Scarlett, who had been smarting under his words, laughed shortly.
“ So the river-boat gambler and the speculator is going to be respectable! Well, your first move toward respectability had better be the sale of Belle Watling’s house.”
That was a shot in the dark. She had never been absolutely certain that Rhett owned the house. He laughed suddenly, as though he read her mind.
“ Thanks for the suggestion.”
Had he tried, Rhett could not have chosen a more difficult time to beat his way back to respectability. Never before or after did the names Republican and Scallawag carry such odium, for now the corruption of the Carpet bag regime was at its height. And, since the surrender, Rhett’s name had been inextricably linked with Yankees, Republicans and Scallawags.
Atlanta people had thoug
