Scarlett wondered who could possibly be calling on the house after her husband's funeral. Everyone in Atlanta had to know that they would be in mourning. She opened the door a crack and heard Rhett's familiar Charleston drawl coming from downstairs.
"Of course, it's Rhett. He was the only person ill-bred enough to call on them at a time like this," she thought to herself. She had been disappointed that he hadn't come to Frank's funeral. She would have liked to have him to lean on today even though it would have been highly improper. Scarlett giggled as she heard Aunt Pitty trying to get Rhett to leave the house. For five years now she hadn't been able to keep him out of the house, Scarlett didn't know why Pitty thought she would be able to do so today. Scarlett yelled down the stairs that she would come down to see Rhett. She quickly gargled some cologne in the hopes that it would mask the alcohol on her breath. She didn't think Rhett would care, but she didn't want Aunt Pitty to smell it on her. Much to Scarlett's horror she stumbled as she walked down the stairs, she could see Rhett eyeing her suspiciously. He explained to Scarlett that he had urgent business that he had to discuss with her. She led him to the library and he promptly closed the door behind them. As soon as they were alone, Rhett's lips hungrily descended onto hers. Scarlett was disappointed by how quickly he broke the kiss.
"It's no use, Scarlett."
"What?"
"The cologne. You've been drinking, heavily. Never drink alone, Scarlett, it ruins the reputation."
"Oh, I don't care if you know. I just didn't want Pitty to smell it on me."
"Missing old Frank, already?"
"No, but I keep feeling like it's my fault."
"Your fault? How? I thought the police decided it was a robbery."
"That's what they said; Rhett, but I don't believe it."
"Explain it to me. I don't see how you could possibly think this was your fault."
"You know how Frank was. He wouldn't have put a fight with anyone. No, I think someone killed him on purpose and I think I'm next." Scarlett began to cry. She hadn't told anyone yet that she was afraid that someone was going to come after her.
"What could you and Frank have possibly done to anyone to make them want to kill you both? Scarlett, I think you just have to accept what the police have said. It was a senseless random act of violence." Scarlett immediately thought of Ashley. He pulled her close to him again. "Nothing is going to happen to you."
Scarlett laid her head on his chest. She would be safe as long as Rhett was around to protect her. He led her to the settee and had her sit down. He sat next to her and took her hand.
"Scarlett, I did have some news of my own that I hoped to share with you."
"What's your news, Rhett?"
"I have business that is taking me to England for the next year." Scarlett gasped. She had just begun to feel that he was going to ensure her safety. They had already been separated for so long, now he was prolonging their separation even longer. Scarlett was tempted to throw him out of the house. "Scarlett, I want you to promise me that you will marry me when I return. I don't want to come back only to find I have to sit back and watch you be married to yet another man."
Scarlett's head began to spin at the mention of marriage. She wondered if he was being serious. He had told he many times that he was not a marrying man.
"Rhett, there is no other man that I would want to marry."
"Well, I didn't think you would run off and marry Frank either but you did." Scarlett didn't have an answer for that because it was true.
"Rhett, this isn't one of your vile jokes is it?" Suddenly Rhett dropped to the floor and propped himself up on one knee. He clutched her hands in his.
"Scarlett darling, this is an honest proposal of marriage. Say you'll marry me when I return from England."
"No." Rhett threw her hands down and stood up so fast Scarlett was afraid that she was going to fall off the settee. Scarlett saw Rhett's face contort with rage and at first she was confused. Then she realized what she had said.
"Rhett, what I mean is of course I want to marry you, but I don't want to wait until you come back. Let's go to the courthouse tomorrow and get married. Then the children and I can go with you to England."
"Scarlett, be practical. You just buried your husband today. You should wait a decent interval of time to protect your reputation." Scarlett laughed.
"What reputation, Rhett? My reputation has been in shambles for years now. I don't think anyone would be terribly surprised if we were married tomorrow. Just gives them more ammunition against me. If you won't marry me before you go, I'm going to marry the next man I meet, Rhett Butler!"
Rhett chuckled as he pulled her up into his embrace again. He planted a quick kiss on her lips before whispering into her ear.
"I'll ring your pretty little neck if you do that to me again. You're sure this is what you really want? I don't even have a ring for you yet."
"Yes, Rhett, I'm sure. You can just buy me a great big diamond in London." Scarlett stood on her tiptoes to bring her lips back up to Rhett's. Slowly Rhett lowered them to the settee. He reached his hand underneath Scarlett's dress. He was trying to caress Scarlett's bare skin but he kept encountering layer after layer of clothing. He groaned loudly in frustration. He wondered what Scarlett's reaction would be if he told her that once they were married she was forbidden to wear any sort of undergarment. Realizing they wouldn't be able to go any further on the settee in Pitty's library, Rhett reluctantly sat up and brought her with him. After he broke the kiss the eyes looking back at him were looking at him with lust and confusion.
"I better go make arrangements for you and the children's passage on the ship. Should I get a ticket for Mammy or Prissy?" Scarlett would prefer Mammy to Prissy, but Mammy made no secret that she did not like Rhett. She didn't know if she would go or not.
"Mammy, but I'm not sure she'll go."
"Well, we can take Prissy if she won't." Rhett turned to walk towards the door when he suddenly came back over to her. They would be married tomorrow but he couldn't wait another night to be with now that she was free again.
"Come see me tonight. I'll come pick you up. What time can you sneak out?"
"Midnight. Everyone should be asleep by then."
"Okay, I'll wait a little ways down the street for you." He gave her another quick kiss before leaving the house.
Scarlett was in the nursery packing Wade and Ella's belongings when she heard Mammy's lumbering tread come up behind her. Scarlett sighed; she should have known that Uncle Peter would run directly to her when she had asked him to get everyone's trunks out for her.
"Whut cha doin, Miz Scarlett? We's goin back ter Tara?"
"No, Mammy, we aren't going back to Tara." Scarlett tried to ignore Mammy's presence in the feeble attempt that the woman would leave her alone.
"If we's ain't goin back ter Tara, whar we's goin?" Scarlett sucked in a deep breath.
"I'm marrying Captain Butler tomorrow and he is taking the children and me to England. You are welcome to come if you can manage to keep a civil tongue in your head."
"You iz not! I' s doan even know whars to start. You's a widder again. You caint marry again so soon. And that man is trash. I ain't having that trashy man around Miz Ellen's granchillan."
"Oh, Mammy, he isn't trash. You don't know him; you only know the vile things that people say about him. And Mammy, I love him. I have been in love with him for the longest time now. If you don't want to go with us I understand. I'll give you the money to return to Tara. We'll take Prissy with us."
Mammy softened when she heard Scarlett talking about being in love. The only person Mammy had ever heard Scarlett talk about loving was Ashley Wilkes. Mammy was surprised that her lamb had managed to grow up without her noticing.
"I's goin wit cha. I doan trust Prissy and I's want ter keep an eye on him meself." Scarlett hugged Mammy and laughed, she had no doubt that Rhett would be able to charm her over to his side before too long.
As Scarlett crept outside of Pitty's house, at first she was disappointed Rhett was nowhere to be found. Scarlett didn't know if she should risk it and go alone or turn around and go back inside. Suddenly, Rhett stepped out of the shadows and beckoned her towards him. The pair barely spoke two words to each other as they made their way to Rhett's hotel room. As soon as they made it to the privacy of Rhett's room their need for each other was so great that they couldn't even make it to the bed. They tumbled to the floor. Rhett reached his hand under her dress and was delighted that for the first time ever she didn't have a single stitch of clothing on underneath her dress.
"You finally read my mind."
"What?"
"I don't have to fight layers of clothing to get to you."
"Rhett!" Her protest was drowned out by Rhett's ardent kiss and his insistent hands. Scarlett was afraid that she was going to cry from the joy of having Rhett's hands on her body again. Neither of them bothered to disrobe completely, the need was too great they could take their time later. Rhett pulled his manhood out of his trousers and entered Scarlett swiftly. Scarlett let out one of her ear piercing screams almost immediately; Rhett almost screamed with her just from the sheer joy of hearing her sounds again. After he finished, he rolled over and lay next to her on the floor.
"Guess that means you've been missing me."
"Not particularly, Captain Butler." Rhett laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Are we going to lie on the floor all night when there is a perfectly good bed other there?" She asked him.
"Oh, no! She's turned into the nagging wife already!" He earned a sharp elbow to the ribs for his joke. Rhett stood up and then helped Scarlett up. She pulled her dress over her head and walked over to the bed unashamed of her nudity. She watched as Rhett emptied the contents of his pockets on the bedside table before going to the wardrobe to hang up his pants. Scarlett studied the contents of his pockets, when she saw a woman's hairpin among the contents. At first, bitter jealousy swept through Scarlett. He had asked her this very afternoon to be his wife, yet he was walking around with a memento from another woman in his pocket. Scarlett picked up the offending object and was about to confront him when she realized she knew the woman it belonged to; it was hers. It was the hairpin that she had thought that she lost a long time ago. It warmed Scarlett's heart; he was such a silly sentimental fool.
Rhett froze when he turned around and saw the object that Scarlett held in her hands. It was his most prized possession yet he didn't want her to know that he carried it with him everywhere he went.
"I was so upset when I thought I had lost this. Little luxuries were hard to get by that time."
"I'm sorry. It should have occurred to me that things like that would have been hard to replace."
Scarlett put the hairpin back with the other things on the table.
"No, I'm glad you kept it. I'm happy to know that first time was just as important to you as it was to me." She opened her arms and Rhett climbed into bed and rested his head on her bosom.
"Did you think it wasn't?" Scarlett laughed.
"Rhett, I never seem to know what it is that you are thinking about."
"Wonder if you can tell what it is I'm thinking about now." He took one on Scarlett's nipples into his mouth.
"No, still can't tell," she said her voice very husky.
"Hmmm, how about now," he said as he kissed her from her breasts, down her stomach to the thatch of curls between her legs. Scarlett spread her legs to give him better access to his destination but shook her head no. Rhett licked gently at her little button and he could feel her body beginning to tremble.
"Still no idea, huh?"
"None," Scarlett managed to say in a soft whisper.
"Guess I'm just going to have to spell it out for you." Rhett resettled his face between her thighs. Her small trembles gave way to big tremors then Rhett heard her let out a loud animal like growl. When her movements and noises subsided Rhett rolled onto his side and stared at her.
"All right, tiger?" Scarlett answered him by hitting him with the pillow that had been under her head.
He took the pillow from his side of the bed and softly hit her with it. They wrestled with each other trying to get the pillows out from the other's hands. Scarlett thought she was the victor when she managed to pin Rhett down underneath her but when she felt his arousal she suspected this had been his goal the entire time.
Scarlett leaned over and kissed him leisurely. She could feel Rhett's hands trying to guide himself into her body. She shifted away from him. He tried to move her back to where she was but she shifted again. She giggled into his mouth when he let out a frustrated groan. He tried again to enter her and this time she let him. Scarlett had forgotten how powerful she felt when she was on top of Rhett. She rode him until they both had their climax. They lay in bed with Rhett's arms holding on to her tightly. After several minutes, Rhett finally spoke.
"What happened at the mill, Scarlett?" Rhett knew this wasn't the best time to ask but he had to know what Ashley had done to her. Scarlett took a deep breath.
"I promise I will tell you when we are on our way to England."
"You're afraid I'm going to kill him aren't you." Scarlett didn't say it out loud, she simply nodded her head.
"Why are you protecting him?"
"I'm protecting Melanie and Beau, Rhett."
"How do you know I won't kill him without knowing what he did first?"
"Because I'm asking you not to for their sake."
"Then why not tell me now? Before we go. I assume the request will be standing when we return."
"Rhett, I've promised to tell you when we leave can't that just be good enough." Rhett relented when he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. Rhett didn't want to lie to Scarlett but he wasn't ready to guarantee Ashley's safety until he knew the truth.
By five o'clock in the morning, Rhett was walking Scarlett back to her house. Three hours later he was back at the house picking her up. Mammy came out on the porch and glared at Rhett the entire time. Rhett wondered if it was Scarlett's sudden marriage or if it was him that was making her upset. She had never made it a big secret that she didn't like Rhett. Scarlett came out wearing a cream colored gown. Rhett figured that was the closest thing to a white gown she could come up with on such notice. It didn't matter she was the most beautiful bride Rhett had ever seen. A short time later they became Mr. and Mrs. Rhett Butler. They returned to Pitty's house to gather the trunks, the children and much to Rhett's surprise Mammy. They boarded the train to Savannah where the ship that would take them to England would be waiting.
Melanie lay on her bed crying quietly. She had been upset that Scarlett hadn't asked her to be a witness at her wedding. Melanie knew that others would judge Scarlett for marrying Captain Butler so fast but she hoped that Scarlett knew that she wouldn't. Melanie had noticed that Scarlett had distanced herself from Melanie and Ashley but she couldn't figure out why. Melanie felt as if she was losing everyone that was important to her. First, Scarlett stopped paying calls on her. Then, India mysteriously decided to move back to Macon with Honey and her husband. Even Ashley had been acting strangely for the past month or so. She didn't know what had come over Ashley. He was being short with everyone. He would disappear for hours only to come home reeking of alcohol. Melanie wished she had just one person she could unburden herself to.
Ashley sat in the dark saloon nursing his drink. He had lost count on how many drinks he had consumed this evening.
Scarlett and that Butler man were the talk of the town. They had eloped the day after her husband's funeral. People had never had a high opinion of Scarlett before but no one had suspected she could have so little regard for propriety. Ashley was mixed with jealousy and fear at the announcement of Scarlett's marriage. Even after the scene at the mill, he couldn't understand how she could prefer someone like Butler to him. He knew it was only a matter of time before she told her new husband what had transpired between them at the mill. Ashley was glad that they left immediately for England because he had a feeling he knew exactly what kind of violence Captain Butler was capable of.