Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Nova, gabyhyatt and Gemma96: The dog thing – When Scarlett told Rhett she didn't want any more children, Rhett says, "Do you like your dogs in kennels or in mangers?" Of course, Scarlett has no clue what he is talking about. I had no clue as to what he was talking about either. MissCyn explained it in her fanfic. Rhett will explain it in this one.

Chapter Four

As Rhett and Scarlett were lying in the bed after they had relations, he was playing with her hair. He was pulling her hair down over her breast and then moving it aside. He was doing more caressing of her breast than he was actually playing with her hair. He said to distract himself from her beautiful body that he loved so much, "The dog reference is from Aesop's fables. The Dog in the Manger. Basically, a dog will not let the cattle get to the manger that is filled with hay. The dog cannot eat the hay, but he is not letting the cattle eat the hay either. The moral is 'Do not begrudge others what you cannot enjoy yourself."

Scarlett stared at Rhett. That was exactly what Ashley had done. Ashley was such a petty man. He was jealous that Rhett had her body even though he had her heart and soul. Ashley managed to take even that away from Rhett. She forced her anger at Ashley down Rhett couldn't see that. He would ask far too many questions. She said, "Maybe I am a dumb bunny."

Rhett had no idea what his wife's feelings were for Mr. Wilkes. He knew that she no longer thought him perfect. He suspected that she didn't think herself in love with him anymore. He had seen the flash of anger in her eyes before she pushed it down which meant she didn't want him to know she no longer thought she loved Mr. Wilkes, he hoped. He knew that something had happen devastating enough to Scarlett for her to seek comfort in his bed and from him. She also wasn't talking about him all the time like she had before she had joined him in his bed. Rhett was proceeding with great care in regard to Scarlett. He felt he was on the verge of victory, and he was afraid with one misstep he would lose it all. Now was not the time to mock her or tease her. Rhett leaned forward and kissed her and said, "No, you are a very clever bunny. Remember?"

Scarlett smiled at him and said, "Yes, I remember."

"Although it wouldn't hurt you to read a book every now and then."

Rhett rolled over and lit his cigar. He turned off the gas lamp and pulled Scarlett into his arms. She hugged him tight. He thought, 'Yes, I just have to make sure Mr. Wilkes doesn't worm his way back into her heart.' He started telling his stories.

The next evening when they were in the family parlor after the children were in bed Rhett gave Scarlett a present. It was a copy of Aesop's Fables. He said, "They are short stories even you should be able to handle them."

Scarlett frowned at him, but she did open the book. They indeed were short stories. Some were only a page long. As she flipped through the book, Rhett sat down next to her and opened his book. They passed the rest of the evening in companionable silence.

Mammy was pleased. Miss Scarlett and Mr. Rhett were sharing a bed again and they were getting along better than they ever have before. Mammy had her fingers crossed and was truly hoping for the best.

Scarlett hadn't moved her clothes into Rhett's room, but she had moved her vanity table and her nightgowns. Rhett had been happy to see Scarlett's vanity table. It made the whole thing more of a reality.

After six weeks of resuming their marital relations Rhett and Scarlett moved back into the master bedroom. Scarlett woke up the next morning so incredibly happy. Rhett was such a good lover. She had felt that feelings so many times. She knew without a doubt that Ashley would never have made her feel so good. She also knew that relations with Ashley would not have been any better than with Frank. At least Charlie had been quick but with Frank it lasted far too long and was just gross. Rhett was perfect for her. Sometimes with Rhett it was over far too soon, but she somehow knew not to comment on that. She smiled and got out of the bed. As she got dressed, she saw the discoloration on her neck. She wondered what it was and as she finished getting dressed, she made sure it was covered up.

She went downstairs and asked Rhett about the mark. He smiled and said, "I am sorry. I got carried away last night, Honey. It is what is called a love bite."

She knew in that moment that Rhett wasn't sorry. She knew he had done it deliberately to mark her as his property. It didn't upset her. Instead, it thrilled her that Rhett wanted every other man to know that she was his property. It thrilled her because she knew Rhett was beginning to fall in love with her and that was why he was so possessive.

Scarlett smiled and went back upstairs to change her dress to something with a lower neckline. She put a scarf on. She made sure the scarf covered the love bite, so Mr. Elsing and Mr. Jackson didn't see it.

She thought about what Rhett had said about men wanting relations all the time. If that was true, then Ashley must be very frustrated especially if he could only afford to go to Belle's once a month. She remembered Ashley commenting that she had a fine body. She knew Rhett was right that Ashley did want her that way. All the time. She thought again about Ashley getting her to kick Rhett out of her bed. Ashley was a spiteful man. He was jealous that Rhett had her body and he managed to take even that away from Rhett. That stoked her anger. She wished she knew more about relations so she could imply things like she was doing with Ashley's stupidity. She couldn't ask Rhett because he would want to know why she wanted to know. She didn't know how she knew but she knew that a proper lady wouldn't get a love bite.

When she got to Ashley's mills, she moved the scarf so that Ashley could not miss seeing the love bite. It would look like the scarf had shifted and she was accidently exposing the mark. Ashley was no longer coming out to greet her and to help her out of her buggy. He was no longer looking at her with adoring looks. She was continuing to look at him with doting looks. She had been faking those looks for years with all the other men. She smiled sweetly and asked him, "Ashley how are you today? How is production?"

Ashley scowled at her and said, "The ledger is over there. Look for yourself."

She sat down at the desk and made sure that Ashley could see the spot. She knew when Ashley first saw it. His eyes almost bugged out. Ashley kept staring at it. Finally, Scarlett pretended to notice that her scarf had shifted. She put her hand over the spot and said, "What you must think of me? Oh, Ashley, the things he makes me do! You were so right that day. Rhett is so brutal and so coarse. Rhett is so demanding. He just won't take no for an answer. I know I shouldn't but… You must think I am such a fallen woman. I have already said too much." She got up and practically ran out of the room.

Scarlett laughed all the way home as she remembered Ashley's expressions. He had gone from shock, to intrigued to anger. She hadn't had this much fun in so very long. Not since she had gone to the finishing school, and she had become a lady. She just wished she could share this with Rhett. He would think it was as funny as she did, but he would demand to know why she no longer cared about Ashley. If she, could, they could torture Ashley together. She was so sure Rhett would know of so many wonderful ways to make the two-faced liar suffer.

Ashley fumed the rest of the afternoon. He would not have known what that mark was if it hadn't been for those Crackers that had served under him. Until the war started, he only knew of one position that one could have relations in. Those men would talk about relations like they were talking about the weather. That is when he found out there was a world of sexual pleasure waiting for him. He had used the services of the camp followers upon occasion, and they were willing to try different things. They had taught him a few things also. He knew no lady would do any of those things, but he would have been able to talk Scarlett into doing them. Butler had managed to talk Scarlett into doing them and she wasn't even in love with Butler. She wasn't a lady but just the daughter of an Irish peasant that got lucky. Not for the first time Ashley thought, 'To have Scarlett in his bed would be to die for.'

Even if Melly could have relations, she would not have done any of those things. She was too much of a lady for that. It didn't matter whether Melly would or would not. She couldn't perform her wifely duties. He knew it wasn't Melly's fault that they could no longer have relations but if he had only known how everything was going to fall apart because of the war. He could have married Scarlett and just kept Melly as his special friend. To have a woman like Scarlett O'Hara in his bed it was what fantasies were made of and he certainly had fantasized about Scarlett. He could have talked her into doing anything. Maybe even allowing Melly to join them in their bed. No Melly would never do that she was too much of a lady.

What's more Scarlett would have done everything she had done to support them, and he could have pretended to be the long-suffering husband with a wife that was out of control to the matrons. He could have played the part of a husband who was such a gentleman he would continue to stand by her side.

But instead, he was living a practically celibate life except for rare trips to Belle's. They couldn't afford for him to go any more often. Melly wouldn't even help him with his needs.

All he and Melly were now was friends. Very close friends but just friends.

When Ashley got home that night for the first time, he looked at Melanie with resentment.

That night when they were in the parlor. Scarlett remembered something Ashley had said about Stuart. She said, "Rhett darling, what is a Neanderthal?"

Rhett smiled and said simply, "A caveman." Two months ago, he would have used a lot of equally large words to tell Scarlett the definition but right now he didn't want to mock her. He didn't want to make her feel stupid. He would always want to tease her because she was so cute when she got mad at him.

"Thank you."

"Why?"

"I was at Ashley's mill today and I think he got mad at me because I was rebuking him for not making a profit. This is not the first time I have spoken to him about this subject, so I simply asked him again if he understood that the goal was not just to cover cost but to make a large profit. He then very unkindly said, 'I'm not a Neanderthal.' Rhett burst out laughing. He didn't care if it made her mad for him to be laughing at The Little Gentleman. When Rhett quit laughing Scarlett continued, "The last time I talked to him about making a profit he called me a dumb bunny. Remember?"

"Yes, my clever bunny. I remember."

Scarlett smiled at the compliment. She said, "He hurt my feelings again. I just don't understand how he can be such a bad businessman. If it was anyone else, I would think the man was doing it on purpose because he is that bad." Scarlett pouted.

Rhett sat down next to Scarlett on the divan. He put his arm around her and said, "I'm sure he isn't doing it on purpose. He is just a bad businessman."

Scarlett sighed and laid her head on Rhett's shoulder.

Scarlett's words had made him happy, but she had known Mr. Wilkes was a bad businessman and most of the time she didn't hold it against him. Most of the time she prattled on about Mr. Wilkes being too fine for this work. So, this was a positive shift in her view of the man. He was trying to be patient with her because she was being sweet, attentive and most of all welcoming.

Author's Notes: In the 19th century a hickey was referred to as a 'love bite.'