Scarlett knew what she had to do and she also knew that she wouldn't like it. As soon as she saw the ladies returning from their naps, She sauntered up to Charles Hamilton and turned her charm up to full blast.

"Charles Hamilton, you handsome thing, what the devil is everyone so excited about?"

"Oh Miss Scarlett, it's war. Mr. Lincoln has called for volunteers. Everyone is going to sign up, right away, and I'm going too."

"Oh, no," she said, with genuine disappointment. If all the men left to sign up for the army, there wouldn't be a ball tonight. "I'll miss you so, Charles."

"Oh will you Miss Scarlett, will you?"

"I'll be mighty lonely."

"Oh, Miss Scarlett, will you marry me?" Scarlett's face lit up, her plan couldn't have possibly worked any better. If she married Charles then Melanie would be her sister, and then she would be her business.

"Yes Charles. Let's get married right away. Talk to Pa right now." Charles looked at Scarlett with such delight that she felt a bit guilty. He ran off to find her pa and Scarlett was happy to see Melanie and Ashley coming down the stairs arm in arm.

"Oh Melanie, Charles has asked me to marry him. We're going to be sisters." Melanie's face brightened

"Oh Scarlett, I couldn't be more pleased. I've always wanted a sister, and I couldn't think of one that I'd like more than you."

"Oh thank you Melly, you can't know how happy that makes me." And it was done. Charles and Scarlett were married the day before Melanie married Ashley. A week later Ashley and Charles left for training camp and Scarlett moved to Atlanta to live with her new Aunt Pitty and Melanie.

At first there was so many people to meet, she didn't have time to think about anything. She had to agree to be in so many new groups and societies that her head was spinning. She was very glad that she had Melanie to help her or she could never get through it all.

She couldn't wait until she got to see Rhett again. She wanted to rub in his face that she won, but somehow she wasn't sure that she had.

According to the gossip amongst the ladies at the hospital and the sewing circle, Rhett was not in Atlanta. In fact, most said that he was on one of his many blockading missions across the Atlantic and so Scarlett had to yet to inform him to her position as Melanie's sister. Every time she heard footsteps on the porch she held her breath and waited to see if Prissy would announce that Melly and she had a visitor. The only thing that came was a telegram and then a letter telling her that she was now a widow.

After the letter came, a sadness clouded over the house. Melanie was taking the death of her brother very hard and leaned on Scarlett. The death had had a completely different effect on Scarlett. She was in shock and was left with horrible feeling of guilt. She had married Charles to show Rhett and now Charles was dead, without ever knowing the joy of relations with his wife.

Two weeks after Charles death, Rhett came to pay his condolences to Melanie. He brought her flowers and Melanie was quite happy. "Capt. Butler, do you remember my sister Scarlett? I believe you met at my husbands barbeque." Melanie blushed at the memory of that day.

"Sister?" asked Rhett, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, Capt. Butler, Melanie is my dear sister. She's been helping me so much with the death of my husband,"

"If you'll excuse me, I think that I'll go laid down. I'm not feeling very well at the moment."

"Melly, you go lay down and I'll take care of our guest," Scarlett said, with a big smile, her joy coming from the secret she was about to reveal. "You need to stay healthy for the baby. A baby is just what we need around here." The shocked expression on Rhett's face was worth the admonishment she'd get from Melly later.

"Thank you Scarlett, I don't know what I would do without you." She left the room before Rhett had time to recover.

"Baby?"

"Why, Capt. Butler, I thought you were an articulate man? Don't tell me that I managed to render you speechless?"

"Melanie is going to have a baby."

"Isn't that what good wives do, Capt. Butler? Don't good wives give their husbands heirs? I thought that's the reason people decide to get married," Scarlett said, stressing the important words as she watched him try to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Were you a good wife, Mrs. Hamilton?" he asked, with a sly smile on his face. She started to feel her blood boil.

"Why you cad, that's an improper question to ask me."

"Ahh, but you already knew that I was a cad. You told me as much already. And if I remember it correctly, that's what you like about me."

"Oh, you are so infuriating."

"I'm sorry that I'm too late to wish you luck with your nuptials."

"I told you that I would make Melly my business and it looks like I did it."

"Have you ever heard the phrase cutting off your nose to spite your face?"

"Oh, but Rhett, if it's you I'm spiting, I'm sure my nose will grow back."