Scarlett ended the evening soon after meeting General Hampton. She felt like she had an entourage herself as, after some jostling for position, all three men ended up walking her to the carriage and bidding her farewell.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Butler," Leif bowed low over her hand with a surprising amount of grace for a man of his size. "I will be happy to discuss further investment options at your leisure."

She couldn't help but note how overwhelming his presence was when he got this close to her person, not to mention the dark blue depths of his eyes when he looked directly in hers. He had a charming little crescent by the corner of that beautiful mouth that drew her attention. He smirked when he saw her looking, and that deepened the crease.

'I've been caught ogling,' she realized with a little dismay. 'Though it's hardly my fault. He has dimples, and he's using them on me like I use mine on him!'

Tate bowed over her hand as well in his most merry and amusing fashion, promising to follow up with her directly for final approval and plans, and she made a quick appointment with Ennis to discuss contract particulars. She wanted Hotel Robillard up and running as soon as conceivably possible, and time is always of the essence, after all.

Scarlett's head swam with figures and ideas so as soon as she got back to Peachtree Street she sat down with paper and pencil and stayed up until two in the morning working and calculating, projecting and fleshing out the financial aspects. She must have left her notes at the restaurant - they were not in her reticule or the carriage - but she remembered most of them, anyway, and made new ones to boot. This project could be done, and done well, with an investor. She was sure of it.

OOOOooooOOOOoooo

The three bachelors, energized by the prospects discussed during supper and not ready to call it a night, entered the sporting house, ordered drinks and started a poker game. It was Friday night, after all.

Belle noticed them immediately when they walked in from her position by the bar. They had a presence, nice looking and prosperous, not scallawags, but obviously not from around here.

"Look at that long tall drink of water," Nelly, her head barmaid and second in command observed as she washed and dried glasses. "The other two ain't bad at all, either." She tilted her head and checked out the sandy-headed one's tush. Nice, she thought. Real nice.

"The Swede's been here a couple times before," Belle replied. She caught the eye of the man in question from across the room and nodded slightly. "Discreet, though. If he's wantin' to get laid he'll leave out the front with whoever he came in with and wait a while before he goes around back and knocks on the door. Asks for a room out of the way. Usually wants two girls, but one at a time, and pays double for more on the clock, plus a good tipper if he's pleased. Brings his own peter wrappers. Has to have them custom made," she rolled her eyes a bit. "The girls like him, too."

Nelly leaned forward eagerly as Belle's voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone. "If I'm not around you best put him in the far hall, too. First night he was here the girls were carryin' on and hollerin' and I thought maybe he was hurtin' 'em but when they come out of there they both looked dazed and mighty happy." She slung back the rest of her drink and headed upstairs, leaving the barmaid to ogle the newcomers appreciatively. "And make sure whichever gals you give him is rested up real good. They'll both be worn out and walkin' plenty funny when he's done."

OOOOoooOOOO

The next morning at a late breakfast (she had been out and up working late the night before - on a Friday night!) Scarlett could hardly wait to tell Wade about General Hampton. She looked into her son's eyes - those soft brown, gentle eyes - and watched with delight as his entire face lit up. He seemed kind of nonplussed at first, but directly became alive, just about jumping out of his skin. Little Ella got excited just because he got excited - a visit from a general, indeed!

"My father's general?" he repeated. Scarlett nodded.

"General Wade Hampton III of South Carolina, whom I am named for?"

"Yes."

"And he's calling on me, because my father served under him, and because I'm his namesake?"

"Yes, Wade, yes!"

Wade crowed - crowed! At the breakfast table! And then let out a whooping call and laugh and jumped up from his seat to pace up and down the length of the room. Scarlett's irritation quickly turned to laughter. Rarely had she seen her son this animated, and she had the privilege of having had a hand in it!

"Do you think he'd like to see my father's sword?"

"Well, I'm sure he's seen many swords, but yes, you can show it to him."

"And may I invite my schoolmates?"

"Just Beau, because he's your cousin and your father's nephew. We don't want to take advantage of the general's goodwill."

Wade looked slightly crestfallen so Scarlett offered, "If he calls again sometime, we will see about inviting others." He immediately perked up. Ella started asking questions about what she should wear, and could her favorite doll meet the general too, and the table was soon alight with laughter and conversation and - anticipation. They all had something wonderful to look forward to, after so long spent in sadness and defeat.

Pork entered the room and stood by Scarlett's chair. "Miss Scarlett, two gentlemen are in the foyer asking to speak with you about the construction project, a Mr. Tate and Mr. Erickson? I told them you were just having breakfast."

Heavens this was irregular, but Scarlett did want to know why they would be calling so soon after their meeting. She looked down at her periwinkle cotton day gown and patted her hair, left down like a girl's with just the front pulled back in a clasp, but then shrugged. They had surprised her by calling in the morning hours, after all.

She couldn't help but check her face in the dining room mirror as she passed, however.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she smiled as she swept into the foyer. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again so soon?"

"Apologies for interrupting your morning. We're out scouting our job sites, as usual," Leif said. His eyes wandered about the room before they rested back on her inquisitively, that devilish light from the previous night still in his eyes. Tate stepped forward, hat in hand, and held out what appeared to be her notes from the night before - she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, sorry about that, but we thought you might need these." Yes, she had been concerned.

Her smile grew as she thanked the men and on impulse, she waved them into the dining room.

"Please, have some pastry, coffee, or tea. It would please me so since you made the special trip."

Wade and Ella looked up and it struck Scarlett how proud she had become of her children. Wade had a quiet, studious sort of dignity for one so young, and he was a handsome young man. Ella looked particularly fetching this morning in a dark green frock that brought out her eyes and contrasted nicely with her ginger hair, which had deepened into a luminous shade of copper-gold over the last year or so.

"What a beautiful little girl," Tate said, grabbing his heart. "Oh, you have your mother's eyes and the hair of a mermaid! You do take my breath. And who is this?" He gestured toward her doll.

"Matilda," Ella grinned. "She's my best friend, besides Prissy."

"And a fine friend she looks to be," Tate returned as solemnly as he could, his kind and happy manner quite contagious, his laughing light brown eyes focused entirely on Ella.

"Thank you, kind sir," Ella said as she stood and curtseyed. She then looked at Tate sideways from beneath her thick lashes. Scarlett stared for just a moment. The girl was her daughter, after all.

Wade stepped forward.

"You are working with my mother on her new hotel project?" he asked as he extended his hand to Leif, who nodded and began to speak, but before he could answer Ella looked up at him and her mouth dropped open.

"Mother, did you see this man?" She walked closer, crowding Wade and all but stood on Leif's shoes, craning her neck back. "He goes all the way to the ceiling!"

"Ella," Scarlett and Wade scolded.

Ella's eyes rounded as she ignored them and gazed at their golden-haired, blue-eyed guest. "He looks like an angel," she whispered. At first, Scarlett's customary temper flared, but she managed to tamp it down. There's my Ella, she thought despite her considerable chagrin. She didn't know why she even bothered to be surprised by that child anymore.

"Why, if we took him to fly kites, his would already be in the air when he let it go!" The little girl bounced on the balls of her feet in barely contained exuberance at the thought.

"Ella!" Wade said again, mortally mortified just like every boy on the cusp of manhood is by his family.

Leif kneeled down and winked at Ella. "I grew up flying kites, and we make very elaborate kites in my home country, dragons and huge birds and sea snakes," he confided. "Perhaps I can fly kites with you and your brother one day."

Ella nodded, struck temporarily speechless, before looking back at Tate. "Can your friend come too? He seems fun, and he's a bit closer to the ground," she asked. Both men laughed and Wade tried to stifle a groan and failed.

"All right, all right, children, let our guests have some kind of refreshment at least." Scarlett pinkened a bit. She'd become a lonely old woman pouncing on visitors just like Aunt Pitty. While they chatted, she did wonder if she could do a little entertaining with these newcomers to Atlanta, perhaps a dinner or two at the new house, perhaps invite Pitty and Uncle Henry to make it more acceptable. She missed having company that wasn't family.

After tea and morning cakes Scarlett took Tate and Leif on an abbreviated tour of the home. They all made more notes and suggestions before they left, and she felt that growing sense of anticipation about the entire idea. Ennis drew up the contract that afternoon as planned after assuring her of the business reputations of both Hunter Tate and Leif Erickson. She dropped by his office just before six and signed. There. It's done. Leif would retain a twenty percent stake of the hotel which would still give her the most shares as the property did belong to her. His generous investment would make the project entirely more comfortable, and she could always buy him out. Ennis made sure of it in the wording.

The next morning Scarlett and Prissy had class again while the children attended church services Sunday morning with their Hamilton relatives.

Prissy had made great progress with Ella during the week. "Can my friend Phoebe come to the next lesson?" she asked in a rather hesitant manner at the end of their time.

She'd met Phoebe before, with Prissy at the market. Scarlett had seen them eating lunch on the grounds together a time or two.

"She's smart," Prissy said. "She'll learn quick and her new mistress said if she could read she would pay her more. Her baby got sick and she owes the doctor .."

"Why doesn't her new mistress teach her?" Scarlett all but snapped. Honestly, did she have to do everything? Prissy shrugged.

Well, how could she refuse a woman who was trying to pay her baby's doctor bills?

Another who needs help. Pass the barnacles. Open your heart … .

"All right," Scarlett said slowly, "but she'll have to keep up. And no more! I am stretched as it is!" Prissy nodded quickly with a tiny grin.

Scarlett sighed. "All right, we'll just have to have class here at the Peachtree house on Wednesday. It's closer to town and I haven't moved my office yet, it will be the last to go."

Prissy got up to scamper away before Scarlett changed her mind. "You just remember Prissy! We have to move!"

OOOoooOOOooo

A/N sorry for the delay. As noted on my profile, I have been arguing with Rhett for a solid week. That man is quite impossible and if he was here I'd put sand in his sheets and rocks in his shoes. Hey, that gives me an idea … .

Not to worry. Mr. Butler will reluctantly grace us with his POV in the next chapter, which is already written. I just have to hog-tie him and dose him with laudanum. Not a problem, trust me.

Reviews light up my life just like an old 80s song, and they definitely make me write faster. Thank you again for your support. It truly means the world to me.

10/16/2020

Chapter 10 is done but needs tweaking and I am currently in the midst of my yearly fall leaves-induced sinus infection which apparently makes my writing choppy. I hope to feel better and have it up by Monday.

Thank you for your reviews and feedback.

As a reminder, I have not in the past allowed, and do not presently allow negative guest reviews. If you feel you have to say something derogatory and hurtful about a story I write, and you want to see those words in my reviews, then grow a pair and sign in. Perhaps then I can read a story you have written, and learn from your excellent example.

For the one 'Guest' repeat reviewer who is trying her best to throw me off my groove with her biting commentary and non-constructive criticisms - In the words of Justin Beiber, you should go and love yourself.

Peace,

misscyn