In the Beginning, Part 6

As soon as they were back in Atlanta and settled in the National Hotel, Scarlett insisted that work begin on her house. She spent part of each day at the site eagerly watching the progress, giving only cursory attention to her children and to the store and the mills. Her house was far more important. And six months later as she stood in the completed house and gazed at the furnishings she had selected, she thought it the most impressive house she had ever seen. She smiled with satisfaction as she inspected each room furnished to her exact specifications and thought people were fools who said money wasn't everything. Rhett stood in the foyer smoking a cigar and watched with one eyebrow up as Scarlett flew through the house exclaiming with delight over the red velvet portieres and walnut furniture. When she had completed her tour, she returned to the foyer and threw her arms around Rhett's neck.

"Isn't this the most wonderful house you have ever seen?"

He appeared to consider the matter seriously before replying, "Belle has better taste."

Hot words rushed to her lips, but she choked them back. Getting angry with Rhett was always a futile exercise because nothing ever perturbed him. He would only laugh at her if she lost her temper, so she simply smiled and said, "Oh, I don't care what you say. I love my house!"

But when he said by way of answering, "Even more than Ashley Wilkes?," Scarlett's smile faded and she drew in a quick breath. Only the appearance of Wade and Ella, who had been outside exploring the back yard under Mammy's supervision, stopped this exchange from becoming a quarrel. An odd little pain settled in Scarlett's chest, but she swallowed her tears and picked up Ella--who as not yet steady enough on her feet to climb stairs--and took the children to their room.

Scarlett had thought that nothing could make her happier than to have money. Once married to Rhett and backed by his money, she thought that a house of her own would make her happy. But now that she had both, she was not particularly happy and she could not understand why. At times, Rhett could be very pleasant to live with. He took her dancing and to parties and allowed her to spend money freely. Rhett made her laugh and amused her with an unending supply of entertaining stories. But Scarlett also found that arguments sprang up quickly between them after moving into the new house. She did not understand how this happened but because she was not an analytical person, she did not give it much thought. Life with Rhett was easier if she ignored his barbs, but there came a point when she could no longer pretend he was joking.

***

Scarlett awoke on her birthday in a foul mood because she did not like to think of growing older. She peered in the mirror for any signs of aging on her twenty-three year old face and finding none, she resolved to forget about her birthday entirely. She was glad she had never told Rhett when her birthday was.

She was surprised when she came home from the store that afternoon to find the house quiet. Rhett was in the sitting room reading the newspaper.

"Where are Wade and Ella?" she asked as she sat in the chair next to his.

"I arranged for them to spend the evening with Mrs. Wilkes so we could celebrate your birthday alone," he replied, folding the newspaper and turning his full attention to her.

"My birthday? Who told you it was my birthday?"

"Why, Mrs. Wilkes, of course. I've known for some time that today is your birthday and of course, I have the perfect gift for you."

Scarlett brightened at the mention of a gift. "Oh, Rhett! Can I have my present now?"

"Don't you want to wait until after supper?"

"No," she said emphatically.

He chuckled and said, "Very well, then."

He returned in a few minutes with a large box and presented it to Scarlett.

"Oh, it's heavy!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm sure you were hoping for a diamond bauble, but I thought this would suit you better."

Scarlett looked at him quizzically, but she opened the box and gasped when she saw the expensive leather horse harness. She looked up quickly to find his eyes dancing with merriment.

"Well, say something, Scarlett. I thought it a fine harness for an exquisite mule such as yourself."

Scarlett struggled with the weight of the box before Rhett bent decorously and took the box from her. She rose unsteadily and despite her efforts, her voice quavered as she said, "You go straight to hell."
Then she gathered her skirts and ran blindly from the room and upstairs to her bedroom. She locked the door and lay on the bed waiting for the tears to come. A lump had settled in her throat making it difficult to breathe. Tears leaked uncontrollably from her eyes as she walked to her bureau and rummaged for her bottle of brandy.

Scarlett awoke the next morning dismayed to find her face still puffy and red from crying the night before. She did not know what Rhett had done last night. He had not knocked on the bedroom door, and she hoped he had spent the night at Belle's. For the first time, Scarlett thanked God for Belle's existence. "If he did spend the night there, then he probably isn't home yet," she reasoned. Thus, she did not bother to dress before going downstairs--only carelessly tying her wrapper closed.

She stopped short in the entry to the dining room when she saw Rhett, Wade, and Ella already eating breakfast. She walked to the sideboard and poured a cup of coffee she did not want because Rhett appeared to be studying her face and she needed a minute to compose her thoughts.

"Good morning, Mrs. Butler," he said finally.

She did not answer him but turned to Wade and asked, "When did you get home?"

"I picked them up on my way home this morning," Rhett interjected smoothly. His teeth gleamed under his mustache.

So he did spend the night with Belle Watling! Scarlett poured cream into her coffee and sat down before replying coolly, "Indeed?"

Wade, sensing the palpable tension in the room, piped up, "Ella and Beau and I made birthday cards for you at Aunt Melly's!"

Scarlett smiled with genuine affection for her son and said, "That's so sweet, Wade Hampton! What a thoughtful boy you are." She turned to Ella and noticed that she had managed to get egg yolk all over her face. "My goodness, but you're a mess. Let's get you cleaned up." She picked Ella up and said to Wade, "Come give me your cards, and I'll hang them in my office." Wade, unaccustomed to such attention from his mother, ran ahead to get the cards. Scarlett shifted Ella to her other hip and threw Rhett a scornful look, which he ignored.

Scarlett sulked for several days, and Rhett pointedly refused her silent requests for an apology. After three days of her silent treatment and slamming doors, he announced that he was going to New York.

He returned two weeks later, arriving in the morning as she was fixing her hair for the day.

"Good morning, Scarlett," he said as though he had not been gone.

"Good morning," she replied carefully.

"I have something for you," he said and handed her a small box.

"I suppose this is a miniature horse harness?"

"No, it's a box of bonbons."

"Why bonbons?" she asked suspiciously.

"Whenever I misbehaved during the war, these usually got me back into your good graces. How about a truce, Scarlett?"

She studied his face for a minute and finding no sign of mockery in his eyes, answered, "Truce."

***

Over the next few weeks, life in the Butler house settled into what could be called a routine. Scarlett spent her days at the store and the mills and often did not arrive home until supper.

"Rhett," she said to him one evening after supper had been cleared and the children were getting ready for bed, "I want to change the name of the store, but I can't think of anything good to call it."

"Why change it? It is a general store, after all."

"Yes, I know, but I want to call it something interesting. Something with the word emporium."

"Emporium? Hmm." He stroked his mustache and thought for a minute. "How about 'Caveat Emptorium' ?"

" 'Caveat Emptorium,' she repeated. "I like that!"

"I thought you might," he replied and smiled. "It really is the perfect name for your store."

The next day, she made arrangements to have the sign painted and the following week when the sign was ready, she picked it up in her wagon and drove to Ashley's mill to show him. She had not told anyone the new name of the store because she wanted it to be a surprise, but she was too excited to keep the secret any longer.

She burst into the office. "Ashley, I have a surprise for you!"

He rose from his desk and smiled at her exuberance. "And what is that, Scarlett?"

"The new sign for the store is ready! Come out to the wagon and see it." He followed her outside. "Well, what do you think?" she asked.

Ashley blanched when he saw the sign. "Scarlett," he said and stopped. "Scarlett, darling, what possessed you to have this painted?"

Scarlett's face fell. "What are you talking about, Ashley?"

"Don't you know what this means?"

She could only shake her head.

"Well, there's a play on the word 'emporium,' but this means 'Buyer Beware,' " he said gently.

Scarlett's mouth fell open and she turned crimson with embarrassment. She was dangerously close to crying.

"Honey, did--did Rhett tell you to do this?"

She nodded miserably.

"What an unspeakable bastard," Ashley thought, "hurting and humiliating Scarlett this way."

"Would you like me to drive you home?" he asked.

"I'll be all right. Will you please burn this?"

"Of course I will. I'll do it right now."

"You won't tell anybody, will you?"

"You know I won't." He hated Rhett at that moment. How dare he treat her like this? As he watched her drive away, he wanted nothing more than to kill Rhett Butler.

She stormed into the house and slammed the door. Hands shaking with rage, she ripped off her bonnet and tossed it onto the table. Wade and Ella cautiously approached her.

"Mother," Wade began. "Are you all--"

"Go outside and play! Both of you!" Scarlett snapped. They scurried out the front door, and Scarlett took a deep breath and found Rhett in the sitting room.

He was standing by the fireplace smoking a cigar. Scarlett grabbed an empty crystal vase and threw it at him. "You son-of-a-bitch!" she screamed. Rhett sidestepped the vase, and it shattered against the mirror, cracking it. Tiny shards of glass showered the hearth.

Rhett threw his cigar into the fireplace and clucked his tongue. "And to think, I actually liked that mirror. What is the matter, Scarlett?"

"You know goddamn well what the matter is."

"Ah. I take it you have spoken with Ashley Wilkes." He smirked.

"Were you actually going to let me hang that sign up over my store and become the laughingstock of town?"

"It's your own fault, my precious barbarian, for not studying Latin in school," he replied calmly. Then he began to laugh.

"Go on and laugh by yourself then, because I'm going right now to speak to Uncle Henry and then I'm taking Mammy and the children to Tara."

She turned on her heel and was already in the front hall when Rhett followed her and asked, as though amused by her outburst, "When may I expect your return?"

She turned to him with hate burning in her eyes and said, "Don't."

To be continued...