Author's Note - I apologize for the delay. This chapter has actually been out since July, and I forgot that I hadn't posted it here. It is short, but the next chapter I think will make up for the brevity. I'm toying with another new story, but I need to try and wrap some of my current ones up first, but we shall see. I hope that you enjoy this, and I should have the next chapter up before Christmas.
Part 12
Each day continued much like the previous one for the week that Wade was home, as Rhett slowly worked to ingrain himself in his former life. The pattern of the days was only interrupted for Sunday on the weekend, when to his surprise Scarlett and both of her children attended morning Mass. Out of curiosity, Rhett followed along. Scarlett looked only moderately interested in the service, but perhaps it brought her some comfort. There must be a reason that she was attending. But Wade and Ella both seemed interested enough to the homily to assume that they both knew enough latin to glean meaning from the message. That spoke to Scarlett's efforts to make sure that the children were better educated than she had been. Sunday dinner, which at one point would have included the Wilkes and Hamiltons, was noticeably lonely. Just the four members of the family joined together with Uncle Henry who was also alone, and as all meals preceding, Scarlett didn't eat much of anything. But he decided that he needed to wait until Wade was gone to truly address the issue. Wade very likely would side with him, as he appeared to be very devoted, but there was always the chance that Wade might mistake his concern for criticism. Henry seemed unphased by Rhett's sudden reappearance.
In the mornings, he shared breakfast with Scarlett and Ella, and they would discuss the events in the morning paper. At other times, he would try to coax Ella into reading a short story that they could discuss or a chapter from a novel. Ella had a surprising amount of interesting observations and thoughts that were something Rhett would never have thought of. She saw the world so differently than he had. It was a delight to spend time with her, and he marveled at how she had grown from a baby to a child to an intelligent young woman. He had missed out on so much.
Scarlett was still disinterested in reading with them. And she was still reserved around him. She was wary of letting herself feel too much to only be disappointed in the long run. She had changed the most. It was still as though at least for the majority of time that he had been observing her that her passion and fire had been doused to nothing but ashes. But every once in a while, he could see the tiniest glimpse of an ember, and he hoped that one day that she would burn more like she once had. Scarlett reserved and in control was such an odd thing to witness. And yet, from what he had learned over the years, was what her mother had been. The stories that he had learned from his own mother about Ellen Robillard did not match with the woman that Scarlett and even Mammy had described. And it wasn't just that they had grown up. Something had happened in the meantime to douse that vitality in both of them. Ellen had never been allowed to recover from what had happened to her, but he hoped that Scarlett would return to who she had once been, or that she would be free enough to recapture fire and passion without it burning so hot as to consume them all. And he realized that he was at fault for this change more than anything else. He had taken a girl, once so full of life, and completely stripped her, leaving a shell that looked the same, but acted nothing alike.
In the afternoons, he would join Scarlett at the store, where both Ella and Scarlett worked. Ella and Scarlett were mostly warm towards him, though he could detect a wariness in their demeanor. They didn't fully trust him, and he couldn't blame them for this. But he was fascinated to watch how they interacted and ran the store. Ella was quite the saleswoman, though most would never realize that she was doing that. She was able to convince customers seamlessly, so that they thought that it was their own idea and not Ella's. The back store room was perfectly organized and clean. Scarlett and Ella constantly kept up on the organization and tidiness of the space. Scarlett was also teaching Ella to mind the books, and though bookwork did not come naturally to Ella as it had to Scarlett, Ella was determined to learn and understand it. After all, the store was Ella's legacy.
Dinner each night was pleasurable. Wade was lively and gregarious with his mother and sister. Though he made few comments directly to Rhett, he didn't purposely exclude him either.
And each night after dinner, Wade and Rhett would retire to the parlor and continue their game until finally Scarlett would drag them away for the night. Wade defeated Rhett the second night, but it was a close enough game that when Rhett requested a rematch, Wade was happy to oblige. And each game lasted longer and longer. Scarlett had tried to play many times, and was a good match for Ella. But Wade took the chess game very seriously. Wade and Rhett were equally intent on being victorious. It was almost as though Rhett felt like he could make Wade forgive him if he won, and Wade was determined to not let him win so that he could maintain the grudge against his stepfather.
The night before Wade was to leave to head back North, Rhett defeated him for the first time. Rhett uncharacteristically gloated with the victory. But Wade was not phased by the defeat, he just looked at Rhett with a knowing smirk. It was almost unnerving in his arrogance, as though allowing the one defeat would pave the way for future victories. "Well played, Uncle Rhett." He returned with a confident smile. "You caught me unawares, but I shall strengthen that spot in my defenses."
There was something so smooth about him, a calmness in his demeanor, that was like Rhett, but so unlike Rhett. It was truly as though he had the kindness of his father, the cool loftiness of Ashley, and the wit and demeanor of Rhett. He was unflappable, unless in defense of his mother or sister, and he was loyal to them to a fault.
As he laid out another game and reset the board, Rhett watched him, while smoking a cigar in celebration of his victory. Finally Rhett tried to ask him about taking over Uncle Henry's practice.
But Wade cut in quickly, "Uncle Rhett, I expect that you will not harm my mother, while I'm gone." Wade wasn't angry, but requested another match when he returned from the North. And Rhett considered it a win that Wade was expecting him to be there. Perhaps in those evenings spent strategizing, Rhett had begun to bond with Wade once again. Or at least that was Rhett's hope.