Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

In the late 19 century it was quite common to take pictures of the recently deceased. It was not considered morbid or morose. For some families it was the only picture of the lost loved one they would ever have.

Chapter Forty

A day later after the announcement of the couples' engagement, Scarlett said to Rhett, "Samuel moved out. He found a room at a boarding house."

"Why?"

"He said it didn't look right for him and Rosemary to be living under the same roof now that they were engaged."

"I suppose he could be right although I think there are more than enough other people living in the house that Rosemary's reputation is safe."

"I am happy for Rosemary and Samuel, I really am. I just know I will never find another tutor as good as Samuel to teach all these little brats you keep forcing on me."

Rhett had laughed and said, "I am sure you will find someone acceptable." Rhett knew she loved her children with a ferocity only rival by a mama bear but for some reason she always pretended she didn't care about them that much. She gave herself away by how much time she spent with her children and how she was always keeping them close. She insisted on being the one to brush her daughters' hair. She insisted on breastfeeding her baby so she could bond with them. She gave herself away by always welcoming him into her embrace. She hated being pregnant, but she loved the baby so very much.

For the next two weeks Scarlett interviewed a lot of men and women looking for the perfect person to teach her children.

When Scarlett told Rhett, "It is hopeless. I have interviewed at least a hundred people. I will never find anyone half as good as Samuel."

Rhett knew she hadn't interviewed a hundred people probably closer to twenty, but he didn't correct her. He said, "What is wrong with them?"

"They are all too English," which made Rhett burst out laughing. She scowled at him and continued, "They all act like the civil war was just a little skirmish between two little children. Not the most traumatic thing that ever happen to us."

In Rhett's opinion the civil war was not a traumatic thing although he would acknowledge that it did destroy their way of life. He had not really been part of that life for a long time before the war started though. No for him the most traumatic thing was having almost lost his life and missed out on all this happiness because he had been too stupid and stubborn to tell the woman he loved that he loved her. Just so she wouldn't win in the little battle they were waging. He couldn't tell Scarlett any of that though.

He sat down next to her on the divan and said, "In the fall, we could go ahead and send Wade to St Matthews where Samuel is going to be teaching. You could tell the agencies that you want an American for the role of tutor. We could help Ella with her reading and adding until you find someone acceptable."

Scarlett laid her head on his shoulder. She sighed and said, "Yes, let's do that. I'm still mad at Samuel for using us."

Rhett chuckled and said, "Yes, it is usually us that are using someone not the other way around."

A month after Robert's death Elizabeth seemed to be returning to her old self. There were moments when she would abruptly get up and walk out of the room. One day as the ladies were sitting in the parlor Elizabeth said, "It was Rhett that I always thought would die before me. I was also afraid I would never know."

Scarlett said, "Didn't he write you regularly?"

"No, there would times when there were months between letters. He didn't tell me he had gotten married for over a year. He even stopped by to see me on his way to join you and he didn't say anything."

Scarlett could tell that not learning of her son's marriage for over a year after it had happened hurt Elizabeth. Scarlett wished she could ease the older woman's pain, but she had to protect Vicky. She said, "Rhett likes to keep his secrets. I know there are a slew of things he hasn't told me."

Rosemary started talking about her wedding and Elizabeth brightened up.

Later that week Rhett took his mother on a buggy ride. He stopped by a park and handed her an envelope. He said, "It is the pictures of Robert and his family."

Elizabeth took the pictures out of the open envelope. She smiled sadly as she looked at them. She said, "It is really true."

"I'm sorry for your pain, Mother."

Elizabeth smiled at her son. She had not agreed with his decision all those years ago not to marry Sarah, it had cost him so much. Elizabeth knew that the man he was then would never have married Sarah for he had been hard-headed and stubborn. He seemed to have matured and soften with his marriage to Scarlett. She said, "I think Rosemary will be happy here in London."

"She would be happier if her mother was in London also."

"Is it only Rosemary's happiness you are concerned about?"

Rhett smiled his mischievous smile and said, "Scarlett likes you a lot also."

"I don't know. It is a big decision."

"Alright. I want you to stay also."

"Since I learned of Rosemary and Samuel's engagement, I have thought about staying in London. I have asked myself why I would want to move to London at my age. Then I asked myself why would, I want to return to Charleston. There is nothing left for me in Charleston. I miss Robert, Joyce and the children, of course."

When Elizabeth's voice cracked Rhett gave her time to compose herself. He had no idea what she was going through. He couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child or a grandchild. He was sad that his brother and his family were dead, but he had not seen or spoken to Robert except for that one night for over twenty years. He had met his sister-in-law that very night. He hadn't even met the children really. All the children had their supper in the nursery. Rhett continued driving them around.

Finally, Elizabeth continued talking, she said, "It would be hard to go back to nobody. You and Rosemary are here. My friends Pauline and Eulalie have passed. I don't know how many other friends I have lost. Charleston is a sad shell of what it once was. Such poverty. So, yes I will stay here in London."

"Thank you, Mother. That makes me very happy."

"I am also sick to death of being snubbed for something my son had done over twenty years ago. Here in London, when someone asked me if I am Rhett Butler's mother, I don't have to inwardly cringe. Instead, I can proudly state that, "Yes, I am."

"Thank you, Mother."

"How much can I spend on Rosemary's wedding?"

Rhett roared with laughter and said, "About fifty pounds. That should be more than enough."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything you want from your home in Charleston?"

"Yes, I will make you a list."

"I will get my attorney to ship the items to us and settle your accounts."

"Thank you, dear."

A week later Rhett's mother gave him a list of items she wanted from her home in Charleston. As he looked at the list, he decided that it was going to cost him a small fortune to get his mother completely moved to England. He smiled and thought, 'She is more than worth it.'

Rosemary was going to be married the next summer in June. They would give the mother and daughter lots of time to plan everything. Maybe everyone would have made friends by then.

In August, Scarlett got a letter from Suellen. Scarlett was surprised because Suellen was not a good correspondent and August was a busy time on the plantation. The convent had informed her that their sister Carreen was dead. She had died in the cholera epidemic. With her death the church wanted the family to finally pay her dowry. When Rhett found Scarlett in the family room she was staring off into space. Scarlett was holding the letter in her hand. When Rhett spoke to her, Scarlett handed him the letter. Rhett sat down next to her and said, "I will take care of the dowry. I will have my attorney settle up with the Catholic Church."

"Thank you."

Scarlett just continued staring into space. Rhett just sat next to her and waited. At last, Scarlett said, "I was trying to decide if she had really loved Brent or if he was just a girlish crush that she never saw for what it really was."

"I don't know, baby."

"My mother did, I did, so I suppose Careen did too. Suellen was the only one who hadn't believed herself in love with someone who didn't exist."

"What do you mean?"

"Careen had been in love with Brent since she was thirteen. She thought he could do no wrong. She went to the convent to stay true to him. I thought Ashley could do no wrong until that awful night. I guess my mother thought Phillipe could do no wrong and if he hadn't been killed, she would have continued to believe that he would have come back for her and they would have lived happily ever after. She refused to listen when anyone talked badly about him. I did that also. I refused to listen when anyone talked badly about Ashley."

"I know."

Scarlett took his hand and said, "My mother would have gone into a convent if my Grandpere had let her. Instead, she married an Irish man at fifteen and shut herself away in the back woods of Georgia. She spent the rest of her life doing good works like a nun.

Rhett said, "Luckily for me you saw the truth."

She smiled at Rhett. She said, "Thank you, Rhett. Yes, please, do have your Charleston attorney settle up with the Catholic Church. Tell him to get the money from Uncle Henry. I came into a windfall several years ago. I haven't needed to spend any of that money in a long time."

Rhett smiled at her statement about the money. He started talking about what he had done that day. As she looked at him, she thought, 'I don't know how I got this chance at a redo, but I am so grateful.'

In September, they did sent Wade to school and Rhett did start helping Ella with her reading and addition. It did try Rhett's patience to teach the child and he admired Samuel's patience with the child. When Rhett got Ella to focus, the girl did very well. She was too easily distracted though. After a week of Rhett teaching Ella, he said to Scarlett, "You have to hire someone soon. It is awfully hard to keep Ella on task. I think part of the problem is the familiarity between her and me. She will ask me questions about the baby, about Kenny, Vicky, and Wade. She tells me about the butterfly she saw. All things that a daughter would talk to her father about."

"Thank you, Rhett for doing it. I will hire someone by the end of the week."

The next day she interviewed a plain young lady of around twenty-two. In talking with Rebecca Giles Scarlett knew she was a proper young lady. She seemed to be truly knowledgeable of many subjects. During the interview Scarlett asked her, "Why did you become a governess?"

"I had to support myself and my mother."

"Why didn't you get married?"

The girl turned red and said, "I had an accident and could no longer marry."

Scarlett stared at the young girl. The longer she stared at Miss Giles the redder the young lady got.

"How old is your mother?"

"She is in her fifties."

"What happened to your father?"

"He was killed in a carriage accident when I was eighteen. He was a doctor, so we never had a lot of extra money."

"How old are you now?"

"I am twenty-two."

Scarlett who had probably never had an insightful moment before in her life, knew this young girl had been raped which had resulted in a child. As what happens far too often in these situations, the young girl had been shunned. That is what would have happened to her if Rhett hadn't come for her. She would probably have been included by the county people if they continued to believe she had been rape, especially if she bought her way into their hearts with food. She had planned to do just that. She had planned to bribe the Tarletons into receiving her by starting a business with them. She would have been received in Atlanta because Melanie would have made people receive her. This woman appeared to not have a Melanie on her side

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No ma'am."

"Is your baby a boy or a girl?"

"Ma'am, I don't have ….." Miss Giles looked into Mrs. Butler's eyes and saw true compassion. She whispered, "A girl."

"How old is she?"

"Almost five. She will be five next month."

"My youngest daughter will be five in February. They will have great fun together. You and your family will move in here. Your mother can help in the nursery. I will pay her a small wage. Your daughter will stay in the nursery during the day and with you at night. Your mother and you will share a room. You need to change your last name and create a story to explain your husband's death. We won't tell anyone about this. I will see you and your little family her tomorrow morning at nine."

"But Ma'am what if I don't work out?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "I have no doubts about you working out."

Yes ma'am. Thank you," She got up to leave and said, "What do I tell the employment agency about my name change?"

"Nothing. You are not going back there. I will send them a note saying I hired you. I will pay their fee for finding you a job. You never have to talk to them again. If this is my last child which, is highly unlikely, you will be employed with me for at least twelve years. By that time, you will be firmly established under your new name. Let me show you out."