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Myra (no login)
Posted Aug 29, 2004 7:02 PM
Part 4
Scarlett awoke only an hour later, finding her slippers removed and lying in the comfort of her bed. The house was quite and she now remembered Melanie coming. By the house’s quite atmosphere, she was sure Melanie had crossed her word once again and taken Ella and Wade. She supposed she should have been grateful and in a way she was. Toady, she decided she would go to the store and mill. It had already been four days since she had last been there, and she didn’t care what all the old cats said. On the way back from town, she would pick up Wade and Ella; no one could say she was a bad mother, not even Rhett Butler.
Rhett. Scarlett had almost forgotten about his visit, yet she couldn’t forget, not completely, from his heated kiss to his tempting proposal. She dreaded tomorrow, when she was to see him alone and unaccompanied. She was sure if he kissed her again, she would be powerless to stop him. She wouldn’t want to stop him, she thought with a grimace. He was a horrid man! And to think she, Scarlett O’Hara, wanted him to kiss her! It was enough to cause a scandal! Well, she would not bother over it now.
With a tired sigh, she rose up on tired feet and made her way over to her vanity, taking in her appearance. She looked awful! Her face was pale and her hair a mess. No wonder why Rhett wasn’t more insistent that she married him! She looked like an old black crow. Quickly, she added some rouge and braided her hair in a simple twist on top of her head. Longingly, she looked over towards her closet door. If only she could wear her new taffeta royal blue gown, she had only purchased a week ago. And now she would have to dye most of her frocks black.
On the way downstairs, Scarlett met with Mammy. Mammy’s face was stern and angry as she demanded were her mistress was going. Scarlett only laughed.
“Why, to town, Mammy,” she gaily replied. “I need to go to the mills and then the store. Maybe I’ll even buy a new frock… Go have the carriage prepared.”
“No, Miss Scarlett. Yous is bad! Wut will all of Alana’ say! To see the daughter of Miss Ellen paradin aroun’ town as if she had just los’ a husban’ dat didn’t mean anythin’ to her!”
“Let them talk! You know as well as I do that I didn’t love Frank. I’m going to town, even if I have to walk.” With a scowl, Scarlett made her way downstairs. With disapproving mutterings and creak of the wood floor Mammy made her way downstairs.
The carriage was ready twenty minutes later, with Mammy sitting in the back seat. Against Scarlett’s protests and tongue-lashings, Mammy had found a way to accompany her to town.
“I still don’t see why you had to come,” Scarlett crossly complained as they started off for town. Grabbing her handkerchief she wiped the perspiration, which had all ready begun to gather at the crown of her forehead and run down her neck from the stifling May heat.
“I ain’t gonna have one of Miss Ellen’s daughters shame the family name! Dar is laws dat a lady has to follow or else she ain’t a lady at all, an’ ya bes’ be rememberin’ dat.” With a mutter of anger, Mammy wiped her wrinkled black face with her sleeve. She looked like an avenging black god as she scowled. Scarlett bit back her laughter.
“Says who, Mammy dear,” she asked in the sweetest voice, leaning back against the leather seat and sighing with a look of pure happiness crossing her face. She was finally out of that wretched house.
Mammy’s scowl became fiercer as she indignantly stared down at her mistress. “Says your Mammy, dat’s who. Miss Ellen would be rollin’ in de’ grave if she were to see her daughter conductin’ herself in such an unladylike manner.”
Not even Mammy’s upbraiding could dim Scarlett’s happy mood. “Oh, Fiddle- dee- dee, Mammy! I’ll go to the mills if I want to and not some gossiping fat old cat will stop me. Besides it’s not as if Frank had just died…”
Mammy’s angry look seared through Scarlett and she quickly looked away from Mammy’s angry gaze. She felt like a small child that had been just caught stealing cookies before supper. Mammy’s gaze was as normal as the hot stifling sun of Georgia but it didn’t help her conscious any less.
The carriage rocked with an abrupt stop, saving Scarlett from her guilt. “I’ll be right out, Mammy,” Scarlett called back, opening the carriage door. The disapproving mutterings of Mammy sounded from the carriage and Scarlett shut the door firmly behind her. Happily Scarlett skipped over to the lumber mill office and opened the door lightly with a smile. But what she saw caused her smile to fade instantly.
In the office she saw the pale Ashley going over the ledgers. But, not only Ashley was there, but Rhett as well. Upon hearing the door open, both men looked up, catching Scarlett’s shocked expression. Only Ashley came over to greet her with a welcoming smile, Rhett stayed behind watching them in amusement.
“Captain Butler,” Scarlett said coldly, offering her hand cordially in greeting.
“Mrs. Kennedy.” Rhett nodded in greeting, taking her hand in his. Angrily Scarlett placed her arm back at her side and turned to Ashley with a smile.
“Whatever is Captain Butler doing here, Ashley? And you… You shouldn’t be here, Ashley Wilkes! Do you want to catch your death?” She indignantly added with a slight toss of her head. For a moment he didn’t speak and then fondly took her hand in his.
“No, Scarlett dear,” he replied looking over to Rhett’s brooding frame uneasily. With a small uneasy smile, he added, “I only came by to bring the ledgers back with me.”
“Oh… Ashley, there is no need! I’ll take care of them, you need your rest…” Scarlett’s vivid green eyes became lost in Ashley’s deep gray ones. She had forgotten they weren’t in the office alone, until she heard Rhett’s throat clear from behind them and she jumped in surprise, embarrassment and mostly anger.
“Captain Butler,” she muttered, turning away from Ashley. A false smile came to her clenched lips as she cordially nodded to him. “Whatever are you doing here? I didn’t know you paid visits to other people’s mills.”
“Well, Mrs. Kennedy, since you have been indisposed with grief, I thought it most suitable to check on the mills. But alas, I come here and find the ledgers to be most distasteful. The rows are not calculated quite right and the debts are sky high. But, of course you knew that, being the refined intelligent woman that you are. And of course not to mention you are the boss in question.”
He was mocking her. Angrily she fumed. Her anger fueled even higher as she saw Ashley flinch out the corner of her eye. Immediately she flew to Ashley’s defense, although Rhett hadn’t blamed Ashley outright but in uncertain terms.
“How kind of you, Captain Butler, how very generous. But I do not need your help. Mr. Wilkes and I are quite capable of managing on our own.” Angrily she placed the ledger back in the desk drawer and turned to Rhett challengingly.
“I can see that,” he finally murmured with a sardonic grin. Only did Scarlett catch the sarcasm in his words and their meaning. Her face flamed with anger and humiliation.
“I am the manager in case you have forgotten,” she icily replied.
“No, I haven’t forgotten, Mrs. Kennedy. But in case you don’t remember I am the one who purchased this mill in the first place.” Rhett’s eyes challengingly met hers once again, roaming over her entire black clad form. His eyes seemed to see right through her gown and Scarlett blushed at the remembrance of the hours before, when Rhett had held and kissed her ardently, like no man had ever dared to kiss her. She was a lady, she told herself, not a wanton.
“Scarlett, dear, I should be returning home…” Ashley’s weak voice reached her ears, erasing all of her turbulent thoughts. Her gaze left Rhett’s and settled on Ashley. His face was uncommonly pale and his gray eyes darted around the office like a scared rabbit. Embarrassedly, Scarlett nodded. She berated herself for losing her temper in front of him.
“Yes, Ashley. But, please rest and get well soon. I shall worry about you all night and not get any rest if you take the books home with you. I’ll take them home with me, you needn’t worry.”
Ashley nodded, his gray eyes showing relief. “Goodbye dear.” He lightly brought her black-gloved hand to his lips. “Good day, Captain Butler,” he said, turning in Rhett’s direction. His troubled eyes did not meet Rhett’s, and he quickly fled the office.
As soon as Ashley disappeared, Scarlett spun around quickly, hot words coming to her lips, but before she could utter a word, Rhett’s arms were around her and he was kissing her. Excitement welled up in her, which she felt whenever he kissed her. Her heart gave an odd little jerk and she forgot everything.
They stood there for what seemed to be eternity. His arms were warm and comforting around her shoulders. Her heart was beating so madly, and she was certain that Rhett could hear it. Finally, to her disappointment, he pulled away. She could only stand there like a young schoolgirl with her first beau. She was speechless, color flooded her face and her green eyes were wide with shock over her own actions and shock over the whole situation, and even a little regret flashed through her eyes. She avoided his searching eyes, lest he discovered her thoughts. She had been married twice now, and had born two children from the marriages. Not even Ashley’s kisses amounted to how Rhett made her feel. Rhett Butler, the man she had believed to hate with all passion and who was the most infuriating man in the world, caused her to lose her sense of mind and ignite a deep passion, which she had never felt with any other man. So embarrassed was she by her feelings and thoughts that she immediately refused to acknowledge them, even to herself.
“How dare you!”
“I dare a lot of things, my sweet.”
“Don’t call me that!” She roughly replied. Her face flamed with anger and humiliation. How dare he take advantage of her? “Leave now, your presence here is not required, furthermore I do not wish to have it.”
To her astonishment, he chuckled. “That may be so, my pet, but I wish to be in your presence, here and in my bed,” he finished with a gleaming white smile. Despite herself her heart fluttered and she had to hold on to the desk for support. Her ring dug into her finger and she bit her lip to keep from shouting out in anger.
“I’ll never enter your bed willingly, Rhett Butler, you can be in no doubt of that.” Releasing the side of the desk, she stood firm, her small jaw clenched and tilted up in challenge. Her green eyes narrowed and her shoulders squared in defiance. “I would never soil myself by sharing a bed with you. Even if I were your wife… I would pity the woman who ever married you. And certainly, I would marry any man but you… so deceitful…”
She saw anger flicker in his eyes and in two easy strides she was in his arms. His arms hurt her and she was crushed up against his solid chest. “Let me go!” She ordered in a hiss, struggling against him.
“Surely I am not that disgusting. You seemed to enjoy my advances well enough a few moments ago, Mrs. Kennedy. Surely my eyes haven’t deceived me. I could actually almost believe you were a wanton. But, then again, I may be too bold in saying so. Tell me, Scarlett, do all women with your ladylike qualities act that way nowadays, letting an blackguard kiss them in their husbands home, and enjoying the exchange nonetheless.”
“Go to hell.” She pulled away from him and he released her. She stumbled back, and would have fallen if he had not caught her with a steady hand. He watched her with amused eyes and she watched him with pure resentment. Finally, against her efforts to pull her hand out of his grasp, he brought it to his lips.
“I will take my leave to you, my dear, on a good note,” he mockingly drawled. His bold black eyes danced with amusement as he released her hand. “I will see you tomorrow, and will be most grateful on your efforts of finding me a suitable wife. Seeing as you find the thought of me as your next conquest being repulsive.” Seeing her disgusted look, he added, “Need I enumerate that?” When she didn’t answer, he chuckled, and with a mocking bow, he was gone. She watched him leave and angrily grabbed the ledgers.
Refusing to take the carriage, she ordered the driver to drive home. Against Mammy’s angry muttering and disapproving glares, She started down Peachtree Street, her black mourning skirts collecting dust from carriages passing by. She was mindful of everyone’s pitying and disapproving looks, but her eyes kept straight ahead. She was shaking with fury and longing as she entered the small brick home and shut the door firmly behind her. Making her way up stairs to her room, she locked the door firmly behind her, and fell onto the bed, her anguished and bitter sobs muffled by the sheets.
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