink- Does he act on a whim?"

"Rhett is all that-" nodded Scarlett, eagerly.

"And does he like to talk to a lot of people but never seems to stick on to one place or one person? Is he always looking to have a good time?"

"Oh yes, Mrs. Finch! My goodness, how did you ever guess all that?!"

"Because I know that type of man, Mrs. Butler. We had one in our family. He was a fast talker and very business savvy. But he never stayed in his marriage either because he feared the boredom and drudgery of it. Yes, he knew how to forget his troubles."

"Then, if Rhett doesn't want to be happy, what does he want from me?"

"I don't really know, Mrs. Butler. Perhaps he wants to settle down but he is too afraid to admit it. I don't really know. But I do know how you can bait him back into your life."

"How?" asked Scarlett, wide-eyed.

"Where is he from?"

"Rhett is from Charleston. He has a mother there and a brother and sister. He is the eldest in his family and his father despised him."

"All right" said Mrs. Finch, going over those details in her mind. "When he married you, he must have wanted something from you?"

"He wanted the house to be comfortable and lively with quality folk. But I tried all this, Mrs. Finch. I held meetings in this house. I rebuilt the house itself. But he never approaches me. He seems to have forgotten everything- all the good times we had before."

"It will take time, Mrs. Butler. You must ask yourself if you are willing to wait for him or move on. But that is a prize catch if you do manage to bag him." Suddenly Mrs. Finch's eyes lighted up. "Mrs. Butler, I have a suggestion. Now that your Aunt is writing to your husband regularly, let her keep writing. Don't hinder her in any way. And you could invite her here for parties or receptions and she will write more favourably of you. And when you host a party, attribute the general atmosphere of the place to something your husband always wanted- Make everyone think that it was under Mr. Butler's orders that you were hosting parties-"

"But he considered the old ca.." Scarlett hesitated. "-the old matrons of Atlanta as high quality people- Now even I know they are, but they have always been so severe with me!"

"You have to have those people here. The very same people your husband respects. Only then, he will return."

Scarlett leaned back in her chair and gave a sigh. At last, she had a worthy challenge. Suddenly she frowned, "But if Rhett doesn't come back to me, I'll be stuck with these old families around me like a wet blanket. How can I be sure that he will still like these people?"

"Oh he won't like them!" cried Mrs. Finch, with a laugh. "He will engage them in either laughter or tears. That is his wish. He wont remain for them. He will remain for you. These high-quality families you gather are for your protection and for you. You must throw yourself into keeping these people loyal to you so that he will be curious enough to come and see for himself what is going on. And he will behave in his usual ways. But you must not be upset. You must ignore him and go on with your circle. In other words, you must appear to be as happy as he can appear to be. Only then, he will realize that perhaps he has made a mistake in running away. And the moment he admits it, you have got him!"

"Oh, this is a challenge!" said Scarlett to herself. "But if there is no other way.. Its just that, even if Rhett had blamed me, I wouldn't care so much. But he blames himself- he makes it seems as if it was his fault that I couldn't respect him- I can't let him think that way, can I? Well, I'll start working on Mrs. Merriweather right away. She is the toughest nut to crack. I'll talk to her first!"