Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Two
Rhett and Miranda had relations often during their first three years of marriage, but being with her intimately was not very sexually exciting, but he had needs. If he had not been in a twenty-something body, he would not have been able to perform. Fairly often he would think about Scarlett while he was being intimate with his wife. It was easy to do because Miranda didn't behave any differently than Scarlett had in the bed. He guessed that was how proper ladies behaved in the bedroom. He would visit sporting houses when he was in the North or in Europe. Never in the South where the word might get back to the fine people of Charleston.
Rhett must have called out Scarlett's name when he reached his satisfaction on more than one occasion. Often enough for Miranda to ask him, "Who is Scarlett?"
Rhett had smiled and said, "An old friend."
"Do you think of her when we are having relations?"
"Almost every time."
"How could you?"
"Very easily. You know I have never loved you. I don't even like you. You are my wife simply because of a rut in the lane that my buggy wheel got stuck in causing it to break. I only ask you to go on a buggy ride because my mother asked me to. She thought we would be a good match. I guess socially we were.
"But… but.. but.."
"Surely, you weren't so naïve as to think I would fall in love with a ninny like you. That stuff only happens in books. I don't even think you are attractive."
Miranda had burst into tears and run out of the room. Rhett had been bluntly honest so Miranda would have no illusions. Maybe he had been cruelly honest, but he had to do something. She then would stop trying to win his love. That had been tiresome also. His bluntness had worked. She had stopped trying to win his love.
Rhett and Miranda had two boys. He loved them much the same way he had loved Wade and Ella. He wanted the best for them, but he would never love them the way he had loved Bonnie. They were ten and nine. He had named them Grant and Lee in a perverse joke that he was the only one who got for now.
Rhett had loved Bonnie so much because of his obsession with Scarlett. He knew that she had just been a fantasy that he had let get out of control. He told himself that every time he found himself thinking of the woman which had happened far more often than he was happy about.
After Rhett's second son was born, he had asked Miranda, "Do you want more children?" He had known the answer. Miranda had been as miserable as Scarlett had while being with child. She was also vain. Not as vain as Scarlett, but still vain, nonetheless. She hadn't wanted to gain anymore inches in her waist either. He smiled as he thought about Miranda's waist. Despite not having any more children, she had gained at least two inches in her waist if not four. She really looked quite chunky now. She was in her thirties now and she had lost any sign of youth in her face. He didn't care. He had never found her attractive. She had brown hair and brown eyes. He had often compared her to a sparrow while Scarlett had been a peacock. He had never loved Miranda or even liked her or even truly wanted to have relations with her. He had only married her to save his and his relatives' reputations. Also to assuage his guilt over ruining her the first time.
With Miranda's answer that she didn't want any more children, Rhett had said, "I have an heir and a spare. I don't need any more. Let me find another bedroom to sleep in then."
Miranda had embarrassedly said, "What about your needs?"
"I will get my needs met elsewhere." When Miranda had looked horrified, Rhett had added, "Discretely, of course. Nobody in the South will ever know."
"You would go to a wh.. whor.. One of those places. It would be so ungentlemanly."
Rhett had smiled. He said, "It will be our secret."
"Thank you, Rhett."
Miranda had almost looked grateful. Rhett had remembered cruelly telling Scarlett that one woman's body was pretty much the same as any other woman's body. He knew why he had always enjoyed hurting her so much. It was because she was so important to him, and he wasn't important to her at all.
Rhett hadn't shared that statement with Miranda. Not out of an act of kindness, but because she was not important enough to him for him to bother hurting her. She was not important to him in any way. She was just a ninny he lived with for now. He was looking for a way to not live with her anymore and maintain his reputation. So far, he hadn't thought of anything. The only reason he cared about his reputation was for Grant and Lee's sake. And his mother's sake also he guessed.
It was at that moment that Rhett realized that proper ladies truly had no idea about a man's needs. Maybe Scarlett hadn't been so naïve. No, she had just been ignorant just like every other proper woman. Of course, he now knew he had overreacted to the situation.
Rhett occasionally went to New Orleans. He had established several business contacts there. He had avoided meeting Belle. He wanted nothing to do with the old whore. He had no plans to set up a saloon and brothel and especially not in Atlanta. As he had promised himself, he had never entered the state of Georgia.
Rhett smiled as he swallowed down the last of his whiskey. He had found that he thought about and dreamed about Scarlett far more than he would have thought he would. He had started dreaming about her again on his wedding night. Probably because Miranda's actions in the bed had reminded him so much of Scarlett on their wedding night.
That night Miss Melly died he truly had thought he no longer loved her. He wished he could stop himself from thinking about her, but he couldn't. He guessed he still loved her. He probably always would. He knew he missed her so much. It didn't matter. He would never meet her again. He never thought about what ifs. It was pointless. In his opinion the only thing that would have made a difference would have been if she knew she no longer loved Ashley Wilkes. Nonetheless, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her far too often. He smiled when he thought, 'I wonder what Scarlett is doing now?'
Scarlett O'Hara was lying in her bed, with her thoughts going around and around. The two thoughts that were circling each other in her head were Ashley was going to marry Melanie Hamilton and Pa had approved her marriage to Charles Hamilton.
Two weeks later Scarlett had married Charlie. Two months after that she was a widow. Seven and a half months after that she was a mother with the birth of Wade. Shortly after Wade turned two months, Scarlett had visited her aunts in Charleston. Rhett never knew. He had been on a blockade run.
Miranda had met Scarlett. When Miranda had heard Scarlett's name, it made her think of Rhett's old friend. Of course, the young girl in front of her couldn't be that woman. She was much too young to be anyone's old friend. Nonetheless, Miranda didn't mention the woman to her husband.
After a month, Scarlett had returned to Tara. When Wade was six months old and she was out of deep mourning, Melly had written asking her to come visit. She moved in with Melly to keep up with Ashley. Unfortunately, she had to nurse at the hospital also. It was gruesome work. Furthermore, the only men in Atlanta were either injured, too old, or too young.
Scarlett had gotten to go to the Hospital Bazaar, but she kind of wished she hadn't gone. It had made her want to dance so much, but she couldn't dance. It had made her realize everything she was missing out on because of her foolish decision to marry Charles Hamilton. Technically she shouldn't even have attended the event, but she had wanted to go to some place other than the hospital and church.
Scarlett would go home about every three to four months. To get away from the work at the hospital and Melly. And, of course, PittyPat. She had stayed in Atlanta when Ashley had gotten his furlough despite the snide comments everyone made about her not being with her own family at Christmas. She had foolishly made Ashley that promise to take care of Melly.
Rhett had quit running the blockade in the summer of sixty-three when the port of Charleston was closed. He had taken his wife and his sons to live in England. He had asked the rest of his family to go with him, but they had not wanted to abandon the Confederacy. Rhett had said, "I gave the Confederacy three years of my life. I did nothing but run the blockade in order to bring in needed supplies. I am not abandoning the Confederacy. I just know when I have a losing hand."
Rhett had not been worried. Although he had told everyone it was just until the end of the war, he had no plans to return to the South. In the years to come, it would not be an oasis of gentility and grace or a place of morality and honor. Maybe it would be for some, but not for him. Of course, he could make a lot of money off the republican governments. No, he would just make money in Europe and in the North.
It was the last day in August of sixty-four. Rhett was in his London home. It was evening. Everyone else in the household had retired. He was about to go to a local brothel and have a drink and play cards. He definitely would be going upstairs at the end of the evening. He laughed as he thought, 'I was at a brothel that night also.'
As Rhett left the house he reflected on the events from last lifetime. He wondered once again why he had abandoned Scarlett, Miss Melly, and the boys. He would never know. He surely didn't know after all this time. He instead decided to think about how Scarlett was going to get out of Atlanta. He hoped she didn't get killed. Of course, she could be dead right now for as much contact as he had with her. He didn't think she was. He smiled. She was just too selfish and self-centered to die.
As it turned out Scarlett hadn't needed anyone's help to get out of Atlanta. She had just decided that she was going home after Dr. Meade said Melly's delivery would be difficult and Melly could easily die. Nobody was going to stop her from getting Melly to Tara.
Scarlett got Melly, Wade, and Prissy to the train station. They had gotten a ride from a kind old man which was good for Melly could hardly walk. Scarlett hadn't cared about what Dr. Meade said. She was going home. She was going to get Melly to the best midwife in the world. Mammy. Between Mammy and Mother, they would make sure nothing happened to Melly. She couldn't bear Ashley's condemnation if she let Melly die. He would never forgive her then they would never be able to be together despite Melly not being around anymore. That is if he was even alive. All they knew was he was missing in action.
Besides, Scarlett was bored living in Atlanta. There were no parties or get-togethers. There were no men in the city who weren't over sixty or under sixteen. Furthermore, working at the hospital was a lot of hard gruesome work.
Scarlett, Melanie, Prissy, and Wade had somehow gotten on the train to Tara. Mr. Price had taken them out to Tara. Gerald had written Scarlett and told her not to come home because of a Typhoid Fever epidemic. Scarlett had not cared about that either. Gerald had not been happy but typical of their marriage, Ellen O'Hara had swept away her husband's complaints and welcomed her daughter home.
At the end of August when Melly went into labor Scarlett was very glad, she had decided to come home to Tara. Somehow with her help Dilcey had delivered Melanie's baby. Scarlett had been so grateful for Dilcey's knowledge and calming presence.
Melanie had survived, but even Scarlett with her inexperience eyes knew that Melly had been damaged in the process. Melly should never have children again. That made Scarlett sad for her sister-in-law because Melly had always loved babies. She probably had wanted a house full. It did please Scarlett that Ashley would no longer be having relations with his wife.
Scarlett's joy was destroyed when she found out her mother was dead. Later that night when she joined her father in the parlor, she knew her burden had just got heavier. Pa was crazy. Despite it all she knew that somehow someway she would get through all of this. Scarlett knew they would survive.