Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Seven
After Rhett and Charlotte's first trip to Europe, he had become an easier person to live with. He still called her My Pet and Scarlett, but he was generally nicer to her all the way around. He was mocking but he was no longer cruel. As they were sailing back to New York, while he had been telling his stories in the dark, he probably thought she was asleep. He said, "Rhett, you stupid dumbass, accept you threw her away and Mr. Green was smart enough to pick her up and treat her like the treasure she is.
After that Charlotte had really become Rhett's companion. She had talked to him about her life growing up in the tenements. She had told him about her father kicking her out of their apartment with nothing but her clothes and some money she had managed to earn. Rhett had smiled kindly and said, "My father kicked me out also with just the clothes on my back and the money in my pockets. We have survived. It doesn't matter how."
Charlotte had been able to tell Rhett anything. He would often give her some money and tell her, "Go buy something you never thought you would be able to buy when you were growing up." She had. The first thing she had bought was a piece of chocolate. After that Rhett would buy her chocolate often. She bought herself some flowers. Rhett started buying her flowers. He did try to make her happy and in the end the only time she had to pretend to be Scarlett was when they were meeting his business associates or in the dark after they had retired for the night. Of course, he never called her by her name. To be honest she didn't even think he knew her name. She couldn't even remember what she had told him her name was all those years ago while they had been lying on that bed in that brothel.
A couple of months ago on February the second, Rhett had said, "She would have been fourteen today, if I hadn't killed her." Charlotte knew not to mention Rhett's comment about him having killed his child. She knew he hadn't actually killed her but instead had done something that had caused her death. She said, "She certainly would have been beautiful."
"Yes, she would have been. Just like her mother."
"Would you have let her start having gentlemen callers?"
With a smile, Rhett said, "I don't think I could have stopped them from showing up at the front door. Her mother was the belle of five counties. The first time I saw Scarlett was at a barbecue the day the war started." With a smile Rhett said, "She was wearing an afternoon gown to a morning event. That was what she did – broke the rules."
When Rhett had turned to stare out the window, Charlotte knew he was lost to her for the rest of the evening. She knew he was replaying his and Scarlett's entire history and particularly all his mistakes.
Charlotte knew Rhett was sick. So extremely sick. She knew he was dying. She had known for a while. He had known also. He had smiled at her last week over breakfast and said, "This morning we are going to take all our jewelry and sell it. I know of a gem dealer who will give us good money for it. Much better than a jeweler. I don't want you to have any trouble. The jewelers might get suspicious of a young woman trying to sell all our jewelry. Nobody will question you having cash as long as you don't spend it all at once. You will have to live a quiet lifestyle. You will have to get a job doing something to explain your source of money." With a smile, Rhett added, "And don't trust a good-looking man who claims he loves you. We are all liars."
Charlotte smiled back and said, "Thank you, Rhett, for taking care of me."
No, Charlotte would not trust anyone. She would not be in the situation she was in right now if she hadn't trusted a good-looking man who said he loved her and would marry her as soon as he got enough money. He was gone within six months. Fortunately, she had not gotten with child. Unfortunately, her father had found out about her activity and had kicked her out of the house. She really thought it was just an excuse to get rid of her. After all, she was another mouth to feed.
Rhett had smiled and continued, "Once I am gone take all the money that is in the house and leave. Do not worry about my body. Nobody else will. Scarlett would have cared, but I threw her away when I finally got what I wanted most in the world. Her love. Knowing Scarlett, she would still care but not the way I would want her to but because I was part of her family. Her family that although she hated them, she would never throw them to the wolves," Rhett paused, and Charlotte waited. She knew he was lost in his memories. She tried to never disturb him when he was thinking of her. At last, he said, "If you are careful, it should be enough money for you to live on for the rest of your life. You can get a job, arranging flowers or something else that doesn't require a lot of skill, but please stay until I am dead. I don't want to die alone."
"I will stay with you until you take your final breath."
"Please continue to be my Scarlett."
"Of course, Rhett."
"Thank you."
Charlotte for once felt brave enough. She said, "What happened to the real Scarlett?"
"You don't need to know all the details, but I will tell you this, when she told me she loved me, I rejected her love because I wasn't strong enough at the time to accept that she really loved me. By the time, I had decided to go visit her and see if we could reconcile, she had married another man. And why wouldn't she? I had made it plain that I no longer wanted her."
Charlotte had managed to keep the sympathy off her face. All she had said was, "That's too bad."
"Yes, indeed. I am going to have another glass of whiskey and another cigar. I will talk with you later."
Charlotte knew that for the rest of the day Rhett would be lost in his memories of Scarlett. He would not appreciate Charlotte disturbing him. She had never asked about the girl in the picture. It was plain to see that the child was Scarlett's daughter and Charlotte had assumed Rhett's also. She now knew she was correct, and that Rhett blamed himself for the child's death.
As Rhett was lost in his memories, Charlotte had been thinking about the fact that Rhett had left Scarlett and not the other way around. In fact, Charlotte had surmised that Scarlett had not moved on from Rhett until she believed he was never coming back.
Rhett and Charlotte had not gone to the gem dealer that day. They had gone a couple of days later. He had sold everything but his wedding ring and a pair of sapphire cufflinks. On the way back to their home, Rhett had given her all the money. He said, "After I am dead, take my wedding ring and these cufflinks. They are both incredibly special to me. I hope you will keep them always so that you will remember our time together."
"Of course, Rhett."
Rhett had taken all his bearer bonds and his stocks and cashed them in. He and Charlotte had taken all the cash to his lawyer. He had said to the man, "As you know all my worldly belongings will go to Scarlett Green of Boston except for the trust fund I have setup for my mother and sister. Let us go put all this money in a safety deposit box that you can access. As you can see, I will not be in this world much longer. After I die, sell my house and all the furnishings. Do not worry about her, we are about to go buy her a house of her own. After Rhett had paid cash for the house of Charlotte's dreams, he had the seller put the deed in her name. She had hugged him right there in the seller's lawyer's office. He had smiled and said, "Scarlett, get a hold of yourself and behave properly."
Charlotte had just smiled at Rhett. The seller and the lawyer were sure they had misheard what name Mr. Butler had called the woman.
After the house was bought, Rhett had arranged to have most of his furniture moved to Charlotte's house. In the end all that was left was the dining room table, the furniture in the parlor, and the furniture in their bedroom.
Charlotte was fond of Rhett, and she was going to miss him once he passed away. She would always be grateful to him for giving her a good life. She would always feel sorry that he didn't get one more chance with Scarlett.
As Scarlett sat in her home in Boston, she was in a contemplative mood. Most of the major events of her life had happened in April. Ashley telling her those pathetic lies while turning her down, meeting Rhett, the war starting, marrying Charles, Frank being killed, marrying Rhett, their honeymoon, the scandal involving Ashley, Rhett forcing himself on her, Rhett running away for three days, Rhett running away to Charleston, the month she signed their divorce papers, and her sweet Patrick dying.
It was the first anniversary of Patrick's death. It was so strange. He had been hit by a bolt of lightning and had been dead instantly. She missed him. She had loved him. She had finally felt unconditional love from Patrick. He had healed her. After her divorce from Rhett, she had been like a bird with a broken wing. Patrick had taken her in and created a safe haven for her. Nonetheless, she was happy she would never have to have relations again.
Once Rhett was no longer around, she was able to see what a poison he had been to her. She had put a suit of clothes on him also for that could be the only reason she had thought she had loved him.
Scarlett thought about those days right after Melly's death and Rhett's departure. She had read Rhett's note, but she had not been able to truly process the words on the paper. Her brain kept repeating the same mantra. It was: Melly is dead, Ashley isn't the man I thought he was, and Rhett loved me for twelve years but now he is leaving me.
Scarlett had planned and paid for the funeral. She had barely consulted Ashley about any of the plans. She had Mr. Jeter, the funeral director, purchase two plots. One for Melly and one for Ashley. One last gift to that amazing woman. The woman would get to lie next to that worthless piece of poo, Ashley Wilkes for eternity. The funeral was arranged for the next day. Honey could not afford to come to Atlanta for the service. Scarlett refused to buy her a train ticket. It was going to be hard enough dealing with India's hatred, she didn't need Honey's hatred also.
When Scarlett got home to the mansion after planning Melly's funeral, she had been thrilled to see her children. She had joined them in the playroom. She had sat on the floor with them. She had, at first, let them cry on her, something she would not have allowed twenty-four hours earlier. After a while, Wade had asked, "What did she die from?"
"She died from complications from having a miscarriage." At Wade's blank face, Scarlett added, "A miscarriage is when God decides to take the baby to heaven before it is born."
Ella said, "God must have gotten confused and took Aunt Melly instead."
Wade said, "God took Aunt Melly too because she is just so good."
Scarlett said, "That's right."
Scarlett and her children talked for the rest of the afternoon. The cook had made them tomato soup for supper with freshly baked bread. It was good. It was the perfect meal. Nobody was that hungry, but they knew they had to eat. Nobody mentioned Rhett. Scarlett because she hadn't known what to say. The children because Uncle Rhett was no longer important to them. He had disrespected their wonderful, precious, always kind Aunt Melly by not staying for her funeral. The woman who had shown them love.
