Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Chapter One
February 1866
It had been a week since she had come back to Tara after her visit to Atlanta to get the tax money. It had been a horrible two weeks. She had gone to Ashley for help with the taxes. He had gone on and on about Gods and Gotter something when she needed practical help. She had begged him to run away with her. He had refused because of honor. Scarlett knew if he ever found out what happened to her on the way back from Rough and Ready, he would never forgive her even though it was not her fault. He would think she was soiled now. She was humiliated then and now. With rare insight she now recognized that he would have been the perfect husband before the war but now he was useless. He was still living his life according to the rules of the prewar times. He would not do what needed to be done to survive much less triumph. She knew she would do whatever she needed to do in the current times to survive. Different actions were required in this new world they lived in. Ashley was correct when he had said the world, they had grown up in, was gone forever. After talking to Ashley her heart had closed a little more.
After her humiliation at the Fire House by Rhett she hoped he died a slow painful death. She was once again angry at his actions at Rough and Ready. He said he had not felt one moment of regret for leaving her there with only a sick woman, two children and a darkie. He had said that obviously she had gotten to Tara unharmed. When Scarlett remembered Rhett saying he had been in France and England while she had been starving, she was even madder. She had thought about their four-year relationship and wondered why she had let him keep calling on her. All he ever did was mock her or make improper suggestions. She knew she had let him keep calling because of all the gifts he had given her and the fact he was the only interesting man in Atlanta. After talking to Rhett her heart had closed a little more.
No, she had not gotten to Tara unharmed. She had stopped on the road by a stream for them to get some water and rest that poor horse. She had gone to the bushes to relieve herself. That is when the Yankee soldier had come upon her. Unfortunately, she had left the pistol in the wagon hidden under the mattress. The Yankee had raped her. It was horrible. The savagery of it all. The soldier had rummaged through the wagon but had not found the pistol but she couldn't get to it either. She would be able to get the pistol and shoot him if he tried to rape Melly or Prissy. The soldier looked at Melly and Prissy and said that today was their lucky day he wasn't going to rape them. Prissy started screaming hysterically. Melly had already passed out from the pain. The soldier then said, "I guess I have already gotten anything of value here." And started walking away in the opposite direction of Tara. Fortunately, she had not been made pregnant by the rape but her heart had closed a little that night.
She had tried to get Frank Kennedy to marry her for the tax money but those plans had gone awry. After Frank picked her up outside the Fire House, she had flirted with him shamelessly that evening. She had gone to his store to continue her pursuit of him the next day. She had invited him to dinner that night. At the end of the evening when she walked him to the door, he had looked at her strangely. What Scarlett didn't know was Frank knew she was up to something because she had never before given him the time of day. She was giving him way too much attention. That made him questioned if she had told him the truth about Suellen. Friday, he had gotten in his buggy and drove to Tara to talk to Suellen. When Frank got to Tara he demanded to know if she was really going to marry Tony Fontaine. Suellen didn't know where he had gotten that idea but she quickly sized up the situation and told Frank yes unless he married her that very day. They could go to the courthouse and get married. They did. While they were at the courthouse Suellen convinced him to pay the taxes on Tara because they couldn't let the Yankees get it. Frank being so happy that Suellen still loved him generously paid the taxes. Suellen knew that she would probably have to do without something for the taxes to be paid but it was worth it to triumph over Scarlett and be the heroine of this dire situation. When they got to Atlanta Suellen made Frank take her to see Scarlett. Suellen told Scarlett, "Oh sister dear thank you for telling Frank about Tony. It made him so jealous that he drove down to Tara today and demanded that I marry him. We are so happy." Then Suellen walked over to Scarlett and hugged her and whispered in her ear, "You must be losing your touch. This makes the second man you have lost to a less attractive woman, first Melly now me." Scarlett just stood there dumbfounded. All she could say was, "Congratulations"
Then Suellen said, "Frank generously paid the taxes on Tara. I guess that makes me the heroine." Then they left.
The rest of the day and that night all Scarlett could think was 'I lost a man to Suellen and I guess I did lose Ashley to Melly. I guess I am losing my touch.'
She wasn't sorry about the outcome but she didn't want to listen to Suellen crow about it.
The next morning Scarlett and Mammy took the train to Jonesboro. After she got back that evening at supper Ashley asked her if she got the money to pay the taxes. She replied "No. I didn't". Scarlett said to Ashley, "They are hiring in Atlanta. I think you should go and try to find a job."
Ashley looked at Scarlett strangely and said, "If you didn't get the money for the taxes, we will all have to move away from Tara. My family and I will leave tomorrow."
Ashley looked at Scarlett and noticed she was not looking at him with adoration. In fact, she was looking at him with contempt. Where was the adoring girl of not two weeks ago? Ashley didn't know it but that girl was gone. She had suffered a mortal blow that day in the orchard when she saw Ashley for who he was and Rhett had finished her off in the Fire House. All this woman cared about was putting food on the table and surviving another day. She was never going to depend on anyone else ever again. She was a cold, hard, amoral woman.
Scarlett said, "That is a good idea. We will pack up the house and follow you at the end of the month."
She no longer loved Ashley. In fact, she didn't even think she liked him. He was useless in these trying times. He was a fine southern gentleman but the world didn't need southern gentleman. She was glad she no longer had the responsibility of Melanie and Beau. They were both sweet and loving but she didn't need sweet and loving she needed someone who would help her carry the load.
The next day after the Wilkes had left for Atlanta, Scarlett told the rest of the Tara residence that Suellen had convinced Frank to pay the taxes on the plantation so they were safe for another year. Scarlett knew she had to figure out a way to make cash money.
Three days later in the afternoon Scarlett went to the little office to think. Now there was Will, Wade, Pa, Careen, Mammy, Pork, Dilcey and Prissy to help her run the plantation. Scarlett had gotten rid of all the dead weight, except Pa and Wade and they weren't going anywhere as long as she had breath left in her body. Yesterday a couple of former slaves had asked Will if they could work for food. Will and Scarlett talked about it and thought it was a good idea. Today a couple more had showed up. As long as she had enough food to go around it was a great plan.
She had decided to clean up the office since she didn't have to work in the field. She had been at it now for an hour. She thought about her life before the war. She had been such a silly, spoiled, immature girl. She had never thought about where her next meal was coming from or how hard it was to make money. All she had cared about was finding love and making a good match. She didn't want love anymore she wanted someone who would help her out in the field, plant cotton, weed the rows and harvest the cotton which made her laugh. Will was just a cracker and he had helped her more than all the gentleman of her acquaintance. All the gentleman she had known before the war were as poor as she was. She smiled when she thought about the gentleman she had dealt with the last month; Ashley was useless, Frank was an old maid, and Rhett was a jerk. She smiled at least Charlie would have been able to make money with his law degree.
She moved the desk just a little because the door kept getting stopped by the desk. When she did a floor board popped up. Scarlett started to push the board back down but before she did, she saw the small metal box under the board. It was about six inches by nine inches and was black in color. It was the type of box that one would store valuables in. She lifted it up and put it on the desk. She tried to open it but of course it was locked. Scarlett opened the drawer excitedly. Where was that key, she had wondered about? There it was. It opened the box.