Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Forty - Five

After they had decided to stay in Atlanta, Scarlett had gone to talk to Mrs. Jones. She had joined the teacher in the school room. Scarlett had sat down. She said, "Rhett and I have decided to move back to Atlanta."

Rebecca started to panic. Everything had been going so well. She croaked out, "What?"

"I want you to move with us, but I understand if you don't want to."

"Mrs. Butler, you scared me. Of course, I will move with you. There is nothing for me in England but bad memories."

"Wonderful. I told you that you would work out."

"Yes ma'am."

"I almost forgot. Next year we will have to send our two Victorias to finishing school."

"Mrs. Butler, I don't have the money for that."

"Of course, you don't. You need to save all your money for when you can no longer work. Silly girl. Rhett will pay for it. He loves doing good deeds especially for children."

The Butlers and staff returned to London to collect their belongings and so Rhett could conclude some deals. Elizabeth and Mammy chose to stay in Atlanta in the rented house. Elizabeth was put in charge of hiring staff for the new house. Scarlett allowed Ella to stay with her grandmother so Elizabeth could teach her the different social rules in the South than in England. Ella had just finished two years at a finishing school in London where she was taught the rules of conduct for England. Ella would finally get some one-on-one attention from Elizabeth, Mammy and even Melanie. Despite her parents' best efforts, Ella got lost in the crowd of children. Ella was sweet, kind and quiet. Scarlett knew that hers and Rhett's children had taken advantage of Ella's gentle spirit more times than once, but Ella never complained. It was understood that Elizabeth would move to Georgia and live with them.

Before they had returned to England Rhett and Scarlett had allowed Ella to get all dressed up which included some of her mother's jewelry. They took her out to supper to celebrate her fourteenth birthday. They treated her like a grown up. They had given her several gifts but the most special one was a hair clip designed to hold her hair up. She was grown now and would be allowed to wear her hair up. One of the rites of passage for a young lady.

Scarlett and Rhett had returned to Atlanta by the first of December. Rhett had left a lot of the sale of their items to his solicitor. Rhett had instructed Mr. Peterson to sell the mansion at below market value. Rhett knew that not many people would be able to afford a home that large and he just wanted to be done with it. He had not paid anything for the mansion, so everything was profit.

The couple had mainly return to be sure they got their valuables which included their photographs and their paintings especially their painting of a sunrise. Rhett had come around to Scarlett's way of thinking on that one.

While they had been in London, Rhett had taken Scarlett out for supper and dancing. They had a lovely supper. Scarlett ate too much as usual. Rhett wondered how his wife could remain so small with her hardy appetite. As she was eating her dessert, Rhett leaned forward and said, "I love you."

It touched Scarlett so much when Rhett said it first because he so rarely did. She smiled at him and was about to say, 'I love you, too' when she looked at his face and there was something more there. A look that said he was in awe of what they had. It was almost like he knew that they had been given a second chance at love and he too was eternally grateful.

She reached her hand around his neck and though it was totally improper kissed him. Not in a quick kiss or a slow passionate kiss but a kiss that promised eternity. When the kiss was finished, she leaned her forehead against his forehead and said, "Let's go home and go dancing."

Although she blushed with the suggestion Rhett's heart soared with her statement. It always thrilled him to the nth degree when she expressed desire for him. Although Rhett knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her, she so rarely indicated that she wanted him carnally. It went against all her southern teachings.

She still wouldn't share her dessert with him. She was actually appalled when he suggested slathering her dessert all over his body. Her food was nothing to joke about.

None of their children were happy about moving to Atlanta mainly because London was the only home they had really ever known. Vicky was the only one who had vague memories of living in Atlanta.

When Samuel and Rosemary found out they were moving back to the United States, Samuel said, "I guess I better get a position at a school in Atlanta. I know Rosemary will not stay here with the rest of her family in Georgia." Rosemary had smiled and didn't correct her husband who knew her so well.

By that May Samuel had a teaching position at St. Peter's Preparatory School in Atlanta as their new principal. The owner of the school was a man that although from the North had integrated into the southern ways quite nicely. He and Rhett had made a lot of money together on the Republican government, but the good people of Atlanta didn't know that. With a cash donation and the threat of blackmail the owner was quite happy to give Butler's brother-in-law the position of principal when it came open. Rhett had only wanted a teaching position for Samuel.

Scarlett and Rhett spent a long-time house hunting because now this was going to be there forever home. Scarlett told Rhett, "I will not live in a house that you won in a poker game again. I would die of embarrassment."

"It didn't bother you when we lived in London."

"Of course not, because the house had once been owned by the Earl of Bluestone."

Rhett smiled and simply said, "Yes dear."

Scarlett wanted to be within walking distance from Melanie which Rhett questioned because she never walked anywhere. Her reply was "Just in case I need to walk to Melly's"

Almost every house they looked at the servant's quarters were on the third floor. Scarlett wanted a house that had a servant's quarters on the ground floor or at the very least a room for Mammy on the ground floor.

Rhett asked, "Why?"

"Mammy is having trouble climbing the stairs."

"She can go back to Tara if she can't do her job."

"Rhett! Don't talk like that."

"I'm just stating a fact. We pay her to do a job and if she can't do it then she needs to go back to Tara. I'm sure Suellen would be happy to have her."

"Actually, Rhett she still isn't taking a salary."

"So, she really isn't even in our employment. We just let her hang around our house."

"Oh, Rhett, you know I would be lost without her."

"How do you know you have never been without her for our entire marriage and your entire marriage to Frank."

"I don't want to find out. It is just too horrible to think about. Now stop talking that way."

"You were without her during the war."

"Yes, because Mother wouldn't let me have her. No. Mammy just has to stay."

"I'll stop talking about it for now but if I die it will be that virago's fault."

"What is a virago?"

"A domineering, violent, bad-tempered woman."

"Mammy has never been violent! Just stop talking Rhett. You are making me mad and not in the way you like."

Scarlett knew that the main reason Rhett didn't like Mammy was that Mammy hadn't fallen for his charm. For her own part Scarlett loved watching Mammy annoy Rhett. Mammy was one of the few people who could really get under Rhett's skin. Scarlett loved Rhett getting a taste of his own medicine.

They did find a nice Victorian home about three blocks down the street from Aunt PittyPat. Scarlett thought the location was perfect. Close to Wade. Close to Melanie. The house had seven bedrooms. It was perfect except for not having a room on the ground floor for Mammy. The servant's quarters were on the third floor, but Scarlett decided to give Mammy one of the rooms on the second floor. All Rhett said about that decision was for Scarlett to be sure it was as far away from their room as possible. They gave Ella a room of her own. Kenny and Chris shared a room much to Kenny's displeasure. Charlotte and Vicky shared a room. Grace and Faith shared a room. Elizabeth had her own room. Rhett and Scarlett shared a room. And Mammy got the last room.

When Kenny said, "Why do I have to share a room?"

Rhett told him, "As soon as Ella gets married, or Mammy goes to the Great Beyond you will get your own room."

Scarlett said, "Rhett don't talk that way."

Kenny didn't need to be told who his father was hoping would leave the house first. His father had never made any secret of his dislike for Mammy. Of course, Mammy had never made any secret of her dislike for his father. Kenny was glad they both loved him.

Much to Kenny's annoyance, Vicky said, "I get to have my own room first. I am older than you."

"Then Charlotte would get her own room before me."

"Sorry KenKen. That's life."

"Dad!"

"Vicky has a point. She should get her own room before you."

"That means I would have to wait for both Ella and Vicky to get married before I can have my own room.

Rhett said wistfully, "Or Mammy's unfortunate departure from this world."

"Rhett!"

"At least you have a room."

With that Kenny stormed off.

It was a nice house. It wasn't nearly as ornate as the mansion, but Scarlett's taste had gotten more refined after living with Rhett all these years. Scarlett was happy with it. She was especially happy with her new red buggy. It had gold trim and was as gaudy and flamboyant as the mansion. Rhett just smiled when he saw her in it. He would not ride with her in it but that usually wasn't a problem. She usually had at least two of her children with her at all times. Sometimes even three. She probably would have all eight with her if she could stuff them all in that buggy. In fact, he had to stop her from trying to take more than three on more than one occasion. The buggy was made to only carry two people after all.

The children that she sometimes referred to as her passel of brats. If he didn't know how much she loved them, he might be offended by that statement. Instead, it always made him remember the girl of the war years and her fiery temper. It made him remember that proud, arrogant, stupid man he had been during the war years. Who deliberately makes the woman he loves mad because he thinks she looks so cute when she is mad? A stupid idiot. That's who.

Rosemary and Samuel bought a house within walking distance of Rhett and Scarlett. It was the furthest Rosemary had ever lived away from her mother.

In the spring of eighty-two while having supper with the Wilkes, Rhett and Scarlett found out Beau was going to Emory University also. Ashley told them, "I wouldn't be able to send him to school if I had not gotten an unexpected windfall. A man named William Bergman was on his death bed and he had his nurse send me almost all of his savings. In her letter she said Mr. Bergman had shared that I had helped him while at Rock Island. Mr. Bergman claimed that I had helped him survive that hell on earth. The nurse explained in the letter that Mr. Bergman had no heirs and he had wanted his money to go to a good man. A man that was a gentleman even under the worse circumstances. The nurse's name was Mary Smith, and the return address was some place in Texas. The thing is I don't remember a Mr. Bergman from Rock Island. I don't remember being particularly helpful to anyone while I was at Rock Island. I was barely surviving myself."

Scarlett said, "Ashley you have always been so helpful to everyone. It is so much a part of you that you probably don't remember helping your fellow prisoners."

"I think he is remembering someone else, and he got our names confused. I would not want to take someone else's reward."

Rhett said, "That shows what a good man you are. You are worrying about stealing someone else's reward when you could certainly use the money."

"As much as I don't want to, I am going to accept the money. Since Mr. Bergman is dead there would be no way to find the man, he genuinely wanted to send his money to."

Melanie said, "If there is another man. Like Scarlett said you have always been an extremely helpful man."

"I just wish Melanie had not cashed the check so quickly."

"That much money I wanted to get in the bank before something happened to the check."

Round and round the conversation went with three people fooling the fourth. Everyone knew it was the only way to get Ashley to accept the money for Beau's education. Everyone knew that Ashley would never accept the money from Rhett Butler. Ashley still hated the man after all these years which was only right for Rhett still hated Ashley Wilkes.