I submitted my thesis today, meaning my PhD is finished and my time is once again my own. As such you can expect regular weekly or fortnightly updates now. Thank you for your patience. SR.

Part II

Chapter V

Atlanta had always interested Scarlett more than any other town because when she was a child Gerald had told her that she and Atlanta were exactly the same age. She discovered when she grew older that Gerald had stretched the truth somewhat, as was his habit when a little stretching would improve a story; but Atlanta was only nine years older than her... of her own generation, crude with the crudities of youth and as headstrong and impetuous as herself...

... Scarlett loved Atlanta as one of the few places she'd ever regularly visited and visiting it on her wedding day was perhaps the most exciting thing that she had ever experienced in her young life. She demanded congratulations from every person she met, from vague acquaintances on train platforms, to the bellboy of the National Hotel. Rhett had merely laughed, accepting her childlike enthusiasm without a second thought and flattering himself that, with another husband, she certainly would not have been as gay.

It was nightfall by the time they reached the hotel, and the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Butler were shown immediately and courteously to their room upon arrival. Scarlett was giddy with excitement upon viewing the Bridal Suite of the hotel. They were to rest there the night before departing for Charleston the next morning, where they were to meet their ship to France, some five days hence.

"Oh, Rhett!" She exclaimed upon viewing the ornately decorated room, fine furnishings and complimentary bottle of champagne awaiting them.

"I take it you approve, my dear?" He queried, indicating to the accompanying bellboy where their bags should be left and closing the door firmly behind his retreating frame.

"Rhett, I love it! Let's one day have a house and decorate it in exactly this style!"

"Oh Scarlett," Rhett shook his head ruefully. "I should hope, my dear, that with time, and exposure to the finer things in life, your tastes will improve. Come now and have a glass of champagne with me."

"Oh! But Rhett, I've already had one today, earlier, at Tara," Scarlett chewed her bottom lip, for she had long since been admonished by Mammy that ladies only ever drank one glass of champagne, only ever at a celebration and they never, ever enjoyed it.

"That was hours ago, Scarlett. Now come, take it before it goes warm."

"Mother would be..."

"Most disappointed if she found out you were arguing with your husband, and on this, our wedding night! Come Scarlett, just this morning you swore before God and witnesses to honour and obey me, and to trust me to make the best decisions for you. And I've decided you're to have a glass of champagne to celebrate our marriage. Drink up, there's a good girl."

"Why I think you're tempting me to wickedness Rhett," Scarlett giggled, allowing the sweet, bubbly liquid to spill down her throat delightfully.

"Indeed I am Mrs. Butler, indeed I am," he grinned lazily at her. "And how shall you like to be so called? Mrs. Butler?"

"I shall like it very well indeed," Scarlett declared. "Mrs. Butler, Scarlett Butler, Mrs. Rhett Butler. Don't you think it sounds well?"

"Perfectly charming indeed," Rhett's expression bellied his casual words, for in truth, he liked the sound of her new name very much actually. "And how do you like being married so far, my dear?"

"Rhett, it's been hours!"

"More than enough time for you to make up your mind about it, I'm sure."

"Well, so far, I like it very much. Oh Rhett, don't you think I looked far better in my wedding things than either Melanie or Honey?"

"Certainly my dear, though it does you very little credit to say as much."

"Oh hush," she bid him. "We're certainly a handsome picture together, as everybody said. What beautiful, dark haired babies we shall have..."

"Babies, Mrs. Butler? Who has been putting such thoughts in your head?" Rhett grinned lazily, his eyes flashing dark with desire.

Scarlett flushed, deeply. Turning her attention to the light repast her husband had ordered and nibbling delicately on a chunk of cheese, she remarked instead on the fine lace curtains over hanging the balcony.

"Come now Mrs. Butler, don't be missish, who has been speaking of babies to you?"

"Oh everybody," Scarlett replied airily, evasively, waving her hand as if to bat away his embarrassing question. "Certainly the matrons bring it up often enough."

He crossed the room then, bodily lifting her out of her chair and pressing her small body against his much harder one.

"And what did your mother warn you of... regarding your marital duties?" He questioned, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder and peppering feather light kisses down her neck. "Did she tell you your selfish, beastly husband would come to you to slake his desires and take his pleasures, and you must lie still and endure it, for in the end you'd get a baby out of it?"

Scarlett couldn't answer, partly because his kisses left her head spinning and partly out of sheer mortification, for his words were shockingly close to Ellen's advice to her the night before.

"I hate to disillusion you as to your mother's wisdom my darling, but in this instance, she was very, very wrong," Rhett told her darkly, his voice as smooth and silky as cats' fur. "There is nothing to endure, in fact, if I do my duty as your husband correctly, you should take just as much enjoyment from this as me, perhaps even more."

Scarlett could hardly fathom it, could hardly believe that there was anything more pleasurable than the feeling of his lips caressing her neck, his moustache lightly grazing her skin. That there was more pleasure still to come seemed incredible and a small part of her feared that she could not take any more, for certainly her body was sure to catch fire if he continued...

"Oh Rhett," she sighed, allowing her body to go completely limp in his arms.

"Yes, my darling?" He replied, his voice low and husk, as his lips danced scandalously close to the décolletage of her dress.

She had nothing to say to him and even if she had, she couldn't speak, could hardly breathe, as his lips wrought havoc over her skin, leaving her writhing and helpless in his embrace.

She was in his arms then, her legs dangling over his arm, his lips never leaving hers as he strode towards the bedroom. He set her down then, beside the turned-down bed and, as his lithe, nimble fingers went to the buttons at the back of her gown...

Scarlett froze.

"Rhett..." her voice was uncertain now, nervous. His hands stilled, his lips withdrawing from her neck, leaving the skin he'd been kissing cold and bereft of his touch.

"Yes, my darling?" He murmured, the caressing tone of his voice causing her to shiver.

"I... I," she did not know what to say, knew nothing except that moments ago her head had been swimming with desire and passion and now, at the sight of a bed, her body felt as if it had been doused in cold water. "I've never done this before." She eventually settled for whispering, hating feeling inferior to him, even for a moment.

To her surprise and mortification, Rhett laughed. A great, booming laugh that spoke of his utter relief in hearing her words.

"I'm very glad to hear it, my dear. If you had, I'd be forced to divorce you."

"Oh hush!" Scarlett exclaimed, embarrassment causing her to lash out. Immediately Rhett's arms were around her again, soothing her, holding her tightly.

"Scarlett, my pet, relax. All new brides are nervous on their weddings nights."

"What do I care for all new brides?" Scarlett huffed, averting her eyes from his gaze.

"Scarlett, look at me," he instructed gently. "Look at me now, good girl." His eyes were kind, kinder than she had ever seen. "Do you trust me, Scarlett?"

"I hardly know you," Scarlett responded, squirming uncomfortably in his arms.

"You knew me enough to marry me," he chuckled.

"Fine. I trust you," she replied begrudgingly.

"Then trust me to look after you here, my darling," his lips peppered kisses along her hairline. "Forget everything you have been told, everything you have been taught and just feel."

"Will it hurt?" Scarlett asked meekly, tipping back in his arms and allowing her bones to turn to liquid all over again.

"Only at first my dearest, loveliest Scarlett," his voice was hoarse, heavy with passion and desire for her, unwilling to broke any further delays. "And then never again."

"Oh," she murmured.

"I will show you pleasure, Mrs. Butler," he spoke the words as a vow. "I will school you in it, lay all my talents at your disposal, if only you'll let me."

"Yes," she whispered unthinkingly, gasping as his lips took possession of hers in a ferocious kiss that left her breathless, her head swimming. She was clutched against his chest, his powerful muscles holding her far too tightly to be proper and, as his hands went back to the fastenings of her dress, she couldn't bring herself to care.

She blushed ferociously as he finally divested her of her travelling dress, leaving her clad in shoes, shimmy and stockings. She shivered as the cool night air touched her skin and Rhett stepped back to look at her, his eyes lit up with frank admiration.

"Very nice, Mrs. Butler," he nodded his appreciation.

"You ill-mannered..."

"Hush," his lips came down upon hers, hard and fast, before he set apart divesting himself of his own garments. First his cravat, then his cufflinks were removed, and before long his shirt was undone, exposing his brown chest, covered with thick black hair. Scarlett blushed darkly at the sight, for she had never seen anything so strong, so firm, so decidedly masculine. Without thought, she reached out to touch, tangling her fingers in the coarse hair she found there.

"Do I please you, Mrs. Butler?" He asked, his voice darkly dangerous, simmering with barely suppressed desire.

"Very much," she replied, her frank words at odds with her shy smile.

"Then come to me," he whispered seductively.

Come to him she did. Kisses, caresses, murmured words of seduction and desire were shared. Cries of pleasure and pain were exchanged and, some time later, as Scarlett lay drowsily in her husband's arms, she was left wondering how anybody ever left their bed, when their was so much pleasure to be found there.

So caught up was she in these pleasant thoughts, that she missed the growing air of anxiety coming from her new husband.

For Rhett was anxious, despite the pleasurable languor that had invaded his body and refused to leave. That he had enjoyed their love making was unquestionable, that he was less positive of Scarlett's enjoyment would have made him laugh at any other time. But in all his life, with all his experience, he had never before bedded a virgin and he had been at pains to ensure his new wife enjoyed herself, so she would not develop the distaste so many women did to the marriage bed. He had tried his best to take his time, to love her slowly and to ensure her pleasure, but he knew he'd been carried away in the pleasure of the moment, in how good she felt around him. And now he was to suffer for it! Now, as she lay naked and drowsy against his chest, and he was left in agony, desperate to know what she was thinking, how she was feeling.

"Are you well, Scarlett?" Rhett eventually asked, unable to abide not knowing any longer.

"Quite well," she responded drowsily, tangling her fingers in his chest hair.

"It will get better, with time," Rhett vowed. "The pain... it won't be repeated."

"Better?" Scarlett laughed and for a moment, Rhett knew real fear. Fear that she had found the whole business so distasteful that she would bar him from her bed for the rest of their lives. "Rhett, if it get's much better I think I might catch flame!"

Rhett laughed then, with real relief and more than a little pride.

"So you enjoyed yourself then did you, my dear Mrs. Butler? I won't deny I'm glad to hear it, for I enjoyed my self quite a bit as well and I'm already looking forward to repeating the experience."

"Repeating?" Scarlett scrambled up from her purchase on his chest to look at him in the eye. "How often are married couples expected to...ah... perform in such a manner?"

Rhett laughed again, louder and longer than before, reaching up to stroke the hair away from Scarlett's face.

"My dear, there are no expectations, certainly not in our marriage. We may perform together as regularly or irregularly as we please, assuming of course that the both of us are willing participants."

"Oh," Scarlett smiled prettily at him and, leaning down, bestowed a chaste kiss upon her lips. She felt her cheeks reddening and wondered how she was still capable of blushing after the intimacies he had just performed on her person.

"And while we are speaking of the expectations around our marriage, I would speak to you on that subject," Rhett continued, running a hand errantly down her naked back, enjoying the goose flesh that erupted wherever his hands trailed. "I'm of a mind to set our marriage off on the right foot, so when better to discuss it then now, when we've just loved each other to satisfaction?"

"Oh, Rhett," Scarlett giggled, toying again with the hair on his chest. "You are awful."

"Scarlett, I told you when I proposed that our marriage would be fun and I intend to keep that promise. Whatever your mother and your mammy told you of a wife's duties I'd rather you forget their advice now. We've long established that I'm not a gentleman, and I have no need for a gentle lady wife. If I had, I should not have married you. Instead, I want a wife to have fun with. I've long been told that I've got a way with women and you'll be the recipient of that expertise, my dear. Tell me, what should you like best to do?"

"Oh, dance!" Scarlett exclaimed immediately. "And have pretty things to wear."

Rhett laughed, tugging firmly on an errant lock of hair.

"Then dance you shall my darling wife, and in the prettiest gowns available. We'll go shopping together and I shall dress you like a girl does her dolls. Jewellery too, if you'd like it. And you shall have all the money you please for the house and for gifts for your family."

"Oh, Rhett, you're too good to be true!" Scarlett beamed at her, a real, genuine smile that momentarily stalled his heart in his chest.

"I fully intend to spoil you, my dear, for it is about time my ill gotten gains went to some good cause. There's not much I shall ask in return of you, except for one thing," he paused here, eyebrows raised, his tone imparting the gravitas of the statement he was about to make. "I can take almost anything from you dear Scarlett and I doubt there's much you can do that would shock me, in fact, I'd bet that whatever you do, I'm likely to have done it first. What I won't accept from you is a lie. No matter what you've done, whatever you're thinking or feeling, you must be honest about it Scarlett, do you understand me? Because if you're not, and I find out (and trust me Scarlett, I will find out!) I shall be far angrier with your lie than whatever it is that caused you to lie in the first place."

"I understand Rhett," Scarlett replied with solemnity equal to his own. "And..." she paused, unsure whether to continue. Mammy and Ellen would have been horrified at the question that was poised on the tip of her tongue, but, by Rhett's rules, that ought to mean she should ask it.

She paused, uncertain, vacillating.

"Go ahead Scarlett," he instructed.

"Will you do the same? Promise not to lie?"

Rhett's eyes shot up in comical disbelief, clearly, he had not been expecting that.

"An interesting concept my dear, a couple where neither ever tells the other an untruth. We may be a social experiment for the ages," he ran a thoughtful hand over his chin. "Well my dear, I shall swear also, and we shall see the ramifications of such a pact play out before us!"

"Thank you Rhett," Scarlett smiled prettily, and leaning down, brushed her lips across her new husbands mouth. Seconds later, she was pinned beneath her husband, giggling and shrieking. Neither of them knew sleep till some hours hence.