"Ruin and Redemption"

A Talk with Scarlett's Father

“Promise me, now, Scarlett. As long as I live, you won’t harm Lizzie. You won’t touch my wife!…Promise me now, Scarlett. Otherwise, how can I bring you back with me? I have to protect my wife, Scarlett. I have to. Please, promise me you won’t do anything to her, and I can bring you back. I miss you, Scarlett!” Derrick shouted passionately.

“Fine, Derrick. I promise that if I even decide to come back to you, I will stay away from Lizzie, and not harm her, if I can help it. But if she comes at me with a whip, I won’t let her, or you, do it again! I’ll act in self defense; I don’t care what you do to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep from getting another whipping.” Scarlett said honestly.

“Don’t worry, Scarlett. Lizzie isn’t going to whip you. And, look at me,” Derrick indicated his stump, and his hands gripping the crutches so he could stay upright, “I doubt I could even if I wanted. Things will be better than they were. Your children want to see you, too.”

“Alright, Derrick, I suppose I could come back, if my father will let me go. I’ll ask him.” Scarlett was unsure if he would really let her go. It would be a pity if all she got was one look at Derrick on crutches, and she had to stay here with her cold father, and be a maid for the rest of her life.

Scarlett was relieved.\; Derrick had come to her! She had not had to come to him. And she was gleeful at the thought of getting out of the house and missing out on her chores for the whole time she was riding back to Derrick’s plantation. Nevertheless, she felt a simpering of regret that Derrick might not be able to make love to her properly. She didn’t think she could last too much longer without at least one night of good sex. She could be plenty understanding, but if it went on too long, she’d have to take her pick of the men on the plantation, and hope Derrick didn’t discover him. And, however much she might not like it, she was going to have to acknowledge that unlike Derrick, Lizzie Henderson, was completely alive and well. She would be up and about much more than Derrick. Scarlett was already squaring her shoulders and hardening off her mind to deal with her foe. Lizzie might be compassionate, but she had shown that she could kill, as well.

Derrick crutched his way along behind her. The crutches were new and awkward for him. He hated to go to Scarlett’s father looking this way. And it hadn’t been the war that brutalized him. On the train, he had been forced to listen to too many war stories by veterans who assumed his injuries were a result of the War. Derrick was worn out with tales of valor, and humbled that he had not gone to make his stand, and now, look at him, he couldn’t fight if he wanted to! What was worse, he had been shot by a woman for his adultery with her brother! He let them think it was the war and felt terrible taking credit for brave deeds he wished he’d done, but hadn’t. Running the plantations and taking care of his wife had seemed more important, but now he had missed the war completely, and he felt like a coward.

“Alright, Scarlett. You can show Monsieur LaPoint in,” Her father said indulgently, in a voice he had rarely used with her lately. The sound of that voice was music to Scarlett’s ears, and she began to have second thoughts about going back to a lover who she had no idea whether or not he would be able to make love to her or not. She liked Derrick a lot. But if she could ever really be her father’s daughter, the way his sweet tone now suggested, she’d take her father over any other man, over several lovers, if she had to. Maybe her brother had finally won him over to her side; She was just as much his daughter as Clarice, with all the rights and priviledges.

When Derrick came into the door, Mr. X, fixed him with a cold glare, which softened a bit when he saw how Derrick was incapacitated.

“You’ve come to try to take my daughter back with you," He stated matter-of-factly.

“I’d like to, sir. If you like. I believe we could make her feel at home. We’ve missed her.”

“You have. Don’t tell me your wife has missed my pretty daughter. I have eyes to see you know. And I’ve offered her a place away from all that. My daughter won’t have to worry about you and your wife as long as she lives here. This is my daugher’s sanctuary, Monsieur LaPoint.”