Dear readers!
Thank you so much for your comments, messages, they inspire me to write more.
I'm posting the third chapter, as always I can't wait and I'll share it as soon as I finish writing it:)
Let's have dinner together with our heroes:)
Enjoy reading!
I own nothing in regard to GWTW.
Chapter 3.
After everyone had been introduced to each other at the table and dinner had been served, the conversation was measured. Roy, who had just returned from the front lines, was the main source of news and had taken all the attention of the ladies, including Scarlett. Rhett was certainly not happy about this, but he could watch quietly, occasionally inserting polite phrases.
He had the impression that Roy and Scarlett already knew each other, that they were somehow easy to talk together, and once, she almost addressed him by first name, but corrected herself in time. And this man had shown up here so abruptly.
Rhett looked at this serious but smiling man in military uniform, how intelligently and clearly he spoke, how courteous he was. And, he was clearly the same age as him. Answering the question to himself, "And what does this man want in this house?" Rhett realized the answer was simple and on the surface: "Scarlett"
"Well," he thought with a smirk, "our little widow has another beau."
Melanie, seeing that Rhett was thinking and apparently bored, decided to change the subject.
"Mr Thompson, do you know that Captain Butler is in a blockade?" and she smiled and continued, "thanks to him, goods are coming to us, as well as necessary medicines...". Melanie continued to praise Rhett, Roy listened intently and nodded, and Scarlett grinned. She knew why Rhett was doing this, he had confessed it to her at the Bazaar.
Rhett nodding and answering politely noticed Scarlett's smirk and it made him angry. Yes, he had told her all his cards at the ball, but the way she had listened about Mr Thompson and his affairs before, with a soft smile and genuine interest, had hurt him. At him she only grinned. Rhett was thinking fast and, remembering in the parlour the book of Shakespeare which he had lazily thumbed through earlier in the evening.
Scarlett, meanwhile, decided to make a little joke on Rhett and said excitedly, but her eyes were laughing, "Captain Butler, how dangerous your service must be! You risk so much for the Right Cause."
Rhett smirked, but his eyes glittered dangerously and Scarlett realized she was already in some kind of trap. Her palms sweated with excitement.
"My dear Mrs Hamilton, you may rest easy and sleep well. You remember that expression of famous English author 'He who is destined to be hanged shall not drown'".
She looked at him questioningly and perplexed, "Excuse me?" she said.
He smirked and continued, "Oh, I'm sorry, I noticed a Shakespeare book in your parlour, I thought it was how you spent your evenings reading his immortal works..."
Scarlett's cheeks flushed, she didn't like to read and Shakespeare seemed boring to her and she didn't understand what Melanie found so interesting about him.
"He did it on purpose, he asked me in the parlour about that book and I said that Melly was reading it..." Scarlett remembered.
She looked intently into Rhett's eyes. He could see that there was rage and resentment in her eyes. He only smirked.
Everyone at the table seemed to be calm. Melanie explained that she was the one who liked to read Shakespeare and sometimes out loud. At this Aunt Pitty giggled and said that she often fell asleep to it. Mr Thompson only smiled. Nothing embarrassed him, so he only joked, turning to Scarlett with a smile, "You know, Mrs Hamilton, I'm a Shakespeare lover too, and my brother isn't. But there's nothing in the law that says you have to like him or read him. We're all different, and we all have our own tastes."
Scarlett smiled gratefully at him, but then there was a quiet knock in the dining room and she saw it was Prissy, who nodded at her. She realized that Wade was demanding her attention.
"Excuse me, I need to go up to see my son," Scarlett said politely and started to get up. Roy quickly stood up and gallantly pushed her chair back. They smiled at each other. Rhett, who was watching the whole scene, just looked away, and Melanie noticed it.
"Darling, we're waiting for you, there's a sweet pie just about to be served," Melanie said after her, and Scarlett nodded.
Scarlett, sitting in the quiet room upstairs with her son in her arms, thought that she would never have come downstairs if it hadn't been for Roy. He had been very polite, very gallant to her. She had caught his affectionate and interested look several times and it thrilled her. She could see that he was older than her usual beaux and it made her a little uncomfortable. He was more experienced, more educated. Remembering her interactions with Rhett and the way he'd rubbed her nose in the fact that she wasn't as well-read as Melly or himself, she was afraid Roy would behave the same way.
Scarlett finished feeding little Wade and called Prissy to watch the baby. It was almost 8 p.m. and it was time to go downstairs.
She took a deep breath, straightened her back, fixing her hair in the mirror and walked out of the room
Dessert had already been served downstairs and Roy had risen gallantly and quickly at Scarlett's arrival and moved a chair to make it easier for her to sit down.
"Thank you, Mr Thompson," she said politely with an affectionate smile to Roy and he only smiled at her.
Melly asked quietly, "Is everything all right, Darling?" Scarlett nodded quietly, smiled at her and picked up her cup of tea.
As the small talk of this and that went on, Scarlett didn't join in the conversation, just drank her tea and listened. At one point she felt that look in her eyes. The look that sent shivers down her spine and made her cheeks turn pink. A look that she knew who it belonged to.
She lifted her green eyes from the cup and met Rhett's coal-black eyes. A question lingered in them.
Scarlett averted her eyes; she wasn't going to waste her time and thoughts on him now, let him stare all he wanted.
After dessert, Roy looked around at everyone at the table, nodded to Melanie, and then stood up and said, "If you'll excuse me, I won't be able to stay for coffee because I have an early train to Savannah tomorrow morning," Roy caught Scarlett's disappointed look and continued, "I'm just passing through Atlanta this time, but I'll be back here for a while next week. And today, I'm sorry, duty."
Bowing slightly in Melanie's direction, he continued, "Thank you for a lovely evening, Mrs Wilkes, it was a pleasure to meet you, Captain Butler. Miss Pitty, you're charming! It's been a very cosy evening," Roy said, smiling, addressing each person in turn. At last his gaze stopped on Scarlett. "I should go, Mrs Hamilton, can I ask you to walk me out, please," he said, smiling embarrassed and slyly.
Scarlett smiled back at him and stood up to escort him into the entrance hall. Melanie and Aunt Pitty said a warm goodbye to Roy and made him promise to come back the other day. Rhett nodded briefly and shook his hand. He was surprised and annoyed that Scarlett not only knew her new beau, but he was disappointed that the two of them had been talking all evening, and now she had volunteered to walk him out. Rhett expected to keep this privilege for himself. "Yes," he thought, "the evening didn't go according to plan!"
At this time Scarlett and Roy were standing on the porch. She was so cheerful, so sweet and naive, it took Roy's breath away.
Scarlett whispered, "Thank you for asking me to walk you out, Roy.That way we have a few minutes without the stares of other people." She smiled at him and he said the first thing that came to mind "I love your eyes, Scarlett. And, uh...I love the rest parts of your face, too. They're attractive." Scarlett started laughing gleefully, "God," she thought, "this is a grown, confident man paying me the most awkward compliment. He's so cute"
"Roy, thank you, I'm pleased to hear that," she said, smiling broadly. "it's been a wonderful evening."
"I want to admit,that I'm feeling a little bit nervous, Scarlett," he said with a smile. "I was thinking about you those two weeks and very glad that chance has brought me into contact with Mr Wilkes. I'm very glad to see you today, Scarlett."
Scarlett smiled at him before lowering her eyes and whispering "Me too, Roy".
He took her hand, pressed it gently to his lips, then bowed slightly and said, "I'll be back next week, Scarlett, and I'd love to see you."
She only nodded at him and said, "See you later, Roy."
He smiled and said, "Goodbye, dear Scarlett," and turned and walked quietly down the street.
Walking into the house and passing the mirror, Scarlett noted her rosy cheeks and smiled to herself.
As she walked into the parlour with a smile on her lips, she immediately ran into Rhett's gaze and his smirk. Oh, she had completely forgotten about that rascal!
Without answering his gaze, she walked over and sat down beside Melly, who handed her a cup of coffee.
The conversation was quiet and measured, and after half an hour Aunt Pitty yawned, apologized and went to her room.
Rhett realized that he had to go too.
"Mrs Hamilton," he said quietly, "what about me? Or am I disqualified for you to see me off?" he finished with a cheerful smile.
Scarlett didn't know what to answer. She was all thoughts with Roy and talking to Rhett wasn't in her plans, so she simply said, "Captain Butler, Wade is waiting for me and..."
"Darling, would you please show our guest out," Melanie politely interrupted her and smiled welcomingly at Rhett, "I'll watch my nephew. Good night, Captain Butler. You are always welcome in our place," she finished her speech, and Rhett, looking at her with warmth in his eyes, took her hand, kissed it politely, and said, "Thank you, Mrs Wilkes. It's been a lovely evening. Good night."
An embarrassed Melanie walked quickly away, leaving the two of them. Scarlett resented inside herself. Why did he need her now?
"Come on Rhett, I'll walk you out," she said calmly.
They walked into the hallway, he took his hat from the small dresser, and they went out onto the porch, closing the door behind them.
Scarlett was silent, remembering that she'd been standing here with Roy half an hour ago. Remembering his awkward compliment, she giggled again.
Rhett, who had been watching her at the time, raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked with a smile, "What is it, Mrs Hamilton?"
Scarlett turned to him, smiling and was about to joke back, but noticed on his face, right on his cheek, "Oh, Rhett, stop, don't move," she reached up to his face and gently ran a small finger along his cheekbone. "Here, look, an eyelash," she said smiling and pointing to her palm.
It had been her game with the Tarleton twins since they were children. If one saw an eyelash on someone's face, the other would make a wish. Usually, all Stuart and Brent's wishes came down to kissing Scarlett or dancing, which she promised them. And when they were children, it had been biscuits from the kitchen or a wish to see Mrs Tarleton's new foals secretly.
The memories took over and she didn't notice how Rhett first froze at her weightless touch on his cheek, then how he watched her dreamy face and smile. His heart raced, and he didn't like it. He couldn't find anything to say as Scarlett, coming to her senses, spoke up, "I'm sorry, Rhett, it's just a game from my childhood, if you can see..."
"Scarlett," he interrupted her sharply in a sarcastic tone, "dear Mrs Hamilton, don't try to play games with me."
Scarlett faltered and turned pale. In her thoughts of Roy, she had completely forgotten who stood before her.
"Captain Butler?" she said sharply and questioningly.
"My dear, believe me, you don't have to play Southern belle with me.I'm not in love with you, don't flatter yourself, Scarlett. I've met much prettier women. The world doesn't end in Clayton County or even Atlanta."
Rhett looked at her eyes burning with anger and her pale face. He realized he'd overreacted.
Scarlett swallowed, all the swear words she wanted to say to him stuck on her tongue. He was a scoundrel, an impossible one. "Oh, Melly," she thought to herself, "you were wrong."
Pulling herself together she answered him wryly, "I thought nothing of the sort, Captain Butler. Moreover, I did not invite you to this house, nor did I wish to dine in your company at all! I shall be glad never to see you again! Good-bye!"
Saying this, she turned abruptly and was about to go to the door, but he seized her sharply by the elbow.
She turned around on him and he only smiled at her and said, "Dear Mrs Hamilton, please forgive me. I did not put it right."
"Let me go, you rascal!" she exclaimed indignantly.
He gently released her hand and said, "Just hear me out, Scarlett. I didn't mean to offend you. I expressed myself harshly, Darling. You and I are quite capable of being friends, after all, don't you have to admit you're interested in talking to me?"
She only hummed.
"Well admit it Scarlett, I'm to talk to and I won't faint at your words," he said smiling and continued, "Just don't play your games with me."
Scarlett looked at Rhett and didn't understand this man. To get so angry over a silly child's game...
"Okay, Captain Butler, I hear you. Good night," and with a nod to him she turned and headed for the door.
All he could manage to say quietly was, "Good night, Scarlett."
The door closed, and he stood on the porch for a moment longer, still not fully comprehending the whole silly scene, he walked briskly toward the "Atlanta" hotel.
An hour later, Scarlett was tossing and turning in her bedroom after feeding and tucking Wade in. She was angry at herself for that stupid scene on the porch. How could she forget herself like that? It was like when she walked down the stairs and jumped the last few steps like when she was a child. And now this game! On impulse she reached for that obnoxious Butler, forgetting it wasn't Brent or Stuart in front of her.
"Oh, how silly this is," she lamented, trying to get more comfortable.
Slowly drifting into sleep, the image of a laughing Butler blurred and all she could hear was a soft voice saying, "I love your eyes..."
Roy Thompson lay in his hotel room and could not sleep either. Those green eyes haunted him. He smiled at his thoughts. He had fallen in love like a boy, and he was already in his thirties. Yes, he was older, and she had a young son, but he had always wanted a son, hadn't he?
He smiled again at his thoughts. "This girl could be my wife.Yes, I'm older, but that's my advantage. I will be able to find the way to her heart ... Ah, if it weren't for this war, this eternal travelling..." Roy fell asleep, immersed in his dreams and plans.
Rhett Butler was awake; he had barely thrown off his jacket and was sitting with a glass of whiskey in his hand in his hotel room. This dinner, this revelation to Scarlett that silly Wilkes meant nothing to her - that had pleased him. But,her new beau, those childish games of hers, the touching. And more importantly, his reaction. He was already in his thirties and didn't believe in love. "Especially this feisty widow, a spoilt child who is unlikely to think beyond her outfits. "No," he thought, "we must keep our distance. I'm not going to add to her collection of admirers. But, she's certainly interesting to watch," here he grinned.
He realized, he wasn't going to sleep, somehow his cheek still felt that fleeting touch, almost a stroking of her slender fingers.
"Damn it," he muttered, and grabbing his jacket, he left the room, heading for Belle's saloon.