Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Two
It Is Never Too Late
October 1888 New York City
Rhett had been out sailing with some other businessmen. They were men in their late forties to early fifties. They had been boring. They had been talking about politics. As much as he loved to sail, the only reason he had gone was because of the business deal brewing. The men had not discussed the deal at all. When Rhett had brought the subject up, one of the men replied, "Mr. Butler, it is too beautiful of a day to discuss business. After that all Rhett wanted to do was get off the boat. He wondered if he was becoming a grumpy, old man.
Rhett had been gone most of the morning. As soon as he walked through the door of his home he shared with Joan, he knew the house was empty. Yet, it was much quieter than when she was just out of the house. The house was so quiet, it was like no one was in the house, not even the servants. Rhett soon found that to be true.
Rhett first walked to the parlor and there wasn't anyone there. He had gone to the library. No one was there. He had noticed that several books were missing from the bookshelves. That is when he began to suspect that Joan had left him. He went to his and Joan's bedroom and it was equally empty. It was also plain to see that she had packed up all of her clothing and personal items. He was correct Joan had moved out. He saw the note on the bed.
Joan had been much kinder than Rhett had ever thought about being. She told him she was leaving. She had eloped with John McDonald. Eloped might be a stretch. They had gone to the courthouse then she had moved into John's house across town. She hoped he didn't mind, but she had taken all her personal belongings which included her jewelry. She had taken her favorite books and she had also taken the staff with her also.
Joan's note went on to say that John had missed her so much while they were in Europe, he had wanted her to divorce Rhett and marry him. Once he found out that Joan and Rhett were not legally married, he had demanded she marry him. It had just taken them a couple of weeks to work out the details.
Rhett guessed that was true. He and Joan had only been back from Europe for a month. The first social engagement they had attended had been a little more than two weeks ago. True to form by the end of the evening Joan and John had been deep in a conversation.
Rhett burst out laughing. John McDonald was a short, fat man who wore glasses. Rhett did know that Joan and John had a love of reading in common. Rhett wondered what else they had in common. Rhett knew that John had given Joan the devoted attention that Rhett could not give her. It was plain for anyone to see even Rhett that John thought Joan hung the moon and the stars.
Rhett decided that it said volumes about his and Joan's relationship that he hadn't been jealous of all the attention John was bestowing on Joan. He tried to remember the last time they had relations. It had been in Milan after seeing Scarlett. He had used Joan's body while fantasizing about Scarlett. That being said he didn't know the last time they had been intimate before that.
Rhett laughed again. Maybe Joan had wanted a man in her bed who wanted to do more than sleep. It didn't matter now.
Rhett was not surprised about Joan and John. Every social engagement they had attended for the last year, she and John had ended up together. It had reminded him of when he had escorted Scarlett to all those Scallawag and Republican parties. Almost as soon as they had gotten to the event, she had left too. He had made a lot of money at those events. Come to think of it, he had made money while Joan had been flirting with John.
It would be a three-day scandal, but because of John's wealth people would continue to receive the couple. Rhett also knew that nobody had believed Joan was his wife. He and Joan had been received because of his wealth. He guessed there were hypocrites all over the world. He wished the couple well.
Rhett in that moment made a decision he should have made thirteen years ago. No, fifteen years ago. He was going back to Scarlett. He shouldn't have ever left her.
Rhett went to his attorney's office. Mr. Matlock saw him fairly quickly. Rhett said, "What is my wife's address?"
Ben had a startled expression on his face. It was the first time in over thirteen years Mr. Butler had mentioned his wife. He said, "Let me get her folder." The lawyer came back and said, "2717 Chestnut Street."
"That is where she was living before. Let me sign a power of attorney. I need you to sell all my possessions in New York."
"What do you want me to do with the money?"
"Send me a check to that address." After signing the form, Rhett got up and started to walk out of the office. Over his shoulder he said, "My wife doesn't need a support check anymore. She will have me."
Rhett went home and packed everything he owned including his books. He knew Scarlett wouldn't have any books. Over the last fifteen years he had built up quite the collection. He had gone to the general store and bought two more trunks. Finally, he was ready to leave. To leave the tastefully decorated house and New York. He was ready to live in an ugly mansion once again. On the way to the train station, Rhett stopped at a Western Union and sent Scarlett a telegram.
The telegram said: On the one PM train to Boston STOP I will be sleeping next to you tonight STOP Rhett STOP
Rhett and all his trunks were on the one o'clock train to Boston. He had a moment of fear. What if she didn't want him? Then he would file for divorce and end this travesty. He would sail around the world.
Rhett took the letter out of his inside pocket several times during the trip. He didn't read it. He just held it. Holding it seemed to give him peace.
Scarlett got the telegram at twelve thirty. When she read it, she sat down on the stairs and cried. He was finally coming back to her for good. Through her tears she smiled when she reread the part about him sleeping next to her tonight. She hoped so.
Scarlett thought over the last few months since she had seen Rhett in Milan. While John and Scarlett were sailing back to Boston over dessert, he said, "Will you marry me?"
"You know I am still married to Rhett."
"Am I just a checkbook to you?"
"Why would you say that? Of course not. I enjoy spending time with you. You know I love you."
"If you love me then get a divorce so we can marry."
"No, I can't divorce Rhett."
"You just said you loved me."
"I do. I just can't let Rhett go."
"You are going to have to choose. Me or your husband."
"Don't make me choose."
John had given her a sad smile and said, "I guess I got my answer. Here is the key to the cabin. Let me go find another cabin for me."
"John… John.. don't leave."
John didn't turn around and he didn't stop walking.
Scarlett saw John when he and one of the cabin boys came to the cabin to get his trunks. John said, "Everything is paid for until we dock. If you don't mind, I wish to end this now. I assume you can find your way home."
"Of course. Goodbye John."
"Goodbye Scarlett. We could have had a good life if you had been able to give up your devotion to your husband."
Scarlett had smiled sadly and said, "That's not the first time I have heard something like that."
For the rest of the voyage and the weeks afterwards, Scarlett would think of John and wished she could have loved him the most, but she couldn't. She would always love Rhett the most.
Scarlett had settled back into her life in Boston. Some of the women she had met through John stopped receiving her when they found out she was no longer with John, but that was alright. She had enough fair-weather friends to last her a lifetime.
Scarlett had heard that John was seeing Marlene Dietrich. She was happy for John. Marlene was a pleasant widow who wanted another husband. She would be good for John.
Soon after Scarlett's return from Europe she had her children and their families over for dinner. After the meal was over, Scarlett calmly said, "John and I have decided to stop seeing each other."
Neither child reacted in the extreme. They both shrugged their shoulders metaphorically. Wade said, "You will find someone else. You always do."
Scarlett glared at her children for their lack of concern for her emotional heartache. When Ella saw her mother's face, she said to her husband, "Doesn't Mother look just like Fran when she doesn't get her way?"
Ella's husband, Don Knotts, had said, "An exact copy."
Ella and Don laughed.
"I'm glad you can laugh at my unhappiness. I have lost my suitor."
Wade said, "You cared no more for John than you did our fathers. The only man you have ever cared for was Uncle Rhett. You should send him a letter and ask him to visit."
Because Wade's words were straight on the mark, it made Scarlett mad. Scarlett knew that she could send Rhett a letter, but that didn't mean he would come to visit. She glared first at Wade then at Ella. She then stood up and walked out of the room without another word. Not even goodbye. She ignored the grandchildren calling her name.
After Wade and Ella were sure their mother couldn't hear them, Wade said, "Too much?"
Ella said, "Maybe not enough. Let's wait and see. If we need to, we can invite him for a visit ourselves."
"Alright."
"We can invite him for Christmas."
"Perfect."
Now it was a month later. Rhett was finally coming home. Scarlett had sent a footman to the train station to find out when the train from New York would be arriving. She had the maid clean up her room and change the sheets on her bed. She stashed her reading glasses in her nightside table drawer. She took a bath and put on her prettiest dress.
At seven o'clock, Scarlett was standing on the platform waiting for the train from New York to arrive. When it did, she kept looking up and down the train. She kept trying to find him, then she saw him. At first, she stood perfectly still. He would have to make the first move. She then told herself, 'No, he already has when he sent me the telegram.'
Scarlett started walking rapidly towards Rhett. He saw her. He stared at her. His face broke into a grin. He started walking rapidly toward Scarlett. The porter behind him tried to keep up, but when the porter saw a woman running towards the man, the porter knew he had all the time in the world. The man didn't run, but he was walking awfully fast.
Soon Scarlett and Rhett were in each other's arms. Despite everyone around them, they were kissing a deep passionate kiss. After many kisses, they stopped kissing, but they didn't stop hugging each other. Scarlett said, "You can never leave me again."
"I never will. I am home to stay."
"Did you bring everything you own with you?"
"Yes, including my book collection."
"Let's go home."
"Yes, let's go home."
As Rhett and Scarlett walked toward her carriage, the porter walked behind them with a big smile on his face. Everyone loved a love story, didn't they? Besides, happy people were usually good tippers.
Six Months Later
Rhett and Scarlett were in their private car. They were traveling west until they were once again in Boston. They had told Ella and Wade they had no idea when they would be back therefore the children had made the effort to see the couple off.
After the train pulled out of the station, Ella said, "I never thought they would be this happy."
Wade said, "I knew that once they both got passed their pride, they would be gloriously ecstatic."
"True. Do you think we will see them any time soon?"
"No. As long as they are happy together, we will rarely see them."
"Mother said they sold everything they owned."
"Rhett gave me his library."
"Rhett gave you his library! No, we will probably never see them again."
"Probably not. Mother gave us all she could give us."
"Yes, she did."
"I guess we are all each other has now besides our families."
Ella slipped her arm into Wade's arm and said, "We are all we have ever had since Mammy went to Tara and Aunt Melly died. Mother did the best she could, and she did keep us close, but she was never a maternal woman."
"True. I haven't heard from Beau since we sold Hamilton House."
"Really? How sad."
Yes, it is. Last I heard he was serving in the army."
"Didn't he go to West Point?"
"Yes. Somehow Uncle Ashley got him a commission."
"How nice for Beau."
"Yes, it was."
"Come on it is cold out here."
"Indeed, it is. Come to Sunday dinner. We eat at noon."
"Sure. We will be there."
As the siblings walked to their coaches, they were both thinking, 'It is about time Mother and Rhett were finally happy.'