Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and the feedback.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

After Rhett and Scarlett had retired for the evening, they had sat in the love chair that was in the sitting area of their room. Rhett explained to Scarlett all the reasons this would benefit everyone. At the end of Rhett's spiel, she had said, "My baby and his cousin are going to stay in Hartford alone? No."

"He isn't a baby. He will be a grown man in less than two years."

"Rhett, it is too bad you hadn't been elected a senator before the war started. You would have been able to convince that House of Representatives to make slavery a permanent institution and then President Lincoln wouldn't have waged war on us."

There was so much wrong with what she had said that Rhett ignored what she had actually said. He accepted the compliment on his skills of persuasion and he said, "Thank you, baby. What can I do to change your mind?"

"Nothing, my love, except make my son ten years older. Then I might consider leaving him behind. I have never left any of my children behind. Ever!"

"You were younger than he was when you married his father."

"I was way too young. Pa shouldn't have allowed me to marry at such a young age. We won't let Bonnie or Ella marry that young."

Rhett looked at her sitting there. She looked so beautiful. She looked so warm and welcoming and she was. She would be quite willing to leave this discussion behind and engage in some marital intimacy. As he sat there completely stymied, he would think on this some more tomorrow. He leaned forward and kissed her. She responded and he decided he would bribe her. He would offer to buy her something she really wanted tomorrow but for now he was going to forget everything and everyone but Scarlett Butler.

Scarlett had enjoyed herself immensely the night before. Rhett was such a good lover. He was always so concerned about her pleasure. As she laid in the bed, she knew Rhett was already gone. They had become so connected that she could feel when he was in the room. She would get up in a minute. When she had been thinking about what she was going to make Rhett do to get her to say yes, she had realized there was nothing she wanted to change about her husband. Yes, he was a horse's behind to other people but never to her anymore. He no longer carped about her bad taste. He bought her everything she wanted. He had a few annoying habits but so did she. At times he was selfish and self-centered but so was she. He was working very hard to not give the children everything they wanted. He had told Bonnie and Alex no on more than one occasion. He had been the meanie on more than one occasion. He wasn't perfect but he was perfect for her. She decided that she wasn't going to demand anything she was just going to watch and see what he did. She would say yes, no matter what he did.

In the week that followed Rhett presented his best arguments for why the boys should stay in Hartford. He bought her a new buggy. He bought her jewelry. He took her dancing and plied her with champagne and through it all she continued to say no. She continued to be loving and she initiated relations on most nights. On the seventh day Scarlett said to Rhett, "Do you really think this is best for Wade?"

Rhett had looked at her and said in almost a solemn tone, "Yes, baby, I do."

"Alright. Let me talk to Melly."

In a matter of days, it was all arranged the boys were staying and Melly was staying with them. Rhett, Scarlett, Ella, Bonnie and Alex were going to Northampton. Rhett didn't know why but he felt like he had been bamboozled.

Despite Rhett's feelings of having been hoodwinked, he basked in the adoration of the boys. One afternoon after Rhett and the boys had finished playing tennis Wade said, "I will admit I didn't think you could do it, Sir"

"There were times I didn't think I was going to be able to do it either."

Beau said, "Was it your idea for my mother to stay? That was a stroke of genius."

"No, your mothers decided that on their own."

Later that day when they were alone Beau said to Wade, "My mother is going to teach full time at the Asylum this coming year."

"I heard that. You know your mother wanting to stay in Hartford and teach at the Asylum was what made our mothers agree to us staying in Hartford."

"I know. It never hurts to stroke Uncle Rhett's conceit though. He has been a great help to us."

"Yes, he has."

Both boys laughed. When they sobered Beau said, "I'm proud of my mother. She certainly isn't the empty-headed belle I thought she was. Those books she writes are popular and she told me the principal himself asked her to teach that class. She is so proud. She is embarrassed at how proud she is."

"Papa was right that day. Your mother is smart and my mother is very clever."

And with that the conversation moved on to other topics.

Rhett and Scarlett took the train to Northampton at the end of the month. It was going to be a day trip. Their children still got upset if one of them wasn't there to put them to bed. They drove around the town and there were a lot of very nice houses that Mr. Mason had told them about. None of them were exactly what they wanted. They went back to the train station to return to Hartford. They were quietly talking when a man overheard them and rudely asked them, "How many human beings did you own?"

Rhett calmly replied, "None."

The man glared at them then said, "Good. Good."

He walked away. They looked at each other questioningly then went back to their conversation. They rode the train to Hartford and were home in time for supper which had been Rhett's plan. He really did like Elsie's cooking.

As Scarlett watched Rhett get undressed later that week, she looked at him. His hair was almost all gray and he had indeed developed a little paunch. He was over fifty so she guessed he was old. She was remembering their conversation when she had been pregnant with Alex. She certainly wasn't as thin as she had been when they had met at that barbeque. She didn't care. Although she didn't want to be as fat as Aunt PittyPat, she was alright with a few extra inches. No, she would never stop loving Rhett over a few extra pounds or a head full of grey hair. She knew that if she did indeed become as large as Aunt PittyPat Rhett would never stop loving her either. She sighed with happiness.

They had Beau's birthday party and everyone had a good time. It seemed to Scarlett the number of boys got larger every year.

That night Henry asked Rhett if he could speak with him privately. With Peter's death Henry had made up his mind. He was going to spend his last years with Melanie and his great nephews. He didn't know how many days he had left. He was going to ask Butler if he could move in. No matter how improper it was.

Rhett suspected he knew what this was about. After Rhett poured them both a drink they had sat down in the library. After Henry took a sip he said, "Melanie, Wade and Beau are the only close relatives I have left. I have enjoyed being able to visit with them as much as you have allowed."

Rhett just nodded his head.

Henry continued, "This is so totally improper."

"Henry, you must know that Scarlett and I are not proper people but let me make it easier for you and all your gentility. Henry, would you like to come live with us?"

"Yes. I would."

"Go home. Take care of all your affairs and then come back. The only thing I ask is that if you travel with us you pay your own way." Rhett had added that to preserve the man's dignity.

"Thank you. Yes, of course, I will pay my own way. I will send you a telegram when I expect to return."

"I'm sure your grandnephews are not going to be happy to hear you will be living here."

Henry looked confused and said, "Why?"

"Because while they might be able to fool Melanie, they won't be able to get anything passed you."

Henry smiled and said, "Right you are." He finished his drink and got up and left the library.

Rhett thought, 'That is the last Hamilton or Wilkes I am taking in.'

Rhett topped off his drink. If he was going to get scolded, he might as well make it worth his while. He slowly sipped his drink and thought about how wonderful his life was. He would never have bet money that he and Scarlett could be this happy and content.

When he got to his bedroom and kissed his bride she said, "Rhett!"

He just smiled totally unrepentantly.

The next morning Elizabeth, Henry, and the Butler group boarded their respective trains.

Scarlett, Rhett, Ella, Bonnie, Alex, Prissy, Esau, Rachel and Thomas went to Northampton. The rest of the servants stayed in Hartford. They were staying at the Paradise Hotel. It was very nice except getting a bath was impossible and they only had privies. As Scarlett and Prissy got them settled at the Hotel, Rhett took Bonnie to the Clarke School and got her registered. She would start the next day. Rhett was going to buy them a carriage and two horses.

Scarlett would have to find another governess because Mrs. Anderson could not move with them because of her son. She sent a note around to the employment agency and they sent her a note saying they would send three candidates to her hotel for her to interview. The first woman didn't even stay for the interview. Once she heard Scarlett's accent she said, "I will not work for anyone who once owned another human being." She stormed out of the hotel room while Scarlett had been protesting that she had never own another human being.

The second woman asked Scarlett questions about her views on women getting the vote. When Scarlett said, "It didn't matter to her if she got the vote or not. What good was the vote?" the woman stood up and left the hotel room.

The third woman asked Scarlett about her view of education reform and when Scarlett told her, "I don't have any view on educational reform but if we hire you, I'm sure my husband would be happy to discuss it with you." The woman looked at her with disgust and had left.

Scarlett sent a note to the employment agency requesting three more candidates. One lady refused to work for her because some rebel traitor had killed her husband. The second one asked her, "Have you ever owned another human being?"

Scarlett had said, "I have never owned another human being."

The woman allowed the interview to continue. When Scarlett had made reference to her Mammy the woman had jumped up and called her a liar and stormed out of the suite.

The third woman proceeded to lecture Scarlett on prison reform. Scarlett said, "Well they are criminals, after all."

The woman stood up and said, "People like you are the problem."

All these ladies were more concerned with Scarlett's views on matters than they were on obtaining the position of governess. This was strange to her. She had never known women to feel so strongly about something that they would pass up employment because of it.

With that Scarlett decided that she would teach the children herself. She didn't want those women polluting her children with their radical ideas. Once Rhett had explained what a suffragette was, she really didn't want those women in her home. She had never heard of anything so unfeminine in her life. Rhett had said, "They wear bloomers just like you."

After Scarlett had looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He had added, "They just don't wear a skirt over them."

Scarlett had been appalled. Rhett had laughed at his wife's expression of horror. Rhett had not shared with Scarlett that the garment had been named after Amelia Bloomer who had worn them during one of her marches for women's rights. He was afraid she would stop wearing her bloomers and then she would once again self-confine herself and him by extension.

It wasn't easy to teach the children but with Prissy's help she was able to do it. They spent the morning teaching Ella, Alex, Rachel and Thomas. Thomas was really just playing with the blocks. Scarlett would move between the younger children and Ella. In the afternoon the younger children would nap while Scarlett and Ella worked on more difficult subjects. After the younger children got up from their naps Scarlett, Prissy and Ella would take them to the park. There were women at the parks that were encouraging Prissy to throw off her chains of servitude. After a couple of days Scarlett wouldn't go to the park unless Esau or Rhett was with them.

Author's Notes: Northampton was a haven to abolitionist and suffragettes. In this time period in history there were a lot of well to do women who started being concerned about reform in education, prisons, child labor and temperance. These people were devoted to their causes.