Rhett Butler was a man who was not received or talked about in polite company. Of course people did see him and they gossiped, but when one considered that even his own family did not receive him! And he OWNED Belle Watling's 'house'. There was proof that night when he saved all the respectable gentlemen in Atlanta. He had a KEY!

And of course he was attracted to Scarlett O'Hara. And her mother was a Robillard! The scandal it caused when they married, and barely a year after Frank Kennedy, Scarlett's second husband, had died. And she had killed him, as sure as if she had pulled the trigger of the gun herself! But separately Rhett and Scarlett could be tolerated but together? Absolutely not!

It is said that they met at the Wilkes' barbeque at Twelve Oaks. He wasn't invited; he came with Frank Kennedy. He caused some disturbance when he said the Yankees could lick the Southerners. And it was right after the barbeque that Scarlett and Charles Hamilton were engaged.

At that time, of course, Captain Butler was blockade running for the confederacy. He turned decent for a while, and even bought white satin for Fanny Elsing's wedding gown. It was right nice of him, everyone thought, and they opened there homes to him. But soon he was out of good graces again, and Scarlett, who was a widow, was allowing him to call on her!! Poor Miss Pittypat was helpless to save Scarlett from herself. That rascal must have influenced poor Scarlett at that time, for it was around that time she turned bad.

She stole her sister's beau and killed him. And while she was married she went riding with that Butler man! While she was pregnant she was out riding with him! They were an embarrassment to the town. And then they got married.

Sure, they turned right respectable after they had a child, but no one would have called on them if it weren't for Miss Melly. She said that if anyone didn't call on them, they needn't call on her. That did it! Scarlett had infrequent calls from the respectable families.

That Captain Butler sure did love his little girl, Bonnie. It was too bad when she died. And then losing Miss Melly right after! It was a hard blow. Captain Butler left town right after Miss Melly was gone. Shouldn't he have stayed with his wife in their hour of need? It was all very funny...

(Sorry, I just had to do that! Gossip is very fun to write. But we all know about Rhett Butler - the most amazing character ever created - very well.)