Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Ten
On Scarlett's birthday, Rhett took her to dinner, and she wore a dress made from the material he had given her before Christmas. The material was white with large flowers on it in different colors. It was a little bold for Rhett, but he had known she would love it. And he could tell she did.
After they were in the cab, Rhett said, "You look beautiful in your dress."
"Thank you."
"Can I assume you have pretty undergarments on also?"
"Yes."
"Can I see them?"
Scarlett giggled and said, "No. Why don't you buy a buggy or carriage?"
"I can't get anything worth buying in the South. What is available is grossly overpriced. So, I just take a cab or walk."
"We have to walk also. Our horse died."
"What from?"
"I don't know. One day he just fell down dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"We have to walk everywhere because we can't afford the cab fare. Thank you again for finding out where Ashley is being held as a prisoner."
"You're welcome. We have to keep Miss Melly's spirits up with her being with child."
"It is hard because of her despair over Ashley."
"What caused you to fall out of love with Mr. Wilkes? It can't be because he married Miss Melly. You still loved him when we danced together at the Hospital Bazaar."
Scarlett laughed and said, "Actually, I did fall out of love with Ashley that very day. Afterall, he chose another woman over me. It doesn't matter why he chose Melly, he did. I just told you I still loved Ashley to keep you chasing me and it worked."
Rhett laughed. He said, "I probably would have kept chasing you even if I had known you didn't love another man. So, you wanted me to keep chasing you."
"You know I am fond of you."
They had gotten to the restaurant. The driver opened the door. After Rhett stepped out of the cab, he turned to help Scarlett out. Once she was on the ground, he said, "You know I am fond of you also."
"Yes. Have you been to The Daily Chew before?"
"No, but the name intrigued me."
"What do they serve?"
"I don't know. We will have to look at the menu."
"Alright."
The restaurant served regular everyday fare. Roast beef, fried chicken, and grilled fish to name a few of the menu items. The food wasn't great, but it was good enough.
The couple chatted happily. Rhett told Scarlett about his work getting the food to the troops. He said, "The hardest part is somehow stopping people from stealing the food."
"To resell?"
"There is a lot of that but there are some people who have stolen the food for their own supper that night."
"Rhett, things are so bad. Aunt PittyPat has started going with Cookie to the market to see what is available. It is no longer what we want for supper but what is available."
"What's worst is the prices just keep climbing."
"Yes."
"Do you need any money?"
"That wouldn't be proper for you to give me money."
"How about if a box of groceries just shows up at your front door."
"No, Honey. You have worked too hard to get received in Atlanta to mess it up by doing something improper right now."
"I can't let you starve."
"We aren't starving. If it gets like that, I will accept your groceries."
Rhett frowned but he didn't say any more. He changed the subject, "I am going to Charleston for a couple of days."
"Just a couple of days?"
"I have to give my mother some money and the only way I can get it to her is to hand it to her."
"Is there any chance of a reconciliation with your father?"
"As far as Langston is concerned, I don't exist."
"What about your sister and brother?"
"I suppose they would talk to me if we were in a private place but not on the street."
"That is something."
"True. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Alright."
For the rest of the meal Rhett entertained Scarlett with amusing stories. She allowed herself to be amused. After he paid the check, they got into a cab back to Scarlett's home.
Rhett said, "How old are you?"
"Don't you know it is impolite to ask a woman her age?"
"It doesn't matter I have a pretty good idea how old you are. I suspect you were sixteen the day of the barbecue so that would make you nineteen on this birthday. I'm thirty-six."
"Alright."
"Am I right? You are nineteen."
"I'm not going to say."
Rhett laughed and said, "Keep your secret. Let me walk you to the door."
"You aren't coming in?"
"Not tonight. I'm going to go play some poker and win some money. So, I can afford to take you out to eat again."
"Alright."
When they got to the door, Scarlett gave Rhett her cheek and he kissed it. He said, "I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Alright, Dear."
Rhett had come so close to being able to tell her he loved her, but he just hadn't been able to get the words out. Damn it, she should just know. She could say it first. He sighed. He knew the reason she never would. It was because of the fiasco in the library with Wilkes.
Rhett got on the train to Charleston three days later. He was going to meet his mother at Gramercy Park. It was a park around the corner from her townhouse. He probably wouldn't even spend the night.
When Rhett arrived in Charleston, he sent his mother a message. All it said was – Here. That was just in case it fell into the wrong hands. It would be a while before Elizabeth would leave the townhouse. She couldn't leave right after the message was delivered. That would be highly suspicious.
After about two hours, Rhett saw his mother walking down the sidewalk. Unfortunately, Langston Butler was walking right beside her. Rhett quickly concealed himself behind the monument. He was disappointed he was not going to get to talk to his mother, but they had an alternate plan for just these occasions.
As soon as his mother and her husband passed by him, Rhett hurried to the townhouse. There was a loose brick on the front of the house. He put the money behind the brick. Later his mother would send her maid down to get the money. His father would be none the wiser. Before his mother got back to her townhouse, Rhett was back at the train station. He would be back in Atlanta within twenty-four hours of having left the city.
Soon it was May, and the Yankees were in Georgia. All anyone could talk about was how the Yankees just couldn't capture Atlanta. Soon half the population of the city was on the trains leaving the town. One of those people was Aunt PittyPat. As Scarlett watched the old woman and her servants forsake them, she thought, 'Like rats abandoning a ship.'
Rhett came to call. As he got up to leave Scarlett had walked him to the door, he said, "Scarlett, you have to leave the city. It is no longer safe to remain here."
"It is not safe in Clayton County. There is a Typhoid Fever epidemic in the county. I can't take Melly there."
"Let me take you and Miss Melly to Mexico. Away from all this."
"No, Honey, Melly would not survive the trip."
"We will talk about this in a month unless the Yankees have already taken over the city."
"Yes, Rhett.
Scarlett just knew Rhett loved her. She knew by the way he was always trying to take care of her. But she couldn't bring herself to utter the words. She had been so sure that Ashley loved her but instead of loving her he had thought her nothing but Irish trash. He hadn't thought her feelings important for he had been trifling with her feelings for two years. All Ashley had wanted was for her to be an amusing divergence while he waited for Melly to get well enough to marry.
No, she wouldn't be the first to say the words. Rhett would have to say them first.
After Rhett was dropped off at The Painted Lady, he was thinking similar thoughts to Scarlett. He just couldn't be the first to say he loved her. He just knew she loved him by the way she let him take care of her nonetheless he couldn't say the words first. Not since he was ten years old, and he had told Emily Prater that he loved her. She had laughed at him. He, in truth, had not loved her. It had just been a case of puppy love, yet he would never forget those feelings of humiliation. Emily had told all her girlfriends and they had all laughed at him also. She had been sixteen and he had been ten. Although in his opinion that was no reason for her to have shamed him that way.
In June Melanie went on complete bed rest. Scarlett made Prissy stay with Melly every day while she went to work at the hospital. More and more wounded were rolling in and the hospital had less and less supplies. The ladies had started taking bandages home and washing them so they could be reused.
Scarlett had not been prepared for the horrors she had seen at the hospital. She had been protected from all the horrors of the world. She had lived a sheltered, pampered existence. She didn't know what was ahead of her in the coming years, but she very much wanted Rhett to be by her side. She knew he would survive no matter the cost.
In July one evening, Rhett had said to Scarlett, "I will take you and Miss Melly to Tara at the end of the week."
"No, Dr. Meade said even that far is too far for Melly to travel, besides the epidemic is still going on in Clayton County."
"We could go to Mexico and leave her behind. She isn't your responsibility. She is Wilkes's responsibility."
"Rhett! You don't mean that. We could never leave Melly behind alone in the house."
"She could move in with Dr. and Mrs. Meade. That would be convenient. The doctor would already be right there."
"Rhett! You don't mean that either. We will take care of Melly."
"Not at the cost of your life."
"Neither Melly nor I are going to die."
"Alright. Alright. We will stay right here until she has the baby," Rhett stood up and started to walk off the porch. He continued, "There will be groceries on your doorstep tomorrow morning. Don't argue with me."
Scarlett stood up and followed behind Rhett to the street. She said, "Don't leave."
"I'm too frustrated with you to stay. I don't want to say anything hateful."
"Will you be back tomorrow?"
"No, it may be several days before I come back."
"I will miss you."
Rhett turned and smiled at her. He said, "I will miss you, too."
It was closer to a week before Rhett returned to Hamilton House. He and Scarlett would sit on the porch in full view of everyone. They did not sit next to each other, but they did sit close to each other.
Dr. and Mrs. Meade, Grandpa Merriwether, and others would walk by on their evening walk and stop and talk to the couple. These conversations would always be about the war. The men would tell everyone what the generals should do to keep General Sherman from capturing Atlanta. Rhett would occasionally add a sentence here and there but for the most part he remained quiet. Scarlett knew that he was quiet because in his heart he thought it was ridiculous for anyone to think the South could still win the war. He also thought it was silly to think that General Sherman was not going to eventually take Atlanta. Afterall, his supply train was open therefore he was getting plenty of everything especially food for his troops.