Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Three

February 15th Scarlett hired an actress to play a role for her. The actress looked a lot like Scarlett. She followed Scarlett around trying to learn her expressions and her gestures. By the first of March Scarlett thought the actress, Amy, was ready to play her part.

Scarlett and Amy went out to Ashley's mill in matching outfits one morning. They flounced into the small office and Ashley thought he was seeing double. Scarlett said, "Where is the ledger?"

Ashley pointed to the ledger. He was dumb struck by the sight in front of him. It was like there were two Scarletts. One Scarlett went to look at the ledger and tsked tsked over the books. The other Scarlett who Ashley could now see was not identical to Scarlett wandered around the room. The other Scarlett said, "Scarlett, it is so rustic."

"Yes Pansy, there is no point in spending a lot of money on the building. The managers go to the customer not the other way around."

"That makes sense. We have always been smart with our money."

Ashley said, "Scarlett, who is this woman?"

"Ashley, you know who it is." Scarlett laughed afterwards.

"No, I don't."

"Ashley, it is my twin sister, Pansy. She is here from Tara for a visit. Surely you recognize her."

"Scarlett, you don't have a twin sister."

"Yes, I do. She is standing right there." Scarlett flung her arm out and pointed at Amy.

Amy gave a small wave. She said, "Hello Ashley, how are you? I haven't seen you since you moved to Atlanta."

Ashley stared at the woman. He was thinking this is crazy. He said almost dumbly, "Scarlett doesn't have a twin sister."

"Obviously, I do. She is standing right there."

"Ashley, I am so hurt that you are acting like I don't exist."

"No, no, no."

"Don't you remember me, Ashley? You would come to Tara and read me romantic poetry."

"I read Scarlett romantic poetry."

"You read both of us romantic poetry."

"You would say, 'I can't decide which of you is prettier. Trying to decide kept me up all last night.' Don't you remember?"

"We would both giggle whenever you said it."

"Because you know we are identical twins."

Ashley closed his eyes. This was crazy. Scarlett didn't have a twin sister, did she? No, she didn't. What was going on? Ashley decided he would just leave. He would never understand this nightmare. Ashley walked out of the mill office on his way to the yard. He never looked back. He got on his horse and decided to make some sales calls. An hour later when Ashley returned to the mill office both of the Scarletts were gone. He didn't know what was going on. He wondered if he was going crazy.

Scarlett and Amy were at the mansion. Scarlett had invited Amy to dinner. They told Rhett about their morning after the girls were turned over to Mammy for their naps. Everyone enjoyed laughing about the events of the morning but soon Scarlett paid Amy for her morning's work and showed her to the door. If Rhett wasn't going to the bank this afternoon, they could take a nap.

As Amy left the Butler's mansion, she was happy she had enjoyed this morning's performance. She didn't know why Scarlett wanted to pull a prank on Mr. Wilkes, but she had enjoyed doing it. Scarlett was so much fun to be with. Not like most society ladies. Scarlett had been so generous she had given Amy twenty-five dollars which meant Amy would eat for the next several months.

A week later Scarlett went out to Ashley's mill. When she entered the office, Ashley asked, "Where is your twin?"

Scarlett looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Ashley you know I don't have a twin. There is only one of me."

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Why did you ask such a silly question?"

As Scarlett looked at Ashley expectantly, he didn't know what to say. He was even more confused than ever.

"Just trying to be silly."

"Don't. You aren't a playful person. You are a serious, studious, often boring person."

"I don't think I am boring."

"Boring people don't think they are boring because they are fascinated by the subject matter that nobody else cares about. Enough about that boring subject. Where is the ledger?"

"On the desk."

"This is amazing. You have somehow managed to make a nice profit this week."

Ashley took offense at the word 'somehow' but ignored it and said, "Yes, I was able to make several sales last week."

"With Mr. Jackson's help?"

Ashley rudely replied, "No, all by myself. I'm not completely incompetent."

"No, you're not completely incompetent."

Ashley didn't like the way Scarlett had stressed the word 'completely,' but he was not going to show his anger. He was really getting tired of Scarlett's condescending attitude like she thought she was better than him. It is probably because of Captain Butler. He has ruined his sweet Scarlett in so many ways.

"I'm finally getting good at this job."

"After over three years I would hope so. Mr. Elsing is finally getting good at his job also. I'm so glad I didn't fire either one of you," Scarlett smiled sweetly at Ashley and continued, "Not that I could ever fire you, my love."

"That is reassuring that you won't fire me and that you still love me."

"Ashley, I could never stop loving you no matter how incompetent you were. I don't love you because of your ability to run this sawmill. I love you because you are everything good and honorable. You are the epitome of a southern gentleman."

"Thank you, my dear. I do pride myself on being a gentleman."

"I'm always telling Rhett that you are the perfect gentleman. I don't know why but it always makes him so mad. Almost like he is jealous, but Rhett is too arrogant and self-assured to be jealous."

"Maybe he is jealous because I am everything he threw away by his boorish behavior."

"You have said that before, but I don't know. He never acts like he cares about not being received although I have noticed him being very nice to the matrons lately. Maybe he does regret his behavior all those years ago. Maybe he does want to get received. If he does, it would be for Bonnie. He is so gaga over Bonnie. He does such unmasculine things like always insisting on giving Bonnie her bath or rocking her. Get this Ashley. Bonnie has to sit on his lap at the table and he feeds her. Can you imagine any other man doing that?"

"No matter what that boorish, coarse, brutish man does, he will not be received into society again."

"I suppose you are right,"

"I got four more rejection letters."

"Oh, how sad."

"Yes, it is. One from VMI my Alma Mater. That one really hurt."

"Don't let it get you down."

"I'm trying not to but there is something sad about getting rejection letter after rejection letter."

"Especially to a man who had never been rejected before."

"Exactly. It isn't funny or weird anymore. It is just irritating and actually a little hurtful that so many people don't want me."

"Don't let it bother you, my dear,"

"By the way, my dear, has your husband said anything to you about the Confederate gold?"

Scarlett sighed and said, "That's all he can talk about. Sometimes Ashley I can't help thinking how greedy he is. He already has enough money, but he still wants more."

"My dear, if we could find that gold we could finally run away together to Mexico."

"I don't want to run away to Mexico. I don't speak Mexican."

Scarlett had deliberately used the word Mexican instead of Spanish to irritate Ashley. Judging by the pinched look on his face she had succeeded.

Ashley almost sighed at the empty-headed child's ignorance but instead he said, "We can run away to Texas."

"I don't know. I wouldn't want to give up all the luxuries Rhett can afford to give me."

Ashley did sigh at that point. He said, "If I had the Confederate gold, I could afford to buy you all those luxuries."

Scarlett brightened and said, "That is true."

"Listen, dear, try to get all the information out of your husband then I will find the gold first. We can run away together. Maybe England or France."

Scarlett said, "I will try Ashley, but Rhett isn't sharing any details just about how great it will be when he gets the gold." She looked at her watch and jumped up. She said, "I have to go. I have to be home before Rhett, or he will pepper me with a thousand questions. Keep trying to make sales. Hopefully, you will be lucky again next week."

As Ashley watched Scarlett go, her use of the word 'lucky' was annoying but he forgot about it. He instead decided that he would make sure everyone knew what unmanly things Captain Butler was doing. He might even make up a few. He would enjoy everyone laughing at Captain Butler behind his back. Just like his acquaintances were laughing at him for working for a woman.

Ashley smiled when he thought of Scarlett's declaration of love. It was not as good as having her body but as long as he had her love, he would be able to continue to manipulate her. He laughed with glee when he thought of Scarlett being mean to Melly and ruining India's wedding somehow. He laughed harder when he thought about her getting him all the clues to where the Confederate gold was located. He would never have to work again, and he would have Scarlett in his bed. When he got tired of her and her stupidity, he would just leave her behind.

Ashley went and got his book from his bag. He had time to read a chapter or two. He didn't leave any of his books out here anymore. He couldn't afford to. He knew that Scarlett had been out again at night to look for his reading material. The office always smelled strange when she had visited the office the night before. It was a familiar smell, but he couldn't quite place it. One piece of information that might have helped Ashley place the smell was knowing that Scarlett and Rhett visited his mill every time they went out in the evening. They enjoyed having relations on his desk very much. The smell was the musky smell of a couple being intimate.

Rhett did start attending the Democratic Party meetings every Wednesday night. For the most part they were as boring as he thought they were going to be. Occasionally someone would say something interesting but rarely. He volunteered to work to help rid Georgia of the clan. He did think it was doing more harm than good. The men were nice and friendly yet reserve. Rhett understood that. Not a year ago he had been quite happy being a Scallawag. Now he was trying to redeem himself. He would attend every week because the annoyed look on Wilkes' face when he walked in was enough to make him return every week. The fact that it annoyed Wilkes every time he said something made him offer his opinion a lot more often than he normally would.

Scarlett was continuing to go calling with Melly. The matrons were being nice to her. The ladies were being nice to her. It seems that everyone thought she had changed her ways because she was being so nice to India. The truth was she was being nice to everyone. Scarlett was enjoying everyone being nice to her.

A couple of ladies had made jokes about Rhett and his baby crazy ways. Scarlett had laughed with everyone else. She was no longer embarrassed by Rhett's actions. She now thought it was sweet and endearing how much he loved his child and her children. Scarlett upon occasion would ponder how sweet and kind Rhett was now that he knew she loved him. He was aggravating and annoying, but he wasn't cruel or mean. She decided that anyone else would be so boring. Rhett was never boring.