Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for the reviews.

Galveston was known as the 'Ellis Island of the West.'

The Tremont Opera house was built in eighteen seventy by Henry Greenwall.

To jaded orbs – Yes, I was being a tease. 😊 They will meet in this chapter.

Chapter Nine.

Rhett had finally agreed to the Widow's asking price because the plot of land was perfect for him. He didn't mind paying the asking price, he just hated being out negotiated. In reality, the Widow hadn't negotiated she had just said take it or leave it. That was his line not the other parties. The widow's lawyer had drawn up the papers and notified both parties when the time to sign the papers was.

Mr. Forrest had sent Scarlett a note stating that the buyer had agreed to her asking price. She was happy she was going to get her full asking price but she was also a little sad. She really had been thinking about building a house on the lot. It had a magnificent view of the Gulf of Mexico. She knew it would have been at least ten to twenty years before she built on the land. She would not build on the land until she was sure Rhett wasn't going to find her. She knew that Rhett had a vindictive streak in him. She had noticed it by the way he talked about besting his father or when he talked about embarrassing Dr. Meade. That was why she was so scared of him finding her. She knew he didn't want her anymore but he would ruin her just to teach her a lesson.

When Rhett showed up for the signing of the papers, sitting there in Mr. Forrest's office was his widow. His Scarlett. She was more beautiful than she had been three years ago. There was a maturity that she had lacked when he left her in Atlanta that spring. She no longer had that half child/half woman look. She was all woman now. He walked in and took the other seat in front of Mr. Forrest's desk.

Scarlett Kennedy turned to see who had just sat down. When she recognized who it was, she scowled. Rhett was grinning ear to ear. She didn't say anything. She was going to have to leave town but if she had to leave then she really wanted the money from the sell. So, she turned to Mr. Forrest and said in her best southern belle voice, "Do you have the papers ready to sign?"

They signed the papers and the entire time Scarlett simpered and played the part of the Southern Belle. Rhett sat there and out and out laughed at her antics. He didn't make any mocking comments though. Every time Rhett laughed Scarlett's scowl grew deeper. As soon as the papers were signed, she tried to rush out the door. Unfortunately, she had forgotten the check. Before she was out the door Rhett said, "Don't you want the check Mrs. Kennedy?" He was holding the check out to her. She walked over and snatched the check out of his hand then practically ran out of the room. Rhett just laughed. He didn't need to follow her. He would find out where she lived and he would start truly courting her. He was not going to lose her again.

He shook Mr. Forrest's hand and asked him, "Where does Mrs. Kennedy live? I would like to start courting her."

Mr. Forrest said, "I don't know if she would want me to give you her home address. She's very closed mouth about her personal business but she does own the Jacob's General Store on Avenue O."

Rhett left the lawyer's office and rode his horse to the General Store. He tied his horse to the hitching post and walked into the store. He asked to see Mrs. Kennedy. The clerk said, "She isn't here. She went to see her lawyer."

"I just came from her lawyer and she left some of the paperwork there. Can you tell me where she lives?"

"She lives at fifteen fifty-one Avenue S."

"Are all the streets a letter of the alphabet?"

"No. The avenues are letters and the streets are numbers." The clerk said it like he was talking to an idiot.

Rhett shook his head and walked out of the store. He got on his horse and rode over to Scarlett's house. He tied his horse up to a hitching post then walked to her home. He knocked on the door. Mammy answered the door and slammed it in his face.

He knocked again and finally Mammy answered. Rhett said very quickly, "I just want to talk to her. I promise I will not cause her any problems."

Mammy slammed the door in his face again. The door opened and Scarlett was on the other side. She stood there looking at him and she finally said, "You wanted to talk. Talk! I'm busy packing."

Rhett said, "Sweetheart, …"

Scarlett interrupted him and said, "I am not your sweetheart. I never have been. I am only a body to you. I would direct you to the local bordello but as a lady I don't know where one is." She shut the door.

Rhett laughed then knocked on the door and knocked on the door. Finally, Scarlett opened the door and said, "Make it fast! I am packing. I have just found out that Galveston has been infiltrated by a cruel, destructive, caustic, harmful little insect called the Rhett Butler beetle."

Rhett couldn't stop himself from laughing. She had gotten wittier in the last three years. He said, "Please let me talk to you."

"Alright."

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"No."

"Doesn't southern hospitality demand it?'

"I only have to offer hospitality to a lady or a gentleman. You are neither of those."

Rhett laughed again then said, "I shouldn't have said that about you being a destructive cat."

"No apology needed. I would rather be thought of as a destructive cat than just a body."

"You are so much more than just a body."

"I have always known that. When did you decide that?"

"The first time I saw you walking up the staircase at that Barbeque. You were beautiful, of course, but I admired the fact that you were wearing an afternoon dress to a morning event. I knew then you had courage to break the rules. When you went after what you wanted by telling Mr. Wilkes you loved him, I knew you were a woman of determination. When you threw that vase across the room in a fit, I knew you were a woman of great passion. You were everything I had ever wanted in a woman. That is why I made my presence known. I could have continued lying on the couch and you would never have been the wiser but I had to meet you."

"What you mean is you had something to blackmail me with to make me talk to you and make me let you call on me."

"Maybe that too but you and I always use every advantage and opportunity we can. I have been looking for you for the last three years. I even hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to find you. I wouldn't have done that for just a body. I wouldn't have done that for a destructive, cruel cat. Let me start really courting you. I will not do anything to ruin you or what you have built here."

"No. I don't trust you."

Rhett reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out two beige envelopes. Scarlett recognized them both. That was the stationary she had used in Atlanta.

"I have kept both of these letters with me since I received them. I did not take your letter about not marrying me seriously. I thought I could talk you around. This other letter is what let me know what serious trouble I was in with you. I love you. I have loved you since we danced together at the hospital bazaar. That is when I knew you were a woman who would do what she wanted to do no matter the consequences."

"I am no longer that woman."

"Yes, you are. You are just an older and wiser version. You are no longer rash and impulsive. Just give me a chance. I promise I will not do anything to ruin you."

Scarlett stood there and stared at Rhett. She was trying to decide if she should believe him or not. It thrilled her when he said he loved her but she just didn't trust him. Finally, she decided to give him an opportunity.

"Alright. You may take me to supper tomorrow night. Pick me up at six." And Scarlett shut the door. She would give Rhett a chance but it would also give her time to sell the rest of her holdings here in Galveston. She had six other pieces of land and the store she needed to sell before she could leave Galveston permanently. She might have to eat the loss of the store to get away. Scarlett said, "Mammy you can stop packing. We are going to give Captain Butler a chance to redeem himself."

When Rhett picked her up the next night at six and Scarlett got in the buggy she said, "Rule Number One: You must show me respect. This is your only warning. I will not tolerate being mocked and made fun of."

"Can I tease you?"

"As long as it doesn't hurt my feelings."

Rhett smiled at her and asked her, "What made you move to Galveston?"

"I thought a town in Texas would be too far beneath you to ever consider moving to and living in."

"I guess you were wrong," He said with a grin, "It reminds me of Charleston and soon it will have an opera house."

"Don't tell me that was the deciding factor?"

"No. I like the city. It has a certain amount of dignity. I think it will become a great city."

They got to Romano's Restaurant. It was not a big building. It looked like the structure had recently been build. It was white with green trim.

"I hope you like seafood. I don't know if you do or not." Rhett said as he helped her out of the buggy.

Scarlett smiled and showed her dimples and she said, "Yes. I do. I don't know if you do or not either but I would say yes since you have taken me to a seafood restaurant.

After they were seated Scarlett said, "I know the owners. They're names are Antonio and Francesca Romano. They arrived on the island about six months after I did. I sold them this plot of land. They are from Pisa. Do you know they have a tower there that leans? I asked Fran why the town had not just rebuilt the tower. Mr. Romano explained it all to me. Isn't that fascinating?"

Rhett replied, "Yes. I know of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I have even seen it."

"Really?"

"Really."

Scarlett studied the menu while Rhett studied her.

She said, "I have been here many times. I would recommend the Seafood Fra Diavolo with Linguine or the Zuppa di Pesce.

As she was speaking a man of about thirty approached the table.

He bowed at Scarlett and looked at Rhett with suspicion. He said, "Mrs. Kennedy, thank you for honoring my humble establishment with your presence." As he continued to eye Rhett with distrust.

Scarlett laughed and said, "Mr. Romano your establishment is not humble but the best seafood restaurant on the island. Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Tony Romano, owner of this fine establishment. This is Rhett Butler. We met at my lawyer's office. He bought the property I had for sale on the north side of the island."

Mr. Romano said, "The peninsula?'

Rhett said, "Yes." He was wondering why Scarlett had said they met at the lawyer's office. "Mrs. Kennedy and I were acquainted when we both lived in Atlanta. I didn't waste any time starting to court her."

Mr. Romano said, "Aah." Still eying Rhett with distrust. Then he turned to Scarlett and said, "The special for tonight is Seafood Pasta with mussels and calamari."

Scarlett said, "Perfect. I will take that."

Rhett said, "Seafood Fra Diavolo with Linguine"

Scarlett said, "How are Fran and the new baby doing? Is Emma sleeping through the night?"

"No, but she has stopped crying as much since you recommended to Fran to swaddle her."

"My mammy did it to my daughter and it calmed her down."

At that Mr. Romano bowed again and left the table.

Scarlett said, "There are a lot of immigrants on the island. At first I didn't think I would like them but they are just like us."

"Do you know what calamari is?"

"Of course, it is squid." And smiled at him.

Rhett just stared at this woman in front of him. This was definitely not the same woman he had known in Atlanta. The southern belle was gone. He knew that was an act she put on while doing business with men in order to disarm them and then get the better of them. It also allowed her to retain her femininity so she wouldn't be accused of unsexing herself. He had been the only man to see through that southern belle façade. She had learned from her mistakes in Atlanta. She had definitely grown up. She was definitely a mature, astute, gregarious, knowledgeable woman and he liked it very much.

Then Scarlett said, "What is your favorite color?"

Rhett looked at her strangely and said, "Green like the color of your eyes."

She smiled briefly.

He said, "What is your favorite color?"

She smiled mischievously and said, "Green like the color of my eyes. We don't really know anything about each other. So, let's get to know each other. That's what courting is all about, isn't it?"

Rhett smiled and nodded his head. He thought, 'This is going to be fun. This is the girl from Atlanta all grown up.'

They had a lovely time at dinner. The food was excellent. He told her about his travels since he had last seen her and she told him about settling in Galveston and establishing herself in the community. She said, "I do not know how trustworthy your promises are but I have worked very hard to have a pristine reputation. If you do anything to mess that up, I will find a way to kill you." She looked at him dead in the eye and he knew she was serious. "You best fear my statement because you know we are too much alike for me to ever give you a chance." She just sat there and stared at him. He stared back at her. He finally said, "Let me go take care of the check."