Diamond and Rust

by Marilyn1000

It has been ten years after the night Melanie died. Rhett and Scarlett have not spoken to each other in all that time. They both regret their actions that ruined their marriage but neither has reached out to the other one because they both think the other one has moved on. Rhett and Scarlett are returned in time but neither one knows that the other one has been returned in time.

32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Two hours later Careen, Wade, Ella, Joyce, Prissy, and Big Sam were heading down to Tara. Careen's head was spinning.

Suellen had run away with Frank. They had left their daughters, Ella, and Susie behind. Nobody knew for sure where they had gone. Mammy had gone down to Tara to take care of Susie and probably Will also. Frank had run away with all his and Scarlett's money. Rhett had loaned Scarlett five hundred dollars to save the store and the sawmills. When Careen had asked, "Who is Rhett?"

"Just my friend."

Careen knew they were more than friends because she had seen them share a kiss. Scarlett had quickly changed the subject by talking about Tara, which had confirmed to Careen that Scarlett and Rhett were much more than friends.

Scarlett had said, "With the income from the sawmills and the store, Tara should stay solvent. Our aunts are still living at Tara." Scarlett had very matter of factly told Careen, "You will have to stay at Tara to manage it until other arrangements can be made. You will be the mistress of Tara for a little while. "

"No, Scarlett, I can't run Tara."

"I'm sorry, Baby, but you are the only one who can do it. You are the only O'Hara available since Suellen abandoned her responsibilities and ran off to Texas with that loser Frank Kennedy."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because I have to stay in Atlanta to run the store and the sawmills, so we have enough money to keep Tara solvent until Tara is self-sufficient."

"Alright. I will try."

"Once we get Tara straightened out, we will find you another convent to enter."

"Scarlett, I don't know if I could ever enter another convent."

"I am fine with that. I don't want you to shut yourself away behind closed doors. I want you to live a full live, but the decision is yours."

"Scarlett, I don't know."

"Of course, you don't know. You are still recovering from your trauma but Careen, those women were bad women. Most women in a convent are good people wanting to serve the Lord. I want you to stay in the outside world, but I also don't want you to blame the church. The church had nothing to do with what happened to you."

Careen smiled and said, "You are right."

As Careen was riding down to Tara. She knew two things. She liked being around all these children and Scarlett was madder that Suellen had run off than Frank had. That made Careen smile as she thought, 'I guess Scarlett really did just marry Frank for the three hundred dollars.'

Careen had remembered Scarlett's last piece of advice – Don't let our aunts push you around.

Before the incident at the convent the aunts may have been able to bully Careen but after the incident Careen was never going to blindly obey anyone ever again.

When the group got to Tara, Big Sam helped everyone out of the buggy. He put the trunks on the porch for Pork to take in. After that he hurried around to the back of the house.

With Careen's arrival, the aunts were afraid they were going to have to sleep in the front parlor again, but for reasons of her own, Careen agreed to sleep in Scarlett's room while her sister was in Atlanta. It wasn't kindness that made Careen willing to sleep in Scarlett's bedroom and let her aunts remain in the guest bedroom. No, it was because Scarlett's room was only big enough for one person therefore Careen would not have to have a roommate. She, also, wanted the security of being able to lock her door. At the convent she had not been able to lock her door. Several times she had woken up with another woman in the room with her. The other woman had been watching Careen sleep. After Careen was awake the woman would quietly leave the room. Careen could not see clearly enough to make out the woman's features and the woman never spoke. That had been scary. After it happened, she would not be able to go back to sleep or sleep for the next several nights. When she had made mistakes because of her lack of sleep she had been punished. None of that mattered anymore. She was safe at Tara now.

Right then Careen decided that she and anyone who would help her were going to make Tara profitable again. If Tara was profitable, she would never have to leave it again.

Careen's first night at Tara, Mammy bustled into her room and said, "Let me see where they hurt you."

Careen stared at her and said, "How did you know?"

"Big Sam told me and before you get to thinking everyone is going to know, he only told me so I could fix you."

Careen smiled and turned around. She took off her habit which was loose, and she could take it off by herself. Mammy had to bite her bottom lip to keep herself from gasping when she saw the bruises, the welts, and the wounds on Miss Careen's back. Miss Careen's delicate back. Some were healing but to Mammy's dismay some were fresh. The older woman thought they had been inflicted that very day. Careen said, "It was so I could suffer with Christ."

"Poppy cock. Christ suffered so we didn't have to." Careen smiled at Mammy's plain speaking. Mammy said, "Let me put this salve on you."

"Of course."

"You will have to sleep on your stomach."

"Yes."

"I will come back tomorrow morning and put some more salve on your wounds. You will be right as rain in just a few days."

"Thank you, Mammy."

Mammy quietly left the room. Careen got up and locked the door. She felt safe at Tara but safer with the door locked.

As Careen laid in her bed behind a locked door. She relaxed for the first time in a long time. She knew that what Scarlett had said about it not being the church's fault was true, the women who had done this were religious zealots, most women in a convent would be good, Christian women just wanting to serve the Lord. Yet, it would be a while before she voluntarily left Tara. She was safe here. Pork, Dilcey, Mammy, and even Will would protect her. She knew her aunts wouldn't. They would throw her to the lions in a split second.

That evening, Rhett stopped by Hamilton House to give Scarlett an update on what had happened at the convent. He had coincidentally arrived at the house ten minutes before six. Scarlett was not fooled. Anyone who knew Scarlett knew she always served supper at six. Therefore, the man who had lived with the woman for several years would certainly know that information. Scarlett would have been pleased to know that Rhett had continued to eat at six even after he had left her that September night of seventy-three. First out of habit and second to fulfill the fantasy that he was still living with Scarlett.

Scarlett had informed PittyPat that Rhett would be having supper with them. Scarlett had Cookie prepare more food in anticipation of Rhett eating supper with them.

When Rhett walked through the door at Hamilton House, he had Scarlett's mother's bible and rosary. Scarlett said, "How did you know those were my mother's?"

"I asked which room was Careen's and the extremely frightened nuns were happy to give me information."

"You are wonderful."

Rhett swelled up with pride. He thought, 'That is the first time she has ever given me a true compliment. No, that's not right. She has often given me a true compliment. I just never heard them because I wasn't listening correctly.'

Rhett said, "There was nothing else personal in the room. Not even a hairbrush."

"They made her shave her head, so she didn't need a hairbrush or comb."

"Why?"

"To show humility."

"Savages."

"Yes, but I think that is the least hurtful thing they did." When Rhett cocked his eyebrow, Scarlett continued, "I won't ask."

"No, it is best forgotten."

"I hope she can."

"Careen certainly has suffered in her young life. She lived through the war, the years afterwards, and now this."

"She will get through it. She has that O'Hara fighting spirit."

Scarlett looked at Rhett and waited. When the snide comment didn't come, she smiled and said, "Supper is ready to serve."

As Scarlett walked into the dining room, she thought, 'Rhett is being nice, but can he be trusted to continue being nice. Maybe. He was never this nice in the first timeline.'

As Rhett, Scarlett, and PittyPat were serving themselves, he said, "It seems that St. Bethany's Convent was supposed to be disbanded a year ago for cruel acts against the novices. A little bit more than a year ago one of the novices had escaped and had gone to the local priest. The bishop had come down and interviewed the girl. On her testimony, he ordered the disbandment of the convent. The Mother Superior told the bishop and the priest that as soon as she found other convents for the nuns and herself St. Bethany's would be no more. Of course, Sister Beatrice continued to maintain her innocence and that although there was some physical punishment it was nothing like the young lady had alleged. Nonetheless, the bishop was steadfast that the convent would be disbanded. He had a nun from another convent look at the young lady's back. The nun swore to the bishop the young lady had been whipped and it looked like it had happened often."

"Often! Often! Let me at those women."

"Scarlett, Captain Jaffrey is handling it. Let me finish my story. A month after the disbanding he had visited the convent, and it was empty. As far as he was concerned the matter was dealt with. In addition, they weren't receiving funds from the diocese, therefore, the bishop truly felt the matter had been dealt with. When we got there yesterday the nuns were all still there. They claimed they weren't doing anything wrong. That they hadn't hurt anyone. Captain Jaffery said anyone who wants to leave can leave. Almost three fourths of the women left. That is how the priest and the bishop got involved. Jaffery didn't know where to take the women. Those men are going to have to find homes for the women. Most of them don't have anyone else in the world. They are going to set-up a kind of orphanage. Some place for the women to live while they try to find work. For those women, Careen was a God send. Careen had family. Careen had someone who was willing to fight for her."

Scarlett said, "Careen was lucky that I knew someone who was smart, resourceful, and knew the right people."

"And didn't mind breaking the law."

Scarlett laughed and while pointedly looking at PittyPat, said, "You would never break the law, Rhett."

"Of course not. All my nights of playing poker in sleazy bars finally paid off."

Scarlett smiled. She knew Rhett had made a small fortune by making deals in the shadows in sleazy bars. Rhett continued, "Although I had never seen your sister before, I wasn't leaving her there. I don't think Sam was going to leave her either. I just knew something awful was happening there in the name of God."

"It wasn't God's fault what happened there." When Rhett opened his mouth to argue, Scarlett with a pointed look at PittyPat said, "A discussion for later when it is just you and me. Thank you, Rhett. How were they getting food?"

"People in the neighborhood were giving them food. And if there wasn't enough food, well Jesus did go forty days and forty nights without food."

"How is the bishop going to make sure this doesn't happen again?"

"By continuing to visit the convent. Jaffery too."

"Thank goodness I went to see Careen. I thought everything was fine. I was too busy with my life to worry about her."

"You were busy surviving. You and all your family. Don't feel guilty. Well, you might feel guilty that you kept putting off going to talk to her about…."

Scarlett scowled. "I will try not to feel guilty. I'm happy Careen is safe now." Scarlett looked at Aunt PittyPat's face and said, "I will tell you all about it later."

"Alright, Dear."

"I will let you know when it is alright for you to bring the children back. Of course, I could always move in just to provide you and Miss PittyPat protection."

Scarlett laughed and PittyPat looked horrified.

PittyPat said very primly, "Uncle Peter can protect us."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett and said, "It is probably for the best."

Scarlett said, "I can't believe how much has changed since my birthday. Frank and Suellen gone. Mammy at Tara. Now Careen at Tara. Wade and Ella at Tara for a little while."

"And your aunts at Tara also."

"Why couldn't they be the ones to run off?"

Rhett said, "Nobody would want to run off with them."

Scarlett laughed and PittyPat looked appalled. The rest of the supper the same information was rehashed.