Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The next day Ashley was having a bad day. Two weeks ago, a ship's wheel had been delivered and he had hidden it. He had written the seller a letter requesting a refund. Today he had received a reply from the seller stating that all sells were final. There would not be a refund given.

This morning he had spilled ink on his pants, at dinner time he had found out that he had left what there was of his dinner at home, a sale that he was sure of had fallen through and the worst of all last night he had found out that he could not visit Belle's this month because they needed the money for new clothes for India's wedding.

He had not believed his day could get any worse but then he heard the voice of Scarlett which would be bad enough in itself but he heard her husband's voice also.

They walked in the office laughing about something which made Ashley feel like they were laughing at him. Scarlett said, "Good afternoon, Ashley."

Rhett said, "Wilkes."

Ashley said, "Good afternoon. The ledger is over there."

Scarlett walked over to the ledger as Rhett walked around the tiny office. Ashley was sitting at his desk, and he wanted to stand up, so Butler wasn't towering over him, but he didn't want them to see the ink stain on his pants.

Rhett said, "Is that all you do all day? Sit around."

Ashley said defensively, "I am rarely in the office. I was taking a small break. I was about to go out on another sales call."

Rhett said, "Sure."

Before Ashley could say anything in response, Scarlett said, "Ashley, what is this number? I wish you would write clearer."

Ashley got up and couldn't help but notice Butler smirking at him and he knew the other man had seen the ink stain on his pants. He walked over to where Scarlett was looking at the ledger. Scarlett was pointing at a number and Ashley honestly couldn't tell what the number was supposed to be. So, he made one up. He said, "It is an eight."

"That would be wrong. This sum should be 1345 not 1845. That is a difference of almost five hundred dollars. You need to be more careful."

Ashley stood there for a minute until Scarlett said, "Don't hover. Go back to your desk."

When Ashley turned around, Rhett Butler was going through his desk. On his desk, face up was the picture of the man tied up. Rhett said with a sneer, "After finding this I can guess how you spend your time."

Ashley was mortified. Rhett Butler knew his shameful secret. It would be a matter of minutes before Scarlett knew also. As Ashley stood there in a state of shock Scarlett said, "Ashley, you have covered expenses. As you know that is no longer good enough for Rhett," Ashley turned toward Scarlett and she was staring at him. Ashley knew his body was in between Scarlett and the picture.

Ashley heard Butler's voice. Rhett said, "No it's not. I am going to start managing this mill. Because Scarlett is going to be tied up (Rhett stressed the words tied up) with the wedding for the next several weeks she and I agreed that for the next three months I will be coming out here to follow your progress and help you turn this mill around. I don't think you can do it but for Miss Melly and Beau's sake I am willing to give you one last try. If you don't turn it around Scarlett will sell her half of the mills and then you will be the competition."

Ashley's mind was a buzz. He couldn't settle on a thought. He would never be able to turn this mill around. He wasn't that good at his job. He then wondered what happened to the picture. Butler smiled a mean little smile. He said, "Come along, my Schatz. We shall leave Mr. Wilkes to contemplate his future."

"Alright, Rhett."

As soon as the couple had left the office, Ashley opened the drawers of his desk. In his top drawer was the picture. On the picture Butler had written in large bold letters: Hypocrite.

Ashley sank in the desk chair. Sooner or later Butler would tell Scarlett. She would be horrified and appalled. Sooner or later Butler would tell some of his friends and soon everyone in Atlanta would know. His life in Atlanta was over.

Rhett took over the management of Ashley's mills from that day.

Rhett went out to the mills at least three times a week. He wanted Wilkes to start making this mill profitable. This mill was special to him also. It was how he had wormed his way back into Scarlett's life. If she hadn't needed the loan to buy the mill, she probably would never have spoken to him again after the way he had talked to her at the Fire House.

Rhett was constantly reminding Ashley that he would sell the mill if things didn't get better. Every time Rhett went out to the mill, he would make a comment alluding to the picture.

"I hope you aren't too tied up with work for me to see the books."

"I'm glad Scarlett stopped letting her managers use the whip."

"Scarlett is almost in bondage to her businesses. We can't go anywhere."

Scarlett enjoyed all of Rhett's stories about Ashley looking ashen and scared.

After two weeks Rhett said, "Honey, I am certainly enjoying myself torturing Mr. Wilkes but you should seriously consider selling that mill. Whenever I tell Wilkes to do something he does the opposite. I know he is doing it to spite me nonetheless he is destroying our mill. That would be even worse than selling it for it to go under."

"I don't know, Rhett. I know it will never make a profit with Ashley at the helm, but I just don't want to sell it."

"No, it won't, and you can't fire him. That would cause hard feelings between you and Miss Melly then the matrons would come down on you like a ton of bricks. We would never get received then.

As Rhett stared at Scarlett she sighed and said, "I will make a decision after the wedding whether to sell it or not. Right now, I'm just so tired."

"Bunny, you need to go see Dr. Meade."

Scarlett said, "I will." Scarlett thought she might be pregnant but with her other pregnancies she was never this tired. She also wasn't suffering from morning sickness. She just didn't want to think about it right now.

"Soon."

"I will go after the wedding."

Two nights later after the children were asleep Rhett said, "Go get your wrap and meet me outside the front door."

"Why?"

"We are going for a walk?"

"I'm too tired to go for a walk."

"Come on. I promise it will be worth your while."

When Rhett joined Scarlett in front of the house, he was holding a brown bag. He was holding the bag at arm's length. Scarlett pointed at the bag and said, "What is that?"

"Our dog's contribution to our activities. Come on we are going to walk to the Wilkes."

When the couple got to the Wilkes, Rhett told Scarlett to get behind the hedge that separated the Wilkes property from the Hamilton House. Scarlett did and then turned to watch Rhett. He placed the kerosene-soaked bag on the porch and lit it. He then banged on the front door and ran to join Scarlett behind the hedges. As Rhett had hoped Wilkes answered the door. He saw the burning object on his porch and stomped on it. He stomped on it several times, thus ensuring he got dog feces all over his shoe.

Scarlett and Rhett were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe. Scarlett had to put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't laugh out loud. When they heard proper Ashley yell out, "Aw shit", they had to run away at that time for they could not keep the laughter inside anymore. They ran around to the front of the Hamilton House. They got on the sidewalk and quickly walked away. When they knew nobody could hear them, they started laughing. They laughed the rest of the way home.

As they walked up the stairs to their bedroom, Scarlett said, "Yes, that was definitely worth the walk."

"That prank was courtesy of my misspent youth in Charleston."

"Did you do that to the matrons?"

"My friends and I did it to anyone who didn't have a butler. We didn't want to hurt the help."

After Ashley had gotten the fire out, he had taken off his shoes. Melly asked, "Who was at the door?"

"Nobody."

"Why are you carrying your shoes and what is that awful smell?

"I stepped in dog pooh."

"Why would you do that?"

"I had to put the fire out. Some kids played a mean joke on me. They put dog pooh in a bag then lit it on fire. They knocked on the door. I answered the door and saw a burning object in front of me. I did what anyone would do. I stomped on the bag to put out the fire when I did, I got dog pooh all over my shoe."

"That is awful. Get that out of the house it is making the entire house stink."

India said rather quickly, "I'm going to retire."

Melly said, "Me too. Good night."

Ashley knew the women were retiring so quickly so they could laugh at him behind his back. As he was cleaning the dog feces off his shoe Ashley knew that Butler had pulled the prank on him. He had to leave Atlanta. He knew that sooner or later Butler would tell his shameful secret to everyone and anyone. Ashley decided that after the wedding when Scarlett gave him his paycheck on the fifteenth, he was going to cash that check and go to Virginia. He would dig up the Confederate gold and take the next ship to Europe. He would leave Melly and Scarlett behind. He paused when he thought about Beau. No, he would leave Beau behind also. He didn't want the responsibility of a child. He would have fun for the rest of his life. The only thing he didn't know was if he was going to tell Scarlett what he thought of her. She had certainly made his life hell this last year with her demanding he do his job. He would leave Melly a note. He didn't want to see her shattered expression when he told her he was leaving her. He was fond of her, but he wanted a wife that could satisfy him sexually and Melly would never be able to do that. He wasn't worried about Melly and Beau starving. Someone would take them in since everyone loved Melly.

The next day when Rhett got out to the mill he asked Ashley, "Do you have any fires that need to be put out?"

Ashley looked at Butler and the man wasn't even pretending not to be laughing at him.

It was the end of May and Scarlett was very involved in arranging everything for India and Stuart's wedding. She was excited about the arrangements.

She excitedly told Rhett, "Everyone has replied that they are coming to India's wedding."

"That is wonderful. I guess we are to be received back into society."

"As long as we don't do anything wrong."

"That may be hard for us."

"India's cousin is coming from Virginia."

"Let's retire, my bunny, your eyes are drooping."

"Alright. I am tired."

Rhett was worried about Scarlett. She was tired all the time. She was excited about the wedding. She enjoyed his stories about torturing Mr. Wilkes. He knew she was taking a nap most every afternoon, yet she went to sleep too quickly at night. When he started kissing her, she did stay awake the entire time they were being intimate but almost as soon as they were finished, she was asleep. Sometimes before he had even caught his breath. He knew she had missed her flow. He hoped she was pregnant and there wasn't something seriously wrong with her. He didn't think he could handle losing her now that they were finally happy together.

Finally, the day before India's wedding arrived. Honey and her husband, Melvin Jones, had arrived and were staying at Aunt PittyPat's supposedly because there was more room. Although Ashley's cousin, Zachary Wilkes and his wife were staying at the Wilkes, Scarlett suspected it was because Honey's husband would have made Stuart Tarleton look like a genius. It was strange to Scarlett that Zachary had come all this way for India's wedding but was spending more time with Ashley than India. She soon found out that Zachary and Ashley had gone to VMI together then onto their grand tour. They were close friends as well as cousins like Wade and Beau.

The wedding party had practiced everything that afternoon. It soon became obvious to Ashley that not only was Honey's husband stupid he was no gentleman. Not like Captain Butler wasn't a gentleman but like he wouldn't know the first thing about being a gentleman. Ashley wondered how Honey could have shamed the family by marrying so far beneath her station. Although she did seem happy with her husband.

Stuart had asked Rhett to stand with him. The truth was that Rhett was Stuart's closest friend in Atlanta. Stuart felt he owed Rhett the honor for everything he had done for him and India.

Scarlett had arranged for everyone to come to supper that night. After the rehearsal was over the group had mingled on the back porch and had appetizers and drinks until the meal was ready. Ashley was giving India away so he and Melly were there. Scarlett had also extended an invitation to India's cousin, Zachary and his wife Prudence, Aunt PittyPat, Uncle Henry, Stuart's parents Ida and Floyd, and Stuart's brother Gabe and his wife Julia. Stuart's nieces and Beau were in the nursery having supper with the children.

During the time everyone was on the back porch Rhett said to Scarlett, "Did you seat Miss Melly near me? I do so love to aggravate der kleine mann by being solicitous to his wife."

"Of course, Liebling. He is such a dummkopf"

"And you sat Mr. Jones on the other side of Miss Melly."

Scarlett said, "Of course, Liebling. I assumed you had figured out more than one way to torture der kleine mann." She could tell by Rhett's evil grin that he had a way to torture Ashley.

"Of course, I have, my kluger hase."

"Have you noticed that he," and Scarlett pointedly looked at Zachary Wilkes then continued, "is as big a pferd as der kleine mann?"

"How can I help noticing that?"

"Are Mr. and Mrs. Townsend proper Charlestonians?"

"Which ones? The older or the younger? Actually, I don't need clarification. Yes. I think that is why Stuart and I were such good friends. We were both rebels in that strait-laced society."

"I guess Stuart wasn't as much of a rebel as you."

"Or when it came down to it, he was willing to toe the line and obey. Of course, I may have stayed received if it wasn't for the buggy incident."

Scarlett laughed and said, "Someday you are going to have to tell me all about the buggy incident."

"Yes, I will but for now, let us socialize."

"Ja."