A/N - Just a little something else I have been toying with, and like to share with you.

He looked at her with a look of contempt in his eyes.

"I hear congratulations are in order" he drawled sarcastically.

"My, my you sure look… expensive"

She looked at him angrily – deeply hurt. For a second too stunned to speak – how dared he speak to her like that?

"Rhett…" She said regaining the use of her voice, ready to give him a piece of her mind. But before she had the chance to continue he brushed past her, disappearing into the crowd a look of thunder on his face.

She turned to Bart Mortland, who if anything looked a bit embarrassed at the scene he had just witnessed.

"How dare he? How dare he talk to me like that, Bart?" The anger of a minute before completely gone, and now only a deep sense of loss was left, and it clearly showed on her face.

"it is not like I am doing anything he hasn't already done – why is it so different for me to do it" She spoke softly, offhandedly, not caring if Bart heard her or not.

Bart gave her a puzzled look, but he had looked too deeply into the bottle that day to really take in what she was saying.

"I sure am sorry Scarlett dear" Bart said trying to avoid an uncomfortable gap in the conversation. He looked a bit unsteady, and leaned on the railing of the box for support.

"The two of us are not really fit company for a Lady today" he continued a sad frown on his face.

"But you have to excuse Rhett, he has had a rough time lately" he paused

"Remember I told you his wife was expecting – well it turned out to be a rather tragic affair, both mother and child died during the birth just last month – poor chap it has been rough on him" He went quiet for a moment his rather heavily intoxicated brain not quite up to speed with the events of the day.

"You know…. The strange thing is, Rhett actually seemed ok, quite the steady rock I needed after, after" Bart's voice broke, and he looked utterly lost at the remembrance of what had happened to his beloved horse.

With an effort her regained his composure and continued

"well, after the fire… He actually mentioned something about having to visit some people he knew today" He sighed deeply.

"but this morning as we were enjoying our breakfast and papers, Rhett all of a sudden flies off and I don't find him 'till hours later slumped in the hotel bar, and as you just experienced… quite ahem… of his head"

He gave her an odd glance as he watched a multitude of emotions sweeping over her face as he told her the short tale.

"We've been here ever since…. Scarlett, I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for what just happened or for you to find us in a state like this in the first place, definitely not fitting company for anybody but ourselves, much less a lady such as your self"

The paper, why would a stupid old newspaper bother Rhett enough to drink himself stupid, it didn't make sense.

Slowly the pieces began to fall together, the paper – her engagement announcement had been in just his morning. And with Anne gone… Could it be, no she dared not believe it! But then why else would he be here? Why else would he have come to the place that he knew that she now called home? Why else would he insult her for no apparent reason? Did he perhaps love her still?

She looked at Bart with an urgent look in her eyes.

"Where did he go, please tell me! Where did he go??"

Bart eyed her with a startled look. She was an amazing woman that Scarlett, but he didn't get her.

"Sorry Scarlett, not sure I can help you with that one – I'm not sure it would be wise for you to seek him out either even if I did know"

"As I said earlier he has been in a foul mood all day, and we have been drinking quite heavily you know…"

Scarlett interrupted him with an impatient gesture

"…Don't you see I need to know if he loves me" She cast al caution to the wind.

Bart looked at her oddly trying to get his mind in gear, what was the crazy woman going on about. Why on earth would she talk about love now, she had so far only feigned a distant acquaintance with Rhett. It just didn't make sense. But who was he to judge, those Americans sure was a spirited people.

He sighed.

"I rightly do not know where he might have gone, some bar most likely… if you must know we are staying at the Galway hotel…"

He didn't have time to finish the sentence before she was gone in flurry of colour and lace. Her small persona soon disappeared into the crowds.

He shook his head, not quite believing the scene he had just witnessed.

Galway Hotel the large types were blazed in huge gilded capitals over the doorway to the beautiful old Hotel. She steadied herself, a bit out of breath from her brisk walk. Luckily, the hotel was near to the race track so she hadn't had to walk that far. She smoothed her hair and gown with quick movements, she didn't want to look a fright full mess and as though she had rushed for her meeting with Rhett.

She entered the large front door hesitantly, not knowing exactly what to do if Rhett was indeed at the hotel. What should she say and how would he react. Well no time for second thoughts now, she needed to know.

Scarlett walked up to the receptionist and put on her most charming smile.

"Excuse me Sir! Do you have a Mr Butler staying at your hotel?" She was surprised at how steady and calm her voice sounded, she could feel her heart beating so hard in her chest that she was sure it would have been clearly audible on her voice as she spoke.

Before the Maitre D' had the time to answer her question a familiar drawling voice interrupted their conversation.

"Well, if it isn't the countess to be" She turned around and spotted Rhett leaning nonchalantly against one of the columns forming the archway to what she presumed was the in-house restaurant. He looked his normal composed well groomed self. The drunken rude of only minutes before had disappeared, and he now looked impeccable as always. No man carried himself quit like Rhett did, even if he had enjoyed his fill of brandy. How could a woman not love such a man?

"To what do I owe the pleasure of such an honourable visit" his tone of voice mocking, but she caught an undertone in his words that gave away that perhaps he wasn't as detached as he seemed.

She walked over to him, fighting for control over her inwardly shaking body.

"Rhett…" She started and stopped, quite at loss as to what to say. Not really wanting to have this conversation out here in the open. But neither bold enough to suggest that they go to his room.

"You were saying Scarlett" He raised an eyebrow. His voice cool, but a spark of interest had ignited in his dark eyes.

"Rhett, can we talk?" She hated herself for how timid and vulnerable that one sentence sounded. Why did he still have this effect on her, making her feel like a witless goose? She was a grown woman now but her body and mind seemed to easily forget that. Even at this distance she could feel the heat radiating from his body. How could she ever have believed that Fenton could replace Rhett when simply being close to him made her skin tingle in remembrance of what his touches could make her feel.

His dark unrelenting eyes searched her face. His face a blank mask. She had hoped that her years of soul searching and coming to terms with her past would have enabled her to divine his thoughts, but obviously she still had a lot to learn in that department.

"I guess we can do the Mrs…" he paused for a split second and she could have sworn she saw a glimmer of mischief in his eyes

"O'Hara" he completed the sentence and put out his arm for her to take.

As she linked her arm in the offered hook, their eyes meet for a brief moment sending an electric current through her body. No her body definitely still recognised and remembered him. She wondered if he had felt it too.

As they walked up the stairs towards what she could only presume was his room she cast him a stolen glance. How calm he looked to the outside observer, but she sensed it was only a façade. And felt a small tingle of fear and excitement for the confrontation she new she would face shortly. Should she continue playing their usual games or was it finally down to being completely open and honest with each other? Which strategy would bring about the end result she wanted? And which outcome did she really hope to gain from this? Could she take him back and forgive him for past hurts – she wasn't sure, even if she knew that she still loved him dearly. Why did it all have to be so complicated?

"So Scarlett what was it you felt was so important to tell me that you had to come rushing to my very doorstep?" The question was uttered as the door to Rhett's suites clicked shut behind them.

She looked at him intently – the answer was simple, but she couldn't bring herself to put all her cards on the table that openly, so she countered with another question.

"Why did you treat me so rudely today? You had no right or reason to" She paused. It would be so easy to give into the anger and from that derive the strength and courage that were linked to displays of anger. But what would be gained from that. Anger and stupid pride was what had brought her here in the first place.

With an effort she reigned in her temper

He gave her a long searching look.

"Rudely? I just presented my congratulations on both your pending nuptials, and also as I remember, the fineness of your attire, In my vocabulary Mrs Butler that is not considered rude" The last words were forced out in a way that indicated that he had very much intended and been aware of the subtle insult disguised in his small phrases of politeness.

Oh how simply infuriating Rhett could be – she had almost forgot it amidst all her longing, lusting and loving – and she felt the sudden urge to stamp her foot in frustration.

"It was rude, and you know it – even Bart in his intoxicated state noticed" She eyed him curtly.

"Poor Bart even felt the necessity to apologise on your behalf" She hesitated for a second, not knowing whether she should come clean about what he had also told her as part of his apology, and decided against it.

Rhett immediately sensed her pause.

"So our friend Mr Mortland felt he had to excuse for his crude American friend?" Rhett eyed her for a second, his words pronounced slowly but clearly as if trying to divine her thoughts as he spoke.

"Pray tell me my dear Scarlett, what did Bart tell you, that made you storm all the way back here to see me? not just to gain my apology on top of his i trust"

Scarlett bit her lip, she knew that she had to tell him the truth, and thereby reveal the hope that Barts words had ignited in hew, and thus letting him know that she still cared for him deeply even if she were about to join another man at the altar. Oh how she hated him.

"If you must know he said that I shouldn't let your words weigh to heavily on me, as you had recently had some dear losses in your family" She tried to sound as though it didn't matter, and not disclose the small light of hope that had been kindled in her heart at the knowledge that he, Rhett, was once again freed from marital bonds, and had chosen his first venue as an uncomitted man to be almost at her doorstep.

"Oh Rhett, I am really sorry to hear about Anne and… and… the baby" She added with real feeling as she saw a glimmer of something unidentifiable flicker in Rhett's eyes.

"Thank you, Scarlett" Rhett put in at those words. The mood that had before been tense and full of anger had changed noticeably - they both sensed the unspoken words of old feelings that had refused to be quelled by separation of both time and space.

For a moment both were lost for words, not knowing how or in what direction to take their conversation, both wanting the other to be the first to speak.

It was Rhett who broke the silence.

"I am sorry Scarlett, I am sorry for my rude comment about your pending nuptials" He couldn't keep an edge out of the tone of his voice.

"It's just…." Rhett considered for a split second and the burst out uncharacteristically.

"Do you love him?"

"What?" Scarlett was visibly startled; she hadn't expected such a direct confrontation from Rhett.

"Damn it Scarlett you heard me, do you love him, do you love your earl?"

As she took in the potential meaning of his words her heart skipped a beat, she considered taunting him a bit, but decided that today, this very minute, was not a time for game playing. Looking back over their mutual history their fondness for game playing and hide and seek with their true feelings had already cost them so much. She hoped that if she took a leap of faith and was honest about her feelings, it would give them the best shot at a happy future together.

"No" She stated simple, but felt that it was insufficient she continued hesitantly. "Well, that is No… and yes I guess"

"I think you have to explain your self more clearly" Rhett put in, a glint of humour in his eyes. He had always enjoyed Scarlett's somewhat twisted logic, and sensed that this was yet another case of his willfull wife's complex reasoning.

"I don't love him as such, not like... Not that I don't love him, it's just – Rhett, after I came to Ireland and finding myself divorced and alone… I had never felt so alone, not even when you left me in that house in Atlanta..." Her voice trailed out. This was proving to be to damned difficult. All she wanted do was to scream out that she didn't love Fenton because there could never truly be anyone to her par the man standing in front of her right this minute but she wasn't ready to put all her cards on the table yet. Not willing to face a full on rejection if he didn't love her after all.

"I mean I like him, a lot, why shouldn't I? He is awfully pleasant company, he is rich and good looking... He is there!" The accusation easily recognisable

"Why shouldn't I marry him? Even if I am not head over heels in love with him, but when you think about it what good has love ever brought me in a marriage??" She knew she was rambling, but she couldn't stop herself. He had touched a sore spot. Her feelings for Fenton was something she herself had questioned time over time. Could she face another loveless marriage? In the end she had decided that she could. At least she was certain that neither she nor Fenton harboured any hidden feelings for the other.... And he always did remind her of Rhett at least in physique, making it easier to close her eyes and pretend...

"and.. and.. and he is always so good around…" She blanched visibly as she realised what she had almost blurted out and stopped short mid sentence. No never. Not in any of her fantasies had she planned to simply blurt out her most important secret to Rhett. That wasn't the way to let him now, he would kill her for sure.

"Scarlett, what is the matter, are you alright" The worry was clear in Rhett's voice. He looked at her quizzically. It was not like Scarlett to look faint. He ramblings and reasoning about her feelings for Fenton, had left him fairly sure that she did not love the man, and it gave him hope again, even more than seeing her out of breath at the reception desk.

She knew she had to tell him, but would he ever talk to her again when he realized that he had a daughter that she had kept from him for years? Well there was only one way to find out, as there was definitely no going back now. For one excruciatingly long second, she hoped that she could will the clocks to stop and rewind time, chosing a more opportune time to tell Rhett of their baby girl. Better yet, to a point in time where he had not yet divorced her, and she had not left the country. But of course she did not hold any powers to wield the wheels of time, so the only thing she could do was to speak, and hope that she could plead with him until he understood why she had acted as she had.

"There is something that you have to know" Rhett looked startled at the sudden urgency in her voice.

"Pray go on my dear"

"You have to promise to stay and hear all I have to say"

"Come now, Scarlett, what can be so bad that you have to have my promise not to run out on you"

"Promise me"

He cast her a funny look. What was she playing at, what could possibly be so bad that she only stopped next to tying him to the bedpost before she spoke.

"Have it your way then" He turned and locked the door with great care, mocking her with every gesture, turned around and handed Scarlett the key with a curt bow. He then slung herself on the settee and poured himself a generous drink.

"I guess we better make ourselves comfortable if you have some unpleasant news to deliver – Please join me Mrs Butler"

Scarlett placed herself gingerly on the edge of the fluffy chaiselounge next to where Rhett had placed his long lean body. She fidgeted, visibly uncomfortable with the situation. Rhett wondered what could cause his dear Scarlett this amount of distress, he couldn't remember ever seeing her this nervous.

"Rhett" she started hesitantly.

"Remember my last night in Charleston" She eyed him questioningly, at first he looked a bit puzzled, but then he remembered, not that he had ever forgot that beautiful crazy evening. His eyes darkned as he also with a sense of dread understood what he words implied, yet he wanted to hear her say it so he gave her a nod of encouragement to go on.

"Well, Rhett… something came out of that evening, we have a daughter" The last words where an almost inaudible whisper. But the meaning registered clearly with him. Hearing her say it out loud made a rush of anger run through him, and he got up violently and started pacing the room. His dark eyes blazed, and for a second she imagined she saw lightning bolts crackling from them.

"I what????" He almost screamed the words out and she shrank back from where he was standing, his anger emitting from him as a powerfull weapon. She didn't think she had ever seen him this angry before. If she had not been scared, she would have been fascinated by the exhorbitant power of the emotion.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it" Their years apart floated past his eyes, how could she have kept something like this from him? How could she intentionally rob him of such a chance for happiness. Their chance of a happy life as a family. That was indeed a crushing blow. Didn't she care for him at all? Cold hearted whench.

"Damn it Scarlett, Damn you for not telling me – Why did you not tell me? How could you keep such a thing from me" His voice was uncharacteristically shrill and high pitched. He turned to her, his emotions for once clearly readable on his face. Hurt and anger mixed together twisting his handsome face into an ugly mask. She didn't think she had ever seen him so engrossed in his own emotiong. She could see how ever muscle in his body had tensed up. He almost trembled with the effort at not lashing out at her, as it took every last bit of his self restraint not grasp her and shake her violently untill she had spoken words that would explain her unreasonable actions to him.

Scarlett's face flushed, she had been prepared of course for this exact reaction, but still it hurt her to remember the sadness and hurt that had let her to keep their youngest child from it's father. She had been immensily hurt when he had not come to find her in Savannah, and even more so when she had received tidings of their divorce. She had felt like a discarded ragdoll past its sell by date, and had experienced a degree of loneliness that she had never experienced before. She had of course been alone before, but then it was self inflicted solitude, and not a loneliness created by the absense of someone she had opened up to and given herself to fully. The emotions placed easily readable over Scarlett's handsome face, and it didn't go unnoticed by Rhett. But he wasn't ready to relent yet. He had to gain some sort of explanation.

This day had been a rollercoaster ride already, and adding an unknown daughter to the mix was not something that made it more digestible. He could feel the blood rush through his veins, his heart beating with hard angry beats making him fell like an wild animal about to loose control. He knew that he couldn't affort to loose control so he breathed in heavily as if to force his body to calm down.

"Speak to me" his voice hoarse with the pent up emotions.

"I never intended to keep it from you, you know?" her tone of voice deeply apologetic

"But you divorced me and remarried so fast it almost makes my head spin even thinking about it, so I never had the time to tell you, and I definitely didn't want to come crawling back to you a fallen woman with a ragged baby on my arm" Her voice was surprisingly clear and not even a tremble gave away her inner turmoil. She knew her word were pitifully inadequate, but she didn't have the time to think out eloquent sentences that better described how and more importantly why she had acted as she did.

"When did you find out" his question was curt and sharp like a whiplash.

"In Savannah"

"So before I ever divorced you or married Anne" he stated dryly, the anger still evident in every line of his face. But his eyes were masked and unreadable.

"But Rhett, please understand" She pleased

"I was hurt and so alone. Confused that you didn't come for me like I had expected after I left Charleston, oh why didn't you Rhett" Her face and voice displaying the exact sentiments that she had experienced back then. She remembered the bewildered sense of loss and betrayal she had felt then.

"I couldn't go back when my aunts went back to Charleston.... You had to come for me I knew our we would never have a chance" She had regained her composure, and the last word were uttered with a complete lack of feeling.

"and Atlanta… well, as you probably know I am not the most gently looked on person there either, so what could I do but stay put in savannah, hoping your would realise that your words on the beach where not simply overflowing joy of beeing alive" She sighed.

"So I decided to stay in Savannah – I spent almost three months there you know – first living with my grandfather, later with my father's family"

She took a deep breath before she continued.

"That was where I realised that I was pregnant"

She paused, waiting for him to interrupt, but he didn't say anything and so she continued.

"But you still hadn't come for me, so I decided to show the world and prove to myself that it didn't matter. I also wanted to have some fun and go travelling before going back to your side, I thought that now that I was carrying your child, you would always be mine to claim, but I was wrong, and the decision to visit my Fathers siblings and my grandmother here in Ireland cost me dearly" Her voice was thick with regret.

She paused again, her expression one of pain and deep anguish.

"After a few weeks here I received a letter from the solicitor about you… about our… our divorce and I immediately broke of my visit to go back to America to see you, but before I ever got on the ship I received the second letter – the one proclaiming your marriage" She stopped.

"After that I knew that you were forever lost to me, and the only solution I saw to tell you was to come literally crawling back to you, begging you to take me back. And I couldn't do that you must understand that – I knew you would never divorce Anne as you had me, you respected her to much. I hated you for a while then... hated you and wanted to punish you for hurting me. That gave me a strange sense of comfort, not one that I am particularly proud of, but a comfort still, to know that I had the power to hurt you, even if you didn't know you were being hurt" Her eyes shone almost madly as she spoke those words, but truth be told, she had been on the brink of insanity then.

Rhett observed her keenly, not knowing what to say spellbound by the depth of the love that she revealed that she had held for him. He had never dreamt that her feelings ran that deeply. He felt his muscles relaxing a little.

"Later when the hate had left me I didn't know how to tell you, and also I was scared that you would take our daughter away from me should you ever learn of her existence"

"I love her you know Rhett, our daughter, our beautiful daughter has taught me a thing or two about love" Her eyes and voise softened as she spoke the words of her love for her youngest daughter.

"When we met last year at the crown princes ball I almost told you, but then I thought you lived happily with Anne and had several babies on they way, so I thought it better for you to live without the knowledge of another child"

Scarlett's voice broke and her eyes were filled with tears.

"I am so, so sorry Rhett, I can never tell you how sorry I am for not telling you, I know you deserved to be told"

He wanted to hurt her for not telling him, shake her until she hurt as much as he did right now. He had a daughter. Not just an infant baby, but a girl of almost four years if his quick calculations didn't deceive him. She would be a little person, with a distinct personality, and he had missed out on her entire existence until now. How could that ever be forgiven? Scarlett, damn it, knew how much he loved children, and still she had not bothered to tell him.

He felt the anger boil inside him, and it took all his willpower to keep it in check.

He looked at Scarlett, she looked so small and lost as she sat in the chair, every muscle in her body tense. In a moment of pure insight he took in the immense pain and effort it had taken her to keep the secret from him, and the tight knot angry resentment that had formed in the pit of his stomach started to loosen a little.

He could not forgive her right now, but he knew that if he let out all his anger it might cause more damage than he wanted, and they would end up in their normal firework engagement.

And that definitely was the last thing he wanted right now.

He had come to Ireland almost as soon as he could, as soon as he had been set free. He had loved and respected Anne, but those feeling seemed insufficient and cold compared to those he harboured for the woman sitting hunched and broken looking in the chair in this very room.

This was definitely not how he had planned out the day, or planned their first encounter for more than a year…

He had expected a calm breakfast, and then after making sure he had bought Bart' remaining horses, he had decided to go visit Scarlett in that quaint little town of hers. She was after all his sole reason for coming to this godforsaken Island.

It had started out pleasantly enough with a strong breakfast, but quickly gone downhill from there as he had learned of Scarlett's engagement to that blasted eatl from the news paper that had been provided for him.

Was he to loose her yet again? He couldn't bear to think that, he had waited for her for so long, sometimes prayed that something would happen so he could seek her out, and hold her in his arms, if only one more time. And then when Anne had died, he had been eaten up with guilt, had he unconsciously caused her death? It had cost him many sleepless nights before he had forgiven himself enough to go here to Ireland. He had felt that he had not deserved it, and now he feared that this last hesitance of his might have cost him dearly.

In the end his urge and need for Scarlett had won over his stubborn sense of self punishment and he had come here, but was it to late.

Seeing her again, in her expensive looking finery, dressed up for someone else than him had made his temper boil, aided greatly on the way by the generous amounts of alcohol he had consumed since learning of her soon to be marriage, even if it was still early in the day.

And now the woman who he had crossed an ocean to be near sat with a tear streamed face looking so utterly sad, that it made his heart break for her.

No the day definitely had turned out as he had planned. Had he won a daughter but lost the mother. He sighed. To many mixed thoughts flew through his mind. To fast to make any real sense to them. He knew he had to do something.

He was still mad at her, he felt the hurt she had caused him in every fibre of his body, but he also understood her reasons. They were so alike, it sometimes scared him. He knew at this exact moment that if they ever were to move forward or indeed anywhere, they had to start speaking, speaking properly, and talking about their issues, but choosing the unknown daughter would probably not be a good way to test their communicational skills.

First of all they needed to sort out some sort of common ground in the form of whatever feelings were still between them.

That meant that right now he needed to know whether the long trip he had taken had been worth the effort, or if she had finally given up on him and found another man to hold her and comfort her. He sickened at the thought, but his heart refused to believe it.

"Scarlett… Look at me" he forced his voice to sound neutral.

Having expected a storm Scarlett looked up, bewildered. What was Rhett playing add? Why this sudden change of mood? She looked into his eyes, those eyes that could be both the most expressive she knew, at the same time also solid gates to the inside of his mind, when he didn't want to let on what he felt.

"I know this is very important, and I really want us to talk it through, but right now there is something else I need to talk to you about" His voice was tender and soft, she was amazed at how quickly he had been able to turn the mood. Perhaps Rhett had grown up as well, this was definitely a side of him she had never seen before - she was still amazed to be alive after her recent revelation, and now he spoke to her with a voice filled with promises for the future.

He sat down and looked her in the eye.

"I believe you came running here today for much the same reason that I came here to Ireland?"