Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Fourteen

Stuart Townsend was having a lovely evening. The supper served at the boarding house was one of his favorites. It was beef stew and there had actually been some beef in it. The meals were always better when the boarding house was full. Stuart knew that the woman who ran the boarding house was doing the best she could on what her boarders paid her. He knew that she even let one or two of her boarders get in the rears with their payments. Luckily so far, all the boarders had always managed to get caught up.

Bertha Rocco was probably in her mid-fifties, with two spinster daughters to support. Both of her daughters had flirted with him, but they were both very plain women like their mother, and he had not been interested.

Women had always flirted with him. He knew he was an attractive gentleman. He knew he was a real catch for not only did he have a good job he had all his body parts. He often wondered how he managed to survive four years of war without getting injured or killed. Somehow, he had. Those were the worst four years of his life. He would just as soon never think of those four years again.

As he walked to Belle's to have a drink, he thought about India. When he had first seen India, he had wondered how he would be able to convincingly court the woman. She had looked like a sour, bitter, old maid. He had hardly believed the transformation of her face when she had smiled. When she had returned from changing her dress she had looked like an entirely different woman. She had been an attractive woman. He had been pleased to see she had some bosom. He had always been partial to big breasts.

He wanted a woman who was intelligent and well-read for his wife. He wanted a woman past her first bloom. He didn't think he could take a childish, immature, ignorant woman as his wife. If things continued going well with India, he would probably ask her to marry him despite the fact her brother was an ass.

He laughed at the events that had happened that afternoon. He was extremely happy that Mr. Wilkes had spoilt his own interview. It meant that Stuart could pretend he would have hired him if Wilkes hadn't ruined it with arguing with Bosworth.

Stuart laughed. He had known Bosworth for over two years and had always thought of him as a very mild-mannered man. Stuart decided Bosworth was until something he valued was in jeopardy. He knew he would never suggest taking philosophy and Greek mythology away from the little man again. Stuart laughed again.

When he got to Belle's he had a drink and played a few hands of poker. He enjoyed his conversations with the other men. He briefly considered going upstairs but decided not to go. He didn't want India to hear about that.

The next day Scarlett went out to visit Ashley at the mills. She had to hear his side of the interview. Rhett was almost as excited as she was about hearing Ashley's side of the interview.

Scarlett went out to the sawmill about two hours after dinner. She hurried into the shack. When she saw Ashley she said, "I got here as soon as I could. I had to wait until after our nap. Please, tell me the interview didn't go as badly as Rhett said it did. I was sick to my stomach last night when Rhett gleefully told me all about it. I kept thinking, 'Surely it didn't go that badly."

"My dear, it was worse than your husband told you it was. No matter how bad he made it sound, it was worse."

"No, Ashley, tell me all about it."

Ashley looked at Scarlett's sympathetic face and felt bad for all the time he had used her. Maybe not bad. It was hard to feel bad for using someone who was as gullible as Scarlett. That would be like the lion feeling sorry for the gazelle that the lion had just eaten. It was the way of nature. The stronger prey on the weaker.

He said, "I got there, and Mr. Townsend was very polite. Your husband was there, and he had a smirk on his face."

"I just hate that smirk." Scarlett did hate that smirk so she could be extremely passionate with that statement. Although she hadn't seen it in a while.

Ashley smiled at Scarlett's passion. He said, "There was a third man there a small man. A man that looked like a fussbudget. He was sitting there picking the lint off of his jacket. A nothing of a man."

"Ashley!" Then Scarlett giggled.

Ashley smiled and said, "I'm sorry, my dear. I shouldn't have said that." Yet he didn't look repentant.

"Never mind that. He probably is a fussbudget. Go on."

"Anyway. As I said I got there and sat down. Do you know I have never interviewed for a position?"

"No."

"Mr. Townsend asked me a question which was easy to answer. It was about my education. Then Rhett Butler asked me a question with a sanctimonious expression about my teaching experience. Of course, I don't have any teaching experience which I had to admit. Then your husband gives me a superior look. I don't know how that man could give anyone a superior look when everyone knows the kind of people he associates with. Whores are the best of the lot. He poisons everything he touches. You know what he has done to you. He has degraded you." Ashley thought, 'Just like I would have if I had been smart enough to marry Scarlett. I probably could have gotten her to do the most awful yet erotic things.'

"Ashley!"

"I'm sorry my dear but if you knew the look, he gave me at the interview like I was dirt, and the truth is he is dirt. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I digress. That fussbudget asked me a question about the schools of philosophy. I said there were seven schools and I named them. He says in this pious voice, 'No, Mr. Wilkes, there are only four. He names them.' I said, 'Yes there are some people who think there are only four.' Who established them? I tell him who established each one. I told him Aristotle established the school of cynics. He says, 'It was Antistenes not Aristotle.' I argued with him. I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't stop myself. I knew I was right."

"Oh no, Ashley."

"If your husband had not been sitting there with that patronizing expression on his face, I would have probably stopped a lot sooner. I wanted to smash your husband's face in."

"Ashley, are you saying it was Rhett's fault that you blew your interview."

"Yes. If he had not been smirking and looking all holier-than-thou, I would have done better."

"Ashley, that is how Rhett always is."

"Melly is always going on about how wonderful he is and how you don't deserve him."

"I don't deserve him? I would think it was the other way around."

"It is, my dear, it is. He doesn't deserve you."

"I thought Melly was my friend."

"She is. I just think she is a little too fond of Captain Butler."

"You don't mean like I am fond of you, do you?"

"I shouldn't say anymore."

"Well! I never. Like Melly could attract a man like Rhett!"

"I should have married you."

"Yes, you should have but let's not talk about that it is just too sad. We can never be together now that I married Rhett. He will never let me go. Enough about Rhett and Melly. Tell me more about the interview."

"There isn't any more to tell. Rhett Butler and Mr. Townsend asked some more questions, but I knew there was no way I was getting the job. I had lost Mr. Bosworth's vote and I never could have gotten your husband's vote. He hates me because I am everything he can never be. Everything he gave up when he ruined that girl," Ashley took a deep breath and said, "So, even though I knew I had Mr. Townsend's vote it didn't matter."

"I'm sorry for you Ashley but at least you have this job for the moment."

"What?"

Scarlett stood up and said, "I have to go. I have to get home before Rhett gets home. He went to The Painted Lady to meet some men about a deal. If I am not home, he will question me about where I have been."

"What did you mean that … I have this job for the moment?"

As she was walking to the door she said, "I told you. If I don't start making a big profit Rhett is going to make me sell this mill. As I told you he said, 'He has other things I can do with my time." She blushed and walked out the door.

Ashley walked Scarlett to her buggy and helped her in it. As she drove back to town, she thought, 'The worthless waste of flesh. He is blaming all his problems on Rhett, and he is trying to get me to be mean to Melly. I wonder what Melly did to make him mad. Coward that he is he cannot tell Melly about his anger. No, he will make Melly's life miserable through me and then be sympathetic to her plight while laughing at her unhappiness the entire time. Just like with India. She wasn't going to do it. Now that Melly wasn't the competition Scarlett liked Melly a lot. Scarlett was even not hating India anymore. She and India may have remained friendly. No, all those women hated her because the men preferred her to them.

As Ashley watched Scarlett drive away in her new buggy. He thought she still thought herself in love with him. He knew that Butler would never let her turn him out of her bed. He wouldn't either. He smiled an evil smile when he thought about Scarlett being mean to Melly. Melly wouldn't know why, and she would be hurt. Ashley knew that Melly felt guilt for what they were doing to Scarlett, and she was always so nice to Scarlett because of it. He was mad at Melly. She wouldn't help him with his needs. She only let him go to Belle's once a month. She was the one that was so sickly she couldn't get pregnant again so they couldn't have a normal sex life. Everyone thought she was so wonderful there wasn't anyone he could complain to about her except Scarlett. Scarlett was like a loaded weapon. All he had to do was aim and point. He wished he could aim that gun at India. She was far too happy for Ashley's peace of mind. How can she be that happy when he was this unhappy? He imagined actually pointing a gun at India. He laughed as he walked back into the office.

As Ashley was thinking mean thoughts about Melly, she was trying to figure out why Ashley was grumpy and mad all the time. As far as Melly knew nothing had changed in their world. She knew that Ashley wished he could go to Belle's more often, but he didn't make enough money for him to go more often. Whenever someone needed new clothes and Ashley had to forgo his trip to Belle's that month he always whined and moaned about his needs so much that she never objected when he went to visit the establishment.

Thank goodness, Scarlett gave Melly all of Wade's hand-me downs. Melly smiled when she thought about Scarlett giving her the gray cloak. All of Scarlett's kindnesses were making Melly feel guiltier about how they were deceiving her. Melly wouldn't tell Scarlett the truth though because Ashley was still too devastated emotionally from the war and Rock Island to stand on his own two feet. Maybe next year he would be strong enough. Melly hoped so.

When Scarlett got home, she went to find Rhett. She found him in the nursery sitting on the floor. She sat down beside him and said, "I will tell you more later but tell Mr. Townsend that our friend believes he voted to hire our friend."

"Just in case our friend becomes his brother-in-law?"

"Yes."

They smiled at each other. Scarlett was furious at Ashley Wilkes. He was still trying to get her to do his dirty work for him. Rhett might be a bastard, but he was a bastard to one's face. No, Rhett would never stab one in the back. Rhett would face his opponent head on. Rhett would never trick someone into doing his dirty work for him. Well, he might but he would do it in a way that the person knew they were doing Rhett's dirty work for him. Scarlett slipped her hand in his then Bonnie crawled over and sat in Scarlett's lap. It made Scarlett incredibly happy. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and smiled at her husband.

The picture took Rhett's breath away. The woman and the child he so very much loved looking at him with what he thought was love. Could it be?