Dear readers!
Thank you so much for all your reviews, messages and thoughts! It's a pleasure to read them and it inspires me to write more!
So it's time for Rhett to show some character, while Scarlett is still emotionally confused, although she's trying to pull herself together and move on, as usual.
The last conversation in this chapter, oh how I needed that in the book :)
Enjoy reading :)
I own nothing in regard to GWTW.
Chapter 13.
Rhett quietly returned to his room and, closing the door behind him, looked around. The untouched bed, the wardrobe in the corner of the room, the mirror, the chair by the window, the carpet - in this pre-dawn light he could find his way without a candle.
He walked quickly to the window, opened it, ran his hand through his hair and looked out at the landscape.
A light mist hung over the fields, as it does in the early morning, and soon the sun would rise and the grass would glisten with dewdrops.
But Rhett stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts and sensations.
His heart was still racing, the tension below his waist was palpable, and he could still taste her lips on his own. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air and thought he could still smell the scent of her hair.
He had no idea how he'd managed to stop himself, having slept with so many women, but he'd never felt the kind of arousal that seemed to permeate him right down to his fingertips.
"You've just never loved before," an inner voice told him. Rhett grinned slightly. He loved, loved this little brave girl. As changeable as the wind, as fickle as the weather at the sea, as delicate and shy as the timid rays of sunlight that came into the bedroom in the morning. He had never imagined that she could be so different, for he knew only one side of her. Strong, brave, stubborn and forward. And here was another Scarlett that he wanted and could take care of.
He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the physical tension ease. Now Rhett was at a loss as to how to explain everything to her without revealing his true feelings.
He closed the window, sat down on the bed, kicked off his shoes and leaned against the headboard.
"We have a 'deal', if anything, I'll refer to it... But she might ask why I didn't finish this... Hmm... Okay, I've always been good at changing the subject... Maybe she won't talk about it at all... Maybe she'll think it was just a dream," Rhett thought, yawning and dozing off into the dawn after a few minutes.
Scarlett lay awake, still feeling her skin burning where his lips had touched.
She got up quietly and went to the window, opening it gently to let in some fresh air. She looked up at the sky, which was changing colour as it slowly dawned.
Scarlett tucked her long hair behind her back and ran her hand down the back of her neck, feeling the goosebumps of memory run down her skin. She'd never felt so tense and never before had her body reacted like this to another man's touch.
Pressing her hand to her chest, she felt the satin ribbons Rhett had unravelled... God, she remembered the way he'd kissed her breasts and the heat hit her again. Charles hadn't touched her like that, hardly at all, she remembered their few short nights together.
Scarlett took a deep breath and put her palms to her cheeks to calm herself. Then she closed the window and lay back on the bed.
Sleep wouldn't come to her. "God, what it feels like... Like when we kissed that day, when you're flying down and then you're being thrown upwards... Why did Rhett stop? He was entitled to go all the way. He remembered our deal. God, what if it was all so vivid just for me? He sleeps with that woman all the time," Scarlett clenched the blanket in her fists at the memory of Belle and her red hair.
"I guess for him it was just simple... And he didn't want to mess with me now... Maybe he was afraid it would be dawn and one of the servants would get up... God, this is terrible... No, maybe it's because I don't live up to his expectations physically. He's often said that I've become thin... And in my breasts too... Damn it! How else can you explain that that kiss was just for fun? No, I can't show him my disappointment and resentment... Yes, I'll pretend not to care. In fact, let him bring it up himself... Ladies hardly discuss such things, let alone let themselves be touched like that," she thought, closing her eyes and falling into a restless sleep.
In the morning, Rhett woke later than usual, took a long time to wash and tidy up, and came down for breakfast when it was almost ended.
Carreen, Melanie, Beau and Will were sitting at the dining table and the atmosphere was very relaxed.
"Good morning," Rhett said loudly as he came into the dining room, adjusting his waistcoat and adding, "please forgive me for getting up so late, I suppose the country air did me in and I fell asleep," he finished with a smile, catching Melanie's kind look and Carreen and Will's quiet glances.
"Oh, Captain Butler," Melanie said affectionately, "you're a guest here, don't apologize, please. You'd better sit down and we'll keep you company at breakfast. You see, my husband and India have gone to visit the Tarletons, and Frank and Suellen have gone with them too," she explained. Rhett's eyes grew alert and a little anxious, and he asked, nodding slightly, "And Scarlett? She's..."
"My lamb is still asleep, Captain Butler!" came a grumpy voice from behind him and he realized who it belonged to and smiled slightly.
"My lamb has been suffering for years and has hardly slept all these nights, so let her sleep as long as she needs to," Mammy declared firmly, adding sullenly, "Sit down over there with Miss Melly and have a proper breakfast."
Rhett smiled again and sat down beside Melanie, adjusting his trousers.
While Mammy was preparing his breakfast and pouring coffee for him and the others, Rhett played with Beau, who was a very sweet little boy, and found that he missed Wade too much. They have to go back to town and he need to talk with her.
At the thought of seeing Scarlett, his palms sweated slightly at the memory of the night before, but he pushed it away and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Now is not the time," a thought flashed through his mind and he heard Will ask him something.
"Sorry Will, I've been thinking," Rhett replied with a guilty smile.
Will grinned and said, "I was going to offer you a ride to the other end of our plantation, if that's all right with you. After you finish breakfast, of course," Will added, catching an angry look from Mammy, who had placed breakfast in front of Rhett.
Rhett nodded, let go of Beau to Melanie and began to take his hearty breakfast with appetite. Eggs, fried yams, flavourful cornbread and coffee. Oh, how he loved black coffee in the morning! Surely the country air had whetted his appetite.
Mammy seemed to be doing some things in the room, here and there, but she watched Rhett and listened quietly to the conversation, out of old habit.
"Captain Butler," Melanie addressed him politely, absent-mindedly stroking Beau's hair, "You've been to Aunt Pittie's, haven't you? How is she and how is Wade?"
Rhett took a sip of coffee, caught Melanie's worried look and said earnestly, "Miss Pitty was nervous about everything, though, as usual... And Wade..." Rhett added more quietly, "he misses his mother very much."
Melanie looked at him sadly and Rhett continued firmly, "I intend to take Scarlett to see her son today, Mrs Wilkes..."
Melanie listen to Rhett carefully. Ashley hadn't had a chance to talk to Scarlett about the fact that they were also planning to move within a few weeks, leaving Carreen and Will... Melanie didn't want to get involved, and although she could clearly see Will's gentle attitude to Carreen, Scarlett's younger sister kept to herself, quiet, even though Will seemed calm and enthusiastic after their private conversations. She decided to support Scarlett in her decision and not to get involved in a conversation between the men, so she simply remained silent, nodding her head slightly.
Will, listening their conversation attentively and seeing that Rhett was finishing breakfast, left the table and said he would wait for him at the stables.
Scarlett woke to the sunlight streaming across her face. She opened her sleepy eyes and squinted at the sun as she sat up on the bed, trying to wake up at last.
Judging by the sunlight outside the window, it was late morning and when she glanced at the clock on her dresser in the corner of the room, she was surprised and almost jumped out of bed. It was ten o'clock in the morning.
"And why didn't anyone wake me? Why..." she thought and quickly washed her face with cool water from a pitcher.
Then, brushing her hair in front of the mirror, Scarlett looked at her face and noticed that she didn't look as pale as she had yesterday. She realized that she had slept through the night without any nightmares and as she smiled faintly at her reflection and opened her mouth to call Mammy to help her with her corset, Scarlett reached for the satin ribbons on her nightgown and froze.
The memories flooded back and she blushed, then covered her face with her hands.
Memories of spending most of the night in bed with Rhett, memories of him kissing and touching her at dawn, and memories of him walking away and leaving her alone.
Scarlett pulled her hands away from her face and looked down nervously. Rhett had left so quickly, apologizing to her. "When has that varmint ever apologized to me so quickly? What's the matter? Am I not good enough for him?" she thought, frowning, feeling irritation.
But then Scarlett remembered how tender and caring Rhett had been with her yesterday, how she had opened up to him, how he had come to her at night and tucked her in like a child... How he'd given her her first night without nightmares in a long time.
"I'll pretend it never happened and not bring it up now," Scarlett thought as she took the corset out of her dresser drawer and looked out into the hallway to call Mammy.
Will and Rhett rode to the end of the plantation, where there was a swampy area. Rhett looked over and saw a house in the distance, obviously recently built.
"Are those the neighbours?" he asked in surprise.
Will got off the horse, spat and said angrily, "What neighbours! That's old man Slattery's land, taken after his death by that scoundrel Wilkerson, who married his daughter..."
Rhett got off the horse too and looked gravely in the direction Will was pointing.
"It was that bastard who killed Mr O'Hara, wasn't it, Will?"
Will just nodded sullenly and turned away, then took a long straw and began to chew it slowly.
"Will," Rhett said firmly, "I'll take care of it. You must tell me everything you know about him. And yes, I'm taking Scarlett back to town to her son so that bastard won't go looking for her."
Will nodded briefly and Rhett smiled slightly. He liked this reliable man, who was almost a brother to his favourite woman and in whom he saw no rival.
"Will," Rhett continued thoughtfully as they walked the horses, "if Scarlett is to continue to live and work in town now that Mr O'Hara is gone, it will be necessary for someone to act as manager, simply put, master, and now officially. Can I count on you?"
"We haven't discussed it with Scarlett yet, but I fell in love with this land and this family, and I didn't want to go anywhere from here," Will replied seriously, squinting into the sun and adjusting his hat.
"Especially some of the family, eh, Will?" Rhett replied with a grin, looking at him.
Will's cheeks flushed, but he suddenly looked at Rhett in return and mockingly replied, "So do you, Captain Butler!"
Rhett looked away, but Will just smiled and remained silent.
They walked for another half an hour, telling each other some of the events of their lives. Will told how he'd come to the plantation and what they'd gone through together. Rhett's heart sank at the details and the things Scarlett hadn't told him. He wondered when he would stop surprising to her stubbornness and hard work.
He himself told Will stories from the blockade years and from the front.
Then, leaving Will by the river, Rhett decided to go back to talk to Scarlett about their return to Atlanta.
On the way he noticed some beautiful wildflowers, yellow, blue and purple. Rhett didn't know their names, but he stopped and quickly picked out a small bouquet, smiling and imagining her surprised green eyes.
Scarlett sat on a swing by a big tree not far from the house. Dressed in a black dress, she didn't know how long she would mourn her father. The initial shock and pain gave way to quiet sadness and reminiscing. But Scarlett knew she had to move on, to do what her father so desperately wanted. To save Tara and see this land prosper again.
She had to get back to town, to Wade, to work, to Tom, who'd been alone for almost a week, but first she had to talk to Rhett. Remembering their last fight made her feel bad inside, too, because he'd said what he'd said. He'd hurt her.
She saw his black horse in the distance and her heart beat faster... Scarlett swallowed nervously and gave her face the most indifferent expression she could muster.
"He mustn't bring up last night. No way... No, no, no..." she thought, nervously gripping the ropes of the swing with her fingers and trying not to look in his direction.
"Scarlett, be brave, he did hurt you," she whispered softly, and when she heard the clatter of hooves nearby, she stood up and walked boldly towards him.
She saw him jumping off his horse and walking towards her with a look of satisfaction and smugness on his face that made her a little angry. And then, noticing the bouquet in his hands, Scarlett realized why he looked like a peacock with its tail.
Remembering the peacocks, she couldn't help but giggle and looked at Rhett, who was standing next to her.
He smiled at her brightly and said: "Hello Scarlett..."
"Rhett..."
"You were asleep this morning and the whole family didn't want to wake you, so Will invited me to join him and go round the fields," he told her as he held the horse's reins, "and here..." he held out a small bouquet to her, "I picked you some flowers, I remember you loved wildflowers when we met in Atlanta..."
Scarlett looked at him and said, trying to hold back a smile, "Thank you, Rhett, but... Those flowers... They're poisonous, yes, very allergic."
She saw his smug look change to one of confusion as he unclenched his hand and the flowers fell to the soft grass, and she couldn't help but laugh, covering her face with her palms.
"Scarlett?", he asked in surprise.
She crouched down and started to pick up the flowers, giggling and mouthing, "Sorry, Rhett, I was joking."
Rhett looked at her in disbelief, but when he saw that she was still giggling as she picked flowers from the grass, he sat down near her and smiled softly, "Scarlett, although it's rude to do this to a beau, I'm sure your Mammy won't praise your behaviour," she looked up at him with her green eyes and he continued in an affectionate tone, "but I'm glad to see a smile on your face, Dear.
"Sorry for the joke, Rhett," she murmured again, standing up and going through the flowers in her hands.
Then she walked over to his black horse and stroked his side gently. Feeling the warm, soft fleece under her hand, Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment, remembering her pony in the childhood, and smiled again.
"Did you sleep well last night, Scarlett?" Rhett suddenly asked quietly and she immediately opened her eyes, looked at him seriously and answered,
"Yes, Rhett. Thank you."
He was silent for a moment and then, adjusting his jacket, decided to ask her, "I'd like to go back to town today, Scarlett," he took a deep breath and continued, "I'd really like to take you with me."
She turned away from him and ran her hand over the horse again, looking out over the fields.
"Wade needs you, Scarlett. And I need you too."
As she heard his last words, she turned sharply to meet his gaze.
"Need me, Rhett?"
"Need."
Scarlett looked at him suspiciously and he continued, trying to look calm, "Tom and I need you at work. And... You and I seem to be becoming friends, Scarlett. We're friends with you..."
Scarlett looked at him and then said quietly, "When friends hurt, Rhett, they apologize."
"I did something stupid and was rude to you, Scarlett. Forgive me, please. I went to Aunt Pitty's yesterday morning to tell you so," he concluded gravely, holding out his hand for hers. As he lightly touched her cool, slender fingers, he remembered how she had pressed them against his naked back the night before and sighed deeply.
"So..."
"Rhett, explain to me, I still don't understand why you reacted the way you did to Tony?" she suddenly asked him directly, looking into his black eyes and beginning to speak quickly, but without taking her hand away.
"Tony is a friend of mine, a childhood friend. One of the few left and seemingly unchanged, Rhett. You know all my friends... They had died in that damned, worthless war," she finished bitterly.
"Scarlett, don't take this the wrong way, but you used to come to Tara, here, to see your father and family. Maybe that man became your fiancé because you were so gentle with each other in the buggy. He held you in his arms and you cried in front of him, Scarlett. I'm sorry, Darling, but you're always so strong... And you don't show your tears to anyone..." He paused, realizing that he was almost confused by what he was saying, for she had shown him the real her yesterday. Desperately trying to think of a way to end his speech, Rhett decided to do what he did best - make a joke.
"Honey, how was I supposed to know that you and him, for example, weren't going to get married. And I have a rule, baby, I don't... Hmm... I don't have 'deals' with married women," Rhett grinned wryly and Scarlett looked at him angrily and said in an indifferent tone, "Hmm, actually, that's the kind of proposal I got from Tony..."
Rhett frowned, let go of her hand, and Scarlett suddenly giggled, "Rhett Butler, do you get jokes? Tony is my dearest friend and I'm not going to marry him! I don't think I'll ever marry again at all," she finished quietly.
Rhett stared at her seriously and Scarlett continued with a smile, "Once, when we were children, I made a bet with Tony. He was climbing a tree and I said I'd climb higher. But just as I started to climb, Mammy showed up and told me I behaved like a little savage," Scarlett giggled, noticing Rhett's brightening gaze.
"And did you lose, Scarlett?"
"Of course not, Rhett! At least they didn't let me finish, I would have won for sure!" said Scarlett, her eyes glowing with a green fire.
Rhett chuckled and said, "Well, actually, baby, you..."
"Ah, shut up, Rhett! You're just like Tony, who kept telling me like a parrot that he had won! Anyway, since our childhood, I can kiss him so easily and only he can call me by my full name, 'Katie Scarlett'."
"Why?" asked Rhett with interest.
"Because he pronounces it beautifully, the others can't," she answered with a smile and added more seriously, "Rhett, you really hurt me, humiliated me... "
"I'm sorry, Scarlett, I'm really sorry," he apologized again and asked quietly, "Will you come into town with me?"
"Yes Rhett, I will," she replied and ran her hand through her hair, "I miss my son and I worry about Tom, he's all alone out there and there's a lot of work to be done..."
Rhett looked at her again and asked, hiding the joy in his voice, "Then we'll hit the road after lunch, okay?"
Scarlett just nodded and they walked quietly towards the house. Rhett led the horse with one hand, the other barely touching Scarlett's shoulder. He was just happy to apologize and to forget about their unfinished scene in her room at dawn.
After lunch, Scarlett announced her decision, having learned that Frank, Suellen and India would be leaving for town in a few days, on Monday. Will seemed calm, Mammy grumbled but quietly, and Melanie looked worriedly at Ashley, who was frowning, and Rhett, who was playing with Beau on the couch.
Scarlett went up to her room to pick up some things and while she was concentrating on finding a brush on the table, there was a knock at the door.
She looked up, adjusting the collar of her black dress and saw Ashley, coming timidly through the ajar door.
Rhett was sitting downstairs discussing the building situation in Atlanta with Frank, he didn't notice immediately that Ashley had gone upstairs, but when he did, he frowned and apologized to the others, leaving the parlour.
As he passed the ajar door to Scarlett's bedroom, Rhett heard a serious male voice say, "Scarlett, I repeat, you don't need to come back there! In a few weeks I'll be working for Uncle Henry and for the newspaper, and I'll be able to help you and Wade just as you're helping us now! Darling, you've had enough of this worrying! Stay here. You belong here, Scarlett, with your younger sister!"
Rhett didn't hear her answer because Ashley seemed to interrupt her, saying, "And that sawmill job, Scarlett, it's time to stop working there! Oh, Darling, that place and that company is not appropriate for lady, like you!"
"That's enough!" they heard a stern voice say, and Rhett stepped quickly through the ajar door, shutting it behind him.
He made his way into her room to the window, not noticing the stunned look on Scarlett's face as she sat on the chair, or the indignant look on Ashley's face as he stood at the door.
"Captain Butler," Ashley began earnestly, "you shouldn't have shown up like that, interrupting our conversation with Scarlett, and certainly not eavesdropping..."
"Mr Wilkes, apparently it is my lot to eavesdrop on the most important conversations between you!" replied Rhett with a wry smile, and Ashley stared at him incomprehensively.
"Explain yourself, Captain Butler!" was Ashley's quiet voice, but Scarlett looked pleadingly at Rhett and stood up, "Ashley, please..."
"I'm not going to explain anything to you, Mr Wilkes! Scarlett and I are going to town today, her son is waiting for us there..."
"We're bringing Wade here..."
"Why? So that bastard Wilkerson can torture her every day?"
"I'll go to the sheriff and..."
Rhett laughed out loud and Scarlett clasped her hands over her chest. She didn't like this conversation, she was standing between two fires and felt she was about to lose one of these men.
"Mr Wilkes, you don't seem to have noticed that the laws and rules of the game have changed! Nobody cares about your manners. People try to survive," Rhett replied earnestly.
"You are no gentleman Captain Butler, nothing has changed for us!" he replied coldly, taking a step towards Scarlett.
Rhett clenched his hands in anger, but spoke in a calm tone, "Yes, I am not a gentleman, I am a scoundrel, but I have not heaped upon this young girl a burden that even a few men would find hard to bear!"
Ashley turned pale and Scarlett stared at him in silence, barely holding back her tears.
"I'll take Scarlett back to town and I'll find a way to deal with that bastard! Will will stay on the plantation."
"You have no right to decide..." Ashley started and Scarlett said, "Ashley, Rhett and I..."
"Hell yes, I have the right to decide!" Rhett interrupted loudly, "I'm her friend, we work together and wherever she is, I'm in the picture with her now!"
Scarlett turned her head sharply and met the serious gaze of black eyes. For the first time in her life she had met such a determined and strong man, stronger than her.
Ashley was shocked by his words but said quietly and seriously, "You can't be at her side and be in the picture just by lending her tax money... You don't know her! And this is her life, Scarlett's life!"
It seemed that these men no longer noticed the presence of the woman between them, staring at each other.
Rhett replied quietly and seriously, "And that's why keep your hands off her, you've got a wife and a son, take care of them! And I might add, you don't know the first thing about what she's going through! And that's Scarlett's decision, Mr Wilkes! She is sticking with me..." he finished, looking at him victoriously.
Ashley looked questioningly at Scarlett, who turned to him, sighed and then said quietly, "Ashley... I can see and I know you want to help... But, just go now, please..."
Ashley stared at her in disbelief, shook his head and then quickly walked out of her bedroom, leaving the silence behind him and the two people, avoiding each other's gazes.