Chapter 14
Eleanor walked into Scarlett's room holding Bonnie's hand. Bonnie readily let go of her grandmother's hand and ran towards her mother full of glee. The pair had gone for a walk around Peachtree Street and ended up at the park to allow Bonnie to release some energy after being cooped up in the house for weeks during Scarlett's illness.
The outings with her granddaughter were always a joy to be had. Though she had other grandchildren in Charleston, nothing could compare to Rhett's child. On top of that Eleanor's other grandchildren were constantly annoying her for no reason at all. Bonnie, though she had her moments, was not as annoying since she was focused on her mother instead of trying to impress her grandmother.
Even the time Rhett spend in Charleston with Bonnie, the girl was quite different from her cousins. With Rhett there he made sure to keep his daughter entertained instead of leaving her in Eleanor's care as his brother and sister did. There were many occasions Eleanor offered to keep Bonnie to allow Rhett to attend to business negotiations. In those moments, Eleanor cherished to be with her kindhearted granddaughter that was full of imagination.
Taking a seat in the chair that has made a permanent placement next to Scarlett's bed, Eleanor relished in the relief of resting her feet. "Did you have a good rest my dear?"
"Yes I did. The doctor also stopped by with good news. He said I could get out of bed this afternoon. We will finally have supper as a family this evening and before that tea on the veranda." Scarlett said as she moved stray hairs out of Bonnie's face.
"Can you come to the park with Grandmother and me tomorrow?" Bonnie questioned.
"I'm afraid not. The doctor is only allowing me to move around the house for a few hours a day. In a few weeks we can go to the park with grandmother and daddy..."
"No! Daddy's not allowed to come." She stated firmly, squaring her jaw firmly making her look so much like Gerald. Her eyes held a spark of anger in them.
Scarlett broke; she took Bonnie in her arms and held her to her bosom as she rubbed her daughter's back. Silent tears welled up in Scarlett's eyes before they fell down her face before hiding her face into her daughter's hair.
Eleanor took in the scene, it was quite obvious to her the pain and frustration Scarlett was feeling. It seemed that Scarlett has learned to cope with her accident, if not forcing herself to forget it. But with Bonnie's refusal to allow Rhett to interact with them brought the accident to the surface since it was the cause of Bonnie's behavior.
"Bonnie, could you go find Mammy or Lou and ask if you could help make a snack for mommy?" Eleanor interjected sensing that Scarlett needed an adult to talk with without Bonnie over hearing.
The child shook her head causing her loose curls to bounce around her head. "I don't want to."
"Child, I did not ask if you wanted to or not. Besides you are hungry after all the running you did trying to catch the birds at the park. Go on now." Bonnie scooted off the bed and grumbled as she stomped out the door. "Please shut the door too." With a slam Bonnie continued her stomping down the stairs.
"Why did you do that?" Scarlett asked. Her mother-in-law was just as mysterious as her husband was. They always had alternative motives for everything they did. Eleanor's outings with Bonnie were done purposely to all Scarlett alone time with Rhett, but neither of them noticed.
The older woman removed herself from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed; she rested one hand over Scarlett's hands. "You need to talk and you won't do so while Bonnie is in the room. Tell me what is bothering you." Eleanor softly spoke trying to encourage Scarlett to talk and not be afraid.
Scarlett stared at her hands unwilling to talk. "It is alright, Scarlett, you can tell me" Eleanor tried again.
"It's Bonnie." Scarlett replied, still watching her hands as they began to sweat. "She seems afraid of Rhett. Whenever I suggest us doing something with him, Bonnie protests and refuses to allow Rhett to participate. Sometimes she starts to cry. Or she ignores Rhett's presence here and ignores anything he says to her. I know Rhett hasn't said anything but her behavior towards him is upsetting him. And it's upsetting me." Fresh tears started their descended down Scarlett's face.
"Oh, darling, this will take time to ease her scars. Rhett told me what actually happened a week or so ago. Bonnie will need positive attention from both you and Rhett. If she sees you comfortable with Rhett and happy too, she will turn around soon enough. But this won't happen overnight. Just go day by day. And since you are now off of full bed rest you can have play dates with Bonnie and Rhett." Eleanor tried to console her daughter-in-law as best as she could. The whole situation before her was bizarre since she had never had to deal with such a complex relationship. During the war she would console widows and their children with their loss and try to find suitable accommodations for them.
"I don't want to have to wait. I want Bonnie to be who she was before we ruined her."
"You did not ruin Bonnie. She is just as adorable and caring as she was before. Bonnie adores you so. She only wants to focus on you right now because she did not have you for months. When you were sick Bonnie sat next to you to whole time reading you stories and drawing pictures, she was lost in her own world while she was reading to you. Bonnie will become daddy's little girl soon enough, but she wants to be your girl now." Eleanor shifted her attention to the door after a knock sounded.
"Come in." Scarlett called out. They both watched the door as it revealed Rhett on the other side.
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" He asked walking further into the room.
"Not at all, Scarlett and I were only talking."
"Mother would you mind taking Bonnie to the confectioner's store for some chocolates or candies. She can also pick some out for Scarlett. The carriage is waiting for you two."
"Yes son." Eleanor leaned into her son's cheek to place a kiss but instead whispered in his ear. "Be kind son."
Rhett had been gone most of the morning and part of the afternoon in business dealings. In the last week he had started working for half the day and always made sure not to be away too long.
This was it, the dreaded talk they were bound to stumble upon sooner or later. Scarlett kept waiting for the later rather than sooner for this discussion. She did not want to confront everything now, it was too soon. On top of that she did not know where she stood in anything. Scarlett felt as though she stepped too far in the soggy banks of the river and sunk down in the silt preventing her to move. Also she felt Bonnie was the priority and not their relationship status. As long as there was Bonnie they would remain together.
"Scarlett, since you are not allowed to move around I wanted to talk to you about our future." Rhett started.
"Oh God, not now!" Scarlett thought in a panic as her eyes darted towards the door.
"I was thinking that maybe in a few weeks or a month, or whenever the doctor will permit it, we travel to New Orleans. But instead of just visiting we live there."
"What?" Scarlett was confused; this isn't the talk of if she loved him or where they stood in a relationship.
"I would like us to move away from this town and get a fresh start. We will stay in a hotel for a few days or weeks and find a house to buy. You were so happy there before."
"What about my store and mills? I can't just sell them after I put all that work into them. No, I don't want to move." Scarlett protested now grasping the idea of what a move would instill.
"Scarlett do make this easy. I have been in meetings with my lawyers and Henry Hamilton the last week. It is time I act as a proper gentleman, I seized your businesses." He watched as her eyes became wide with horror and her face became askew.
"You what? No! You better put them back in my name and get your damn hands out of them. I will not have this!" She shouted. She was more than angry, and her faced turned a dark red. Her chest heaved deeply as she tried her best to control her anger without leaping out of the bed to strike him.
"Calm down!" Rhett raised his voice as to try to have her understand. "With my seizure of your businesses, I have also put them up for sale, well the store. With the mills I signed them both over to Ashley. You still have the saloon property but you don't manage it so it is not a problem. Henry has agreed to act as sole controller. He will be in charge of the running of the property and distribution of the funds."
"I can't believe you would stoop so low and act as those bastards that don't let their wives to do a damn thing but have a child year after year!" He could see her knuckles turn white as she balled her hands, digging her nails into the palm of her hands.
"Damn it, Scarlett! I am doing this for us, not to make you miserable and I'm doing this for Bonnie, she wants you to be there for her and not some phantom of a parent. We need to leave this town, and leave our ghost here too. I can't live here anymore, every time I walk through the front door I see you falling down the stairs over and over. I can't do this. We can visit if you want but I don't want to live here anymore."
"What if I want to still live here? What about moving to Charleston if you are so intent of leaving this city?" Her anger seemed to be subsiding.
"I want us to start in a new place where we both have never lived." Rhett tried to be calm.
"But you've lived in New Orleans." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"My past there is positive there. In Charleston you will be judged constantly and you do not need that. New Orleans society is more accepting and welcoming. You will enjoy living there. Also since it is a French city, they are less strict about their society rules as Charleston or Savannah, and even here." Rhett could see her calm down as he spoke. He knew he was doing the right thing even if she did not agree. "Also, I can manage my shipping company better from there. Recently I acquired the shipping contract with a coffee plantation as well as sugar cane."
"What about my friends? This is my home and its Bonnie's too?" Scarlett asked purposely being difficult. She knew the decision was final and there was nothing she could do. A part of her liked the idea of leaving Atlanta but this was the only place asides from Tara where she had lived and leaving scared her.
"What friends, my dear? No one but Miss Melly has called upon you. As for this being your home, well you and Bonnie will adjust. I know many respectable people in New Orleans and they have children. Trust me on this Scarlett you will be happy there."
"This is all so sudden, Rhett. There is so much to do to even prepare for such a move."
"Just pack clothes and necessities. Once we find a house there then we can come back and pick furniture to be crated and shipped."
"And what about this house? Are you selling it too?"
"I haven't decided yet. We will keep it for a while but it could be a vacation home for when you want to visit." Rhett heard Scarlett give a deep sigh, if it was for relief or regret he could not tell.
Scarlett sat there, still trying to process their whole conversation. A part of her seemed to have been ripped out of her with the seizure of her businesses. The rug had been ripped out from her by her own husband. She knew Rhett was a low down cad but never thought he would take something she worked so hard for away from her. Those endeavors of hers were just that hers, and now, now she would become one of those mindless women who answered to their husbands.
Though after spending weeks with Bonnie, Scarlett did long to be with her daughter more. But the feeling was foreign and it scared her. What if the feeling she had now went away when she was healthy again? What if this change caused her to hate Rhett or Bonnie? Not knowing if she and Rhett stood on solid ground scared her even more. What if he wakes up one day and decides to leave again, she would have no way to support herself. If only life dealt her a kind hand.
Rhett expected Scarlett's reaction to be more dramatic, more violent. She seemed to accept the idea of everything he presented. Maybe she was growing up finally after all their trauma the last few months. Rhett couldn't help but think of a bright future with Scarlett and Bonnie.