Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and the feedback. All comments are appreciated.

Chapter Seventy-Six

Rhett just smiled as the boys left the room. He knew they saw him as their ally and they were always asking him to do their dirty work for them but when he agreed with them, he didn't mind. Both Scarlett and Melanie were coddlers. He knew their hearts were in the right place. They didn't want anything bad to happen to their sons but bad things happen to people. The trick is to let enough bad things happen to them so when the really bad things happened to them, they were prepared to deal with them.

It was the mistake he had made with Bonnie. Nothing bad had ever happened to her so she had no fear. She hadn't learned that her will wasn't enough to make things happen. He shook those thoughts off. That was last lifetime. He and Scarlett working together had done a much better job this time.

Rhett took Scarlett to supper at her favorite restaurant that night. The first time they had come to this restaurant the maître d' showed them to a table and Scarlett had said, "This is not acceptable. I want something in the middle of the dining room."

The maître d' showed them to another table that was in the center of the dining room. She said, "We are too close to the other tables."

The maître d' smiled a tight smile and said, "Perhaps Madame would like to choose the table herself."

Scarlett said, "Yes. Thank you." She walked over to a table for two that was in the middle of the dining room but not the center and was position where they could be seen but where they could have a certain amount of privacy.

The maître d' said, "An excellent choice Madame." Rhett smiled and handed the man a tip. Rhett had thought at the time, 'If they came here regularly, he would soon learn to let Mrs. Butler choose her own table.'

The maître d' greeted them. Well, he greeted Scarlett. He said, "Mrs. Butler, how lovely you look tonight. That is quite an unusual shade of mauve. I don't think anyone but you could carry off that color."

Scarlett had giggled and said, "Andre, how you do go on."

"Where would you like to sit this evening?"

Scarlett looked around the dining room and then walked to a table that was a lot more secluded than she would normally choose. Andre and Rhett just followed behind her. Rhett was always impressed how Andre managed to get to the table ahead of Scarlett in order to pull out her chair for her. Andre opened and handed Scarlett her menu while Rhett sat down. Andre opened and handed Rhett his menu also then departed with his generous tip.

Rhett who had been a witness to this activity many times could never figure out why Scarlett chose the table she chose on any particular evening. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for her selection. He just followed along until she had made up her mind. He didn't care where they sat. He was happy at any of the tables with his bride.

The waiter came and told them the specials. He took their orders then departed. Rhett had ordered them a bottle of champagne. It would make Scarlett more amenable to his suggestion of her son staying behind in Hartford. He had used the champagne as a seduction tool before. It had never failed him yet. When Scarlett heard Rhett order the champagne, she wondered what new relations thing he planned to suggest to her tonight. Her curiosity was pique as well as her libido.

They ate, they drank, they talked, they laughed, they had a good time. When they got back in the carriage Scarlett was feeling very good. She was just wondering when Rhett was going to make his suggestion. He usually didn't make the actual suggestion until they were in their bedroom but he would be very loving on the way home.

They had sat on the same side of the carriage. Rhett said, "I want to talk to you about something."

Scarlett thought, 'I bet you do.'

Rhett had his arm around her and he said, "I think it would be a good idea if we left Wade and Beau in Hartford for the next school year. …

Scarlett had stopped listening. All the erotic feelings were gone. All her happy feelings were gone. All her champagne buzz was gone. She interrupted him to say, "What the hell are you talking about? I am not leaving my son and his cousin in Hartford alone. No! No! No!" Scarlett jerked herself up and moved to the other side of the carriage.

When Rhett said, "Let me explain."

Scarlett put her hands over her ears and started singing.

Rhett just looked at her and laughed. She saw him laughing and stopped singing for a minute. She changed her mind about saying anything to him. She remained that way the rest of the way home. She sang the same song over and over again. If he moved to join her on her bench she just moved to the other side. Finally, Rhett just stayed on his side of the coach. He thought, 'This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I'm up for the challenge. It has been a long time since I have had to talk Scarlett into anything. This is going to be fun.'

When they got to the house, Scarlett didn't even wait for Rhett to help her down. She just hiked up her skirt and jumped down. She then walked in the house and stomped up the stairs.

Rhett thought, 'She is making almost as much noise as a herd of buffalos.' He just followed her up the stairs.

When he walked in their room, Rhett said, "Would you like me to loosen your corset?"

"Of course, I do. I'm not going to sleep in it."

Rhett loosened her corset and she took off her clothes in the middle of the room willy-nilly, put on her nightgown and got in the bed. As she looked at Rhett just standing there all the erotic feelings came back. She said, "I'm not going to talk about it tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Come to bed. I'm cold."

It was the first of August so he knew she wasn't cold but he knew a peace offering when he heard it. He took off his clothes and got into bed. When he pulled her close, she said, "I'm really cold." Rhett knew an invitation when he heard it and proceeded to warm her up.

The next day Scarlett avoided Rhett. He knew what she was doing and let her. Mainly because he didn't know how to proceed from here. He had not expected her to shut him down so completely. He had expected her to at least listen. He was confident he would find a way to convince her. After all he could sell ice to Eskimos. It was the Scarlett of the first timeline. Stubborn, defiant, head strong all the things he loved about her in very small doses. Very, very small doses.

As things often are in life a serendipitous event occurred. Melanie had been offered an opportunity to teach an entire class. The principal had said she was an excellent teacher and he wanted her to teach the nine- and ten-year-old children. It was more money, of course, but she was so honored. She had tried to think of a way to talk to Scarlett about it but every time she started to say something, she would think that Scarlett would think she was abandoning her. She could never hurt Scarlett that way. Scarlett had made her promise to never talk about abandoning her again. She had decided that she would just say no to the principal and go to Northampton with Scarlett. Scarlett was so good to her she could not disappoint her.

That afternoon while they were alone in the parlor Scarlett shared with Melanie what the boys wanted to do. She expected Melanie to be as outraged as she was with this preposterous idea but when Melanie didn't immediately state that the idea was unacceptable Scarlett knew she was going to have to dig deeper.

Scarlett said, "Darling, do you think it is a good idea?"

"Not for them to stay alone."

"We have to go to Northampton for Bonnie's schooling."

"Yes, you do."

Scarlett heard the emphasis on the word 'you' and knew she was getting to the heart of the matter. "You know I want you to be happy. If you going back to Atlanta would make you happy. I will accept it."

"Oh God no. I could never live there again especially with India and Suellen. I don't want to leave you. I only said that about moving out because I felt guilty about taking your charity. No, I would not abandon you for them."

Scarlett smiled and said, "There is only one person you love more than me and that is Beau."

Melanie said in a rush, "I could stay here with them to make sure they didn't get into any trouble. This is Wade's last two years and it would be awful to make him start over. Beau will be going to Harvard in four years and I don't want him to be unhappy for six months of that time. They are such good boys."

"They are good boys. They have never given us any trouble. If you will stay then I will let Wade stay with you. Though I don't want to because it is his last years at home. I want him to be with me. But that is what love is all about doing something for someone else because it is the best thing for them." She still didn't think Ashley would have done any better in New York than he did in Atlanta but she knew she had broken something inside Ashley when she tricked Melly into helping her make Ashley stay in Atlanta.

"You could come home every weekend. It is only an hour away."

Scarlett looked at Melanie. That was a strange piece of information for Melanie to already know. Scarlett said, "Tell me all. What is the other reason you want to stay? Is it Mr. Johnson?"

Melanie blushed and said, "Maybe a little bit. That is why I know how long the train ride is. I do enjoy working with him on the books but no he is not the real reason I want to stay."

"Then why?"

"They offered me a full-time teaching position at the Asylum. The principal said I was an excellent teacher and he wanted me to teach the nine- and ten-year-old children. I know I shouldn't even have a job much less be so proud that he asked me."

Scarlett remembered how proud she was of having built those mills up from nothing and nobody could understand her pride when she shouldn't even be running them. Nobody had given her credit for all the hard work she had put into the mills. Not even Rhett. Her face twisted into a sadly disgusted expression. Melanie saw it and said, "You are ashamed of me."

"No. No. No! I was thinking of a great accomplishment I had achieved and how nobody was proud of me and how much it hurt. Darling I am so very proud of you. You should be so very proud. I am so very, very proud of you Melanie Wilkes. You never cease to amaze me. Yes. You stay here with the boys and you take that job," Scarlett hugged Melanie tight then she said, "Let's not tell anyone for a least a week. I want to make Rhett work for this victory. Who knows what he might buy me?"

Melanie often thought that Rhett and Scarlett had a strange relationship. They seemed at times to be more combatants than husband and wife. They seemed to always be trying to get the better of one another. She said, "Alright but only a week. I don't want Beau and Wade to wait too long to know they are staying in Hartford." She could continue working at the school and she and Mr. Johnson could continue working on their book together. Melanie was happy. She liked her job and she had not wanted to move to Northampton. She had not wanted to disrupt Beau's life. She knew that she only had four more years with Beau before he was gone. This would give them special time. She did like spending time with Mr. Johnson but she would never remarry. There was only one man for her and he was dead.

Now that Scarlett was going to let the boys stay, she had to think of what she could make Rhett do in order to get her to say yes. Scarlett spent the rest of the day thinking about what she would want Rhett to buy her. No Rhett would buy her anything she wanted just by her asking him for it. What behavior would she like him to change? She knew Rhett was very proud of his ability to convince people to do things they didn't want to do. He did have reason to be proud. She also knew that if he had told the boys he would convince her then he would not quit until he had convinced her. She knew the boys were a little bit in awe of him and her vain husband would not want to lose the hero worship in their eyes. Yes, she was going to lead Rhett on a merry chase for a week. Then say yes. She would have to tell Melly not to ever tell the boys the truth.

When Rhett came to their bedroom to change for dinner, he had a jewelry box with him. It was some beautiful ruby ear bobs. She thanked him sweetly. He said, "Will you at least let me present my case for allowing them to stay in Hartford?"

"Of course, darling. After we retire for the evening."

"Thank you."

Scarlett smiled a smile befitting a queen granting a favor to a mere commoner.