A/N: i know most of you just want to see R&S dance the night away. Happy in each others arms, but well, we are not quite there yet. Hope you will forgive me and enjy neve the less. Happy reading.
Eleanor leaned back in her chair with a sigh; it had been a long day. Not a bad day, or any such things, but a long and, to be honest, fairly exhausting day.
Her dear daughter in law could be a fairly exhausting companion.
Eleanor gave a small smile and relaxed deeper into the soft chair, remembering for a second how she in her young days, when she had come to a house similar to this, sitting in a similar chair pretending to be swallowed by the soft fluffiness of the chair.
It was one of those private and fond memories that always brought a twinkle to her eyes.
Oh how far away those days seemed.
And so they were.. She definitely wasn't as young as she had been. In fact, most days she didn't consider her age much, but from time to time something reminded her that she was now past the prime of her life and had probably a lot less days to go than she had already spent.
What a funny thing age was, she felt it both as a burden and a gift of freedom to be now officially an old lady. People took lot less notice of your action when your were "off age" – approaching middle age more like it – she thought with a half smile.
Eleanor shook her head, one could definitely get dizzy from thinking to much of those things, and right now she needed to think on more pressing matters than whether or not her lifeline would be cut within the next 5-10 or 20 years.
She had spent the day in the company of her beautiful daughter in law doing some last minute shopping for the pending ball. What a simple and yet surprisingly complex being that girl was. One moment she could make one think that all she could ever think of was the colour of ribbons that matched her eyes best, the next she would reveal something that told a story of a life far away from the glamour of her present situation. She astonished Eleanor - the woman that her son had married was not like any other girl that she had had the pleasure of making her acquaintance over the years. She understood what had fascinated Rhett about her, but she did not yet fully comprehend what had driven him away in the end. Those layers of the truth where still well hidden.
One thing however that she saw clearly was that Scarlett was driven by her determined, stubborn love for Rhett.
Scarlett was definitely not the woman that Eleanor herself would have chosen for her son, but she respected her sons initial choice and acknowledged that he had probably made a more well suited match for himself than she would have able to, even if she (rightfully) felt that she had quite a good understanding of how her eldest son was wired.
She sensed the tension in Scarlett and likened her to one of the spirited racehorses that had inhabited the stables of the Landing in the old days, before the war had cast its disrupting shadow over life as she had been brought up to expect it. Poor girl, from what she had learned from idle gossip and also from Rhett's sparse communication on the topic both before and after their marriage life had not treated Scarlett kindly.
The girl could be no more than thirty, if even that! and she had weathered tasks that had broken stronger men all over the south. Thrice married, twice widowed, and having lost her parents on top of that and thus having had to take on the responsibility of the well being of the remaining part of her family. That if not anything else earned Eleanor's respect. In addition Rhett's mother had taken a genuine liking to the girl, even if she was different from what society dictated of a young woman of her standing in society.
She wanted to help the girl sort out the mess she was in, but didn't know how to. At least Scarlett was here now, and Eleanor hoped that when Rhett was confronted with his estranged wife he would come to his senses and stop this foolish running away.
For Eleanor suspected that was what he had done when he had come to Charleston from Atlanta little more than a drunken mess.
Perhaps he had had a valid reason, perhaps not.
Nevertheless a man was to stay with his wife. That was a ground role of society. Miss Eleanor gave a chuckle to herself, how wonderfully old fashion that statement was.
Even if the elder Mrs Butler in many ways were forward thinking and liberal in her views, that was one of the basic rules of society that she still advocated. Especially in a case like this where she suspected that there was love and deep affection on both sides and most likely it was only stupid misunderstandings and heady tempers standing in the way. Scarlett's love for Rhett was obvious at least for her, and she had a strong feeling that only very strong emotions on her son's side could have made him take the step into matrimony. Even, if he was currently in hot headed denial of this fact.
God knows he had evaded matrimony long enough to marry for any other reason. Also Rhett had grown up in and she suspected unhappy due to it, in a household where love and tenderness had not been all too obvious. Especially not too Rhett. She sighed.
She had prayed for Rhett and his father to heal the breach between them for just as many years as it had existed. But now, now it was to late. The old Mr Butler had been in his grave for more than five years. He had died just shortly before Rhett's marriage. She wondered if it would have pleased him that his son had finally complied, and even to a girl of good family. Even if Scarlett's father came from a family of no consequence at least her Mothers side was something every family would enjoy adding to the family tree. The Robillards. She smiled for a moment lost in the past, she still missed him, Langston Butler, proud and disagreeable as he could be and had been for the latter part of his life, tormented by the misfortune of the south and what he saw as the betrayal of his own blood. She remembered a time before that, and it was those memories that she cherished more than anything, young and carefree, enveloped in the happiness of having found each other. Rhett bore many resemblances to his father whether he would admit it or not, both good and bad. Stubborn pride and reliance on one self was two prominent traits that she wouldn't have minded if had been toned down in her son. Well, that was too late, at least though, she hoped she could do her bit to help Rhett see more clearly on the matter of his marriage. But how?
A disturbance came from the front door and Eleanor jumped, whoever could it be at this time of the night?
She looked around nervously looking for something to defend herself with, should it turn out that it was a night time robber on the lookout for easy loot. Shaking her head, she chided herself for her foolishness, it was most likely just one of the servants who had forgot something and now had gone to retrieve it. At least any thief with just the least bit of sense would choose one of the Yankee houses down by the water as it was well known that most of those where more elaborately and costly decorated, in addition most of their residents had left the south for the Christmas holiday, wanting to be close to their families and loved ones as well.
Her train of thought was disrupted anew, by a deep chuckle. She looked up startled. Rhett Butler had come home.
"Good evening Mother, hope I didn't scare you to much" He gave her a scrutinising look.
"You sure look like you have seen a ghost – and here I expected a loving greeting from my dear mother" He jested gently leaning in to greet his mother with a gentle peck on the cheek.
He eyed her more closely, a glint of worry creeping into his eyes.
"You look so pale, there isn't anything wrong is there" The concern was evident in her voice.
Eleanor hastily shook her head and gave her son a smile. She hastily recollected her thoughts and put word to her denial.
"No of course not, it has just been a long day"
Not convinced Rhett eyed her srutinisingly.
"Are you sure Mother, you know I don't want you to over exerting yourself"
"Don't worry so Rhett, I am a grown woman, more than that in fact – some would call me a mature woman" Her eye twinkled at her little joke.
"I just had a long day shopping, you shouldn't chastise and old woman for wanting to look her best at your ball" She gave Rhett a more convincing smile, and tried to look calm and unfazed, though in reality was working high speed to take in this new turn of events.
She had definitely not planned for Rhett to come home before the ball, she had some inclination that he wouldn't take to kindly to being surprised with his wife in his bed in his mothers bed. No matter if he really wanted to see her again, Rhett had never been that fond of surprises. Why couldn't he just have stayed away as had been his original attention? At least at the ball he would have had to act civilly, no such rules applied to his own family home, much less his own bedroom for that matter.
Not wanting to reveal her little surprise immediately, she was sure he would call it something far less pleasant, she eagerly jumped into a conversation. Meanwhile hastily trying to cook up, some plausible explanation for Scarlett's presence in the house. Or even better if she could somehow get him out of the house before he found out.
"By the way, what brings you to town? Aren't you far too busy preparing for the big night to come here in the dead of night scaring the wits out of you poor mother?" She congratulated silently herself on hitting just the right note of jest and interest as she had aimed for.
Finally convinced that his mother was not suffering from grave ill health Rhett relaxed, went to the bar poured himself a generous drink and slumped down into the chair next to his mothers, placing his legs on the footrest stretching leisurely, enjoying the thought of a quiet conversation with his mother. He had missed her company when he had buried himself in the work with restoring the Landing. He had needed the respite from human society though, and he felt better than he remembered doing for the longest time. His sisters addition to the company at Dunmore had been welcome, and he loved her dearly, but he had missed his mothers point of view on things and her way of seeing the humour in most situations. The war had hardened his sister, and the aura of loss that he felt hung to him like an unshedable blanket most days, he also sensed in her – after all she too had lost a child in addition to two husbands to the war.
"My sister is a determined woman, she decided that we needed some specific flowers for the decorations, she didn't trust the gardener to do it himself, so who better to send than her devoted brother" He chuckled, and swirled the content of his glass.
"Rosemary also wanted me to check up on her dress – have you got it?" He breathed in deeply, he didn't want to admit the real reason he had been easily persuaded to do these tasks. He had caught to inattentive servants engrossed in idle gossip. The topic had been his dear wife and the rumoured sighting of her in Charleston.
"Silly girl, of course I have it – I thought I had sent note on that? – well you have to bear with an old lady"
Eleanor eyed Rhett closely, she could see he had something on his mind, but what the topic was, she could only guess at. She had had amble chance to learn how to interpret the immobile mask that his father had mastered as well. That however made her no where near to always successful.
"I also wanted to act as your escort tomorrow, can't have my mother arriving all alone to her rightful home"
The conversation moved to other topics such as the improvements and now almost finalised restoration of the largest part of the Dunmore Landing main house, which Eleanor keenly longed to see.
Their idle chattering however where strongly influenced by the fact that both participants were somehow engrossed in their own train of thought, and soon they fell silent. The flickering flames in the fireplace creating a cosy atmosphere.
"Well mother, I will leave you to your own thoughts and retire for the evening" Rhett got up slowly looking suddenly tired. He hadn't found a way to offhandedly bring the topic, which would have interested him the most, into the conversation; neither had his mother volunteered the topic. Well he couldn't blame her; he hadn't exactly been keen to discuss his wife or his marital status lately. He would just have to actively satisfy his curiosity tomorrow. Right night he needed sleep badly.
This ball preparation stuff had proven to be more exhausting than anticipated. Well tomorrow evening it would be over and done with.
He suddenly noticed that his mother had paled again. And the worry from when he had arrived came back with full force. He should have prodded deeper for an answer and not have led himself be blinded by her convincing words – he knew she would do anything to not cause worry, perhaps hiding a pending illness for too long, so that it would all of a sudden have turned to something gravely serious.
"Mother" he chastised,
"You look ill again, please tell me what is the matter, you know we can cancel the ball if you are not…"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before Eleanor interrupted him with stern look.
"Don't be silly, my health is absolutely fine" She paused
"However there is something I have to tell you" She gave him a piercing look before hastily adding.
"She is here!"
Rhett looked at her questioningly. Of course he had an idea as to who she referred, but perhaps it was just because she had been too much on his mind lately so that he would immediately jump to that conclusion. Therefore he chose to remain silent, just lifting and enquiring eyebrow at her.
"Scarlett… She is here" Eleanor stated.
The question in Rhett's eyes was almost instantaneously replaced by a murderous glance. How dared she, that meddlesome woman. A multitude of angry words sprang to his tongue, but he quelled them, not wanting to explode at his mother. But oh, oh… how could she do this to him? He felt the betrayal stab at him. How could his mother have invited Scarlett into his house and not telling him? Not caring to remember how he a second ago had longed to know if Scarlett was indeed in town, and how he the last few days more clearly had imagined what it would feel like to seem her again.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Without saying another word he turned on his hell and stomped out of the room, slamming the front door leaving a resounding echo as the only evidence of his resent presence.