horse at the moment».
«Dear God in Heaven!»
«But he will come».
«What did he say?»
«He will find a horse somewhere and bring it here».
«He is coming? He’s going to bring a horse?»
«So he says».
A smart man, Rhett. She will forgive him everything if he gets them out of this mess. Escape! And with Rhett she will have no fear. Rhett will protect them. Thank God for Rhett!
«Wake Wade up and dress him and pack some clothes for all of us. Put them in the small trunk. And don’t tell Miss Mellie we’re going. Not yet. But wrap the baby in a couple of thick towels and pack his clothes».
Soon she saw Rhett as he came toward her. His dress was debonaire, well-tailored white linen coat and trousers, embroidered gray watered-silk waistcoat.
«Good evening», he said, in his drawling voice, as he removed his hat. «Fine weather, isn’t it? I hear you’re going to take a trip».
«If you make any jokes, I shall never speak to you again», Scarlett said.
«Don’t tell me you are frightened!» He smiled.
«Yes, I am! I’m frightened to death and you’ll be frightened too. We must get out of here».
«At your service, Madam. But where do you want to go? You can’t go north or east or south or west. The Yankees are all around. There’s just one road out of town which the Yankees haven’t got yet and the army is retreating by that road. And that road won’t be open long. If you follow the army down the McDonough road, they’ll take the horse away from you. I had a lot of trouble stealing it. Where are you going?»
«I’m going home», she said.
«Home? You mean to Tara?»
«Yes, yes! To Tara! Oh, Rhett, we must hurry!»
He looked at her.
«Tara? God Almighty, Scarlett! Don’t you know they fought all day at Jonesboro? You can’t go home! You can’t go right through the Yankee army!»
«I will go home!» she cried. «I will! I will!»
«You little fool», and his voice was swift and rough. «You can’t go that way. Our troops are retreating from Jonesboro. They’ll take the horse away from you as quickly as the Yankees will. Your only chance is to follow the troops down the McDonough road and pray that they won’t see you in the dark. You can’t go to Tara. I won’t let you go home. It’s insanity».
«I will go home!» she cried. «I will go home! You can’t stop me! I will go home! I want my mother! I’ll kill you if you try to stop me! I will go home!»
She beat on his chest with her fists and screamed again:
«I will! I will!»
«Darling», he said softly. «Don’t cry. You’ll go home, my brave little girl. Don’t cry. Now, be a good child and tell me what to do. Where is the heroic young woman who assured me she feared neither God nor man?»
He suddenly burst into laughter.
«I’m not afraid», she said.
Melanie lay quietly. Her face was deathly white.
«We are going home, to Tara», Scarlett explained rapidly. «The Yankees are coming. Rhett is going to take us. It’s the only way, Melly».
With all the speed the horse could summon, they jolted and bounced across the street. As they dashed down the street and bumped over the railroad tracks, Rhett applied the whip automatically. His face looked set and absent.
They pulled into a side street, then another, then turned and twisted from one narrow street to another. Still Rhett did not speak. The red glow in the sky was fading now and the road became dark and frightening. But he did not speak.
Scarlett thanked Heaven. It was so good to have a man beside her.
«Oh, Rhett», she whispered, «what would we do without you? I’m so glad you aren’t in the army!»
Finally Rhett turned the horse right and after a while they were on a wider, smoother road.
«We’re out of town now», said Rhett briefly, «and on the main road to Rough and Ready».
«Hurry. Don’t stop!»
«Let the animal breathe a bit». Then turning to her, he asked slowly: «Scarlett, do you still want to try to get through to Tara? It’s suicidal. Steve Lee’s cavalry and the Yankee Army are between you and Tara».
They left the wagon.
«Oh, yes! Yes! Please, Rhett, let’s hurry. The horse isn’t tired».
«Just a minute. You can’t go down to Jonesboro on this road. You can’t follow the train tracks. Do you know any other roads don’t go through Rough and Ready or Jonesboro?»
«Oh, yes», cried Scarlett in relief. «I know a wagon trace. Pa and I used to ride it. It is only a mile from Tara».
«Good. Maybe you can get through there».
«I can get through?»
«Yes, you». His voice was rough.
«But Rhett… And you?»
«No. I’m leaving you here».
She looked around wildly. Had she gone crazy? Was she not hearing right?
He was grinning now. She could just see his white teeth.
«Leaving us? Where… where are you going?»
«I am going, dear girl, with the army».
She sighed with relief and irritation. Why did he joke at this time? Rhett in the army!
«Don’t joke! Let’s get on».
«I’m not joking, my dear. Scarlett, where is your patriotism, your love for Our Glorious Cause?».
He was jeering at her and, somehow, she knew he was jeering at himself too. What was he talking about? Patriotism? It wasn’t possible that he meant what he was saying.
«Rhett, you are joking!»
She grabbed his arm. He raised her hand and kissed it arily.
«Oh, Rhett», she wailed, «how can you do this to me? Why are you leaving me?»
«Why?» he laughed jauntily. «Because, perhaps, of the sentimentality that lurks in all of us Southerners. Perhaps… perhaps because I am ashamed. Who knows? I’m off to the wars».
He kissed her and his mustache tickled her mouth. Charles had never kissed her like this. He bent her body backward and his lips traveled down her throat.
«Sweet», he whispered. «Sweet».
«Oh, you cad!» she cried. «You low-down, cowardly, nasty, stinking man!»
«Ah», he said quietly.
«They were right! Everybody was right! You aren’t a gentleman!»
«My dear girl», he said, «how inadequate».
She knew he was laughing.
«Go on! Go on now! I want you to hurry. I don’t want to ever see you again!»
«Good-bye, Scarlett».
He was gone. She could hear the sound of his feet for a while and then they died away. She came slowly back to the wagon.
Chapter XVIII
The bright morning sunlight awakened Scarlett. For a moment, she could not remember where she was. The sun blinded her. She tried to sit up. Wade lay sleeping with his head on her knees. Melanie’s bare feet were almost in her face and, under the wagon seat, Prissy was curled up like a black cat with the small baby between her and Wade.
Then she remembered everything. She looked hastily all around. Thank God, no Yankees