Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for the reviews, everyone who is following my story, and to everyone reading my story. It makes me so very happy.

Slowly Rhett is creating an atmosphere where Scarlett feels safe.

Chapter Fifteen

The next day after dinner, Rhett stopped by the Pickerton Agency and hired them to find Tobias. He gave them all the information he had. They were not very optimistic on finding him after all this time. Rhett told them to investigate up to a hundred dollars' worth and then report back to him. Rhett left the Pickerton Agency not very hopeful but he had to try.

Rhett went to see his lawyer, Gary Rollins. Mr. Rollins was a man in his sixties who knew how to draw up air-tight contracts. Rhett knew he was the right man for the job of setting up a trust so nobody could take Scarlett's money from her. Mr. Rollins was old gentry of Atlanta but unlike the matrons he did work for anyone who would pay him. He had even helped Rhett in some slightly illegal acts. He told Mr. Rollins that he wanted to set-up a trust for his wife. He wanted to put thirty thousand dollars in it and which stocks to put in the trust. He wanted his wife to be the only person who could access the money. He wanted it so that if he and his wife divorced, he could not access it. He wanted it where if he died and she remarried her then husband could not access it. He wanted this to be his wife's money. He never wanted her to worry about someone taking her money. That statement made him think of Frank Kennedy stealing her two hundred dollars which at the time was a fortune to her. He was beginning to understand why she was so desperately needy for money and fearful of losing it all.

His attorney said it would take a day or two to draw up the papers. Mr. Rollins would send him a message when it was time for him and Mrs. Butler to come in and sign the papers. Mr. Rollins gave him the money that Belle had left for him. He left the lawyer's office. He wondered what he was going to do now. Normally he would have gone to Belle's and had a drink. He would have caught up on the latest gossip. He was definitely not going there. If someone told Scarlett he had been at Belle's she would think he was a liar besides he didn't want to listen to them assault his character, his body or his sexual techniques. He could get a drink anywhere. Going to Belle's was just a habit. Actually, he would go home and have some iced tea instead of whiskey. He probably should stop drinking. At the very least cut way back. He wondered if he could convince Scarlett to stop drinking also.

Thinking of Scarlett, where was his little love? It was two in the afternoon so she was probably at the store. He would just drop in to see her.

He did drop in to see her and there were several women in the store. When they all turned to look at who had entered, they all thought at the same time, 'Bastard.' He wanted to ask them to call him by his full name, 'arrogant, rich bastard.' Then Scarlett came out of the back and she thought happily, 'Rhett' and she even smiled at him. He smiled back and came over and kissed her cheek. He said, "Is there anything you would like me to do for you today? Maybe a wild goose chase you need pursued."

Scarlett smiled her mischievous smile and said, "Not that I know of but the day is still early."

"When do you sign the papers?"

"Tomorrow."

"Are you excited or scared?"

"A little of both."

"Would you like to ride down to Clayton County Saturday and look at the gins?"

"No. I want to do it sooner. Can you go with me Wednesday?"

"Yes. I can."

"Then let's go early Wednesday morning. We can take a picnic and eat when we get finished looking at the gins."

"Then it is settled. We will go to Clayton County on Wednesday."

"I want you there during the negotiations. You are so good at sizing people up."

"Alright, I will do it but remember you are in charge of this project."

"Oh Rhett." Her thought was, 'That was so sweet.'

Rhett thought, 'Maybe I am making progress in courting my wife. I didn't know my wife as well as I thought. Maybe I was just an arrogant rich bastard.' He smiled at his wife. He took her hand and kissed it. He said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good bye until it be supper."

She narrowed her eyes and thought, 'That's from one of those plays Ashley and Melly were always saying lines from. What was its name?'

Rhett said, "I can see by the anger on your face that you are wondering what gobbledygook I am spouting out." Scarlett laughed. "It is a quote from Romeo and Juliet. It is a play about two star crossed lovers."

She said, "I don't want to be star crossed lovers. Use quotes from plays were the couples stay together."

"I don't want to be star crossed lovers either. I shall go home and ponder this until I think of some more appropriate quotes. Until supper."

Scarlett smiled as she watched him leave. She managed to keep the smile on her face as every person looked at her with pity; like she was a silly fool. She hoped she wasn't and with that thought went back to work. She promptly berated the counter girl, Clara, for having her area in such a mess. That made Scarlett feel better. She then went to her office with a little smile on her face.

She went home for supper. As she was eating supper and talking to Rhett and the children, she looked at Rhett and thought, 'This Rhett I could easily fall in love with.' The thought so shocked Rhett that his head shot up and he stared at Scarlett. Her next thought was, 'What is he staring at? He doesn't know what I am thinking does he? God's nightgown! No!

Rhett quickly asked, "Do you want to go to the fund raiser given by the Beautification of Confederate Graves Committee? There will be dancing?"

Scarlett laughed and said, "Yes. I would."

"When we go to the park tomorrow morning, I will buy the tickets from Miss Melly."

"Wonderful."

"You are looking especially beautiful tonight, my love. I can't stop staring at you."

"Thank you." She thought, 'Whew. He scared me there for a minute.'

Rhett talked to the children for a while then they went upstairs to change for bed. Wade read in his room and Rhett read some stories to Ella and Bonnie. Around eight after they put Wade and Ella to bed Rhett brought Bonnie to their room. Scarlett sat on the floor with Bonnie. Scarlett kept sitting the child up and catching her before she fell. Bonnie was managing to sit longer and longer and Scarlett was obviously delighted. Rhett knew that Scarlett loved Bonnie. That made him very happy. She loved Bonnie more than her other children and selfishly that made him happy too. He now really believed that she just wasn't comfortable with being a mother. She loved interacting with Bonnie when he was around in case something happened and she didn't know how to handle it. That made him feel good that he could give her a sense of security. At first, he had wanted to take over but he had restrained himself and he was glad he had because she was getting more and more comfortable around her children especially Bonnie.

Rhett had been lost in thought and when she spoke to him, he had to ask her to repeat it. She said, "Are you going with me tomorrow afternoon?"

"I didn't know you wanted me to."

"We started the mills together. We should end our ownership together."

"Thank you for including me in the ownership but I didn't do anything."

Scarlett was blushing. She was looking at Bonnie and said, "It's kind of like the mills are our child since you provided the seed money." She really blushed with that statement. She added, "Just like with our other child I did most of the work but neither child would have been possible without you." Then she looked at him and smiled her sensuous smile. The thoughts he heard would have made him blush if he wasn't such a jaded man.

Rhett laughed and leaned forward to kiss her. He said, "I was glad to do my part, small as it may have been." This made Scarlett blush as deeply as her name.

They both played with Bonnie for another hour until the wet nurse came for her. Rhett carried her back to the nursery. When he came back Scarlett was brushing out her hair. He thought she had lovely hair. He asked, 'Scarlett, are you enjoying our activity at night."

She blushed and thought, 'Oh God yes. It's so much more fun when I don't have to worry about getting pregnant. Rhett is the perfect size. Not too big like Frank and Charlie. They always hurt me.'

She said, "Yes."

Her thought made Rhett pause. He didn't want her thinking his pecker was small. It wasn't! Then he laughed out loud and thought, 'She's happy with the size and that's all that matters.' Rhett said, "It makes me very happy that you enjoy our activities. I just want you to know that you can initiate our relations. You don't have to wait for me."

"That would be unladylike." She thought, 'Really'

"It is so flattering to me for you to kiss me first."

"I don't know Rhett."

"I would love it but I don't want you to feel like I am forcing you to do anything."

"Thank you."

"Now come here and let me kiss you."

"Okay but kissing is all. It's that time."

"That's good. That means you aren't pregnant."

She smiled down at him and got in the bed. She laid on top of him and kissed him and he let her set the pace and he found it quite enjoyable while frustrating at the same time. He really had to fight the urge to quicken the pace and just plain take over. He did truly enjoy all of her very erotic thoughts about him and what she would like them to do. Finally, she laid herself on him and he pulled her close and he sighed when he heard her think, 'I could easily fall in love with this Rhett.'

The next afternoon they were meeting the buyer at Uncle Henry's office at one to sign the papers. At dinner he didn't need his gift to know she was nervous and excited all at the same time. When they were going over to the lawyer's office Rhett said, "Honey, everything is going to be fine. The building boom is over and it is time to sell the mills. It is time to move to running a cotton gin. Tara is yielding more cotton and so are all the other plantations. And next year they will yield even more. It can't help but be a success."

Scarlett said, "I know what you are saying is true." She thought, 'What if I lose everything?'

"Honey I know you are scared about losing everything. But you are married to a millionaire. I will always financially take care of you."

"I know." She thought, 'He has let me down before.'

"I know what you are thinking that I have let you down before but I promise you I will never let you down again. I want us to be a real husband and wife and the only way we can do that is to trust one another." He thought, 'What a hypocrite you are. You are asking her to trust you but you refuse to give her any trust.'

By this time, they had gotten to the lawyer's office. Rhett fixed the reins of the buggy then got out. He helped Scarlett out and said, "Everything is going to be alright. You will never be down for long. You are the indominable Scarlett O'Hara."

She said, "Butler"

Rhett said, "What?"

She said, "My name is Scarlett Butler"

And that statement made Rhett very happy. Her thoughts were still pretty doom and gloom about the future. And so was her expression. He stopped her from going inside and said, "We can call the whole thing off right now if you don't want to sell your mills."

She looked startled for a minute then she squared her shoulders, raised her chin and walked into Henry Hamilton's office. Her thoughts were calm and she thought, 'Don't be a ninny. Rhett is right. The building boom is over. Besides how will I ever get rid of the incompetent, wishy-washy, insipid, lying Ashley Wilkes if I don't sell the mills.'

Rhett put his arm around her waist and walked into the lawyer's office. He was a happy man.