Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Twelve
Rhett went to the park that he had always taken Bonnie, Ella, and Wade. Thinking of Bonnie being dead, for once didn't make him sad. He was pleased that his daughter didn't have to know what a loser of a person he had become. He had thought that the lowest he could sink was humbling himself to be received by those sanctimonious old biddies, but he now knew that he had sunk even lower. He had thought he had never cared what people thought about him, but it seems there were some things he didn't want people saying about him. Being a drunk was one of them. Being a wife-beater was another one. He found that he also didn't want people saying he was a whore monger. That one was the funniest to him. He had never cared that people knew he used whores. He had even reveled in the shame he was bringing Scarlett with his actions but now he knew that he had shamed himself so much more. The shame he would have brought Bonnie when she had found out that he had cheated on her mother with a whore no less.
This last year, he had only been thinking about his own pain. No, strike that these last almost seven years he had never cared what Scarlett was going through. No, strike that for the last twenty years ever since his father had disowned him, he had not cared about another person's pain. In fact, he had been happy and gleeful to inflict pain upon other people, especially the gentry. He was hurting the people who had hurt him by rejecting him.
These last twenty years, he had not done anything he didn't want to do. That had become his norm and he wasn't going to change. He wished he had changed when he married Scarlett. He wished he had honestly thought about her desires and wishes.
Rhett had often said to Scarlett that she and he were the same selfish, self-centered, hard, greedy, and unscrupulous, but unlike him Scarlett had cared about her family. Yes, she had brought shame to them but that was the only way she could make enough money to support all those leeches. She had cared that she was shaming them. He had brought shame to his family by not marrying the girl and he hadn't cared. He had brought shame to his family by his activities during the war and he hadn't cared. He had brought shame to his family by hanging out with Scallawag and Republicans and he hadn't cared. Rhett paused and thought, 'How could those self-righteous bitches ever invite me into their homes. How could they have found a way to blame Scarlett.'
He had deliberately gone out of his way to cause Scarlett more pain since their return from New Orleans. Incredible since Bonnie's death he had tried even harder to hurt his wife, Bonnie's mother. Even though he had known she had barely been standing. With a passing thought he wondered if they had put their differences aside the night Miss Melly had died could they have supported each other on this horrible road they were traveling.
In that moment, Rhett knew that Scarlett was getting support from the community. He imagined that Scarlett and Mr. Wilkes had supported each other through the first months after Miss Melly had died. Not in a romantic way but as friends. Friends dealing with an awful tragedy. Her losing her best friend and him losing his wife.
Rhett knew Scarlett and Mr. Wilkes had never done anything incorrect from Miss Melly's death until Mr. Wilkes' death. He knew that because the community had taken her side against him. If Scarlett and Mr. Wilkes had done anything inappropriate everyone would have turned against Scarlett, at least if not both of them.
As Rhett rose to leave the park bench the Wednesday before Christmas, he was in high spirits. Admittedly some of his behavior looked bad but Mr. Darrow was going to blame that all on his grief over Bonnie's death. Being a wife beater wasn't something to be proud of, but it also wasn't illegal. It also wasn't grounds for Scarlett getting a divorce. The only thing that could be his downfall would be if Belle testified that he had relations with her during his marriage. That could not be blamed on Bonnie's death. No, that had happened the years right after Bonnie's birth. After Scarlett's fall down the stairs, he never used Belle again in that way. He wanted Scarlett and he wanted her the way he vaguely remembered she had been that night. That wonderful night that he could hardly remember. That wonderful night whose memories he had destroyed by his words when he had returned from Belle's. Why in the hell had he told Scarlett he had practically been living with Belle? Did he really think that was the way to win her heart?
Rhett smiled. Despite it all she was stuck with him. She had until he had in essence abandoned her only to return to make her life miserable.
Rhett was not worried. He had always been able to get Scarlett to forgive him. What's more he had the rest of his life to win her love. He would just insist that they start sharing a bed again. He wouldn't force her to have relations with him, but he sure would do his best to seduce her.
Rhett knew she would not be granted a divorce and he would never sign those papers. What Rhett didn't know was that he didn't need to sign the papers for Scarlett to get a divorce. He had already given her grounds to divorce him. His blatant infidelity and his blatant drunkenness. Rhett also didn't know but for once she was several steps ahead of him.
Rhett's time in Charleston was pleasant enough. He had assured his mother that he was fine with having Christmas dinner by himself. He was simply happy being in her home on that joyous day. Although it was plain to see in his sober state that his mother and his sister were uncomfortable in his presence and Rhett suspected embarrassed by him staying at the townhouse.
By January the second, Rhett was returning to Atlanta. He had not told his mother about Scarlett filing for divorce. Why bother? She would just worry about it, and it wasn't going to happen so why worry her?
The proceedings of Butler vs Butler commenced on January fifth. When Scarlett walked into the court room with her attorney, all eyes in the room turned toward her. To Rhett she looked even more beautiful than she had on their wedding day yet there was a fragileness about her that she had never had before. Always before she had looked like an Amazon warrior princess. Someone who could take on the world and defeat it. It made him want to walk over there and put his arm around her and protect her. Protect her from men like him.
Rhett looked at her physically. She was much too thin. Had she always been this thin since Miss Melly's death? Yes, she had. He couldn't get a good look at her face because she never looked at him. Her dress was the most tasteful thing he had ever seen her wear. It was a skirt and blouse with a little jacket over it. The blouse was white, and the skirt and jacket were black. She looked the epitome of a Southern woman.
Scarlett's attorney was helping her to her chair at the front of the court room. It annoyed Rhett that the man was a blonde. The man looked to be much closer to Scarlett's age than his age. Was that a plus or a minus? He guessed the lawyer was good-looking, but it was hard for him to say. He didn't like men, so he had never been a good judge of their looks.
Rhett thought there was something a little too familiar about the way Mr. Cavalier was holding Scarlett's arm. Like it wasn't the first time he had held her arm. He was fawning all over her like all men did, yet this man she didn't seemed to mind him fawning all over her. In fact, she seemed to be encouraging him fawning all over her. Rhett had a sad thought. It had certainly been a long time since anyone had fawned over her except maybe Mr. Wilkes.
Scarlett surreptitiously looked at Rhett. He looked better than she had seen him in a number of years. His skin had a healthy glow about it. He looked like he had lost ten of the twenty pounds he needed to lose. It was more than that. He looked like the confident man he had been before Bonnie's birth. No, the confident man he had been before they got married. He looked rather good in a charcoal gray suit with a mauve waistcoat. Perfect for where he was in their mourning.
On the first day Mr. Darrow conceded that Mr. Butler had been gone from Atlanta a lot over the last year, but he had returned at least every three to four months to check on his family. Yes, Mr. Butler was drinking a lot more than he should have over that same time period, but he had quit drinking. He had not drunk whiskey since December first. As per their plan, Clarence blamed all Rhett's actions on his grief over his daughter, Bonnie's death. The lawyer had kept bringing the dead child up in his orations.
Scarlett knew that Rhett's lawyer was mentioning Bonnie so often to invoke sympathy in the judge. Therefore, every time Bonnie was mentioned, Scarlett sobbed. Not very loudly but loud enough for the judge to hear her. Stephen handing Scarlett his handkerchief was a particularly poignant moment.
When the court took a break for dinner, Rhett had tried to speak to Scarlett. She did not answer him, but Steven had told him that Mrs. Butler didn't want to speak to him. Clarence had pulled Rhett away by saying, "Don't embarrass yourself."
Scarlett truly didn't know why Rhett was fighting the divorce. She would have thought he would be happy to be rid of her. She would have thought he would be fighting the settlement amount but not the actual divorce.
Finally at the end of the day, Mr. Darrow said, "Mr. Butler will concede that he did spend time behind closed doors with the madame of The Painted Lady, but nothing happened that was wrong. Since his marriage to Mrs. Butler, Mr. Butler has never had relations with anyone but his wife."
After Clarence had stopped speaking and had sat down, Steven stood up and said, "The plaintiff is prepared to bring in a witness to refute that statement."
Rhett whispered in his lawyer's ear, "Whoever they bring in it will be a lie. You will be able to trap them in their lies."
"Sure."
Judge Mitchell said, "Can you have your witness here by nine tomorrow morning?"
"Yes."
"Court dismissed."
Steven had immediately sent a runner to The Painted Lady informing Belle that they would need her help the next day at nine o'clock. She sent the runner back saying she would be at the courthouse the next day.
That night Rhett had supper at the hotel. Around seven he went to The Painted Lady and spoke to Belle. He said, "Are you still my best girl, Belle?"
"Of course, Rhett. I always will be especially since you were so kind as to sell me your half of the saloon. I wouldn't be where I was today if it hadn't been for you taking a chance on me."
"We have been friends for a long time."
"Hopefully forever."
"Forever."
Rhett smiled. He was not worried. Belle would never testify against him. She was too loyal. She owed him too much. She loved him too damn much. He got up and played a few hands of poker. He was back in his room at the hotel by nine. He had a couple of drinks to help him sleep. He was not going to quit drinking, but he would no longer drink in public.
That night Rhett read a book before going to sleep. When Scarlett's divorce petition was denied, he would take her and the children to Europe. Away from the South and their rigid rules. He would start being nice to her. He would start wooing her. He would start treating her the way he should have always treated her. He would not hold this entire debacle against her.