Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rhett nonchalantly kept sitting there. He wanted to have a pleasant conversation with Scarlett. As much of a pleasant conversation as they could have. Finally, he said, "Give me the background information. How did this come about?"
"They saw each other at Pa's funeral. Frank convinced Suellen to meet him at Rough and Ready so he could explain what happened. He explained that I had lied to him, and Suellen forgave him. They have been meeting at Rough and Ready since Pa's funeral. I think they were just waiting until Suellen delivered her baby then six weeks later, they ran off together."
"Wow that is amazing I didn't think Old Frank had it in him."
"I know he always seemed so concerned about other people's opinions. Do you think they were doing it?"
"Definitely."
"Really?!"
"Really. After all, she was with child."
"And he was without."
"What?"
"Never mind."
Rhett smiled like he knew what she meant. Scarlett thought, 'How can he know.'
Rhett was thinking, 'It is nice to know she told Frank no also.'
"Let me take my departure."
"No, wait. I have another favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"I am going to need a manager for the store. I want to put Hugh in charge but then I need a manager for that sawmill."
"Yes."
"I have a problem finding men to work for me because I am a woman."
"I can understand that."
"I was thinking that because you talk to so many people you might be able to find a man to manage my new sawmill."
"I will try. What is the salary?" Scarlett told him. Rhett said, "Not much of a base salary but quite a lot of the percentage of sales."
"Yes, that is to motivate the man to sell."
Scarlett was thinking, 'Although it didn't work with Ashley.'
"I will let you know. I will not hire them I will just tell men about the job. I will tell them to come see you at the store. I will make it clear they will be working for a woman."
"Thank you, Rhett."
Rhett reached down and took Scarlett's hand. He kissed her hand and walked away.
As Rhett walked to The Painted Lady, he was happy. Slowly over the next year he would integrate himself into Scarlett's life. Rhett was pleased. Frank was out of the way. Admittedly his death would have been better and faster, but Scarlett could divorce Frank for spousal abandonment then she could marry him. It would mean that their timeline would be off. The soonest they could probably marry would be the fall of sixty-eight. How did these things work? Did that mean they wouldn't conceive Bonnie? He was getting ahead of himself. He had to be careful, she was a user just like him who would take any advantage that he gave her. Although he might give her some advantages to see what she did with them.
Rhett gave Scarlett the money the next day at the store and she immediately felt better. Nonetheless, she had a lot of work in front of her to save the store and make sure the sawmills stayed profitable.
As Rhett walked out of Kennedy's he saw all the empty shelves. He knew Scarlett was going to be very busy in the next couple of weeks. He would be there to provide her with advice.
The following week a lot of the proper people came into the store. Scarlett had enacted a no credit policy. The gentry weren't happy. Well, she wasn't happy about all the money they owed her. A week later Rhett came to call. After he had knocked on the front door, Peter opened the door. When he saw it was Captain Butler, he said, "Miss PittyPat isn't home therefore I cannot admit you to the house. I will get Miss Scarlett."
"Thank you. I will just sit here on the slider."
Scarlett had been going over the books for the store. She was frustrated on two levels. Everyone in the gentry owed Frank money and the books were so disorganized she had gone back six months and had just started from there. After three nights of trying to decipher Frank's notes and his numbers she had thrown her hands up in surrender. It had been so bad she had a glass of brandy to soothe her nerves. She had just started a new book with a brand-new ledger. She rationalized there wasn't any money left anyway. Although it still bothered Scarlett to do it. She liked her ledgers to balance. She cheered herself up by deciding that Frank's ledgers wouldn't have balanced anyway.
When Peter came to tell Scarlett that Captain Butler was here to see her and was waiting on the porch, she wanted to scream. The last thing she wanted to do right then was deal with Rhett Butler. She smiled at Peter and said, "Thank you. I will be right down."
No, Scarlett didn't want to deal with Rhett, but she had to be nice to him. He had loaned her the money she needed without any collateral, and she might need him for something else before she left Atlanta in seventy-four.
When Scarlett had walked out on the porch, there was Rhett with his devil may care smile. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world.
It irritated Scarlett more than she thought possible. She decided he didn't have any cares. He had lots of money, and he didn't have anybody depending on him. He never had. It made her even madder.
Scarlett said rather crossly, "What do you want?"
Rhett smiled. He would not let her sour mood change his disposition. He had endured her sour mood often enough. Although the truth was, he had not endured it but made unkind mocking comments towards her. No, that wasn't right. Before they were married, he had teased and mocked her into a better mood. After they were married, he had just made her disposition worse. Rhett smiled. He would just restore her good humor. He said, "Did any of the men I have talked to come by to see you?"
"One but he wouldn't make eye contact with me. Me a beautiful woman. What a weakling."
Rhett smiled and said, "Yes, indeed, you are a beautiful woman." Scarlett looked at Rhett sharply. What was going on? Rhett didn't give her compliments. He continued, "I want to spend the evening with you, but I hear Miss PittyPat is not home."
"No, she went to the Bonnell's get together. I don't remember what they are doing, either singing badly or eating bad food. Such a big, fat waste of time with everyone sitting around whining about how bad things are and how good things were before the war. Nobody ever mentions that it was our stupidity that got us involved in the war in the first place. Our stupidity and our overconfidence. We were going to win the war in six months. Ha."
Rhett was surprised by Scarlett's outburst, he said, "Then go for a walk with me."
"No, if I was seen taking a walk with you, it would ruin what was left of my reputation. I am somehow to blame for Frank leaving me. Not that he was a sorry human being who abandoned his wife and child."
Rhett laughed and that increased Scarlett's bad mood. He said, "You promised to be seen in public with me."
"I am being seen in public with you right now, but I will not go for a walk with you unless we have a chaperone with us. I am still a married woman."
Scarlett had suffered a lot of stress and strain over the last week. Before Frank had run off, she had been thinking that financially she had gone around the bend. No, she wasn't as rich as Rhett, but she had no longer been worried about where her next meal was coming from. Then suddenly again because of another person's actions she was once again in that pit of hell. First it had been those idiots that had gotten them involved in the war. Then it had been the Yankees who either took what they wanted or destroyed what they didn't want. Now it was a weak, selfish, petty man who had betrayed her.
Once again, she had to humble herself and ask Rhett for a loan. Once again, she was obligated to talk to the man. Once again, she was forced to put up with his mocking comments.
It would be at least a month before Scarlett knew if she was going to be able to save the store even with Rhett's loan. She had worried about if she didn't turn the store around how would she pay Rhett back. She knew how he would let her pay him back, but she would run off to Texas before she did that. And on top of all that she still didn't know what she was going to do about Tara.
Rhett condescendingly said, "I have told you before that if you have enough money and enough courage you don't need a reputation."
Rhett's words had made Scarlett remember vividly his hypocritical actions in their first timeline. It had also reminded her of their conversation at Frank's store the first timeline. He had been bragging about all the money he had and how he had gotten it by illegal means and there she had been one step away from poverty. And here she was once again one step away from poverty through no fault of her own. And he was standing there smiling like life was his oyster just as he had been smiling at Frank's store that afternoon.
All Scarlett wanted to do was take all her frustrations out on the arrogant, insulting man. She wanted to verbally assault him not that it would do any good. No, she wanted to physically hurt him because she knew she couldn't hurt him emotionally. She wanted to gouge his eyes out not just because of everything she was suffering from right now but also because of all the pain he had inflicted upon her in their first timeline. Yet, she couldn't do any of those things which made her lose her temper and blurt out, "Pretty big talk for a man who humbled himself by crawling on his belly over broken glass and kissing all the matrons' backsides just to get himself received once again just to get his daughter received while at the same time pushing his wife in the dirt even more. The dirt she was in because she had married him. After he had mocked and ridiculed that same society for years. I know now that you are the biggest hypocrite that was ever created. At least, I was always honest and never humbled myself. If I hadn't needed your money, I would never have spoken to you again. Fool that I am I was starting to trust you again."
"You came back too! That explains everything! Now I know why you aren't behaving the way you did during the first timeline. I should have figured that out. How could I have been so stupid!"
Scarlett sighed. She knew she had said too much. She had just thought she would get a confused Rhett but no, that sonofabitch had returned in time also. She said, "Go away. You are toxic. Your love is a poisonous substance. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my life. From New Orleans until you walked out on me at my lowest moment you made my life a living hell just because I dared to love someone other than you. A man you have always known that I thought I loved. I never lied to you, unlike you who lied to me every time you turned around. And the worst part Rhett is you were doing it on purpose while claiming to love me. I don't want your love. I don't want you. Go away. Get away from me. Leave me alone. I will not throw away everything for you ever again."
Scarlett turned and walked into the house. She slammed the door after herself. Her only thought had been, 'Thank goodness I already have the money. I could not accept a loan from him now.'
Scarlett's next thought was, 'I don't have to marry him. I just have to stay solvent until seventy-four when I can move to Boston and meet Patrick again.'
Rhett stood there stunned. He had been so stunned he had not been able to speak. He returned to the National Hotel. He had no idea how to soften her heart towards him. Not only had he done and said so many ugly things to her during their marriage, but not twenty-four hours after her best friend's death he had asked her for a divorce. He was filled with despair once again.
