Important note: I have split the continuation of chapter 15 from February 21 into three chapters (from 16 to 18), as the text was much too long.
Chapter 19 will take place in Atlanta in April 1876. Finally, in Chapter 20, we arrive in May 1876, which is the exact time described in the first line of Chapter 1 of my fanfiction, at the opening of the Great Charleston Fashion Défilé. And... I won't tell you more, but, I can't wait to write it!
I want to thank my followers and reviewers from the bottom of my heart. Believe me, you give me energy to continue the adventure of The Boutique Robillard. You, the "guests" who also post reviews, unfortunately the system does not allow to answer you. But know that I really appreciate them.
The same day, Charleston, February 21, 1876, at the Butler home, 2 p.m.
After lunch, Rhett had retired to his office. It had been a short night. He had played cards with members of the Gentlemen's Club, after discussing international politics with Pierre de Boulogne, the owner of the Haven. He had ended the night by going to the second floor, as a ritual, without much enthusiasm.
He felt tired, ready for a nap, and lay down on the leather sofa. He stared intently at the statue a meter away from him. The priestess Karomama. His eyelids became heavy, heavy, and his mind began to daydream. The statue was coming to life, advancing towards him. Her green eyes glared at him, challenging him.
By a magical effect, the head of the Egyptian deity mutated into another goddess, with pearly skin, jet hair and emerald eyes. She was only a few centimeters away from him. So close as to touch him. She leaned over him. The images became more suggestive. He wanted to preserve this state of semi-lethargy to prolong these aphrodisiac feelings.
All sense of time had been diluted. Finally, Rhett woke up, happy from his erotic dream. Once again, Scarlett had come to see him, the better to make him fantasize and soothe him.
Since he had finally admitted to himself, a year ago, that he would always love his ex-wife, he let the memories flow without rejecting them, hoping that she would come and join him in his sleep. Even if he knew that afterwards the awakening would be painful, and that there would remain only an emptiness, the loneliness, the lack.
He stared again at the priestess. It had all started with her.
He remembered his arrival in Cairo in March of last year. He had been bewitched by the beauty of the pyramids and the feeling of immortality that came from them. He had gone then to the Museum of Boulaq (*1) of Cairo to admire the archaeological discoveries.
He was immersed in the contemplation of a sculpture of the goddess Isis, her wings protecting her child, the god Osiris. The head was crowned with a solar disk. She was of good size, about 30 inches. (*2)
That's when he felt a presence near him. Someone called out to him. He had a strong French accent. He turned around and greeted him. The man held out his hand and introduced himself: François-Auguste-Ferdinand Mariette. (*3) Rhett did the same.
"Ah! You are American! I am the Director of this museum. I am the one who discovered this statue, buried under pounds of sand in Thebes. It is dated to the year 590 BC. I brought it back to life. It was worth it, wasn't it? »
Rhett nodded and confessed that he had been fascinated by ancient Egypt since his younger days at West Point, having studied the battles of Napoleon.
"So, you are like all the French who are fond of ancient Egypt! Do you know that when General Bonaparte went to Egypt with his Army in 1798 to lock the India Road to the English, he brought with him 167 scholars who had to catalog the riches of the Egypt of the Pharaohs and build a collection of antiquities? In fact, it is a soldier of the French troops who made the most important discovery, by falling by chance on the mythical Rosetta stone. » (*6)
"Yes, of course, I know that it is, thanks to this fragment of stele, that the Frenchman Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs. »
"It was a legislative text translated into Greek and Egyptian, written in three scripts, including hieroglyphics. Unfortunately, like the majority of the finds made by Napoleon's army, it was the English who recovered it. It is since then in the British Museum in London. » (*6)
Rhett promised himself that, on his next visit to England, he would go and admire it.
He was more and more intrigued by this man with a full beard. "Is it you who had discovered all these wonders displayed here?"
Mariette rejoiced: "It will seem really immodest of me, but yes. Since 1850, I have brought out of the sand and oblivion, between Saqqarah and Giza to Nubia, 300 tombs, the Serapium, this sanctuary dedicated to the Greco-Egyptian divinities, and more than 15,000 objects. If you go to see the Charles X room at the Louvre Museum, you will be scrutinized by one of my first discoveries, a sculpture, the Crouching Scribe. » (*5)
Noting the surprise of the American, he added: "I direct a team of 2780 men in charge of carrying out the excavations. (*4) Needless to say that this induces a constant struggle to obtain from the French Government the allocation of new funds to finance this research. »
Rhett raised his eyebrows. "France should be behind you without hesitation. You are helping to replenish the treasures of humanity! »
Mariette smiles." At first it was difficult. But I have their support now. Unfortunately, we still need money! »
Then he told him about some of the hazards he had encountered. "During the World Fair in Paris in 1867, the Empress Eugenie wanted to appropriate some of the jewels of Ahotep, a pharaoh's wife, which were presented there. I had to fight with the Egyptian pasha to get him to refuse to give them to her. Another time, while I was away after having discovered the sarcophagus of another spouse, the Egyptian authorities took the opportunity to open it, without any other precaution. It will seem incredible to you, but they "threw away" the mummy to keep jewels and objects. » (*5)
He concludes, "As you can see, the life of an Egyptologist is not a relaxing one! »
"How did you come to dig up the Egyptian soil to bring out such treasures?"
Oh, I wasn't destined for that. I was a small teacher in a port town in northern France, Boulogne-sur-Mer. »
Rhett interrupted, "That's funny because my French friend from Charleston is named De Boulogne. »
The Boulonnais replied that the very old noble family called "De Boulogne" had probably held the fiefdom, and that its roots had been anchored for centuries in this fishing port. The ancestors of his friend were born, without any doubt, in this corner of France. Then he resumed his story:
"I felt a big void professionally. So I spent a lot of time at the Museum examining a mummy case. The bottom had been repainted, horribly restored, and the inscriptions were partially erased. I got hold of Champollion's grammar book and dictionary to study them. This is how I gradually learned to read hieroglyphs, Coptic and Aramaic. By chance, someone in my family asked me to classify the archives of a collaborator of Champollion. One thing leading to another, I managed to work in Paris, at the Louvre Museum. Not for a prestigious position, just to classify papyri. But this allowed me to study all the wonders that surrounded me. » (*5)
"So you left Boulogne-sur-Mer for Paris. And then? »
"Well, I was so invested in the deepening of knowledge that I was finally entrusted with a mission, that of recovering manuscripts in Egypt that might have been preserved in Coptic monasteries. But the English had already appropriated them. So I didn't find any manuscripts, but... I started digging! » (*5)
Rhett intervened. You left everything for Egypt. What about your wife, your children? »
He looked at him: "It's true, I already had a family at that time. I had a wife who loved me and two children. But, when it came to choosing, I must admit that I didn't hesitate. Perhaps you consider that I sacrificed them. Yes, but the pharaohs were waiting for me. It was too powerful a desire. »
Rhett's face had turned dark. "I, too, abandoned my family. There were five of us, until my little girl died. The tragedy was like a window that disintegrated before my eyes, leaving thousands of shards of glass that could not be joined together. The two children - they were my wife's - and my wife, suddenly did not matter anymore at that moment. I had nothing more to give them. So I left them. Oh, not for a great passion like you. But to escape, to find peace. Nothing very captivating, is there? »
The man asked him: "Have you found this serenity? »
Rhett smiled wryly. "What I found was the realization of a void. A huge mess. »
"Ah! You regret. But why then did you not return to your family? »
Rhett made a face. "Because it's too late. Because I hurt them so much. Because I don't own a place with them anymore, because someone else has replaced me, I think. »
Ah!" said the Frenchman with an understanding air. And so you came here to Egypt to forget. »
Rhett's bitterness was visible: "Forget? I've finally realized that it's impossible. Maybe I'm here to question the meaning of my life, to find a way to fill that void."
The Egyptologist concludes: "By contemplating the civilization of the Pharaohs which had been buried under tons of sand by Amon, the God of the Wind, and which, thanks to our researches, comes back to life, I believe to be able to affirm you, Mr. Butler, that nothing is lost. That you must not give up. »
Rhett took a breath, wanting to swallow that optimism, to make it his own.
Before taking leave, François-Auguste Mariette indicated him the name of some specialists of antiquities at which he would have pleasure to discover treasures.
Rhett took his advice and made an appointment with the great antiquities dealer in Cairo, Mohassib Muhammad Bey (*7).
And that's where he had seen it, "his" statue. Not big, about twenty inches. Unlike other goddesses with half-animal half-woman attributes, this one had all the assets and curves of femininity. Her proportions instantly reminded him of another body, this one very much alive. She was draped in gold, her arms and head were the color of the sun. Except for her eyes. Green eyes.
Rhett stood paralyzed before it. The merchant, who had greeted the American, told him that it was the Divine Adoratrix Karomama, dating from 870 B.C. "This priestess is made entirely of bronze, inlaid with gold and silver. » (*8)
It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful piece on sale from the Egyptian dealer. Bey was tempted to sell the sculpture at a high price to the American. But the fact that the American was recommended by the famous French Egyptologist forced him to offer a high, but not prohibitive, selling price.
The deal was done quickly. The sculpture, well protected in a box, would be sent to his hotel. It would be shipped with him to France and then to Charleston. Under no circumstances would Rhett have accepted that it could be lost in a separate freight shipment.
When he arrived in Paris, he contacted his new painter friends, called "Impressionists", whom he had met in 1874 at their first exhibition at the photographer Nadar's. He bought several paintings from some of them. They promised to keep in touch, and to keep him informed of the progress of their new works.
Then he went to the Museum of the Louvre to visit specifically the room Charles X devoted to Egyptology. He made himself known to the Curator of the Museum, under the recommendation of Mariette. The interview was cordial and enriching.
At a German antique dealer on the Quai Voltaire, Henri Hoffmann, one of those who bought and resold the most Egyptian objects, (*7) he bought, for pleasure, two sets of six lead and ivory tesserae, engraved with numbers, from Egypt at the time of the Roman occupation. They were originally voting or game tokens. They were to become original gaming accessories for himself and his friend who owned the Gentlemen's Haven.
His last appointment, before leaving for America, was at the home of Mariette's friend, the collector and antiquities dealer Wilhelm Froehner, a German naturalized French by Napoleon III. The two men had known each other when they worked together in the Louvre. (*7)
Rhett's attention was immediately drawn to two pieces of jewelry.
"I see that you are an aesthete. I have just acquired these two exceptional pieces thanks to - or because of - the death of the greatest Parisian jewelry collector.
"Tell me about this bracelet, please."
It is from the Ancient Egyptian period, of course. It is made of gold, with openwork and cloisonné glass inlays. Notice its remarkable width, to better highlight the sitting lions, surrounded by palmettes. The green color, amidst the white and red hues, will blend perfectly with the jasper of the ring. » (*9)
"And the ring?" The setting was thin and simple, similar to a wedding band. The design was a soft, bright green.
The ring and the bezel are in gold. The scarab is made of jasper, and here it represents the winged goddess Isis protecting her child, the Pschent, characterized by the setting of two crowns on the bezel. It can be dated between 664 and 332 B.C." (*10)
Noting that the American seemed hypnotized by his two most beautiful possessions, he said:
"The bezel is mobile, and can be narrowed according to the size of the finger. The inner diameter of the bracelet is suitable if the lady has a thin wrist. Is this the case? »
Rhett answered "yes," almost in a whisper.
After agreeing on the price, he waited for the merchant to pack the two precious items with the utmost care.
Before he left, Hoffmann shook his hand and said, "Your wife is certainly very beautiful for you to give her such luxurious jewelry. »
His client forced a smile of assent, and left.
Rhett sailed for America the next day.
Sitting in his office chair, Rhett poured himself a glass of whiskey. It wasn't his first of the day. And, he quipped, "it wouldn't be the last.
He recalled the months that followed his return to Charleston until today, February 21. There was an intensive exchange of correspondence with the Egyptologist Mariette, his new Parisian contacts, and numerous political negotiations.
He was aware that many people were counting on him now, and were just waiting for his green light. But... he didn't have the energy.
Rhett sighed, not proud of his apathy. As for his life in Charleston, it was passing quietly, without a hitch, without emotion.
This was not the appearance he gave his mother. He was aware of that. She had convinced herself that her son was finally happy. And that he was in a good position to remarry. That's why she encouraged her daughter to invite her friend Roselyne Tucker as often as possible.
Rhett was amused to see her spying on them as he conversed with the girl in the living room.
Had things evolved between them? Yes, there had been many outings, with or without Rosemary, to the theater, to concerts, sometimes to restaurants. Roselyne was cultured, and there was no shortage of things to talk about.
And when she was silent, she looked at him, or rather, - Rhett thought uncharitably - she ate him with her eyes. His seductive vanity was feeding on it.
Or rather of a former seducer. Because, to be honest, he no longer trusted his charms. Belle Watling would be amused, if she knew. But he hadn't been back to Atlanta since November 1873, two years and three months ago. He didn't even have the benefit of Belle's generous physical warmth to make him think he was as attractive as the old blockade breaker, as lusty as the one who came to occupy his nights when only a cold bed awaited him at home. That was all before. Before Bonnie died, before he left Atlanta, before their divorce.
Roselyne was seductive, pulpy when she laughed. His looks to her were charming, sometimes even naughty. Hands intertwined, hips brushed against each other, two or three kisses were exchanged. Rhett had not claimed others. Her lips could not soothe him.
This superficial frolic made him regress in time, much further than before the famous barbecue of 1861.
She was young. Come to think of it, she was probably only five or six years younger than Scarlett. Seventeen years! There was a seventeen-year age difference between him and the beautiful belle from Clayton County! He had never really taken notice. If, probably, this day in Twelve Oaks, in front of a Scarlett-child of sixteen years. But she already had none of the appearance of adolescence. Hell, no! After that, he wasn't concerned about her age at all. The only thing that mattered was that she finally fell in love with him.
But today, he was fast approaching the halfway point of the century. Scarlett was a blossoming young woman in her early 30s. Ashley was only a few years older than her. Rhett felt old.
Wouldn't it be wise, then, to warm up to the young Roselyne, who was only asking for that, and to settle down to end his life of patachon? Obviously, only an official union was conceivable for a young girl of his milieu. Even if Rhett had well understood that the young Charlestonian was ready to break the taboo of the sacred bonds of marriage to spend tender moments with him. That's what he had come to Charleston for, the respectability of a home.
He distracted himself for a moment by imagining himself remarried. Roselyne Butler. He said it out loud. It seemed incongruous. Then he felt a knot in his stomach. Another Mrs. Rhett Butler...
He poured himself another drink. No! He was lucid. There would never be another Mrs. Rhett Butler.
Even if he was the one who had conscientiously, surgically, brutally ripped his name from Scarlett's first name.
Notes on Chapter 16:
(*1) Boulaq Museum: current Cairo Museum
(*2) Isis and Osiris statue : source British Museum org : for this fanfiction, I invented that it had been discovered by Mariette.
(*3) François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette is a French Egyptologist born on February 11th 1821 in Boulogne-sur-Mer and died on January 18th 1881 in Cairo (Egypt). Auguste Mariette is, with Jean-François Champollion, one of the two founding fathers of Egyptology - Source histoire image org - /fr/etudes/mariette-pacha-francais-creer-service-antiquites-egypte ; other source : universalis fr encyclopedie - .fr/encyclopedie/auguste-mariette/
(*4) In 1872, Mariette had 2,780 workers working under his direction in Egypt - Source histoire image org - /fr/etudes/auguste-mariette
(*5) Major source for Mariette : conference made in 1883 in front of a academic assembly about his life and discoveries : « Notice sur la vie et les travaux de François-Auguste-Ferdinand Mariette-Pacha, membre ordinaire de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres » [note biographique], séance du 23 novembre 1883, source
(*6) Rosetta stone : source France archives fr - /commemo/recueil-1999/39973
(*7) Merchant of antiquities Wilhelm Froehner : actually part of his diary, with his daily purchases and names of his contemporary antique dealers : the trade and the collections of Egyptian antiquities - Notice sur la vie et les travaux de François-Auguste-Ferdinand Mariette-Pacha, membre ordinaire de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres [note biographique], séance du 23 novembre 1883, - Journal des Savants Year 1992 1 pp. 155-186 - source persee fr - .fr/doc/jds_0021-8103_1992_num_1_1_1556
(*8) Priestess Karomama: "The Divine Adoratrix, first identified with the wife of Pharaoh Takelot II by Jean-François Champollion, who acquired it in 1829. The figurine would in fact represent a daughter of Osorkon I, a priestess related to Karomama, herself a priestess of the god Amun-Ra and guardian of the crown. The bronze is inlaid with gold and silver using the damascene technique. Source egyptophile blogspot com - . Important: for my fanfiction, I invented the green eyes.
(*9) Bracelet, Musée du Louvre - source: collection louvre .fr/ark:/53355/cl010009286
(*10) Ring, Musée du Louvre - source collection louvre .fr/ark:/53355/cl010011020#
Disclaimers : I do not own the story and characters of Gone with the Wind which belong to Margaret Mitchell. I created the "world" of Duncan Vayton and Blanche Bonsart.