I'm back! I found my muse again. I hate having writers block. It's so awful. Thanks to those of you who reviewed anyway, lol. I know it was a mess but I was glad to get it down. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it's a little longer to make up for the short one. Thanks again!

The Journey Home

Chapter Nineteen

Fools and Stubborn Mules

Rhett was healing and feeling better with each day. He was moving around and gaining strength all under Mammy's watchful, if not pleasant, eye. Scarlett kept her distance from him as much as possible, something that he found surprising and yet somewhat annoying. Especially when, in spite of the circumstances, he couldn't help but wonder if she were with this Eli Barrett he had watched her with a few days before.

He had gotten very little out of Mammy about who he was and he hadn't dared to ask Scarlett whom he had only seen twice since that day. Once was the day after when she came in to collect some of her belongings from her room, in which she never spoke a word to him as she went about her business and the second time… well, the second time wasn't what he was expecting.

He heard muffled arguing outside of the bedroom door one morning as he lay trying to gather his thoughts. Without warning, the door flew open and there stood Scarlett holding a tray of his breakfast, looking like a scalded cat. Mammy was behind her, a fierce, determined look on her face. He couldn't tell which was the more stubborn in that moment. She was flushed and gripping the tray as if it weighed a hundred pounds.

"Good morning," he nearly drawled, but the look on her face stopped him cold. She glared back at Mammy and stiffly walked forward toward the bed. She slapped the tray down on his lap, sending the food over the edge of the plate and his coffee sloshing over the side. Before she stood away from him, she lifted her smoldering, green eyes up to him and let him know without a word that she hoped he choked on every bite.

"Miz Scahlett, don' you want to say sumpin' to Mista Rhett?" Mammy encouraged behind her.

Scarlett's gaze blazed into his and he knew if she were to say something to him, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. In that moment, as their eyes locked with the others, he almost asked her about her relationship with Barrett, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had hurt her and even worse, he had humiliated her. Humiliation and Scarlett did not go hand in hand and he felt a sting of regret for what he had said and done to her. Perhaps if he were to try and apologize, they could part under friendlier terms, but before he could even form the words in his head, she stepped back and shook her head.

"No, I have nothing to say to Mr. Butler," she replied stiffly. "I think quite enough has been said." And with that, she whirled on her heel and slammed the door behind her.

Mammy released a frustrated sigh and began moving around the room picking up and straightening, mumbling under her breath with every step. All he could make out was, "fools" and "stubborn mules". He looked down at the mess that was formerly his breakfast and lost his appetite.

"Stubuhn, stubuhn, stubhun," Mammy muttered and then left the room with a shake of her head.

A while later Scarlett was in her mother's office, looking over the latest figures she had received from the store profits and loss. As she scanned them, she felt calmer, cooler-headed. Figures always calmed her when nothing around her made sense. Looking at them, however, she was disappointed in the losses and even more so in the profits. If she had been there every day, she was sure, no, she was positive the profits would have been greater.

She liked Lucas Maloney, but he didn't have the head for business that she did. He was fine in the short term, but he lacked the vision that she had. She began to wonder if she should return to Atlanta sooner than she had planned. It certainly would be better than staying here with Rhett, she thought bitterly. Being around him every day, even if he stayed away from her, was difficult considering what had happened between them.

If it hadn't been for Mammy, she would have never brought his tray into him that morning. The memory of it still burned hot in her mind. She had started down the stairs from the guest room when she saw Mammy coming up holding the tray. As soon as she reached the top, she handed it to her. The next thing Scarlett knew, she was being guided down to Rhett's door with Mammy behind her.

"What are you doing?" Scarlett shot out as she stumbled forward.

"You gwine to tek dis heh tra' inta Mista Rhett," she announced staunchly.

"No, I'm not!" she fumed and pushed it out to her.

"Yes,m , you is!" she retorted and pushed it back.

"I am NOT going in there!" she hissed.

"Mista Rhett's waitin' fah it and you gwine to tek it," she scowled.

"I don't care of Mr. Rhett starves, I will NOT take this to him," she ground out hotly.

The two stubborn women faced each other squarely and if it had been anyone other than Mammy, Scarlett would have thrown the tray down on the ground and the devil be done with it.

Mammy plopped her plump hands on her ample hips and stared hard at Scarlett. "Miz Scahlett, I's plumbed ashamed eh you. Here I's t'ought you's wanted Mista Rhett back lek it was and you ain' done nuthin' but cower 'round heh like a scahed little mice jes because he didn't ack lak' you want him to. He a man ain't he? He don' know whet he want, you have to tell him what he want."

"Great balls of fire!" she exploded. "I'm tired of throwing myself at him. I have my pride and I'm through humiliating myself around him. He can go the devil for all I care."

"Yes'm, he gwine to da debil and you gwine wid him iffen you don' lay down dat pride. He yo' husband and dat ain't gwine change, debil or not!"

The next thing she knew, Mammy had flung the door open and caught both she and Rhett by surprise. She gripped the tray, trying with everything in her not to fling it across the room. Not wanting to give him any satisfaction, she stiffly walked over the bed and deposited it right in his lap, taking no care of the condition she left it in.

The look on his face was a mixture of amusement and puzzlement and she wanted to slap it right off. She couldn't get out of there fast enough. She would never again give Rhett Butler the satisfaction of seeing her vulnerable and beaten.

With a sigh, she lay down the quill pen and rubbed her temples. She had been sitting at the desk for nearly an hour trying to work up a tally sheet to send back to Lucas. The sound of boots scuffing across the floor caught her attention and she glanced over and saw Eli coming in the room. He picked the wide brimmed hat from his head and ran a hand through the thick, chestnut hair.

Straightening, she closed the cover of the book she had been writing in set the pen back in its holder.

"Good morning," he smiled as he leaned casually against the doorframe. His large, dark clothed frame filled the space easily, but he immediately put her at ease. "I was wondering if you wanted to take a ride. You haven't been out the last few days."

She wanted to tell him yes but something prevented her doing so. She had inadvertently been avoiding him after her breakdown, just as she had been avoiding Rhett. She hated being seen as weak and she had been both weak and pathetic in front of him. "I've been busy," she offered finally.

"I see," he answered and came deeper into the room. "Well, it seems to me that it's the perfect opportunity for you to get out then. No better time than the present."

"I'm not sure I can take the time," she said as she turned to fiddle with the papers in front of her. He settled down in the chair in the opposite corner and watched her intently.

"How's your husband doing?"

Stiffening immediately, she stopped briefly to take a breath. "He's doing better."

"He was ambushed, or so I heard."

"Yes, he was," she confirmed.

"Does he know who it was who attacked him?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. She hadn't talked to him about any of it so she was as in the dark as anyone.

"He's lucky."

Scarlett turned to Eli, her attention caught by the tone of his voice.

"Most men who are ambushed the way your husband was, don't live to tell about it," he said matter of factly.

"Are you saying…"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. He should be dead but the fact that he's alive shows one of two things. He's either very lucky or very smart."

Scarlett couldn't help but smile wryly at his comment. "I'm afraid it's both. You see my husband is somewhat of a rogue, some might say a scoundrel in his own right. He was a blockade runner during the war. He's not an ordinary man."

"He couldn't be to have you for a wife," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. "No ordinary man could appreciate the kind of woman you are."

Warmed by the compliment, she almost told him how wrong he was. Rhett didn't appreciate her, or at least not anymore. Maybe at one time he did, but that was over now. She smiled anyway to mask her wounded pride. "I'll be sure to tell him that."

"Tell him what?" Rhett's cool voice suddenly broke into the room. Both turned to see him standing in the doorway looking back at them. His shirt was hanging loosely over his pants to accommodate the arm hanging in the sling Mammy had fashioned for him. His dark eyes swept passed Scarlett to land on Eli sitting so casually in the chair.

"Rhett," she nearly croaked and stood. "What are you doing down here?"

"I came to find you, of course," he replied but never took his eyes off of Eli.

Eli slowly stood to his feet and tipped his hat toward Rhett. "Mr. Butler," he nodded.

"Rhett, you shouldn't be up. You're not well enough-"

"I feel fine," he interrupted her. "I had hoped to have a moment alone with my wife to discuss a few things… in private."

His wife! She glared at him. His wife? How dare he come down here and just assume the role of concerned husband when it suited him when he was the reason she was feeling lower than a skunk! If Eli hadn't have been there she would have let him know a thing or two about what she thought of his declaration when it suddenly dawned on her that his reaction was no doubt due to Eli and his presence. She looked at him practically glaring at the man and he didn't even know him. He was jealous!

She turned to look at Eli who was the epitome of cool calmness. He wasn't one bit ruffled by Rhett's demeanor, no small feat when she had seen many men cower when faced with one of Rhett's glares. He was a man to be reckoned with and that was one of the things that had attracted her to him all of these years. But looking at Eli, her respect for his equally firm stance swelled.

"It's good to see you're not as injured as we had heard, Mr. Butler," Eli offered. Scarlett turned to Rhett and enumerated on the subject.

"Rhett, Mr. Barrett and I were in the middle of discussing your unfortunate incident. He says you're lucky to be alive."

Rhett's mouth turned down into a wry smile. "Is that so?"

Eli nodded, undaunted by the tensing atmosphere. "I only meant that someone doesn't usually walk away from something like that. It's a rarity from my experience."

"And just what is your experience, Mr. Barrett?" Rhett asked narrowing his gaze on him.

"Probably as much as your own, Mr. Butler," Eli replied unperturbedly. "I may not have been a blockade runner, but I've certainly seen my share of action."

Rhett smiled, but his eyes remain cool and exact. "How old are you, boy?"

Scarlett saw Eli stiffen at the condescending tone of Rhett's voice. The connotation did nothing to ease the growing tension in the room and she knew Rhett well enough to know that was his intention.

"Old enough to know a thing to two, Mr. Butler," he replied and then turned to Scarlett. "If you'll pardon me, Mrs. Butler, I have some things to attend to. If you're still up to the ride, just send word and I'll bring the horses around." Then Eli turned to Rhett and stared at him, showing no change in his stance and then he left the room.

As Scarlett watched him leave, she turned back to Rhett who was still scowling. "Rhett Butler! How dare you do that!"

"You don't need him, send him packing, Scarlett."

"What?"

"You don't need him around here. He's trouble and believe me I know trouble when I see it," he answered firmly as if the matter was settled.

"I don't see-"

"Exactly, you don't see. You never see past the end of your nose and you always pay for it. Send him packing or I will."

"YOU will?" she exclaimed. "You have no right to order me to do anything, Rhett Butler. YOU came here looking to divorce me, so what I do or WHO I do it with is no longer your concern. I like Eli and he's staying."

"Scarlett, by God don't argue with me on this. I'm trying to save your fool little neck from getting hurt."

Scarlett stared at him for a moment as the realization of what he had said came over him. She whirled and walked to the door, looking coldly back at him as she did. "Funny thing you should be so concerned about me getting hurt when you've done enough of that to last me a lifetime," she retorted edgily. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been invited to go for a ride." And with that she grabbed the handle and let the door slam as she left, leaving the sting of her words behind with a dismayed Rhett.