"But..." Taz opened the box and stared, unseeing, at a revolver, a Confederate Colonel's epaulets, a heavy silver watch, and a folded piece of paper.
Since the goldfish wouldn't come out from beneath the lily pads, Bonnie ran to the grown-ups and stood on tiptoes to see what was in the young man's box. Maybe today was his birthday.
Rhett said, "The grateful citizens of Cynthiania, Tennessee, gave your father that watch, Taz. There's an inscription.”
Tazewell turned the heavy watch in his hand. "Merde! You're saying Andrew Ravanel was my father? Colonel Andrew Ravanel? Why did you let me think I was your bastard. Why not tell me the truth?”
"Read the note, honey," Belle said softly.
To whom it may concern, I acknowledge Tazewell Watling as my firstborn son and bequeath him these, my worldly goods. I pray he will do better with his life than I have done with mine.
Andrew Ravanel, Colonel, C.S.A.
Taz folded the note. Opened it a second time and stared.
"Taz," Rhett said quietly, "please, sit down.”
When he did, his mother put her arm around him.
Rhett took a deep breath. "I've always loved New Orleans. It's a Catholic city, tolerant, sensual, and wise. The Low Country, where your mother and I grew up, Taz ...”
Rhett stopped and began again. "Planters like my father, Langston Butler, had the power of life and death. Everything and everyone on Broughton Plantation belonged to the Master. Langston's slaves, Langston's overseer, Langston's horses, Langston's overseer's daughter, Langston's wife, Langston's daughter ..." Rhett coughed. "Even Langston Butler's renegade elder son. To trifle with the least of Langston's possessions was to trifle with the Master himself.”
Belle sighed. "Don't it seem so long ago?”
"Taz, it's a long story your mother and I have to tell. Do you think you could find a glass of wine?”
When Taz and Bonnie went in the house, Rhett strolled the garden, hands in pockets, whistling softly.
Taz returned and set the tray on the bench.
"I don't want any wine. I'm too little." Bonnie went back to the pool and lay down on the edge, where the goldfish couldn't see her.
Belle said, "Mama and me kept the Broughton dispensary, and sometimes I'd come into Charleston to the apothecary's for quinine bark, and one day Andrew was there. First time we set eyes on each other, we fell in love.
Don't smile at me, Rhett Butler. You know it happens. Hell, you know it does. Anyway, that afternoon me and Andrew strolled around White Point Park, gabbin' and lookin' at each other. I reckon I wanted to eat him up.
Well, nothin' happened that day and I caught the ferry back to Broughton, but I wasn't really surprised when a negro woman delivered a note sayin' I should meet Andrew at Wilson's Roadhouse.
"Well, I snuck away that day, and a week later I snuck away again, and it wasn't long before we were doin' what the preachers say we shouldn't. It never troubled me none, and if Mama knew, she never said nothin'. I never met none of Andrew's kin nor his fancy friends — until the morning Rhett rode up to Wilson's, and then everybody thought Rhett and me ...
"Andrew was so secretive about us. I always knew we wasn't meant to marry.”
Rhett said, "Andrew's father, Jack, sold land when he had to and wrote as many IOUs as there were fools to accept them. He loved fast horses.”
Bonnie sang, "Come out, little fishies. I won't hurt you.”
"Somehow my father and Jack Ravanel were involved in a rice-factoring syndicate, and when the syndicate collapsed, my father ended up with Jack's IOUs — which pleased neither of them: my father because Jack hated to pay and Jack because if any man in Carolina could squeeze a dollar out of him, that man was Langston Butler.
"Langston let Jack know his patience was running thin. Langston could ruin Jack, and Jack knew it.
"When Jack learned about Andrew and your mother, he worried. If Langston discovered his debtor's son was trifling with his overseer's daughter, that'd be the last straw. Jack ordered Andrew to stop seeing Belle, but Andrew refused.
"Jack always liked to have an edge, and when he didn't have one, he introduced a wild card. I didn't understand until years afterward — but angry, confused Rhett Butler was Old Jack's wild card.
"It worked, too. My father was so busy disowning me, he never found out about Andrew and Belle.”
When Rhett hitched himself into the window casing, his long legs just touched the ground. He offered his cigar case to Taz. When Taz declined, Rhett took his time lighting up.
"Andrew was touchy, proud, and melancholy, but he was my friend. When I came back from West Point disgraced, I lived with the Ravanels.”
"Colonel Jack got you drunk," Belle said stoutly.
Rhett laughed. "Belle, nobody but me gets me drunk. I was desperately unhappy, and Jack merely provided the whiskey and a gloomy porch where I could drink it. After he'd let me stew in my own morose juices long enough, Jack told me his son was involved with a slattern — sorry, Belle — and that if I was Andrew's friend, I'd disentangle him. I have forgotten many things about those days, but I remember that morning...”
"I'm to spoil Andrew's fun? Come now, Jack. “
Colonel Jack's tongue whipped like a snake run over in the road. Jack had ten thousand reasons why Rhett should help Andrew. Rhett was weary, part drunk, and plain didn't give a damn. He'd have done anything just to shut Jack up.
"You'll talk to him, then?"Jack said. "Wilson's Roadhouse? Boy, you're a good'un. Don't anyone tell you you're not. If the slut's father finds out about this, there's no telling...”
Rhett was thoroughly sick of Jack and thoroughly sick of himself, and there are worse things than a ride into the breaking day. Tecumseh's trot was smooth as glass.
The river was changing from black to silver and work gangs' lanterns flickered in the fields before Rhett reached the Summerville crossroads. When he turned into Wilson's stableyard, Andrew was outside, smoking. "Thank God, Rhett. Thank God it's you.”
A lamp glowed in the upstairs room where Belle waited for her lover. That same night, she'd told Andrew she was carrying his baby.
Andrew clutched Rhett's arm. "Rhett, she wants me to marry her. Rhett, I cannot; you know I must not. "Andrew tried a ghastly joke. "I am my father's last negotiable asset!”
When Belle came down into the yard she was in love and beautiful. "Andrew? Who's with you? Why, it's Young Master Butler. " The young woman trusted that her love would see her through anything. "Andrew and I have been ...
keeping company. I got to go home now. Will you take me home, Young Master?”
Rhett would.
The sun rose as the two rode down the main trunk. Silent rice gangs watched them pass, shading their eyes against the sun.
Rhett's mind was clear as it had not been since he left West Point. He felt better than he had in months. Rhett Butler had absolutely nothing more to lose.
Belles cheek was warm against his back.
"Do you love anyone, Young Master?”
"My sister, Rosemary... “
"Ain 't we lucky? Ain 't it better lovin ' than bein ' loved? “
Twenty-four years after that morning ride, Rhett Butler laid his hands on Tazewell Watling's shoulders and said, "Dites moi qui vous aimez, et je vous dirai qui vous ?tes: Tell me who you love and I'll tell you who you are.”