chapter 1
Scarlett sat curled up on the sofa in front of the fire in her study. The children had gone to bed hours ago and the servants took their leave after supper, leaving her the only one awake in the house. Sleep was difficult to venture her way on this night more so than other nights when sleep did not seem to exist. Tonight, her sleep was haltered by the rumpled paper held lazily in her hand announcing her husbands' appearance in the coming days.

The news he was coming was pleasing, though only to the surface. Scarlett was happy Rhett was returning since it meant he was being true to his word. Though Scarlett's real feelings upon the news of Rhett's arrival was that of pain. After his first and so far only visit to keep appearance was pleasant but tense when they were alone. Scarlett now understood more of the status of their marriage than she had the day he told her he was leaving. In fact, the day Rhett told her their marriage was over, she did not understand a word that came out of his mouth. She saw his lips moving and heard the words but they did not connect. Even the time spent between his departure and first visit, Scarlett did not dwell on why he truly left her. The conversation they had while he was packing was lost to her and that day seemed a blur as though a painter, not pleased with the paint on canvas, poured water on it to rid the paint.

She was greatly appreciative of the telegram in her hand instead of him showing up in the foyer on day with a bag in hand. His first visit nearly four months ago was unexpected, which he probably enjoyed to see how she lived in her misery. The house was not as tidy as it normally had been prior to his leaving. Dust had gathered on furniture, mud had been tracked in onto the carpeting and not been cleaned up. The most embarrassing part of his return was the amount of empty liquor bottles he saw in obvious locations and other bottles that were supposed to be hidden from prying eyes. The laundry of not only her clothes but the children's as well was piled up, leaving them with only a few of their Sunday's best. All of this was a clear indication that she had let some of the employed help go.

The rain came all of a sudden with no warning, leaving her and the children soaked through. Rhett sat on the stairs waiting for them to return from God knows where. He sat in the exact same place; she herself had sat when he returned home with their daughter before the first of many tragic events to take place. Her expression did not change when she noticed him; it was a cold pinched look on her face that had been there quite often through their marriage, though now it seemed to have become a permanent fixation since Rhett's departure.

Wade and Ella ran greedily to Rhett for a greeting; more so Ella than Wade. As the children greeted Rhett with all of the make believe adventures in the past months, Scarlett made her escape to her study, thankful to have children to distract her estranged husband from talking to her. The study was the quickest and best option for her to recluse to; her room was too far and she would have had to walk past Rhett on the stairs to get there nor were any of the other room on the first floor since they were not always as private, which would allow anyone to walk in.

Scarlett knew the children had some ideas as to what had happened between their mother and step-father to the best of their abilities. Wade was old enough and did not need to be told there were problems in her relationship with Rhett. He had witnessed the problems long before they wed, whether he remembered the quarrels and the aftermath or not, Scarlett did not know, nor would she inquire about the subject with her son. At first, Scarlett had been worried that Wade might reject Rhett upon his return, but he did not, unless it was to put on a show for her. Just another thought Scarlett would not dwell too much on.

Ella was an absolutely different topic all together. Rhett was the only father she had ever known or remembers. She was too young to know the difference of who her real father was, how she did not call Rhett 'daddy' was beyond Scarlett's knowing. Ella had been just over a year old when Scarlett and Rhett had married and with in another year Bonnie had been born. Wade was most likely the one that she picked up calling Rhett 'Uncle'. While they had been away on their honeymoon Melly had taken care of the children. It was Melly who heard witnessed Ella's first coherent word, in fact she had been the one to teach Scarlett's children kindness when their mother did not. It could have possibly been Melly to explain to Ella that Rhett was not her real father. Regardless of Rhett's abandonment to the children, Ella would always see him as her father and accept him back in warm arms.

Sadly Scarlett's refuge was short lived, within ten minutes of her unannounced departure a knock echoed at the door. She knew it was Rhett, no one she knew knocked as he did and could do so in a graceful style. Before Scarlett could answer to ward him off or summon him in, the knob slowly turned and he entered the room to find her standing in front of the window holding the heavy curtain back enough to look out.

"Scarlett…."

The last syllable of her name rang in her head as the grandfather clock chimed the hours by. Scarlett counted the chimes and realized the time. Even as late as it was, half past two in the morning, Scarlett was no t tired but knew she needed to make some sort of effort to sleep.

Standing up, she moved to her desk and placed the telegram in the top center drawer to look at again in the morning when her mind would be more at ease. With her nerves already being stripped from the children's nagging from earlier when the telegram arrived, Scarlett could not think further of Rhett's pending arrival.