Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Twelve

Stuart Townsend had sent Ashley a note asking him to be at his office Thursday at 1:30. When Ashley had gotten home from work, he had quickly penned him a note saying he would be glad to be there. Ashley told Melanie, "This is especially important. Make sure that this note is delivered to Mr. Townsend tomorrow."

"Alright."

"I have to go see Scarlett."

"What about supper?"

"Eat without me."

Ashley walked over to Scarlett's mansion. When he saw it, he thought, not for the first time, "It is so ugly. Butler must not have any taste either. That is the only thing that explains him being able to tolerate the ugly monstrosity.' It never occurred to Ashley that because Butler loved his wife, he tolerated living in the ugly monstrosity.

When Ashley arrived, Pork let him into the mansion.

Ashley asked, "Will you tell Mrs. Butler that I am here."

Pork answered, "Please, Mr. Wilkes, wait in the parlor."

Pork returned a few minutes later and said, "Please have a seat. Mrs. Butler, will be with you shortly."

After thirty minutes Ashley had wondered if Scarlett was ever going to come to greet him. He would have thought she would have been to the parlor in an instant.

He soon heard someone coming and he stood up and put an adoring look on his face. He saw Scarlett but right behind her was Butler. Why was he here?

Rhett said, "What is so important that you chose to disturb our supper?"

"I need some time off from work."

"Tomorrow morning?"

"No, I need it on Thursday afternoon."

"That is almost a week away. This could have been taken care of tomorrow on work time. Instead, you chose to interrupt our meal and our personal time."

Scarlett said, "Rhett, please."

"I warned you, Scarlett, I will not allow your little hobby to interfere with our time."

In a meek voice that Ashley hadn't even known Scarlett possessed Scarlett said, "I know, Rhett. I'm sorry."

"I will think about what you can do to atone for your friend's actions."

In the same meek voice while looking at the floor, Scarlett said, "Thank you, Rhett. You are too good to me."

Butler stepped between Scarlett and Ashley and said, "What day do you want off?"

"I would prefer to speak to Scarlett about it."

"I would prefer my wife's employee didn't come to our home uninvited, but we aren't either one going to get what we want."

"Thursday afternoon."

"Fine. Fine. Scarlett will go out there and do your job for you."

"Rhett what about…?"

"I will be busy Thursday afternoon. I am part of the team interviewing Mr. Wilkes for a teaching position."

"You will be interviewing me?"

"There will be three of us. Stuart, another teacher and myself."

"Why are you part of the team?"

"I am part owner of the school. At least I am until Stuart pays back the loan, I gave him. Let's go Wilkes. Scarlett has to get her children ready for bed."

As Wilkes walked to the door with Butler, Scarlett walked to the stairs. She stood on the stairs with a sad expression on her face. When Ashley looked at her to say goodbye, he felt so awful. As he walked back to his house, he wondered what the brute was going to make Scarlett do to atone for his ruining their supper. He wished he had some money, and they could run away to Mexico, but he didn't have two pennies to rub together.

He was a little bit concerned about Butler being on the team to interview him, but he wasn't really worried. He had Mr. Townsend's vote. Townsend did seem to be very taken with India and the man would not like Ashley not allowing him to continue calling on India. The teacher would vote for him once he knew how intelligent he was and how knowledgeable of philosophy and Greek mythology he was.

As Ashley was walking home the Butlers were laughing at his expressions. Scarlett said, "We did very good with no idea what the other was going to say."

"I didn't think it was possible for you to achieve that amount of meekness in your voice. You looking at the floor was perfect."

"I had to look at the floor. If I had looked at his face, I would have burst out laughing."

"Our German lessons will start on Wednesday morning."

"What time?"

"Nine."

"Alright. Should I go out there tomorrow?"

"No. Wait until next Monday to give him time to fret about it."

They both laughed in the most malicious way.

"I'm going to get Mammy to give Bonnie a bath or do you want to?"

"I will."

"You are the most unique man. To think I once thought it was unmasculine to be so involved in your child's life."

"If I start wearing dresses then I will be unmasculine."

"I got my dress from Mrs. Browning."

"Don't wear it Monday."

"No, I am going to wait a couple of weeks until this hoax is over with."

By this time, they were at the nursery. Mammy said, "Mr. Wade is already in the bathtub. It is just about time for him to get out."

Scarlett said, "I will get Wade, Mammy, if you will get the bath ready for Ella." Mammy nodded.

Rhett said, "Is Bonnie playing?"

"Yes, Mr. Rhett."

Rhett gave Scarlett's cheek a kiss and they went about getting the children ready for bed. Without a conscience plan Rhett had gotten Scarlett involved in getting the children ready for bed. He was happy that she would sit next to him while he read the story. Sometimes she read the stories. Whoever wasn't reading the story would hold Bonnie and keep her entertained. To Rhett it was quite a homey arrangement.

After the children were asleep, they would go to the family parlor and talk. Occasionally they would read together. Occasionally Rhett would read to Scarlett while she did mending. Occasionally he would go out in the evenings to meet business acquaintances or play a few hands of poker. All in all, Rhett thought, 'It is rather commonplace and predictable, but it is certainly not dull, boring or ordinary. I hope it never ends.'

That evening when they got to the family parlor, Rhett said, "I have to meet some slimy businessmen about that big deal I told you about. I shouldn't be late but go ahead and go to sleep if you want to."

"Alright. I think I will."

"I will wake you up when I get home."

Rhett kissed her with his special kiss and walked out the door. Scarlett waiting for him in their bed was all he thought about on the way to Belle's but when he got to Belle's he adjusted himself and pushed all those thoughts out of his head. He did want to live to enjoy the fact that Scarlett was waiting for him at home. He laughed and walked into the saloon.

Rhett saw the ugly faces of his business associates and any thought of Scarlett was far, far from his mind. Thirty minutes later, he arose from the table a much richer man. He decided he would buy Scarlett the new buggy she had asked him to buy her. It could be red and as ornate as she wanted. It could be as flamboyant as the mansion. He would even ride in it. He laughed. He heard Johnny and had to give Johnny some feedback on how much he had hurt Scarlett. The man had done his dirty work for him. Scarlett would never know.

Rhett joined the poker table that Johnny was sitting at and luckily the chair that was open was facing towards the room. That way he could see who was listening to him. He anted into the pot.

Johnny said, "How is Mrs. Butler?"

"She is fine. She was a little hurt last month by a malicious rumor about her dear friend."

"I'm sorry to hear that. She and her friend didn't have a falling out, I hope."

"No, no. Her friend denied everything," In an appalled voice Rhett continued, "and she believed him."

"Women!"

"I couldn't believe it, but I have to give her credit for being loyal."

Johnny whispered, "Do you think she really believed him?"

Rhett whispered back, "No. She has been pretty sad for the last several weeks."

Johnny laughed and Rhett smiled.

Belle wondered what Johnny and Rhett could have to talk about. They only had one thing in common. Scarlett Butler. Belle knew that Johnny had told everyone that Mr. Wilkes was using whores. There was nothing she could do to shut that rumor down. By the time she heard about the rumor being circulated it was too late. She smiled when she thought about all the supposedly appalled gentlemen, she had heard discussing Mr. Wilkes using whores. Those hypocrites were the same men coming around to use the backdoor and the back stairs themselves.

She looked at Rhett and Johnny again. She figured Rhett had gotten Johnny to spread that rumor by telling Johnny it would hurt his wife's feelings. She didn't care. She was just glad Rhett had stopped telling her all his problems with his wife. In fact, for the last four months, she hadn't seen that much of Rhett. When she did see him, he had been incredibly happy. Tonight, he was happier than she had ever seen him.

She hoped that bitch was finally treating him right although she hadn't minded Rhett suffering a little bit. Not since the day he had unashamedly told her that he wanted a woman with a young tight body. Then he had poured salt on the wound by saying, 'Like you used to have.' And had laughed his raunchy laugh. Sadly, he hadn't even seemed to notice how much he had hurt her. As far as she was concerned, they both could go out and feed the pigs.

Rhett left soon after that. Yes, he was definitely a happy man. On the way home, he started thinking about Scarlett and soon he made the horse go faster.

When Rhett got into the bed, he looked at Scarlett sleeping so peacefully and decided that he couldn't wake her up. He pulled her to him and soon he was asleep also. The next morning, he woke Scarlett up.

After she was fully awake, he said, "I made enough money last night that I am going to buy you that new buggy you asked for last month"

"Thank you, Rhett. You have always been so good to me."

"Come on then and get up."

"No. We have plenty of time before the buggy maker opens up." She kissed him and happily welcomed him into her embrace.

Rhett kissed her back and decided that Scarlett was right. They had plenty of time before they had to get up.

When they got to the buggy maker, Rhett bought her a brand new, red, shiny buggy. He at first said she couldn't get the ornate trim but when she said, "Please. I'll do something nice for you."

He had laughed and said, "In that case, yes."

The buggy maker got it ready right then. As they got into the buggy Rhett said, "I live in a monstrosity of a mansion why not ride around in an eyesore of a buggy."

Scarlett laughed. It didn't bother her when Rhett said things like that now. It only hurt when he said things in a cruel and mean way. Scarlett said, "Thank you, Rhett. You are so good to me."

Rhett smiled down at her and wanted to kiss her but that definitely wasn't proper so instead he said, "What are you going to tell Mr. Wilkes about your new buggy?"

"That you bought it for me because you wanted me to have the finest things. Your wife riding around in a year-old buggy just wasn't good enough for you."

Rhett laughed and said, "How old is their buggy?"

"They got it before the war so almost ten years old."

"They don't have a carriage, do they?"

"No, just an old, dilapidated buggy. The top even has a hole in it so if it is raining, they can't use it. At least not without getting wet."

They laughed. Scarlett started talking about the children which Rhett found refreshing. Scarlett made Rhett drive them around Atlanta so everyone would see her new buggy. She would probably always want people to be envious of her.