Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was after dinner when everyone was settled on the train. Scarlett was sitting next to Rhett and Bonnie was sitting on his lap. When the train left the Jonesboro station, he was happy as a clam. About ten minutes later, he was not as happy. Both Scarlett and Bonnie had gone to sleep on him. He wasn't extremely uncomfortable, but he was also afraid of moving in case he woke someone up.
Wade, who was sitting across from Rhett, was reading a book. Rhett quietly said, "What are you reading?"
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Mr. Elsing recommended it. He is quite the reader. He has recommended a lot of books to me and… Wade had been about to say and Mama but caught himself in time. He didn't know why, but he knew that Mama would not want Dad to know she was reading books. Instead, he said, "It is a good book."
"What is it about?"
"A boy named Tom Sawyer and his adventures."
Rhett grinned at the boy's statement. If it had been an adult, he probably would have made a sarcastic comment, but it was a child, so he didn't. Instead, he said, "Go on."
"It tells about his adventures." Wade smiled. He said, "He tricked his friends into whitewashing a fence for him."
"Tell me about it."
Wade explained to Rhett how Tom had tricked his friends into doing his chore for him. Wade finished by saying, "Not only did he get them to do his work for him, but some of them gave him stuff so he would let them do it."
Wade laughed. Rhett chuckled also.
Rhett said, "I certainly was never able to trick anyone into doing my chores for me."
"Beau does chores, but I don't. Why?"
"Because I have enough money to pay someone to do all the labor around the house."
"Oh."
"Can I borrow the book from you once you are finished?"
Wade started to tell Rhett that his mother had asked to read it after him, but instead said, "Sure. As soon as I finish."
Rhett was surprised at the furrow on Wade's brow like he was seriously pondering something. Rhett wondered what it was. It couldn't be something from their discussion. That was pretty straightforward. He said, "I will let you get back to your book. I will just talk to Ella."
Ella smiled at Rhett. She then launched into telling him all about her time at Tara although Rhett had been there for most of it. Although it was interesting hearing what happened from her point of view.
In that moment, Rhett had an insight. Just because Scarlett had experienced the same events as him didn't mean that they were remembered the same. Damn! He needed to find those journals. He wanted to know what she was thinking when she cut the gold shawl he had given her up for a gift for Ashley.
Rhett forced himself to listen to Ella and not dwell on the problem. The problem of where Scarlett's journals were.
After an extremely long hour for Rhett the train arrived at the Atlanta station. As the family got off the train, he said, "Where is Joseph with the carriage?"
With a grin, Scarlett said, "I didn't know for sure that we would make the one o'clock train so I didn't tell anyone to meet us. We will have to take a cab to the mansion."
Rhett grinned back and said, "How come you always told me which train to meet you at?"
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know."
Rhett smiled and thought, 'Probably because she didn't mind inconveniencing me.' He stopped his thoughts. While looking at Scarlett he continued thinking, 'What would be a positive spin on the event? She wanted me to meet her at the train station. Or she wanted me to inconvenience myself for her so just for a few minutes she could believe she was important to me.'
Rhett knew that was it. He had never given her anything emotionally. No, the only things he had given her were his money and his body. He knew at that moment if he wanted her to give to him emotionally, he would have to give to her emotionally. With a big smile, he was pleased to realize that her giving emotionally would not be as hard as it would be for him to give emotionally. Therefore, every tiny step he made, she would make a replicating tiny step.
When the family got back to the mansion, Scarlett had the footmen take their luggage to their rooms. Rhett said, "I am going to check to see what we received in the post."
"Of course, I am going to sit in the parlor."
"Don't you think you need to rest?"
With a smile, Scarlett said, "No, I slept on the train. Didn't you notice?"
Rhett grinned back and said, "Yes, I noticed. Both you and Bonnie took a nap on me."
Scarlett walked away while smiling.
As Scarlett sat in the parlor she started working on some embroidery. For some reason, it made her think of the gold shawl Rhett had given her during the war. It had a beautiful parrot on the back. She had been so proud of it. She groaned when she thought of all the time, she had spent picking the embroidery out so she could give Ashley a gold sash to go with his new gray jacket.
Scarlett recalled the conversation she and Ashley had about the sash while they were at Tara. It was Christmas and Melly had said, "That Christmas Ashley got a leave from the war was the last good Christmas we have had."
Ashley had said, "Yes, that was an enjoyable time. You ladies gave me such fine presents, and I had nothing to reciprocate with."
Scarlett had said, "It was fine. We knew you didn't have any money to buy presents. We didn't either, but we were able to repurpose items."
Melly said, "I would have had nothing if that boy's mother had not sent me the gray fabric."
Ashley smiled and said, "Yes, I remember thinking how dreadful things were, but they got a lot worse when I was captured and taken to the prisoner of war camp. I lost all my belongings?"
"Even the gold sash?"
"Yes." With a smile Ashley said, "I lost the gold sash probably two weeks after I returned to my troops."
In a bright voice, Scarlett said, "How?"
"I don't know. One day I just found it missing."
"You weren't wearing it regularly."
"No, I wasn't. It was too fancy to wear every day."
At the time Scarlett had thought, 'Did my present mean so little to you that you couldn't keep up with it? That you hadn't put it in a special, safe place.'
Melly said, "What happened to the jacket I gave you?"
With a smile, Ashley said, "I wore it every day thus by the time I left the prisoner of war camp it was threadbare."
As Scarlett recalled the conversation, she thought, 'Ashley was smiling at Melly with love that day. Why did I not see it then? I don't know. I will think about it later. I hope Rhett never finds out I gave away his present. He would be so hurt. Or would he? I will never know because I will never tell him. One thing I do know, during those months after the war there were many times I wished I had that shawl. I certainly needed it then and I would have cherished it. I wish I still had it. I know. I will get another one made. It will be almost the same because Rhett's money will be paying for it.'
Scarlett didn't know why but that thought made her sad. She didn't want another shawl. She wanted the one Rhett had given her back. Irrationally, Scarlett thought, 'If I was to ever get it back, I would cherish it forever.'
An hour later, Rhett walked into the parlor and handed Scarlett a letter. She looked at it and saw the return address. It was from her Aunt Eulalie. She couldn't wait to read it, but she would have to wait until she was alone. She didn't want Rhett to see her gleeful, mean-spirited expression. No, she wanted him to find out from his mother when she was asking him for more money. She almost burst out laughing when she thought, 'That would be a just punishment for his actions. To have to start supporting my aunts.'
Scarlett managed to keep her face expressionless.
Rhett sat down and said, "Aren't you going to open your letter?"
"No. I have to prepare myself before I can read one of my aunt's letters."
"Alright. What are you working on?"
"I'm embroidering my initials on these handkerchiefs."
"When you get finished with those you can embroider my handkerchiefs."
"No. I am not going to that much work to have you give your handkerchiefs away."
Rhett looked at her strangely and said, "I have given a handkerchief away occasionally, but only to special ladies. The last one I gave away was to you."
Scarlett thought, 'And the one before that was to that whore you are living with.' Rudely she said, "Don't you need to go check on your roommate?"
Rhett smiled and wondered why the temperature in the room had dropped forty degrees. He said, "You are the only roommate, I have."
"What about that whore that you are living with?"
"I am not living with anyone, but you. And the children, of course." Scarlett didn't say anything. Finally, Rhett said, "Scarlett, what is this about?"
"Nothing."
"You might as well tell me now. You know I am just going to badger you until you tell me."
Scarlett stood up and said, "You will have to badger me some other time. I have things to do."
Scarlett started walking out of the room. Rhett stood up and followed her while saying, "Like what?"
"Household things."
"I will just go with you."
"No, you will get in the way."
"I will follow you until I am in the way."
Scarlett didn't answer. She just walked faster.
Rhett didn't need to quicken his pace. He could easily catch up with Scarlett. He took one step for every two of hers. When she got to the kitchen door, she turned and said, "Go away."
"No. This is the beginning of the badgering."
Rhett followed Scarlett into the kitchen. She had walked over and was talking to an older, heavy-set woman with brown hair. He heard the other woman say, "If you feel up to it, Mrs. Butler."
"Yes, I do. Let's go to your office."
"Of course."
Rhett just followed behind the women. As it turned out the older woman's office was just a corner of the kitchen. There was a table there with a bunch of papers all over it. There were a few boxes on the table also which he could see contained paper also. The old woman waited while Scarlett sat down then she herself sat down.
Finally, the woman looked at Rhett and hesitantly said, "May I help you, Mr. Butler?"
Scarlett said, "Just ignore him. He is just being a nuisance. He has nothing to do with our discussion."
The woman looked back and forth between Rhett and Scarlett without saying anything. She didn't know what to do. She always dealt with Mrs. Butler, but Mr. Butler was the master of the house so she should respect him.
Rhett smiled his most charming smile and said, "What is your name?"
Again, the woman looked back and forth between Rhett and Scarlett, she cautiously said, "My name is Fran Cloud."
"Is it Miss or Mrs. Cloud?"
"Mrs."
"Mrs. Cloud, my wife is right. Just ignore me. I am only here to make sure my wife doesn't hurt herself."
Fran had been a servant most of her life. She had suffered some tough times during the war and afterwards therefore if the man who paid her wages wanted to watch over his wife like a mother hen, she was not going to say anything. Although, his presence made her uncomfortable. Especially with that piercing stare. She said, "Of course, Mr. Butler."
Rhett leaned against the wall while Scarlett and Fran discussed the menu for the next week. There was a slate on the wall next to Mrs. Cloud's desk. He noticed that there were seven columns with each one labeled with a day of the week. As the women talked, Fran wrote items on the slate. He would throughout suggestions on what he thought would be good to serve. Despite the fact Scarlett never acknowledged any of these statements, she did include these items in the weekly menu.
At one point, Rhett said, "Scarlett, how do you know that we are going to want fried chicken a week from now?"
Scarlett finally turned towards Rhett and acknowledged him. She tersely said, "I don't, but since everyone likes fried chicken, it is a safe meal to put at the end of the week. If I decide to have Fran serve something else, I will let her know before then."
"What if she has already bought the food for the meal?"
"Mr. Butler, either I or the head kitchen maid go to the market every day."
"What if what you are looking for isn't there?"
"Mrs. Butler, as told me to buy something I know the family likes."
"Carry on."
Scarlett stood up and said, "We are finished for now."
Before Scarlett could move, Rhett said, "Mrs. Cloud, do you know how to fix shrimp?"
"I don't even know what shrimp are."
"Very well. What about any seafood?"
"I know how to fix several different types of fish."
"Instead of the fried chicken, let's have baked fish."
Fran didn't say a word, she just looked at Scarlett. Scarlett scrunched up her face in annoyance and said, "Very well. Fran, please, make the changes."
"Yes, ma'am."
Upon Fran's reply, Scarlett started walking out of the kitchen with Rhett behind her. He said to her back, "I think I might join you from now on when you decide what we are going to eat for the next week. This was interesting."
Before Scarlett opened the door to leave the kitchen with a conspiratorial look on her face, she smiled sweetly and said, "You can do it all by yourself if you want to."
"No. No. I want to do it with you so I don't make any mistakes, but some more variety would be nice."
Scarlett quickly turned and left the kitchen, but not before Rhett saw the look of frustration on her face. He smiled. He so enjoyed aggravating his wife.
Author's Notes: Yes, I am aware that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was not published until 1876, but I want to use the book anyway.
