After a particularly exhausting day at the hospital, Scarlett excuses herself from Aunt Pitty and Melanie’s social calls and retires to Melanie’s room to secretly read her letters from Ashley. She has made it a practice to read these letters, determined to understand whether or not Ashley has grown to love his meek, uninteresting wife. As yet, he writes to her in a tone lacking passion and ardor, and Scarlett views his letters as a sign that he carries a torch for her. However, she is disinterested in his most recent letter, which pessimistically assesses the Confederacy’s chances of winning the war. 

As the war stretches on, basic goods become scarce. For Scarlett, however, the hardships of wartime are survivable, as she is no longer confined to her period of mourning. The expected nature of life hastened: mourning periods lessened, as did courtships, and daily gossip took on a frantic, desperate air as the strict social rules of conduct relaxed. 

Scarlett, now free from her formal mourning period earlier than expected, behaves in a youthful manner, engaging in activities such as flirting, riding, dancing, and attending parties while still dressed in mourning clothes. Despite being a mother, she considers herself a young belle, and Wade is so well taken care of that she almost forgets about him. The only downside for Scarlett is that she misses her mother, who is preoccupied with Tara's role in the war effort and therefore has little time to spare for her when Scarlett returns home to visit.

In Atlanta, Scarlett begins to stretch her wings, beginning to build a life for herself outside of her role as a widower. Rhett calls on her often, and although his company reminds her of her misdoings and often aggravates her, she begins to enjoy his presence. Indeed, she finds him intriguing company and cannot resist his unique manner. As time passes, even Aunt Pitty cannot resist his charms, so she begrudgingly permits his frequent visits, despite their impropriety. Melanie, of course, views Rhett as a gentleman and imagines that he just needs the love of a decent woman to dull his rough edges. 

Like Scarlett, Rhett’s presence makes waves in Atlanta; he presents himself as a rogue and, more often than not, acts the part. However, his brave manner, successful business, and unexpected kindness endear him to many, such as Mrs. Merriwether, to whom he gifts yards of then-unattainable white satin for her daughter’s wedding dress. However, he makes enemies in equal measure, as he views the war as a “money squabble” that should soon come to an end and derides anyone who views it as an expression of patriotism. Rhett’s social status ebbs and flows, but he seems unbothered by these rapid changes. 

At Mrs. Elsing’s musicale—a charitable event raising funds for the front lines—Rhett argues that the war is neither sacred nor purposeful, a position that alienates him from the community. Later, Mrs. Merriwether attempts to force Aunt Pitty to cut ties with Rhett, but Melanie, white with rage, retorts sharply, revealing that Ashley feels similarly about the war, and as such, she will not reject Rhett’s company. 

The following day, the newspaper published an open letter written by Dr. Meade who admonishes Rhett without mentioning his name. Rumors swirl and it is commonly held that Rhett is responsible for the increasing prices and scarcity of goods, leading to him being excluded from all homes except for Pittypat's, where he is allowed to stay only because Melanie insists on it. Although Scarlett appreciates the presents Rhett brings when he visits, she also wishes to put...