Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you so very much for the reviews. Thank you for everyone who is following this story.
FYI: I have wanted someone to tell Scarlett what Cora May tells her about Rhett for some time. I just hadn't had a story that I could work it into. Abracadabra it fit perfectly.
This is a long chapter but there was nowhere to break it but where I did.
Chapter Seven
When Scarlett got back from the sewing bees or the committee meetings, Rhett would subtly question her about people's attitudes toward her. It seemed to him that people were treating her nicer. It seemed that some of the ladies were acting embarrassed around her. He knew she had a new friend named Cora May. He knew her new friend made her happy.
When Scarlett came to visit her friend the second time, she had a good time. Cora May made Scarlett feel good. Scarlett thought Cora May was so very funny. Cora May made Scarlett laugh in spite of her grief. Scarlett laughing was something she hadn't done in a long time. The last time Scarlett had really laughed was in New Orleans but previous to that was before the war had ended. Once she got to Tara that awful night there was nothing to laugh about. When Scarlett was at Cora May's house all her sorrows didn't press down on her as much. They had brandy together.
Cora May told Scarlett about her husband Franklin and the good life they were living. Cora May told about how the day after Georgia had seceded from the union, he had taken all of their cash and gone north to buy US bonds. They had a few bad months after the war was over until Franklin could afford to go North and cash in their bonds. Now they were just as well off as before the war but they had to pretend otherwise. Cora May told her how she and Franklin had fled to New Orleans when Sherman had moved into Georgia. Franklin had never believed in the cause although both of them pretended they did. They had stayed in New Orleans until the war was over and they could safely return to Atlanta.
Scarlett shared that Rhett had a lot of money in US bonds also.
Cora May talked about her loneliness.
They made fun of other people that day especially India Wilkes though Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing were targets also.
Scarlett could not sleep late anymore. She usually woke up around six when the sun rose. There was no point in laying in the bed she wasn't going back to sleep. The first morning when she woke and Rhett was asleep next to her, she had actually smiled. She had wanted him to return to her bed so much the last two years. She had wanted him to be her friend again. It was nice that he was sleeping with her because he did keep the nightmares away but she didn't really care one way or another. She had ruined their relationship because of her obsession with Ashley. If he wanted to stay, she was alright with him staying. If he wanted to resume their marital relations, she was alright with that also. It didn't really matter anymore.
She had gotten dress then gone for her walk. She never told anyone she was leaving because it was too early but she knew Mammy knew she had left the house. She had walked to the cemetery a couple of times. She had visited Frank and Charlie. She had tried to talk to them but they were strangers to her. She had never cared enough about them to find out their likes and dislikes. With Charlie at least she hadn't had time to get to know him but with Frank she hadn't wanted to get to know him. She had married him to get three hundred dollars and she hadn't given a hoot about him afterwards. She had even gotten him killed. It only made her feel sad and guilty when she visited their graves. She didn't need to feel sadder or guiltier.
She had gone to mass a couple of times but she hadn't felt anything while she was there. She had confessed all her sins to the priest, said 100 rosaries and she was forgiven. She didn't think that was the way it should work.
Now she just walked and talked to God. She felt better but He hadn't given her any answers. At least not yet. She had even talked to God about whether He existed or not. That day she had felt a lot better when she got home. She had even yelled at God about his letting her mother die before she got home. She had felt better after that walk also. She wanted to know why they had fought that damn war, she wanted to know why all the Tarleton boys had to die, she wanted to know why so many young men had died, she wanted to know why those that returned weren't the same anymore, she wanted to know why her mother had died and her pa had gone insane, she wanted to know why her baby had to die, and a hundred other questions she would never get an answer to.
As she was leaving the house that morning, she was surprised that Rhett had not tried to initiate marital relations with her. He had been sleeping with her for several weeks now and all he had done was hold her and keep the nightmares away. She wondered why. If it was anyone else Scarlett would have thought the person was being kind and helpful but Rhett never did anything for anyone but himself or Bonnie. She wasn't going to think about it. She would never figure Rhett out. She grabbed a wrap and left the house for her walk.
On Scarlett's third visit to Cora May's home her friend asked her, "Dear do you know that the Wilkeses are struggling financially? Mr. Wilkes has managed to run the mills into the ground in less than six months with his poor management.
Scarlett said, "Already? I knew he would never be as successful as I was but I didn't think he was that incompetent." Scarlett was filled with anger. All her hard work, all her sacrificing, all the things she did to make them successful and in less than six months he had destroyed them. "What a damn ass." She put her hand over her mouth and looked at Cora May with shame on her face. Ladies didn't swear.
Cora May laughed and said, "I couldn't have said it better myself. You are free to say whatever you want here. It feels good to swear sometimes."
Scarlett said with passion, "Cora May do you know what I had to do to make those mills successful? Do you know how everyone has spoken so badly of me for supporting my entire family? I supported over thirteen people but all they can talk about is how I unsexed myself. My aunts in Charleston write me scathing letters criticizing me for my conduct but they never fail to cash the checks that are the result of that conduct."
Cora May said, "Scarlett you are a virtual genius when it comes to running a business. Have you gotten praise for all that you have accomplished in the last ten years? No. Did you get credit for having kept that sawmill in the black for years? No. Now within six months it is a failing business. Mr. Wilkes is looking for a buyer for it. Things are that bad. Who condemned you most for running a successful business? Mrs. Merriwether. The very woman who was running her own business. Who gave you misery about continuing to run Kennedy's after Mr. Kennedy died? Mrs. Elsing. The very woman whose son was depended on your good will. Speaking of Mr. Elsing, he got fired six weeks after you sold Kennedy's for poor performance. I bet no one has given you credit or gratitude for carrying him as long as you did. They are a bunch of hypocrites
You boldly broke their rules which made you a target then you were very successful while their husbands are struggling. Even if you had not married Captain Butler you would still have been comfortably off. You married the richest man in Georgia who they told you not to marry. You were rich will they were poor. You are still rich while they are still poor. You have thumbed your nose at them and their rules.
I have listened to them call you all sorts of things. One thing they call you which makes me laugh is an Irish peasant's daughter. They keep going on about how your mother would be rolling over in her grave. I say to Hell with them. I admire your Irish peasant roots because that is the part of you that made you successful. Your Robillard side may be able to set a fine table and write a proper letter but none of that puts food on the table. I know your father became a fine gentleman but if he had been faced with these hard times, he would have done the same as you I am sure. When you think of your accomplishments be sure and remember that you did it with second rate talent. Those were the only men that would work for a woman. You should be so very proud of what you did.
I have wanted to become friends with you for a while now because of how strong and dynamic you are. I wish I was as brave as you. You are practical. Ladies airs and graces were never going to put food on the table or a roof over your head. You were willing to sacrifice your reputation to keep other people fed. There is something very honorable about that.
I have sat back and listen to those self-righteous witches criticize you for everything under the sun. Don't let them ruin your pleasure and pride at your accomplishments. You managed to run two successful businesses with no training. In your spare time you managed to get Rhett Butler to the alter which none of them could have done. He may be a jerk but he is the richest man in Georgia and he is kind of handsome. We all know that he swore he was never going to marry."
Scarlett quietly said, "He only married me to have relations with me." Scarlett blushed but she wasn't sorry she said it. That all Rhett had ever wanted from her was her body had always hurt so bad.
Cora May sat there and stared at Scarlett. She looked so much like a wounded bird at that moment. Cora May cursed Rhett Butler. Cora May got up and sat down next to Scarlett and put her arms around her and said, "If that is what he told you, your husband is a damn liar. No man would marry a woman just to have relations with her." Scarlett looked at Cora May with shock and disbelief. Cora May went on. "You are so naïve about so many things." Cora May felt Scarlett stiffen, "Don't be offended. Most ladies are. Oh, Scarlett he has ruined your confidence in yourself. If all he wanted was to have relations with you, he would have just kept offering you more money until you said yes. He must have loved you or at the least been very fond of you when he married you. He would never have married you otherwise."
Scarlett said, "It doesn't matter. He hates me now."
Cora May hugged her and said, "It does matter because you believing that lie has hurt your belief in yourself. He married you because he wanted to marry you. We don't know why he lied to you but he did lie to you. When you think about the conversations you have had with your husband remember he is a liar and probably a pretty good one.
Scarlett said, "Rhett doesn't like lies and he doesn't tolerate anyone lying to him."
Cora May said, "Of course not, he knows how much a person can hide behind a lie. Honey, believe me he is a liar.
Scarlett looked at Cora May with a look of utter amazement. Cora May could tell when Scarlett accepted the truth. Scarlett said, "He is a liar."
They sat there for a long time with Cora May just holding Scarlett. After about five minutes Cora May said, "Did you see that orange outfit that Maybelle wore to the last sewing bee. Egad! It hurt my eyes to look at her. She is too fat to wear something in that color. She looked like a pumpkin with legs." As Cora May had hoped Scarlett burst out laughing. They spent the rest of the visit talking about all the other ladies.
As Scarlett was driving home, she stopped at the bank and withdrew a hundred dollars in five-dollar coins. She would slip one or two in Melly's purse or pocket every week. She knew Melly would never accept the money if she tried to just give it to her. Scarlett was hoping that Melly would think she had not remembered correctly how much money she had. After she withdrew the money, she saw Rhett and thought about Cora May calling him a liar. She thought, 'He is a liar.' That was the kind of hypocritical thing he would do. Insist everyone else always tell the truth while he felt no guilt about freely lying to everyone. She walked over to his desk and he stood up and kissed her cheek. She said, "I needed to withdraw some money."
He said, "Take all you want. What are you going to buy?"
She thought I might as well get this over with. He will twist this into me giving Ashley money. Scarlett said quietly, "Ashley has run the mills into the ground. They don't have any money. I can't let Melly and Beau starve."
Rhett said, "The hard part will be getting her to take the money. How do you plan to accomplish that?"
Scarlett was not surprised that Rhett knew that the mills were in trouble. She was surprised that he wasn't trying to twist her act of charity into her rescuing Ashley. She was surprised he hadn't made a point of telling her about Ashley's ineptitude. She said, "I got a bunch of five-dollar coin pieces and I plan to slip them into her purse or pocket. I'm hoping she won't remember how much money she had in her purse."
Rhett said, "That sounds like a good plan. I hope it works. I will think about it. Maybe I can think of a way to give Miss Melly the money because your plan is only going to work for so long."
Scarlett said, "Thank you Rhett." And she left the bank singing an Irish song under her breath. Yes, she was proud of her Irish roots.
He knew she wasn't just thanking him for his offer to think of another way to give Miss Melly the money but for him not making any comments about Mr. Wilkes. It felt like a baby step towards reconciliation. As Rhett watched her walk away, she seemed to be walking a little prouder.
On her way home from the bank Scarlett decided that Rhett had lied to her the day he asked her to marry him. He had married her for more than just her body. She remembered him getting mad when she wouldn't say she loved him. Maybe he had loved her then but he didn't love her now. The knowledge that Rhett had married her for more than her body had healed something inside her that she hadn't even known was broken.
Cora May had never been as flashy as Scarlett. She and Franklin had been married for twenty years and she had never done anything the least bit scandalous that the Dowagers knew about. She had her secrets though. She had never been able to be close friends with any of the other ladies because she found them so very boring. Cora May had been watching Scarlett Hamilton Kennedy Butler since she first dance with Captain Butler at that hospital bazaar. Cora May had been so proud of Scarlett that she was willing to defy the matrons because she wanted to dance. Even if Scarlett had loved her first husband, she was still a young girl who wanted to have fun. Cora May had wanted to be friends with Scarlett for a while because she knew Scarlett would never be boring. During the war Cora May had been too old for Scarlett to consider for a friend then after the war she had been too busy creating her financial empire to have any friends. Cora May had always enjoyed Scarlett's spit the enemy in the eye attitude.
Cora May would never have imagined Scarlett turning into this shell of a woman. She had watched as Captain Butler had eroded all of Scarlett's confidence. Scarlett had walked around town appearing to be proud and arrogant. She had seemed to get prouder and more arrogant but Cora May had known she was compensating for the shame her husband was enforcing on her.
It had infuriated her when she had listened to the matrons go on about how wonderful Captain Butler was. Their enjoyment of Scarlett's woes and embarrassment had almost been too much for Cora May to tolerate. When they had blamed Scarlett for Captain Butler being a whoremonger, she was stunned at the hypocrisy of these so-called good women.
She had listened while everyone talked about Scarlett after the mill incident when Mrs. Wilkes wasn't around. They had warped it so Mr. Wilkes was an innocent victim and Scarlett just a vixen on the prowl. Cora May was so pleased that Mrs. Wilkes had stuck by Scarlett through everything.
When Cora May saw Scarlett after she came back from her accident, she knew Scarlett wasn't getting better. Scarlett would now be willing to be Cora May's friend. Scarlett Butler had needed a friend. A friend that would tell her what she needed to hear. Cora May knew Mrs. Wilkes loved Scarlett but Mrs. Wilkes was very sweet, naïve and proper. Even if she knew what to say to Scarlett, she would never say it because it wouldn't be proper. Cora May was not so restrained.
Author's Note: In the canon Scarlett always believes everything that Rhett says. She never doubts his statements. I wanted her to know he was a liar. I wanted Scarlett to know that Rhett had married her for more than her body. To believe that one is only wanted for their body would hurt no matter how confident one was.