Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews. Thank you for all the feedback. Thank you for all my readers.
Sarah-Shilo. Thank you. I had forgotten to include Uncle Peter and that would have been a great injustice.
Chapter Sixty-Three
Rhett escorted everyone to the Hamilton House. He was going to take Bonnie, Alex, Ella and George to the park while everyone else attended the funeral. The funeral was being held in the parlor of the Hamilton House. The same place Frank's funeral had been held. After that day Scarlett had never been able to stay in the parlor for very long but she would have to tough it out for the entire length of the funeral. She hoped whoever was giving the eulogy wasn't long winded.
When Uncle Peter opened the door for them the ladies could tell that the man had been crying because his eyes were all red but they didn't shame him by acknowledging his red eyes. Rhett asked the older man to bring him George and Ella. Scarlett, Melanie and the older boys left Rhett in the foyer and found their seats. Once the ladies were seated Melanie looked at Scarlett and Scarlett said, "We have to do something for him. He can't continue working here it would be too painful."
"He has family in the area. He could live with one of them."
"We can talk to Uncle Henry about it tomorrow."
The eulogy had been given by Uncle Henry and he had kept it short. They moved into the dining room for the wake. There wasn't very much food, Scarlett was a little annoyed at Suellen. Sue should have put out more food but Sue was just a cheapskate.
After fifteen minutes in the dining room Scarlett would rather have been back in the parlor. In the two years they had been away she had forgotten how bad it was to talk to Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Mead, Mrs. Elsing and Mrs. Bonner. They would ask questions and then be all judgmental about her answers.
Mrs. Merriwether said, "How is it living in the North, dearie?"
"Fine."
"Fine? I would think it would be absolutely horrible. Are you sure y'all had to move North for Bonnie's education? Surely there was some place she could have been taught in the South.
"Rhett said this was the best school in the nation."
"Of course, he would say that. He has always been partial to the North."
"No, Mrs. Merriwether, he has always been willing to acknowledge the North's good points."
Mrs. Merriwether patted her arm and with a superior expression said, "You did it for your daughter and you had to obey your husband."
Scarlett just smiled.
Mrs. Mead said, "It is so sad what happened to dear Bonnie. She had such a bright future ahead of her."
"She can still have a very good future. She is learning to deal with her problem."
"She was so beautiful"
"She is still beautiful."
"Her future won't ever be the same will it."
"No, Mrs. Mead, it won't be the same."
"I hope she can make a decent match."
"I know she can."
Mrs. Elsing said, "I know it must be horrible for you, Mrs. Wilkes and everyone else but I guess Captain Butler is happy?"
"Yes, Rhett is happy. We are all happy."
"He was always more Yankee than Southerner."
"Mrs. Elsing please don't say that about my husband. He is as proud of being a Southerner as anyone else. He did join the Confederate army."
"Yes, at the end when it didn't make any difference."
"Excuse me." Scarlett was just about ready to scream.
Mrs. Bonner said, "I don't understand why your daughter couldn't be taught in your home. It is not like she needed to be taught that much since she is a girl."
"Rhett and I wanted her to have a full education.
"Now the entire world knows of her deformity."
"She is not deformed. She is deaf. The best teachers in the world are at this school."
"If you had taught her in your home, it would have been easier to keep it a secret."
"There is nothing to keep secret. With this schooling she will be able to function in the world."
Scarlett wanted to slap the doubtful, condescending look off Mrs. Bonner's face. She excused herself instead and went in search of Melly.
Mrs. Elsing said to Melanie, "It must be so difficult living in the North."
"It is not that bad."
"You poor dear. Putting on the brave face."
"I am happy living with Rhett and Scarlett."
"Scarlett I can see but that Captain Butler is just outrageous. I heard…"
"Mrs. Elsing, Rhett is my friend, please, don't speak unkindly about him."
Mrs. Merriwether said, "Melanie, you know you don't have to live up North you could live with India here in Atlanta. People would be glad to give you….. help."
"I know I don't have to live up North but I like living with the Butlers."
"I suppose by living with them you do get to have all the luxuries of life."
"I live with Rhett and Scarlett because they are good to me."
"Really?"
Melanie had to leave this house now. If she had to listen to any more patronizing, superior, belittling comments she was going to slap someone. That thought made her giggle because she didn't even feel ashamed for having that thought.
When Scarlett joined Melly, she said, "How much longer do we need to stay?"
Melly replied, "It wouldn't be proper for us to leave for another thirty minutes but I can't stay another minute. Let's get the boys and go now."
Scarlett chuckled and said, "You get the boys and I will tell Sue to meet us at Uncle Henry's office tomorrow afternoon around four. Frank said they had the money to buy this house. I will tell her we will just keep her children and bring them with us to Uncle Henry's office."
"I'll meet you outside on the stoop."
Melanie was sad that the woman who had been like a mother to her was dead but she would rather grieve by herself. As she herded the boys to the front door she thought, 'I never realized how stifling and rigid all this proper behavior was. I did it because I had always done it. I didn't even think about doing it. It was what was expected. For two years I haven't had to do any of it and I now know I could never live in the South again. All the matrons would be shocked and appalled that not only do I have a job but I enjoy working at the school. I enjoy having money of my own. I am proud of my accomplishments. I am doing more good for those children in Hartford than all these women are with all their good works.'
Wade and Beau's experience at the wake was no better than their mothers. Several of the other boys there had called them Yankees and made rude comments about them living in the North. One or two of them made unkind comments about Bonnie and her problem. Quite a few of them had made nasty comments about Rhett Butler. They didn't start a fight with them. They used their wit and just the right amount of mockery in their voices to shut the boys up. They put their ominous faces on and the boys shut up by sheer intimidation.
That was what they had done at Watkinson. They had used wit, sarcasm, intimidation, and a few well place punches. All of which they had learned under Rhett's tutelage. They had practiced in the mirror to be able to make their faces as sinister and menacing as possible. Rhett had taught them where to punch someone to not leave a mark but create the most pain. Rhett had also made two other facts plain. One. None of the things he was teaching them would a gentleman ever do. Two. If their mothers ever found out that Rhett had taught them these things, he would never help them again. Rhett had said the last part with his most frightening face on. Both boys had wanted to step back when he had but to their credit, they stood their ground.
Rhett took everyone to supper at the National Hotel. He made sure the ladies had dessert. When he got them to the suite, he gave them both a glass of brandy. He put the younger children to bed. He read them stories until they were all asleep. When he came back, Beau was asleep beside his mother. He was wrapped up in her arms. Wade was asleep beside Scarlett. He was wrapped up in her arms. As much as Rhett didn't want to, he went to their bedroom alone. Something he hadn't done in a very long time. He didn't like it.
When Scarlett touched his arm in the middle of the night, he was still awake. She said, "Can you help loosen my corset?"
"Yes, of course."
"I got everyone else into their beds."
"Good"
Once she was in the bed and wrapped up in his arms, Rhett was asleep almost immediately. His last thought was, 'Now things are the way they should be.'
The next morning when they woke up Beau said to Wade, "We can never return here. They will always see us as Yankees despite our roots to the South."
"Yeah. Especially if we graduate from Harvard. I guess we will have to accept that our lives are in the North from now on."
Neither boy looked happy with the realization.
That afternoon Rhett and Scarlett had a dilemma. Since they had sent Prissy on down to Tara, they didn't have anyone to watch the children. As they were discussing their options Wade said, "I can watch them. Between Beau and I we can make sure nothing happens to them. After much staring between Rhett and Scarlett, Scarlett turned to Melly and she nodded her head. With Melly's nod Rhett said, "Alright. If you have any problems go downstairs and get the front desk clerk."
Scarlett explained to Bonnie and Alex that they were going out for a little bit and Beau and Wade would take care of them. When their parents got back, they would all go down to supper and if they had been good for Beau and Wade, they would get a piece of cake."
Bonnie signed back, "I don't want cake. I want pie."
Scarlett smiled at her daughter and signed back, "You can have pie."
As they were walking down the stairs, Scarlett said to Rhett, "She gets that contrariness from you."
"I'm curious, my dear, does your daughter have any of your traits?"
"Of course, Rhett, my good looks"
Everyone laughed.
After the adults left the suite Beau said, "They never said a word. That must be some mental connection."
Wade said, "Or they all three know how the others think. Like me and you."
"Yeah."
They then heard a crash from the bedroom Alex and Bonnie were staying in. When they got in the room Alex or Bonnie had pushed their trunk to the floor. Neither one of them was hurt but Wade and Beau knew it was going to be a long afternoon.
Rhett, Scarlett, and Melanie met Frank and Suellen at Uncle Henry's office and they signed the papers. Frank gave them the money. Scarlett looked at Frank and knew he was really sick. He looked old and sick and something else. She didn't feel any of the gleefulness she had felt all those months ago when Ella had written her about her Daddy getting sicker and sicker. She looked at Rhett and knew he wasn't feeling it either. Suellen wasn't looking good either. She didn't look sick exactly but she didn't look healthy either. She looked old and worn out. Scarlett wasn't gleeful about Suellen's downfall either. Scarlett said, "Can I take George and Ella with us to Tara?"
Frank started to say no but before he could Suellen said, "Yes, that would be nice. The children really like going to Tara. With Frank being sick all the time and running the store alone, it is hard to get down to Tara."
"I'll come get them around nine tomorrow morning."
"Perfect. Don't be late I have to leave to open the store by nine thirty."
After the Kennedys had left Melanie said, "What about Uncle Peter? We can't let him continue to have to work there. It would be too hard on him."
Henry smiled and said, "I have suddenly found myself in need of a manservant. I have arranged for him to stay with me at the boarding house starting tomorrow. He wanted to stay until he had seen Sarah Jane to the grave. I have known Peter all my life and he was a great help to me with dealing with my sister. He somehow could always make her do what was best. You know he was the one that persuaded her to start giving Charlie some spending money. If Peter out lives me, I will make sure he has enough money to live on the rest of his life."
Both of the ladies said, "Thank you" at the same time.
Rhett was happy too. He wanted the old servant taken care of even if the man didn't like him. He probably didn't like him because his mere presence in the Hamilton House always put Aunt PittyPat into a fretful state.
Melanie's said, "Who is going to clean out Aunt PittyPat's things?"
Henry said, "India has agreed to clean them out. Peter will go over and help her," Henry handed Melanie a necklace. "It was our mother's and she wanted you to have it now. Sarah Jane didn't have anything else of value."
Melanie said, "Thank you."
Scarlett authorized Henry to sell all of her holdings in Atlanta. They all knew they were never returning to the South. She would put the proceeds in a trust for Wade. It was everything Charlie had left her. Melanie decided to hold on to her moneys in case she needed them.
