Ok, lots of R and S, this is one of my favs so far. Enjoy!
Chapter 11:
Mammy watched from the french doors as Rhett questioned that brown skinned woman, and sent her rushing out the house.
"Things gonna be good now Mista Rhett come back." Mammy thought with a smile,
Her eyes then fell upon Scarlett in Rhett's arms, crying her heart out on his lapel, without a handkerchief. Mammy shook her head, "That would do her good to act like a lady sometimes, and cry for her husband."
Mammy didn't leave her view until, she heard Mista Rhett, "Mammy, could you come here please?"
Mammy hobbled over to the couple, "Yes, Mista Rhett."
"I would like you to take Miss Scarlett to her room, and change her clothes for bed. She needs some hot tea, and I expect her to stay in bed the rest of the week. I'll be back shortly."
Mammy nodded her head and took Scarlett's arm, helping her up to bed. Scarlett was silent, as she let Mammy guide her up the stairs, her eyes were puffy, but her face was drawn and tired, it was as if she had surrendered her will and strength to someone else, all that Mammy thought was, "About time!".
Scarlett sat in her bed eyeing the tea Mammy sat next to her on her nightstand, "You know I like coffee,"
"Mista Rhett said tea, I know you don't like it, but you feeling poorly, you need tea."
"Well, at least give me some milk for it."
"Miss Scarlett, stop it, stop being so bossy!"
Scarlett stared at her and drew in a deep breathe.
"It's about time, you let your husband do things for you, and you listen."
"Is that so, Mammy? I should be a crying ninny, and listen to everything Mr. Rhett says."
Mammy nodded.
"Just get my milk, this is terrible!"
Rhett had canceled his business at the bank and hurried over to Dr. Meade's office, the old man was just getting to his office. He nodded and smiled as he saw Rhett taking off his hat and coming up the steps.
"Good Morning, Captain Butler. Made it home for Christmas?"
"Yes, I would have been back sooner, but it just could not be helped."
Rhett held the door and helped the elderly man in the office. Rhett stood by the desk, and asked,"Can I please talk with you, privately."
Dr. Meade nodded and led him into the examining room, and closed the door.
"Well, what is your complaint, Captain Butler?" Dr. Meade had heard the rumors, and feared Rhett had caught something in the weeks, he had left Scarlett.
"It's not me, it's Mrs. Butler."
"Scarlett? Well, I have heard, and seen the melee her and India caused the other day."
"Well, you see I have addressed that behavior to Scarlett, and I am concerned."
Dr. Meade started to laugh,"You scolded Scarlett, and you don't have a broken nose."
"You see, doctor, that's just it. Scarlett has confided in me that she is having-" Rhett stopped and looked the old man sitting across from him square in the eyes, "This is not a topic of gossip, do we agree on that, doctor."
Dr. Meade's face flushed, "I should hope so, you don't think I go around-"
"No, but your wife is no angel either. Are we agreed."
Dr. Meade nodded, knowing his wife, "Agreed."
"Well, like I was saying, Scarlett has been having trouble breathing, heart racing, and feeling dizzy. She thinks she's losing her mind, but I'm worried it may be something physical."
Dr Meade nodded, "Yes, I should check her out for any pneumonia or apoplexy, although she is very young."
"Well, can you come by the house and check her? I have put her to bed, and forbid her to leave the house."
"Of course, Captain Butler, I will come by this evening, just to see how you have bullied Scarlett and are still alive!"
Rhett had to chuckle, "I know, that what concerns me most, she didn't even try to protest, she just cried."
As Dr. Meade walked the younger man out, he shook his head remembering Scarlett coming to visit him not six months ago worried about Rhett. These two people who cared about each other just needed to talk, openly without pride or prejudice, and they would be the better for it.
As Rhett hurried down Peachtree, back towards the house, he saw Beau Wilkes chasing a ball in the street, he bent down and tossed it over to him.
"Uncle Rhett, you came back."
Rhett tousled the boy's hair noticing he was too big to scoop up, "Yes, I am son. How are you?"
"Fine, sir. I just, you know."
"I know, we all miss her."
The boy wiped his eye and concentrated on his ball, "Aunt India is mad with Aunt Scarlett."
Rhett tried not to laugh, so the gossip had trickled to the grade school, too.
"I heard, but you know how girls are. They are just mean and nasty, not like us boys, we are so much smarter."
Beau giggled, "Yeah, I know. Caroline Dawson tried to hit me when I told her I didn't like her."
"You see, they are all the same. Don't listen to AUnt India. Aunt Scarlett and I will come visit you at Aunt Pitty's for Christmas, you know AUnt SCarlett will have a gift for you."
Beau's face lit up, "Really?"
"Yessiree!"
Beau gave Uncle Rhett a hug and ran back to the group of boys waiting for the ball, Aunt Scarlett always had the biggest presents for him.
Rhett looked back at the porch and tilted his hat to the thin, dark figure standing on the porch, as she walked back inside and closed the door. "India WIlkes is a bitch," thought Rhett as he moved on to the street and headed to his own Taj Mahal.
As he entered the house, the drapes pulled back, letting the sunlight in the dark room, but the house was still and quiet, it was the quietness he tried to avoid since Bonnie was gone. The dark stairway leading up to the bedrooms was empty, not even the servants ran around, probably getting dinner ready, and to be honest with himself, Rhett couldn't even eat. He headed up the stairs and knocked on Scarlett's door that was closed.
"Come in," The voice called out like a silver bell.
Rhett walked in and said nothing, but sat on the edge of her bed. Scarlett sat up and looked at him, her face still white and puckered.
"I went to see Dr. Meade, he will come by tonight to give you a check up."
"Oh, ok." Scarlett said, "You didn't tell him, I'm crazy?"
Rhett laughed, "Come on, Scarlett, you have been crazy. No, I just told him your physical problems."
Scarlett's eyes narrowed and she breathed in deep, "Don't make jokes, I don't want to hear them."
"Well, I'll tell you something I was wondering about on the way home, your nightmare."
"No, Rhett, you don't want to hear about it. She's in it, and it will do you no good-"
"It may do you good."
"When have you wanted to do good for me?"
"Scarlett, I care about you, and seeing you like you were outside, you were trembling. I want to help you, if I can."
"Why? Do you feel guilty?"
Rhett stared at her, the green eyes were narrowed and they flared with a simmering rage. He didn't answer.
"Well, I don't need your pity or your help. I got the whole town's pity, the way you been acting, leaving me-"
"Lord help anybody pity you, like I said, you are not helpless. And as for me leaving, why don't you think about how I felt, and stop worrying about yourself." Rhett was getting mad, and a quarrel was not what he wanted or she needed, now.
"How you felt? I supposed I didn't because I was mourning my daughter, too, after you stole her away!" The last word came out like a sob, and tears followed. A dark hand passed her a handkerchief, and she waved it away, "I saved the first one you gave me this morning."
Rhett looked at her and shook his head laughing.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I'm laughing at us, we are a pathetic pair," Rhett stood up, "Fine, when you want to talk about your nightmare, I'll listen. I swear it won't send me into hysterics, I have made my peace with my grief and guilt."
He turned to walk out the room, and Scarlett wanted to call after him, and apologize for all her accusations after Bonnie's death, but the time had passed and it was harder to apologize now.
The chill had filled the house after the sun went down, and the fireplace was roaring with a orange and gold flames licking the bricks. Rhett sat in the parlor, waiting for to finish checking Scarlett. Rhett had finished his second brandy, when the doctor came into the doorway. His face was pinched, but he didn't look grim. Rhett offered him a glass, and he declined, "Mrs. Meade will not like the smell on me, after I took the pledge."
"Well, Dr. Meade, how is Scarlett?"
"Physically, she's healthier than a horse. Nothing wrong with her heart or lungs. I think she has some kind of hysteria, nerve problems. Women get this, and there are some easy old time remedies, but there are also so new controversial remedies. I would rather discuss this alone with Scarlett than her husband, but as seeing my old fashion remedies will fall on deaf ears-"
"You tell me what she needs to do, and I'll see she does it." Rhett said.
Doctor Meade laughed, "Well, I had given her my opinion in July about what she could do, but apparently-"
"She came to you with this ailment months ago?"
"No, she came with your ailment months ago, and I told her you needed another child."
Rhett sat down, "What? We are talking about Scarlett, not me."
"Captain Butler, the process to-" Dr. Meade looked around,"Can we talk somewhere private, like I said this is a very private situation."
Rhett got up on wobbly legs, and closed the door shut, seeing Mammy in the hallway, he said, "Go sit with Miss Scarlett, Mammy."
She lowered her head and hustled up the stairs.
"Dr. Meade, you can tell me whatever you need to, please, I am not so proper or a gentleman."
Dr. Meade took the drink then, and stared in his empty glass as he explained, "WOmen get upset, and their female organs wander in their bodies causing many symptoms that your wife has. The treatment is of an intimate nature, like intimate relations of marital duties with their husbands, so you see it will help Scarlett feel calmer, and in the end you may have another child."
"What is the other methods?"
Dr. Meade looked up, "I'd rather not say."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No, it's damn right immodest and cruel on the woman's part."
"What is it?"
"Captain Butler-"
"Scarlett would never allow me, as well as, I don't want another child, I can't lose-"
"I don't endorse it, it is with a machine a doctor does the same act that you could-perform."
Rhett went white at the thought another man touching his wife, he knew she would not agree.
"Look, son, if I were your father I would give you this advice. Talk to your wife, make your ammends, and have her make her ammends, and then get on with your lives."
Rhett nodded, "WHat have you told Scarlett?"
"I told her she was physically healthy, but she needed time to grieve for Miss Melly, and she had to talk with you about Little Bonnie, and try to think about you, not just herself, and she would feel better."
Rhett sent the doctor home in the Butler carriage, and went upstairs to see Scarlett. She sat in the bed wide awake, even though it was after ten o'clock.
"Have you spoken with Dr. Meade?" She asked dryly.
"I have."
"And did he tell you to be nice to me?'
Rhett chuckled, "Yes, he did."
"Good, he told me the same thing."
"Are you ready for bed, Scarlett?"
"Well, I've been in bed all day!" Scarlett was clearly agitated, "And he gave me something to sleep, but I'm not taking it."
"Maybe, you should, you may feel better."
"No, I would just be tired all day, and-"
"Scarlett, you are in bed for the week."
Scarlett's eyes flushed with tears, "No, I want to go to the Christmas Ball!"
Rhett stuck his hands in his pockets, "Have a baby with a woman who was a child herself," he thought. "Scarlett, the ball is still five days away. If you can be a good girl, and stay in bed and rest, I'll take you to the ball."
Scarlett glared at him, "Don't treat me like I'm a child!"
Rhett turned on his heel and left, as he turned at the door he said, "Then, don't act like one!"
In the hallway, a rush of feelings came back to him. He still loved her, but did he want her? And if he did want her, could he trust her? His hands became clammy, and he stormed down the stairs, he needed another brandy, maybe two!