Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Chapter Seven
When Scarlett was six months along Melly had a supper party. The guest list included Dr. and Mrs. Meade, Aunt PittyPat, India, Maybelle and Rene Picard, Fanny Welburn and her suitor, Bruce Wayne and of course Rhett and Scarlett. It was a nice gathering.
Fanny had confided in Scarlett that if Bruce asked her to marry him, she was going to accept. Fanny was not in love with him but she liked him well enough. She had love now she wanted security. Scarlett said, "Exactly." Scarlett looked at her husband and thought 'too bad we can't have both.'
Dr. Meade cornered Rhett and told him that he was wrong to insist on Scarlett using the Yankee doctor. The use of chloroform was not in keeping with the bible. Rhett told him, "Then it is a good thing I don't believe in the bible. Dr. Meade looked aghast and called Rhett a heathen. Dr. Meade walked away. Rhett's eyes were following Scarlett every where she went. Ashley kept engaging her in conversation but every time he did, she would include someone else in the conversation. What disturbed Rhett was the fact that when Ashley engaged her in conversation, she would continually look at him nervously like she was afraid of his reaction.
After they sat down to supper Uncle Henry and Dr. Meade started a discussion on how the republicans and the Scallawags were ruining Georgia. Rhett, of course, had to defend his position. Scarlett thought 'He does that just to be annoying.' And smiled at Rhett. The discussion was getting heated and Scarlett looked at Ashley with puzzlement on her face. She was wondering 'Why doesn't he do anything?' Rhett noticed Scarlett looking at Ashley but it wasn't with hero worship it was with puzzlement. Rhett decided that she had outgrown her infatuation with Ashley. He didn't know when or where but she had.
Later Rhett was reflecting on Scarlett not loving Ashley anymore and wondered why she hadn't told him. He had always believed that if she grew out of her infatuation with Ashley, she would realize she loved him. That didn't appear to be the case. He knew she was fond of him. She was happy living with him. She definitely enjoyed their sex life. Could he continue to live like this? What if she never loved him? Was there anything he could do to make her love him? Why had she been looking at him nervously when ever Ashley had engaged her in conversation? That was easy she didn't want him mad at her over Ashley especially if Ashley was nothing special to her. He wouldn't do anything right now. If he declared his love and she laughed at him he would never recover.
Scarlett was miserable. She was nine months pregnant. February 1st her due date was the next day. That night when Rhett pulled her close, she sighed and relaxed into him. Laying on Rhett was the only way she could get comfortable enough to go to sleep. They had not had relations for several weeks because she had told Rhett there just wasn't any position that was comfortable. The next morning, she knew her child was coming. When Rhett woke up, she told him to go get Dr. Harrison. She had never seen Rhett move that fast. Rhett stayed with Scarlett until Mammy ran him out of the room. After seeing how much the labor pains were hurting Scarlett, he was glad Dr. Harrison used chloroform and he thought Dr. Meade was a sadist.
At first Rhett was going to send the children to Aunt Melly's but he realized that Melly was going to be here helping Scarlett so he kept the children with him. He sat in the nursery with them but he could see everything happening right outside Scarlett's door. Finally, Melly came to the door and called for him. Rhett ran to her. She had his child in her arms. Melly told him it was a girl and he could see Scarlett in about thirty minutes. Rhett took his daughter and was amazed at how much she looked like Scarlett until she opened her eyes. They were as blue as they could be. Rhett took his daughter to the nursery to show her to her siblings.
The next several days Rhett was on cloud nine. Scarlett was healthy. Bonnie as she was now known was healthy. He decided this was good enough. He would still try to win her love but if he never got it, he could be satisfied with his life. As Scarlett was watching Rhett with Bonnie, she thought that's how he looks when he is in love. Why doesn't he look at me that way? Why doesn't he love me? It hit Scarlett like a tornado she loved Rhett. NO! NO! NO! She can't love Rhett. No. She refused to accept it. It didn't matter what she said to herself the truth was she did love him. Maybe she could make him love her. Yes, she could.
When Rhett looked over at Scarlett for a minute it looked like she was looking at him with love. Then he looked again he decided he was mistaken.
During the next six-week Rhett proved what a baby crazy man he really was. He bragged about Bonnie to anyone who would listen. She was so beautiful, she looked just like her mother after all. She was so smart. Her smile was magical. If Scarlett had let him, he would have taken the child everywhere. Scarlett convinced him it was too cold for a one month old to be outside.
Her confinement was finally over. She was going to the store then by Uncle Henry's to sign some papers. She was very pleased with Hugh's performance with the store. She thought I may just make him the manager and give him a raise then she could spend more time with Rhett and her children. She left the store and stopped at Uncle Henry's office. She signed the papers and as she was leaving Ashley asked to speak to her. She stepped into his office and became uncomfortable when he shut the door.
Ashley said, "I haven't got any right to say anything but I need to talk to you about your husband…. What was he saying about her husband? That he was coarse and brutal. Not her Rhett! He was so refined. Yes, he was a little dangerous but that was part of his charm. Ashley was saying he was unhappy that Rhett had saved his life. What an ingrate! Ashley was saying that Rhett poisons everything he touches. Rhett's touch that was so soothing in the middle of the night, but so exciting at other times? He was saying that he knew he had to be civil to him because he had also saved Melly and Beau's life. Ashley was begrudging Rhett common courtesy. When I think of him touching you..." How dare he think of her and Rhett that way! That made her feel dirty. How dare he say any of those things about her Rhett. Rhett who spoiled her, Rhett who pampered her, Rhett who had loaned her the money for the mills, Rhett who was so handsome and exciting, Rhett who loved her. What? Rhett loved her? Yes, he did! What was he saying now? Now he was apologizing. Did he have any backbone at all? If he was going to say those things about Rhett, he should at least have the guts to stand behind his statements.
Scarlett said to Ashley, "I'm sorry Ashley I wasn't listening what did you say?" She was daring him to repeat what he said. Ashley caved and said, "I wasn't saying anything."
Scarlett said, "I have to leave I have another appointment." She did have another appointment with Dr. Harrison to clear her to resume her marital activities. After watching Rhett these last six weeks she knew they had to have more than one child. Rhett had too much paternal love to be bestowed on one child. She knew Rhett knew about pregnancy prevention. Now how could she convince him to not have a child every year.
Her appointment with Dr. Harrison was quickly over. Everything was back to normal. She was happy. When she got home, they were already eating dinner. She apologized for being late but she had a doctor's appointment. Rhett raised his eyebrow. She just smiled innocently.
After Ella was laid down for a nap and Wade was in his room with a book Scarlett told Rhett that she didn't want to have a child every year and he better find a way to prevent it. She smiled and said, "After all your years of not wanting to have children I'm sure you know of a way to prevent pregnancy." Rhett smiled his naughty smile and said, "I will need to go out this afternoon." Scarlett said, "I'll see you at supper." Rhett went to The Painted Lady and visited with Belle for an hour or more then made his purchases and went home.
That night in the throes of passion Scarlett told Rhett she loved him and Rhett responded in kind. Scarlett had grasped that Rhett had loved her for years and if she waited on him to say it first it wasn't going to happen. She decided that her husband could be a coward sometimes.
A year after Bonnie was born Rhett decided that he was going to restore his reputation. Scarlett was part of polite society in spite of being married to him. He knew that was where she was most comfortable. She was happier just bending the rules not breaking them. So, he joined the Democratic Party, snubbed all his former business associates, got himself a desk at the bank and donated money to their favorite causes.
One night at the weekly Democratic Party meeting Ashley came up to Rhett and asked him, "About two years ago Scarlett got a letter from the Pickerton Agency, I've always wondered what that was all about. Did she ever tell you who she had investigated?" Rhett just kept smiling. He knew what Ashley was doing but the missive still hit him in his heart. She had investigated him. Why? He would get to the bottom of this. As the evening wore on Rhett got madder and madder when he finally got home, he had a full head of steam. He crashed into the bedroom. Scarlett was reading in bed and looked extremely startled then really scared. He started shouting at her and calling her names. The more he yelled the scared her she got. Finally, he asked her, "Why did you have me investigated?" Scarlett was too scared to say anything but the truth. She said, "To know how bad of a person you really were. To know if I needed to fear for my life." In that moment Rhett had an out of body experience he saw himself standing over Scarlett with the fury of hell coming out of his body. He recognized he was a very scary person. He threw himself on the bed and looked at the ceiling. Suddenly he was no longer mad. He said, "I would never physically hurt you. I would torture you with my sarcastic comments and my mocking remarks. I'm sorry I scared you so bad that you had to have me investigated. It was when we were in New Orleans when I stormed out of the hotel room, right?" Scarlett relaxed and said, "I've never seen anyone that scary before except maybe the Yankee deserter and I shot him. I don't think you know how scary you look when you are really mad. At that time your companions were scary too." Scarlett moved to lay down next to Rhett. She said, "Now you are just a boring gentleman." Rhett looked at her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry for everything I said tonight. I'm going to have to learn to control my temper. I don't want you to ever be scared of me." Scarlett crawled on top of Rhett and kissed him. She helped him take off his clothes and take her to a wonderland of feeling.