Gone with the Wind

Bonnie runs wild. When Rhett took her to New Orleans, he allowed her to stay up late and have whatever she wanted. Now, no one can discipline her. Scarlett tries to stamp out some of her headstrong nature, but Bonnie is so charismatic that she always gets her way. Rhett has no desire to make her behave. Bonnie idolizes Rhett, riding on his saddle and talking to him like an adult. Scarlett smiles to see Rhett take to fatherhood so well, but a small part of her is jealous.

When Bonnie turns four, Rhett buys her a Shetland pony that she names Mr. Butler, and Scarlett makes her a riding outfit. Bonnie demands it be made from blue velvet. She and Rhett race down the street on their horses, Rhett slowing his so Bonnie feels she is winning. When she is comfortable riding, Rhett thinks she can try jumping. He starts her out on a foot-high bar. Scarlett laughs with pride and enthusiasm listening to Bonnie’s excited yells.

A week later, Bonnie begs for a higher bar. Rhett tells her she can’t jump higher until she’s six, but Bonnie persists until he finally gives in. Bonnie shouts for Scarlett to watch from her bedroom window. Scarlett says she’s watching and smiles, but she’s uneasy. As Bonnie gallops on her pony, Scarlett sees that her eyes are just like Gerald’s. Then she realizes Bonnie said the same thing Gerald had said just before his death: “watch me take this one, Ellen!” Scarlett screams for Bonnie to stop, but there is the sound of splintering wood and she sees a whirl of blue velvet.

Three nights after Bonnie’s death, Mammy walks to Melanie’s house. In the kitchen, Mammy says she wants to tell Melanie what’s on her mind. Melanie leads into the sitting room. Mammy cries as she explains that Bonnie’s death broke Scarlett’s heart, but Rhett is even worse off. She says Melanie must come because Rhett always listens to her and maybe she can help him. Mammy thinks Rhett has lost his mind; When Dr. Meade said Bonnie’s neck broke, Rhett shot Bonnie’s pony and then held Bonnie’s body and didn’t let anyone touch her.

Mammy says she thought Scarlett and Rhett would comfort each other, but then Scarlett demanded that Rhett “give [her] [her] baby that [he] killed.” Melanie says she doesn’t want to hear these awful things, but Mammy refuses to stop. Scarlett wanted to put Bonnie in the coffin in the parlor, but Rhett wanted her in his room. Rhett came home drunk and told Mammy to put candles in Bonnie’s room because Bonnie is afraid of the dark. Scarlett and Rhett then argued about when to hold the funeral. Rhett threatened to kill Scarlett and noted again that Bonnie is afraid of the dark—and graves are dark. Scarlett accused Rhett of drinking and visiting Belle Watling, but Rhett said he went to Belle because she didn’t call him the murderer of his own child.

Melanie is shocked. She remembers that Rhett said he had a key to Belle’s, but she also knows Rhett loves Scarlett from the way he’d cried when she was sick. And Scarlett loves Rhett, so what went wrong? Mammy continues: Mammy went into Rhett’s room to tell him it’s her fault that Bonnie’s afraid of the dark; once, when Bonnie wouldn’t go to bed, Mammy had told her a monster would get her if she didn’t. Mammy thought Rhett would hit her, but he said gently that he knows Mammy loved Bonnie. But when Mammy asked about the funeral, Rhett threw her out of the room.

Melanie understands Rhett’s pain; she thinks how scary it would be to bury one’s own child in a dark grave. She runs through the house, hugging Beau as she goes, her napkin still in her hand. At the Butlers’ house, she bows to Suellen, Will, Scarlett, and Pittypat before going upstairs. She announces herself gently at Rhett’s door, and he lets her in. Mammy sinks into a chair outside the door. All she hears is a low humming from inside. Some time later, Melanie comes out and asks Mammy for sandwiches and cutlery. Mammy brings the food and hears Rhett taking off his boots. Melanie comes out and says to tell Scarlett the funeral will be tomorrow. Melanie says she promised to stay with Rhett all night while he sleeps. As Mammy goes to tell Scarlett, she thinks that Melanie must have angels behind her.