This is the end of a journey started 3 years ago. My first Fan-Fic and longest. Thank you all for a support so empowering. Marilyn1000 the Sue bit is thanks to you. Keep safe.
Scarlet was done before Rhett or Dr. Mead got to arrive home. They found a panting Scarlet holding a small bundle to her bosom.
"Prissy really excelled herself in comparison to Melanie's" she smiled as she mentioned that day. She heard Prissy strangle a giggle as she left the room with the dirty towels.
Dr. Mead wasted no time and reviewed both mother and child as he smiled a bright smile at Scarlet - "A fine girl you have here, Scarlet dear. For six weeks at the very least, preferable eight, you'll need to focus on healing your body." he gave a meaningful gaze to both husband and wife acquiring a blush on Scarlet's part and hardly a nod on Rhett's "Captain Butler - make sure that at least for a few days she rests properly in her bed. Have you found a wet nurse yet?"
"She won't be moving from bed and she won't need a wet nurse." Rhett answered before she could "If she can, she'll feed her."
"Most ladies prefer-" Dr. Mead began patiently but Rhett interrupted him.
"While we were in London I read that it helps both mother and child head faster, even the queen nurses her children over there. Besides, she really is much healthier than any wet nurse can be, these days." He was adjusting the pillow behind her back in an authoritative way that was absolutely unexpected of a man, and yet seemed to be in place.
"Have I no say in the matter?" Scarlet's gave her husband an annoyed gaze.
Dr. Mead smiled at her affectionately "Well dear one, I believe your husband has a point, and it is refreshing to see a man referring to the matter so naturally. I shall leave you to rest. And your Prissy has indeed done a nice job with the two of you. I don't recall she was so capable two years ago."
Scarlet raised her head tiredly and seriously answered "She was just a child herself. I was foolish to think otherwise at the time."
She saw that these words made no impact but she was too tired to argue. When the small baby began moving with unease she was happy the doctor had left. Rhett re-entered the room and gazed at the wonder of his wife nursing his child and came to her smiling "You are so beautiful, I wish I could draw this picture to have it forever."
"And you'd probably hang it on a wall like some mad man." After a pause she asked "Where are Robert and Wade?"
"With Ms. Melly, until tomorrow. You need your rest. I asked Prunille to wire your sisters."
She was tired but happy, she looked up at her husband and murmured "I know you've been a father to my son for almost a year now, but this is your first baby, my love. Are you happy?"
He closed his eyes "More than I could imagine. I never expected to have a home, a wife, or children, but the past year had been the happiest of my life. I never expected you would love me. This little one is so perfect. Look at her hands." He took a deep breath "I keep thinking of my father and the question I don't have an answer to is how could he have thrown me the way he had? I must have had this love from him once, after all-"
She closed her eyes and allowed him to take the baby from her.
The baby, though a few hours old, gave her father a clear gaze with striking green eyes. He smiled softly and whispered "Little Ella, you've got your beautiful mother's eyes, and your hair is as black as night. You shine like a star, my love.."
She saw his damp face and realized he was crying.
"I'm jealous." she pouted trying to alleviate him from his somber mood "I am your only love. She is your beloved child is all." He smiled but she knew he was overwhelmed. With a determined voice she said "Never doubt. You are worthy of all the love in the world. Your father is a vicious small man. So much less than my peasant father. So much smaller than him. He wronged you in a way you'll never repeat. You don't need your father's love or approval. You have mine, and I adore you for many good reasons."
As vain as he always seemed to be, as stubborn as he knew he was, pestering thoughts came to his head . What has he done to have lost his father's love so irrevocably? Was it his fault? It must have been… What if indeed his father was right? What if indeed he'd soil this child's future?
A fortnight after she was sitting with Suellen next to her talking quietly, as not to disturb the little infant.
"Are you really going to name her after Ma? Mother would rather you chose a Catholic reverend but Baby might- I can't believe that both you and Careen had a baby so soon after each other.".
"We named her Ella after Ma. When you have a child you can name her or Ellen too. I want to add the name Lorena, like that song, but Rhett is giving me a hard time claiming my taste is bad. As for christening, Sue, darling, I'd rather John did it. He married me and Rhett and he is Rhett's family's pastor. I want to give this much to him, with all his big words I think it means to him a lot more than it does to any of us. They are supposed to come any day now."
She looked at her sister. Regular meals and no work in the fields had given her a glow Scarlet couldn't remember if she ever had before. She smiled approvingly "You are practically radiant. Isn't Sue beautiful?" she asked Melanie who entered the room.
Melanie smiled affectionately "Sure she is. Other than her hair, the two of you are almost identical."
"And the waistline" added Scarlet with a growl.
Suellen had a soft white skin peppered with a few sun freckles that stayed as a reminder of the prior year and the long hours under the Georgian blazing sun. Her curves were evident and her bosom ample.
"Scarlet," asked the blushing Suellen "Would there be much talk if I go on a picnic with Frank? He brought you the crib yesterday and he asked me, and I-"
"Don't bother about talk, if you wish you may go."
"Unchaperoned?"
"You should do whatever you want dear. Don't bother about the matrons. Besides, Rhett would call him out if anything went wrong." and she burst laughing.
The following day she purposefully sat herself on the porch waiting for her sister's beau to arrive. As he had she quietly signaled for him to sit down.
"Mr. Kennedy, I wish to be clear in the matter - I gather your intention is to court my sister and make her renew her engagement to you?"
He nodded.
"And, please don't be offended when I ask, why do you think I should consent to this? You could have been her father". The blunt words were uttered with some compassion, but she was clear. She was responsible for Suellen's future and she wanted to make sure Suellen didn't marry out of despair being the middle sister and the only one who hadn't married yet.
He breathed deeply and smiled at her "Do you know how I first met her?"
"No, I don't believe I do."
"I think she was eight. I visited your father on account of some business dealings we've had, and she was hiding behind the curtain in the library. She signaled to me not to tell on her and stayed there for almost two hours. After your father had gone from the library she came to me with a flower and told me I was her knight. Apparently she'd been fighting with you and she wanted you to worry about her disappearance."
"I most probably disappointed her sourly"
"Yes, you have. She came back to the library a few minutes after she left and was so unhappy at not being noticed by you, but not only you. She cried that no one had looked for her or missed her. At first it was mere courtesy and kindness to a child, I always loved children, but for six years after, until her 14th birthday she kept looking for me every time I came. She'd bring me water or help me with my horse. When she came of age she had told me that I ought to court her and rescue her, for no one else would miss her, and at some point I fell for her, completely and irrevocably. Ms. Scarlet, at one point I was the wealthiest man in Clayton County. I had my share of possibilities for matrimony throughout the years," he made a pause and shut his eyes.
"Do you remember last christmas? Did you know that she snuck out and gave me another portion of ham? She said I needed to keep my strength so I can come back for her when the war is over. I don't think she would have done it if she hadn't cared for me. I know you were starving at the time. She was so thin after being sick. I want to take care of her. I received the ring back with barely a struggle. She needed to look around and return to me, just as I had with her. She is too proud to ask me back, but I don't mind my pride. There had been too much sorrow to mind it, and someone should show her she is missed when she is leaving. She deserves it."
She looked at him and for once she didn't see the whiskers or the silly bow under his chin in the mocking way she used to think of him. Frank was capable of gentleness that was rarely displayed so candidly by southern men. She felt tears riding down her cheeks and smiled at him "You are right. She should feel loved and cherished. You have my blessing for what it's worth."
When she came to her sister's room to call her she saw Suellen dressed in one of the new dresses they had bought her and an elaborate hair design.
"You're beautiful darling. How long have you been working on this?" Scarlet said smiling at her.
"For three hours" the embarrassed Suellen answered "I saw it in a magazine. Have I overdone it?"
"Darling, I did exactly the same with Rhett. Some men are worth charming."
"Scarlet - do you think he is mad at me for giving him back his ring?"
She was going to answer that Frank had less pride than that, but a thought came to her mind and she answered " is too much of a man to be resentful to someone as beautiful and wonderful as you. Though I'm sure it broke his heart. Go on dear. He is waiting."
She returned after six. Radiant and smiling she told her sister how Frank had told her he had missed her. He wanted to build her a home here in the city. He insisted they returned after sun fall so that she'd find it more difficult to run away this time. These words made Scarlet laugh and she hugged her sister happily "It is rare to find a man so in love with a girl, darling, but you must have captured his heart in the strongest of forms."
Suellen's smile could have lit the sky.
The christening was a cheerful event. Scarlet beamed at her husband and whispered in his ears "Would little Ella believe that her christening consisted of more people than our wedding?"
But indeed, there were hundreds of people. People she had fed in the past year along-side with the prime families of Atlanta, and even her brother-in-law came to honor them, being the chosen godfather of the child. She gave Suellen the honor of god mothering the child. When Wade was born Sue didn't give him the time of day, but with this one, she seemed enamoured from the start. Frank had come by the house earlier and gave her a brooch of jade stones to complete her light green dress. Scarlet wore a dark green dress with a beautiful emerald bracelet Rhett had given her.
Even her father was in the event, almost lucid, smiling and sweet.
The day before they have had an argument that resulted in the beautiful bracelett -
"Wade and Robbie? Are you out of your mind? Your aunts are here and they are bound to know there is no Robert Gari in your family! Robbie can stay at home, he'd understand."
"Of course he'd understand, it is exactly this understanding that I am fighting against. I love that boy Rhett. Besides I don't care! How many times do I have to say so -"
"Do you want Ella's future ruined? Wade's? Isn't me being your husband enough of a toll?"
"Rhett Butler, you take that back this instant" she fired at him "Take it back or by God, I won't speak to you! Stop caring about what your father or some peahens think! I AM PROUD OF YOU. PROUD TO BE YOUR WIFE." she coughed a bit and felt her breasts wettening her front "Damn! Where is Ella? I need her. My breasts are killing me." She left him rather stunned and went for her child.
He found her in their room with the baby humming a tune. He sat himself behind her and held her. With a low voice he said "Scarlet, you are taking too many risks, and it is no longer just you and I."
"It has never been just you and I Rhett. You forget I had Wade all the time. I know I wasn't much of a mother during the war but he was always with me. And I didn't have a wet nurse with him either. The only difference is that I was still a child. But you were right. Freedom is wonderful, and we are so alike, we are both different. Why should I be embarrassed of you? You are a hard working man. You don't cheat. You take risks endangering only yourself and those who choose freely to join you. I love you, and I'm no fool, Rhett. Not anymore. " She sighed "I'll rest for awhile. I want us all to go tomorrow. Please. As for my sweet aunties I had them here earlier and explained what I expect of them if they expect to keep on receiving your financial support. Your hard work puts food on their table, and your mother's as well, for Pauline gives her provisions. In fact she came here to demand a larger allowance - the insolent insufferable cow. Don't you dare criticize me, I agreed in one condition - that she introduces Robbie as her long lost great nephew. Soon enough he'll have to go to a conservatory and I want nothing but the best for him. I didn't tell her whose child he is. She thinks he is some white trash orphan."
He watched her "What would I criticize, my love? You seem to have thought it all through. I wouldn't have done it any better than you have."
When Rhett stood to thank all the guests he found himself nearly overwhelmed at the sight of the amount of people who crowded the small garden besides the church so she stepped ahead and smiling she thanked the crowd and as she looked at him he swiftly regained his posture and charmingly spoke. At the end of his words he offered to raise a toast for all the friends who had been lost "I know how much Scarlet, her sisters, Gerald and Robbie wish that my mother in law would have been here today. I for one wish that the brave men I had fought alongside in the Artillery would have been here today too. But we have Darcine here, a wonderful reminder of her father, and little Ella shall be a constant reminder to the lady that brought my wife, my lady, to this world. Let us raise a glass for all those who are not here today and to the fine ladies who are here."
Rhett found her observing the two from the door while keeping company to her father.
"We fooled them all, haven't we?" suddenly Gerald spoke.
"Pa?"
"Puss, that Robbie child has nothing to do with your mother's family. But you took him and you and your husband will grant him a future. I'm proud of you Katie Scarlet my love. You truly love your man, and he is a proud man, my loved one. I could not have chosen better for you my dear. He has a heart and is a hard worker, and his feet are on the ground."
Scarlet hugged her father and whispered "I never would have seen these things had I had a different father Pa."
As Pork accompanied Gerlad into the house, Rhett stepped out of the shadows and found her scowling at him "Eavesdropping? Again?"
He smiled at her, not at all embarrassed, offering his arm he nodded uttering a single word which enfolded the essence of his admiration and love to her
"Milady."
Many years ahead, his last word on this life would be the same, for she remained his polar star, his Venos, and foremost - His (one and only) Lady.
The End