Trip Down A Rabbit Hole
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4.
A Brothel Mistress and A Southern Belle
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Scarlett felt the trembling in her arms as she pulled the dark cloak around her closer. She doubted anyone would be able to spot her in the dark, but precautions didn't hurt. Hearing a loud shout from inside through the thick back door Scarlett almost turned tail to run, but she forced herself to stand her ground and knocked. The noise inside stilled and the door opened to reveal a pair of startlingly colored eyes.
God Lord they're purple, Scarlett realized in shock. Then to further her shock she realized the girl was only fifteen and quite pretty. She had pretty pale skin that would normally have annoyed Scarlett with its smooth freshness and a lovely heart shaped face framed by silky white-blonde hair. The girl gave her a bright smile lighting up her face. Scarlett noticed the odd interest in her eyes.
"So you're one of them I 'spect." The girl said giving Scarlett a once over and noting the disheveled appearance of her clothes. Without warning the girl's hand shot out and jerked Scarlett's hood back before she could protest.
"Don't you touch me!" Scarlett hissed as the girl grabbed her by the chin and pulled her foreword to examine her face critically. The young beauty pursed her lips and looked, to Scarlett's immense horror pleased by what she found.
"And here I thought you were some poor strumpet, but you're a bonifide lady." A slow smile spread across the girl's face and Scarlett was confused to find it looked amazingly like Rhett's when he was being vulgar to her. Pain twisted in her heart at the thought of Rhett and Scarlett shook herself and the girl's hands off.
"I'm here to see Belle Watling." Scarlett told the girl coolly not liking the looks of her in the least. It was bad enough that she was probably the loveliest female Scarlett had ever met, but her very masculine expression was making Scarlett feel the need to bathe. Thoroughly.
The girl pouted. "Of course you do." She muttered in displeasure making a dim horror begin to spread through Scarlett though Scarlett herself didn't quite understand why. Something was wrong with this situation. Terribly wrong.
"Listen here pretty one," the girl said, voice snapping and eyes gleaming. "Belle don't take none of your kind, but for a very small price I'll take you with pleasure. I'll even give you a discount for those pretty green eyes of yours."
Know Scarlett was very confused and more than a little annoyed. This girl must have misunderstood her somehow. Scarlett didn't know or desire to know what she thought Scarlett was here for, but this girl certainly couldn't give her it.
"I'm here to speak with Belle and no one else." Scarlett snapped back vehemently, taking comfort in her anger. It was a familiar and comforting emotion after her despair this past while.
"And I'm telling you Belle don't do 'talk' with other women." The girl mocked and shook her head. The words were so ridiculous Scarlett snapped.
"She damn well does. She talked with Melanie Wilkes not a few months ago." The girl's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. Suddenly her face went angry.
"That witch! She knows very well I'm the only one supposed to take women. Who knows how much money of lost!"
"What in the world are you talking about?" Scarlett snarled and suddenly it struck her. Scarlett looked over the fuming slender blonde with stunned amazement. The girl thought she'd come to Belle because she was a fancy lady? Women don't do that to other women. How would it even work to begin with? Scarlett shivered in disgust feeling more than a little nauseous at the thought.
"Belle was giving money to the hospital through Melanie." Scarlett clarified and the girl seemed to calm and looked at Scarlett in a new light. Her purple eyes widened and she went bright red.
"My apologies, lady. What do you need to talk to Belle 'bout?"
"Rh-Rhett." Scarlett told the girl trying to stay calm but unable to stop her voice from cracking on the name. Recognition dawned on the girl's face and she paled.
"Glory you're Scarlett Hamilton! Everyone knows 'bout you!" the girl gasped out taking in Scarlett with a new eagerness. Scarlett was relieved to find it looked more like someone gathering new gossip than someone eyeing a steak. Scarlett wasn't sure her heart was ever going to recover from this conversation, much less discovering she was famous amongst fancy ladies.
"Why would everyone know me?" Scarlett asked weakly. The girl gave her the sweetest grin she'd ever seen.
"Why you're the girl Mr. Rhett was in love with! You plum broke Belle's heart you did."
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Belle Watling looked up sharply at the girl who interrupted her paperwork. She froze in disbelief though when she saw who was hidden behind the delicate little Jenny. It took all Belle had in her to keep her mouth closed as the pale, withdrawn Scarlett Hamilton walked into her office right next one of Belle's newest girl. It was only when Jenny gently took Scarlett's dark hooded cloak that Belle came back to her senses.
"You goin' to set down Miz Hamilton?" Belle questioned delicately taking in the almost broken air to the girl in front of her. Scarlett jerked a little at the words and it seemed to take her a few minutes to understand them, but eventually she nodded and sat down in a bright red armchair across from Belle's desk. Jenny took it all in with round violet-blue eyes.
"You got some work to be done Jen." Belle told the girl sternly. She nodded her pale blonde head looking disappointed, with one last look at the infamous widow she disappeared into the depths of Belle's establishment. Belle gave Scarlett one last long look before sitting down.
Scarlett looked horrible, paler than she had any right to be. And sickly thin. Her hair barely looked combed, her black gown was mussed and Belle was quite certain she'd seen bright violet bed shoes. Scarlett had to have dressed in a hurry. But despite her broken air and disheveled appearance it was her eyes the inspired sympathy in Belle. Scarlett's green eyes were almost dumb with pain and desperate hope. It sparked a deep understanding in Belle. That was a look of a woman who'd lost her love. And Belle knew more about lost love than anyone. She'd managed to loose her love while he'd still been alive, to the same dead girl in front of her.
Belle fought passed the lump that formed in her throat that any thought of Rhett inspired and spoke. "I 'spect I know what you came here for and if we're goin' to be talkin' I'm goin' to need a glass of brandy. You want some Miz Hamilton?"
Scarlett barely blinked before nodding. Belle felt herself frowning as she poured to generous glasses. She'd seen enough of ladies to know they didn't drink. Scarlett had to have been worse off than the rumors said to be accepting a glass so easily. Belle watched Scarlett take a quick skilled drink and suspected this was her first glass of brandy.
"Well go on and ask whatever you please." Belle ordered and leaned back in her chair trying to mentally prepare herself for what she was sure was going to be an unpleasant experience.
"Were you his mistress?" Scarlett questioned shocking Belle with how horrible her voice sounded. It was the voice one thought would come from a corpse all raspy and chilling to the blood.
"Yes." Belle answered easily, and watched as Scarlett's shoulders jerked together as if she'd been struck. For a moment her head dipped as if in defeat, a moment later she raised it high and looked Belle dead in the face determined and desperate.
"Please, if you have anything of his could I see it? Just for a moment." Scarlett asked in a quick rough voice. Belle nodded and shakily rose to her feet.
Without a second, Belle rose and opened the wardrobe in her office. Inside was a watered-silk waistcoat with tiny rosebuds embroidered on it. Belle picked it up reverently. Rhett had left it during his last stay at her place. When he was in town for a quick visit he would always rent one of Belle's rooms and stay, somehow he'd managed to leave the find silk piece. Belle had kept it and had intended to return, but now that was quite impossible. Tears blurred her eyes as she turned with the white thing clutched in her arms.
Scarlett made a strangled sound in the back of her throat telling Belle she recognized it. Gently Belle lowered it into her hands and watched as Scarlett touched it with an almost frightened timidity. She gave another strangled sound and buried her face in the waistcoat with a heaving sob. Belle looked away from the girl unable to bear the sight of the woman Belle's on love had loved so ardently crying over him.
After a few moments Scarlett stopped and looked at Belle surprisingly unembarrassed about her crying. The girl very gently folded the waistcoat and made to hand it to Belle. She shook her head though, seeming to dumbfound the widow.
"It's yours Miz Hamilton, it's only right." Belle told her gruffly and sternly.
"He really did love me." Scarlett whispered quietly, timidly as if speaking it out loud would cause some calamity. Judging by the expression she wore when Belle nodded it did. Something flashed in Scarlett's eyes and everything that was recognizable as life went out of her. Belle had to fight a shiver at the sight.
"You act as if you didn't know." The expression of pain that flicked across Scarlett's face answered Belle shocking her. Belle hadn't suspected that she didn't know, but she should have known better. Rhett was too cautious to put his heart out where it could be hurt. Suddenly Belle felt just a bit better, even though she knew it wasn't Christian. Scarlett may have had Rhett's heart, but Belle had known that he had affection for Belle. She'd heard it from him. She could cling to that at least.
"Why'd you come here Miz Hamilton? I though you might, but what made you?" Belle questioned. Scarlett understood she wanted to know what triggered the sudden visit.
"I was sitting with Melly and she was fiddling with Mr. Wilkes watch again. I just suddenly got so mad that she had that watch. It wasn't that I wanted it, it was just she had something. I didn't have anything of Rhett's to remember him by. Nothing." Scarlett said seeming to stroke the waistcoat unconsciously. Belle could understand that, she remembered when she lost her boy's father, besides Rhett, Tom had been the only man she'd loved like that. Belle didn't think she could have handled it if it wasn't for Jonathon, her boy.
"I knew Melly cared about Rhett and was sad he was gone, but I knew she didn't understand how horrible it was. I tried to think of who I could go to. Mother would be horrified if she thought I loved him. She'd be more worried about my reputation." Scarlett gave a bitter laugh. "She is more worried about my reputation. I thought about everyone I knew and it made me realize something. None of them really missed him like I did. It made me feel so lonely. Then I remembered how Rhett was always connected to you. I thought you might be able to understand and maybe…" She gestured unnecessarily to the waistcoat.
Belle felt a heavy wave of sympathy, mixed with envy. They both had equal claim on mourning him Belle decided, it would only be right they shared it. "You come anytime you need Miz Hamilton. I owe it to him to help you."
Scarlett gaped at her shocked, but caught herself and nodded. "Thank you."
"No need, I'm doing it for him." Scarlett looked away and something prickled down Belle's neck. What had she gotten herself into?