The following morning Scarlett attended the weekly meeting of the floral society. She arrived home with a huge ornate floral arrangement that she had made. As she entered the parlour to place it on the occasional table, she was startled to find Rhett sitting in his armchair, reading the newspaper.

'Rhett, what are you doing here?', she exclaimed.

'Does my presence disturb you?' he asked, lowering the newspaper.

'No', she replied. 'But you just left. I wasn't expecting you'.

He paused. 'Do you mind if I smoke?' He pulled out a cigar and lit it without waiting for a reply. He lent back in his chair and inhaled deeply.

Scarlett placed the floral arrangement on the table and sat down opposite him. She observed him in silence. He seemed somehow on edge despite his calm exterior. The cigar had burnt half down before he spoke.

'Should I need to explain my presence in my own home?' he mused, eying her. 'All the same, I will explain. The fact is, Scarlett, that I missed you, and I wanted to see you again so I came back'.

He paused again. Scarlett's mind raced as she wondered at the meaning behind his words.

'I do miss you Scarlett', he continued. 'I miss you very much.'

'Oh Rhett', she responded, 'I miss you too'. And she moved towards him, but he put a hand up to stop her.

'Wait!', he said. 'I am not finished.' She sank back onto her chair. Rhett fixed his gaze on her and continued, 'When I left after Melly died I believed you incapable of love, except for the self-serving kind. Your profession of love meant nothing to me. But over the past two years you have shown me that I was wrong. You have loved me when I was at my worst; in a drunken rage, weak and sick, ill mannered, crazy with grief, cold and indifferent. You loved me through all of that, though your love was unrequited.'

Scarlett drew breath to ask what unrequited meant, but Rhett anticipated her question and answered before she spoke. 'That means you didn't receive any love in return.'

'Oh,' she said.

Pausing again, he inhaled deeply on his cigar, then slowly exhaled. Scarlett sat nervously on the edge of her chair, her heart pounding so loudly she thought surely he could hear it. What was he leading up to? He continued, 'Scarlett, when I was ill you said you would do anything for me. Do you still feel like that?'

Scarlett bit her bottom lip and tilted her head at him. 'Perhaps that offer was a little generous Rhett. I'm not sure I trust you to ask something sensible'.

Rhett laughed out loud. 'Oh Scarlett,' he chortled, 'you are delightful'. Scarlett smiled. She didn't remember the last time she had seen Rhett laugh, and it felt so good to make him happy.

'But what were you going to ask of me?' she asked when he had stopped laughing. Rhett got up, looking suddenly serious, and walked over to the window. Then he turned to face her. 'I was going to ask you, my dear, if you will promise to always love me. Because if I give myself to you as I yearn to and then you reject me again it would kill me, quite literally.' He paused and studied her intently. 'Don't answer at once. Think on it. I am nearly fifty Scarlett, and you are still young. Will you care for me when I am old or will you grow tired of me? Can you put up with my moods and my faults? What if someone younger and more manageable than I should catch your eye?'

Scarlett stared at him. He wanted to give himself to her! Was he suggesting there could ever be anyone else for her? Who could compare to Rhett?

'I promise Rhett', she said fervently. 'I will always love you. There could never be anyone else for me'.

He sat down. 'Are you sure you mean it Scarlett?', he asked quietly.

'I mean it Rhett. I am not a child any more.'

He put his head in his hands, pressing his fingertips to his eyelids. He stayed like that for a full minute. Scarlett watched him curiously. She was not sure what response she had expected, but it was not that.

At length he lifted his head and leaned back in his chair. 'Very well, my dear', he said. If we are to have any chance of getting on together there are one or two things we must discuss at the outset. The first of these is Ashley Wilkes'. His eyes narrowed as he said the name and Scarlett felt a shudder of fear as she recalled his previous fits of jealous rage over Ashley.

Her eyes flashed at him. 'I am tired of the name of Ashley Wilkes', she responded. 'I wish he had never been born'.

'A sentiment which I suspect the esteemed gentleman himself shares', Rhett answered, watching her carefully.

'Oh Rhett, must Ashley always come between us?', Scarlett asked.

Rhett studied her in silence a few moments. 'You support him financially, do you not?' he asked, with a touch of irritation in his voice.

Scarlett shot him a plaintive glance. 'Rhett, please believe me. He is nothing but an obligation to me now. Just as I looked after Melly during the siege because I promised Ashley, now I must look after Ashley because I promised Melly. I wish I didn't have to, but I do.'

Rhett stood and paced up and down thoughtfully. 'What exactly did you promise Mrs Wilkes?', he asked.

'I promised that I would look after Ashley, but never let him know, and that Beau would have a pony and college and a tour of Europe when he is older.'

'A weighty responsibility indeed', he responded. 'And how are Ashley's mills doing?'

Scarlett pressed her lips together as she thought of the mills, which had thrived under her management, now scarcely turning a profit under Ashley's inept care.

'I see', he said softly, though she had not spoken.

'Scarlett,' he said heavily, 'if you will undertake to avoid at all costs any contact with Mr Ashley Wilkes except that which is expected of you in the normal course of social activities, then I will undertake to ensure the success of his business.'

Scarlett was astonished. Rhett had always been so completely opposed to assisting Ashley.

'Would you really do that for Ashley, Rhett?' she asked.

'No, my pet,' he responded grimly. 'Not for Ashley, not even for Melly's sake. But I will do it for you, for us.'

'Thank you Rhett,' she replied gratefully. Then she added, 'I am already in the habit of avoiding unneccessary contact with Ashley, so your condition will be no hardship for me.'

There was a pause in their conversation then as Rhett resumed his pacing up and down the room. Eventually he came and sat down opposite her once more.

'That brings us to the other contentious issue that comes between us', he said warily.

Scarlett eyed him unhappily. She was not enjoying being reminded of their problems.

'I refer, of course,' he continued smoothly, 'to expectations regarding marital relations. . . . and children'.

She looked at the floor. That certainly had caused a lot of problems between them, and it had mostly been her fault.

Rhett paused thoughtfully. 'You understand, of course, that marriage generally is expected to include intimate relations between a man and his wife.'

'Of course, Rhett.' She blushed at his mention of such a topic, and her heart gave a little thrill of excitement as she thought of sharing a bed with him.

'I would have been be faithful to you Scarlett,' he said carefully, 'if you had not denied me my rights.'

'It was so childish of me,' she replied ruefully. 'I realise that now. I know that saying sorry doesn't make it right, but I am sorry. I was blind and selfish and I didn't understand. I understand better now.'

'So no more closed doors or thinking of another when we are together? Can you be only mine and wholly mine?'

'I am yours Rhett. But I should be asking you that question. Can you be only mine and wholly mine?'

'Touché my dear,' he responded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. But his voice was serious as he added, 'I believe I can be.'

There was a pause then as Rhett inhaled on his cigar and exhaled slowly. Then he said in a carefully controlled voice, 'We should talk about children.' He studied her face as he spoke. 'I wouldn't want you to have a child every year,' he continued gently. 'There are ways to avoid it you know.'

'But you do want children, don't you, Rhett?' Scarlett asked.

'I don't know,' he replied truthfully. 'A part of me does, but I couldn't bear the pain of losing another child. Or risk losing you'.

'I would bear your children gladly, Rhett,' she said quietly.

'Thank you, my dear,' he replied, just as quietly. And he looked at her, a long, thoughtful gaze.

Then he stubbed out his cigar and rose from his chair. he walked over to the fireplace and rested an elbow on the mantelpiece.

'You have grown up, Scarlett,' he said, 'and I salute you. I doubted that you could change but happily I was wrong. You have become mindful of others, and a kind and loving mother. And you have proven constant in your affection towards me, though I have done little to deserve it.' He paused then before continuing, 'I don't think I ever really stopped loving you. I tried to, but I couldn't forget you. I have grown weary of running from you. I cannot go on without you.'

Scarlett rose from her chair and stepped cautiously towards him. Was this some cruel trick of his? But no, his eyes blazed forth his need. He loved her still. He wanted her! She took another step and he moved towards her. She ran into his arms and he pressed her to him, whispering 'Scarlett, my dear, my wife.'