Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: The divorce laws that I state in this chapter were what was legal in the late 19th century in Georgia

FYI: Until the 1950s it was not legal to get a divorce in South Carolina by either party for any reason.

Thank you for the reviews. I am so happy that everyone likes Cora May as much as I do. She will be the friend Scarlett has always needed. Melanie is a wonderful friend but Scarlett has needed a more earthy friend. A friend a lot more worldly than Scarlett or Melanie.

Chapter Eight

It had been easy to slip coins into Melly's purse. Melly was always leaving her reticule with her while she went to talk to someone. Scarlett only put one coin in her purse a week.

Scarlett asked Mammy, "Where was Rhett when I almost died?"

Mammy said, "He was in his room worrying about you." Mammy didn't mention that Mr. Rhett had gotten drunk.

Scarlett asked, "Why did he not come to me when I ask for him?"

Mammy said, "You never called for him."

Scarlett said, "Yes I did. I guess nobody heard me." Scarlett walked away and Mammy just shook her head.

Around the first of November at another sewing bee when Melly was not around Fanny Welburn asked her, "How are your Yankee friends?"

Scarlett replied, "I don't have any Yankee friends. The only friend I have is Melly." Fanny didn't need to know about Cora May.

Fanny said, "You spend a lot of time with the Yankees and Scalawags for them not to be friends."

Scarlett said, "I did but I don't associate with them anymore."

Fanny said, "Really? Since when?"

Scarlett said, "Since I almost died falling down the staircase."

Fanny then snidely said, "How are your mills doing? Have you been out to visit them lately?"

Scarlett said, "No I sold them. I sold the store also. How is Hugh doing?"

Fanny said, "He's fine."

Scarlett said, "Has he found another job?'

Fanny said, "Not yet." Fanny turned to talk to another woman. It wasn't as much fun to torture Scarlett when she struck back. Scarlett had said it in such a kind way that all Fanny could do is turn away.

When Melanie returned, Scarlett gave her an honest happy smile. Scarlett thought, 'Between Melly and Cora May I will be okay. I don't need any of those other witches.'

The next day after she got back from her walk Scarlett found Rhett in his office. Scarlett said, "Have you thought any more about giving me a divorce? You should do it. The Old Guard will never forget all the things I have done wrong. They will never think of me as anything but a Yankee loving whore."

Rhett winced at her words and said, "They don't think of you that way."

Scarlett stared at him like he was an idiot and then she laughed a laugh filled with contempt. She shouted, "Between yours and Ashley's actions after the night of the party how can they think of me as anything but. Ashley acted guilty that night and has continued to act guilty every time he sees me. You ran off to a whore house for three days and then took your child and left town for three months basically telling the world that you thought I was guilty of being unfaithful to you. Just let me, Wade and Ella go. You can continue to play the part of the wronged husband. Nobody will shun you. Bonnie's future will not be affected. After all she is the only person you have ever cared about except yourself." She turned around and left the room without pausing when Rhett started calling to her.

Rhett followed her to the veranda. She was sitting down in one of the lounge chairs. Rhett sat down near her and said, "I will never give you a divorce. I love you." He told her he loved her to see her reaction. He was actually hoping to see a look of triumph on her face. Or excitement of how she could use his love against him. She just looked sad and exhausted.

Scarlett yelling at Rhett had left her fatigued. She also thought Cora May is right he is a damn good liar. I almost could believe that he loved me. She looked at Rhett with a sad smile and quietly said, "You told me that once before then ran off and spent three days at a whore house. The same whore house you have been shaming me with by frequenting for the last two years. You will forgive me if I don't believe you.

Rhett said, "I would never have gone to a whore house if you hadn't kicked me out of your bed.

Scarlett said, "What I did was between you and me. Nobody else needed to know but what you did was make sure everyone in Atlanta knew. And I know that you told all your whore friends that we had separate bedrooms so everyone in Atlanta would know that also. You are the one that made it impossible for me to ever invite you back into my bed."

Rhett ignored what she said and instead said, "I do love you. It was the truth then and it is the truth now."

Scarlett said, "No. A man doesn't treat a woman the way you have treated me if he loves her. A man doesn't speak to a woman the way you have spoken to me if he loves her. You don't love me; you don't like me and you certainly don't respect me or my accomplishments."

Rhett did what he usually did when he was losing an argument with Scarlett. He attacked her by saying, "You have treated me badly too. You have spoken to me badly too. Do you respect or like me?"

Scarlett sadly smiled at him and said quietly, "Yes I have treated you badly but I'm not claiming to love you. At one time I liked you a lot. I think the term I used was I was fond of you. When I told you, I was fond of you, you got mad and acted like I had insulted you. I don't know what love is. I don't know of a couple that I would say love each other.

Rhett said, "I don't know of a couple like that either. I have been treating you very kindly lately. I am worried about you."

Scarlett looked at Rhett and said, "Yes. You have been treating me kindly and I appreciate it. It makes me think of the time when I thought of you as my best friend. The time before I ruined it." She closed her eyes and willed the tears not to fall. "Do you know how many times I have overheard whispers about how they know you threw me down the stairs because you knew there was no way I was carrying your baby. And the worst part is that they think you were justified in doing it because I am such a fast piece. If nothing happened at the mill it isn't for my lack of trying but because Ashley is too fine a man to be unfaithful to Melly. You're a victim, Ashley's a victim, Melly's a victim, some people even think India is a victim. The only person who isn't a victim is me. Please let me go. There is no future for me here and I will just be a liability to Bonnie's future reputation." Then she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Rhett pulled her onto his lap and comforted her until she stopped crying. She then stood up, said, "Let me go", and walked into the house.

Rhett sat there and thought, 'How do I fix this? People are receiving Scarlett because Melly is making them not because they believe she is innocent. As long as he stood by her, they would think he was such a wonderful man for standing by her even though she was unfaithful to him. He hoped the rumor he started would have a positive effect on Scarlett's reputation. He didn't know what else to do. He wished she would share with him what was bothering her but he had abused that trust. When she had tried to share her feelings after they had separate bedrooms, he had mocked her and made fun of her over and over again.

A while later he realized that Scarlett had never raised her voice once she had gotten to the veranda. Rhett was afraid that she didn't care about him at all now. Not even enough to fight with.

Scarlett didn't come down for dinner. She had a tray in her room.

As Rhett got in the bed that night and pulled Scarlett into his arms he said, "I love you. I am going to keep saying it until you believe me. I am going to treat you as I always should have … like you are the most important person in my life. I am going to find a way to redeem your reputation completely."

Scarlett smiled at him and said, "Good luck." She laid her head on his chest.

The next day Scarlett thought sadly, 'A year ago if he had told me he loved me I would of thought of all the ways I could use his love against him. Now I don't believe he loves me and even if he does, I don't care.'

A few days later as Rhett laid in the bed, smoking his cigar he decided he would in public continue acting the besotted husband who had been given a second chance. That was all he could do to fix the damage he had done to her reputation. He felt the regret of all the wrongs he had done to Scarlett. Her refusing to believe that he loved her was something he had never imagined. She had always believed everything he had ever told her. Now that he really needed her to believe what he was telling her she refused. She was right his actions had not been that of a man in love but she had driven him crazy with her absolute devotion to Ashley Wilkes. He smiled a bitter smile when he thought, 'It may take me a lifetime just to convince her that I actually love her but at least we are sleeping together and she is laying in my arms. That's a start at least. I would even be alright with her trying to use my love against me because that would mean her spirit was back.' He put out the cigar and closed his mind and went to sleep.

He heard her whimper in the night and held her closer until she stopped whimpering.

A week after their discussion about divorce Scarlett had gone to see a lawyer about obtaining a divorce. It was a man that Cora May had recommended. Cora May had gone with her because she knew Scarlett was not going to be happy when she found out she had "no standing with the court." The lawyer, James Burns, had explained that once she had married Mr. Butler, she had become his property. In addition to that everything she own was under Mr. Butler's control. The worse was when Scarlett found out she didn't even have custody of Wade and Ella. As far as the state of Georgia was concerned, they were Mr. Butler's children. Mr. Burns had kindly explained that she had no grounds to divorce Mr. Butler. Her husband being a womanizing, abandoning man was not justification for the state of Georgia to grant her a divorce.

Cora May had found out the same thing fifteen years ago. She had no grounds to divorce her husband. The saddest part was that their husbands didn't even need grounds. The men could just divorce them and put them aside because they were tired of them and give them nothing.

Cora May took Scarlett to her home and that day there wasn't any laughter only a lot of crying. They had several glasses of brandy also. Scarlett did curse Henry Hamilton quite a bit that afternoon for not telling her she would lose everything once she married Rhett. Scarlett thought I really did lose everything, not just my money.

After Scarlett got home from Cora May's she told Mammy she wouldn't be down for supper and please have a tray brought to her room. She was asleep when Rhett retired for the evening. He did wonder what had upset her today but he knew she wouldn't tell him. She still didn't trust him enough to share anything with him.