Rhett reacted quickly, ushering Scarlett off the veranda and onto the lawn below, away from the building. At first she went willingly but then hesitated on the steps down. Stopping suddenly, she turned and looked back at the house. "Wade!" She called out, Wade is in there…oh Rhett, I must find Wade."
"Come with me Scarlett," Rhett commanded. "Let's get you to a safer place and I'll go back for him."
"No, no….he…"
It isn't safe for you in there," Rhett insisted. "There will be more shaking and it could come down around you. I've seen this before," he said as he continued to guide her down to the grass. "When I was in California… there's always more than one."
Scarlett let herself be led by him but turned her face to the house, watching for her son. People were pouring out of the doors and even a few came through windows to escape into the open. But she saw no sign of her son. Finally Rhett stopped in an open space far away from any structures or trees. "Wait here," he told her, "and I'll look for Wade. But you must remain here. Do you hear me Scarlett? No wandering off or going off to rescue him yourself."
"Yes, yes," I understand, she assured him. She looked into his face, his dark eyes shimmering with intensity and she realized he shouldn't be going back. He was too old for these heroics and that realization frightened her. "Oh Rhett… please…Wade will find his way out. You mustn't…"
His eyes softened and a smile worked at the corners of his mouth. "My dear, while I do appreciate your concern, I am going back. I can't just leave him there. It won't take long, I promise. He and Rose were in the ballroom, I take a quick look is all…" He kissed her chastely and then sauntered away looking every bit the arrogant man she had met so many years ago, only his gray hair giving away how much time had passed. As she watched him walk away her mind carried her back to another time, another parting, back to the road near Rough and Ready.
"I love you, Scarlett, because we are so much alike, renegades, both of us, dear, and selfish rascals. Neither of us
cares a rap if the whole world goes to pot, so long as we are safe and comfortable."
His voice went on in the darkness and she heard words, but they made no sense to her. Her mind was tiredly trying to take in the harsh truth that he was leaving her here to face the Yankees alone. Her mind said: "He's leaving me. He's leaving me." But no emotion stirred.
Then his arms went around her waist and shoulders and she felt the hard muscles of his thighs against her body and the buttons of his coat pressing into her breast. A warm tide of feeling, bewildering, frightening, swept over her, carrying out of her mind the time and place and circumstances. She felt as limp as a rag doll, warm, weak
and helpless, and his supporting arms were so pleasant.*
She remembered his kiss that night, the kiss that was so different than any other kiss she'd ever experienced. It hadn't been a kiss between children, for that was what she had been when the county boys had courted her and when she had married Charles. No, Rhett's kiss that night had been from a man, fully and undeniably. His mustache tickled her mouth, kissing her with slow, hot lips that were so leisurely as though he had the whole night before him… it made her hot and cold and shaky. He bent her body backward and his lips traveled down her throat to where the cameo fastened her basque.*
Fear wracked Scarlett as she watched him move up to the veranda. "Please come back to me, Rhett… Oh please God, let him come back."
Rhett fought against the crowd that was still scurrying down from the veranda and pushed his way inside. It was dark, the only illumination from slivers of moonlight filtering through the windows. He saw where the ceiling had fallen in places, most notably around the heavy chandelier in the center of the room. The debris had trapped some unfortunate souls and Rhett immediately began checking each one for Wade. He'd made it about halfway across the room when he heard sounds from the corner and then a sob. Peering in the direction of the sound, he saw someone huddled over a body. Carefully he stepped through the debris and leaned over to see the face of his step-son. He was pulling debris off of Rose's obviously dead body and crying as he worked. Rhett put his hand on Wade's shoulder.
The boy, no…young man, Rhett remembered, startled at his touch. Then turning and looking up he pleaded, "Please Rhett….please help me. I need to get Rose out of here. She's hurt, don't you see…"
Rhett kneeled and touched Rose's neck. Feeling no pulse, he leaned over her but could detect no breath. "I'm afraid she's beyond our help, son," he said gently.
"No….." Wade wailed. "It can't be."
"Come on, Wade. It isn't safe in here. Another tremor could bring this whole place down around us."
"But Rose," Wade said, looking at his fiancé.
"Nothing we can do for her right now, son. Once the quakes stop we'll come back for her, I promise."
Wade looked at her one last time and then back at his step-father. "Alright…I suppose. But I won't leave her for long," he insisted.
"Right…just until the shaking stops." Rhett put his hand on Wade's shoulder as they stood and turned to make their way back outside.
Scarlett watched the veranda vigilantly. People were milling about, most in shock, and some seemingly lost. She had seen this before, during the war. Unexpected tragedy strikes and people don't know what to do. She knew eventually they would begin to scatter as they made their way home or to find their families.
Finally, she saw Rhett and Wade as they came out onto the veranda just as the earth began to shake again. People were screaming and running everywhere, scattering like a startled flock of birds. But her eyes never left Rhett. He and Wade managed to remain upright even as the veranda seemed to crumble under them. Struggling, they made it to the steps and had begun to descend, when suddenly the whole structure gave way and both men tumbled to the ground. Scarlett's hands flew to her mouth as she watched in horror.
Rhett landed on top of one of the broken steps, a shard of wood slicing into his thigh. Reaching for it, he realized that while it hurt and was bleeding, it was only in the flesh. Wade was splayed next to him, groaning. Awkwardly Rhett shuffled over to him, calling his name. "Wade….Wade…."
"I….I'm alright…I think," the boy answered. Slowly he began to move, pushing himself up to a sitting position. "Hit my head but I think it will be fine," she said sheepishly. Then seeing the blood on his step-father's leg, his eyes grew wise. "You're hurt!"
"I'll need your help," Rhett told Wade. "I don't think it is very deep but it's made quite a gash."
"Rhett? Wade?" Scarlett's voice and the panic in it caused both men to moan as they heard her calls.
"We're in for it now, son," Rhett chuckled.
Wade looked down at his step father as if he had lost his mind. Everything around them was falling apart, his own Rose was dead, his mother would be furious with them both, and the man was laughing. Shaking his head, Wade reached down to offer Rhett a hand up. He'd watched them bicker and fight and make up for most of his life, but his parent's behavior was beyond Wade's comprehension.
"Over here, Mother," he called out as he steadied a now standing Rhett. "We're over here."
Scarlett Hurried toward the sound of Wade's voice. She had seen them fall but had lost sight of them in the resulting chaos. Running to the pile of rubble that had once been such a beautiful veranda, Scarlett was relieved to see both Wade and Rhett standing in the middle of a pile of shattered wood and stone. But she felt her heart stopped as she spied the blood staining Rhett's trousers.
Rhett saw her face go pale and he nudged Wade. "Help me get to your mother," he demanded. He knew she was frightened and only his presence would reassure her that he would be alright. If there was one thing Rhett Butler could not stand, it was seeing fear in the face of his Scarlett. So he, with Wade's help, managed to climb out of the ruins and slowly made their way to Scarlett.
She watched their slow progress and began to try to climb through the debris to get to him. Rhett yelled for her to stay back, so she stopped and waited. Finally, they were there, standing in front of her. Relief flooded through her, giving her a rush of joy, and she threw her arms around Rhett, almost toppling him to the ground. "Oh Rhett, I was so afraid."
His chuckle broke the eerie silence that seemed to be surrounding them now. "Now my pet," he said in a soothing whisper, "I will be fine. But I do need to get someplace where we can clean up my leg. I've got quite a gash, I'm afraid."
"Yes, of course." Then suddenly realizing that it was just Rhett and Wade, she turned to look back at what was left of the house. "Rose?"
"She's gone," Wade said quietly…too quietly.
Scarlett turned and hugged him. "Oh Wade, I am sorry. She was such a beautiful girl and so perfect for you."
Wade didn't reply. Instead, feeling his mother's sincere sorrow for him, he marveled. How many times in his life had he wished for such affection and concern from her? As glad of it he was now, he thought the price a high one…too high.
Slowly they picked their way across the grounds to the front. Sitting on the front steps, with the doorway but little else standing behind him, Thomas Mouton looked lost. Wade left his parents and hurried to the man who was to have been his father-in-law. "Mr. Moulton? Where is Mrs. Moulton?"
The older man looked up at Wade as a child might look when lost unable to find his way. "Mrs. Moulton? Why…she's inside. Why do you ask, Wade?"
Wade looked into the ruins of the Moulton home and back down at the man. "Is there someone who can help you?"
"What? Help? No…no, you run along Wade. I see your parents waiting. No, I'm fine. Just getting a breath of fresh air. You run along now. I think I'll go and see what Mrs. Moulton is doing. It is almost our bedtime. Run along home…I'll tell Rose you were here."
Wade watched as the man stood, turned, and walked back into the devastation that had been his home. Jackson, a servant that had been with the family for years followed. "I teks ker of 'im, Mr. Hamiton," he said as he walked by Wade. "Yo' Papa and Mama needs you. You go along. I teks ker…"
Wade sighed deeply as he watched the pair disappear into the shadows. Rejoining his parents, he turned one last time to look at the old house before helping his mother with Rhett.
* from Margret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind
Everyone has been so kind and supportive. Hubby is doing much better. Hopefully that means I'll be more in the mood for this story. In the meantime, I do hope you are still enjoying...
