Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Ten

The couple stayed in Atlanta until Scarlett went into her confinement because Rhett was making an indecent amount of money on the Republican government. Rhett also had to find someone to buy the mansion. It was not going to be easy. It was a rare combination; a woman with awful taste and a man stupid enough to spend a lot of money on a house just to make that woman happy.

It had actually been easier than Rhett had thought it was going to be. It had sold in less than a month after it went on the market. He and Scarlett were the epitome of style and class in the Scallawags' minds. He sold the mansion to a couple, Bernard and Abby Jasper, who thought it was stylish and classy because Rhett and Scarlett Butler had lived there. They had even bought the furnishings and kept most of the staff.

Once the mansion sold the family moved back into the National Hotel. After they had settled in their suite, Rhett had teasingly said, "When we move back you can build another monstrosity, I mean mansion."

Scarlett had scowled at Rhett then she said, "I only got to live in my dream home for two months."

"That was two months too long as far as I was concerned."

Scarlett scowled at Rhett again. She said, "It is all your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yes, you are the one that got me with child."

"I didn't make the baby by myself."

"You and your foolishness."

"I know you enjoy that foolishness also."

Scarlett didn't answer. She just left the room.

Rhett and Scarlett attended most of the Scallawag and Republican functions. They even attended a ball that was held at the governor's mansion.

Scarlett said, "If I was still talking to the matrons, they would be so jealous when I told them about having attended an event at the governor's mansion."

Rhett wondered how Scarlett could still be so obtuse about other people. He replied, "I doubt it. Bullock is a symbol of their oppression."

"Really. They need to forget about the war and start living in the now."

"Yes, they do but I'm afraid there will be a lot of people who continue to look back."

"Not us."

"No, not us. We have arrived. I may not let you off the dance floor."

"Yes, you will when someone offers you a wagon load of money in a business deal."

"You are right. I will."

Scarlett smiled up at Rhett with that worshiping look that he had definitely gotten addicted to. She said, "You are such a good businessman."

"Thank you, my dear. Let us get a few dances in before I get called away."

Scarlett didn't mind, Rhett leaving her at all the social events. She wanted him to make lots and lots of money and there was always a man available for her to flirt with.

At the end of June, Rhett received a telegram informing him of the death of Langston Butler. Rhett said, "I can start sending my mother money directly now, but I will continue sending your aunts a check."

"Thank you, Rhett. They are just old biddies, but I can't let them starve. When is the funeral?"

"It doesn't matter. We will not be attending the funeral. I will have to go to Charleston to make arrangements for my mother. I will need to buy her a home and arrange with my Charleston attorney to send her a check each month. I will have Mr. Mobbs send your aunts a check too. It will be easier with him being in the same city with them. We will leave as soon as my new clothes are ready."

"We? New clothes."

"You are going with me, my dear. I might need you in the middle of the night when my despair and grief overcomes me," Scarlett blushed, and Rhett continued, "I need to get some suits made up in very bright colors."

With her eyes huge, Scarlett said, "You aren't going to wear black."

"No, I will not wear black for a man that disowned me. Nor will you. In fact, I will pick out yours and Wade's clothes for the trip."

Scarlett smiled at Rhett and said, "I suppose we are going to look like a bunch of peacocks in our brightly colored clothing."

"Yes, indeed but that is how you always look," When Scarlett frowned at Rhett, he added, "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Scarlett was not appeased. She knew that Rhett thought her clothes were too bright and garish for he had told her so on a number of occasions. She said, "I must remember what a spiteful man you can be."

"I would never be spiteful to you, my dear."

"If I made you mad enough you certainly would."

The evening the Butlers got on the train to Charleston, Rhett was dressed in a lovely charcoal suit with a mauve and gray ascot and waistcoat. After they were in their private car, Scarlett said, "That's not very bright."

"This is not what I will wear in Charleston. This is my traveling suit. It is to spare your eyes as much as possible."

Scarlett still wasn't sure if Rhett was really going to wear bright colored suits because she had not seen what clothes he had packed in his trunk. No, that wasn't right. She didn't know how bright his suits were going to be. Scarlett for her own part was fine with the dresses Rhett had picked out for her. He would have had a harder time finding dull, sober clothes in her dresser. He had relented and let Wade wear whatever he wanted to wear.

That night after they had retired, Rhett made love to Scarlett. To Scarlett it was just as good as the first time, both physically and emotionally. She always felt so loved and cherished afterwards. To Rhett the physical pleasure was much better now that his wife knew what she was doing, and she was certainly open to trying new things. Yet, to Rhett the emotional pleasure was still the best part. It still made him feel like Apollo.

The next morning when Scarlett joined Rhett at the breakfast table, she wondered how he had found such an incredibly bright yellow. To make matters worse, Rhett was a big man so there was a lot of yellow on display. It was like the sun was in the room with her. She sat down with her eyes downcast because Scarlett couldn't look directly at her husband. It would have been like looking directly into the sun. It was just painful. Scarlett said, "Can you take your coat off until we get to Charleston?"

"Of course, my dear."

"And fold it lining side out."

"Of course."

"I would not think a tailor would have that bright of fabric."

Rhett sat back down and said, "It is now safe to look at me."

Scarlett raised her head and smiled at her husband.

Rhett said, "He didn't. I found out how many yards of fabric he needed. I went to dress shop after dress shop looking for just the right color. I found what I needed at your favorite dress shop, Krause's."

"Are your other suits as bright as this one?"

"Fortunately for your eyes, no but they are bright. Probably as bright as your garments are."

"Does it hurt your eyes to look at me?"

"What a silly thing to ask. How could looking at you hurt any man's eyes?"

Scarlett smiled. They talked of other things until they got to the Charleston train station.

After Rhett put his coat back on, Wade said, "You look like the sun, Daddy."

"That was what I was going for?

Mammy looked at Rhett with obvious disapproval, but Rhett ignored the look.

They disembarked and Rhett said, "Go wait by the cab stand. I will get a porter to help with our trunks."

As Scarlett, Mammy and Wade walked to the cab stand, Mammy said, "In that suit we will easily be able to keep track of Mr. Rhett."

Scarlett replied, "Like tracking the sun."

Both women laughed.

After the family was settled in the cab, Rhett told the driver, "Take us to The Loutrel."

Rhett smiled as he noticed the women studiously looking out their windows. Wade was just smiling at Rhett like he was really enjoying his father looking like the sun.

Rhett checked them in and got them a suite. He walked back over to the group and said, "We are in suite 323."

Normally Mammy would walk behind Miss Scarlett and Mr. Rhett with Wade but that day she scooped Wade up and hurried over to the stairs. Scarlett hurried after her. Rhett thought, 'I guess I do look like the sun.' He didn't stop smiling the entire time he was walking up the stairs with the bellhop behind him.

The bellhop placed their trunks in the appropriate rooms. After Rhett tipped him, the man quickly left. Scarlett noticed the man never looked at Rhett.

Rhett sat down at the little desk and wrote a note to send to his mother. He put the note and a five-dollar bill in an envelope and sealed the envelope. He stood up and said, "I'm going to get a messenger to take this to my mother."

After Rhett left the suite, Scarlett opened Rhett's trunk. She had to know how bright the rest of his suits were. She was pleased to find that while all his suits were bright colors they were nowhere near as bright as the suit he was wearing that day. They were bright enough though to make sure that no one would be in any doubt that Rhett Butler wasn't mourning Langston Butler.

When Rhett returned in ten minutes, he said, "Let me take off my coat and change my pants until we have to go out again."

"Thank you, Dear."

An hour later there was a knock on the door. Rhett went to answer the door. There was a bellhop with an envelope which he handed to Rhett. After reading the note, Rhett said, "We will be having supper at my mother's tonight. Let me go get us some dinner."

"No, Rhett, let Mammy and me go. You stay here with Wade."

Rhett smiled. He knew Scarlett was volunteering to go so she would get a few more hours of reprieve from his yellow suit. He said, "Go ahead. Get some seafood."

"I don't know anything about seafood."

"I dos Miss Scarlett."

Rhett watched the women walk out of the suite. Judging by Mammy and Scarlett's reaction to his suit, he was going to have a good time this week.

The family took a cab to the Butler's home. As they got out of the cab, Rhett said, "This used to be such a stately home, now it is an eyesore."

Scarlett couldn't help but hear the bitterness in Rhett's tone, but she didn't respond to it. She just said, "Come along, Wade. You are going to meet Daddy's mother and sister."

"What do I call them?"

"Grandmother and Aunt Rosemary."

"Yes, sir."

Once the family was in the parlor, Scarlett saw there were two women in the room. There was an older woman who Scarlett decided hadn't smiled in a very long time. She had gray hair and dark brown eyes. Scarlett guessed Rhett had gotten his looks from his mother because he did look a lot like her. She looked to be as large as Aunt PittyPat. Scarlett guessed she was in her sixties. Either that are she had a hard life. Probably both.

The younger woman had black hair and dark brown eyes but didn't look like Rhett or her mother so Scarlett decided that she must look like her father. Unfortunately, it was not a good look on a woman. Maybe not a man either but definitely not on Rosemary Butler. She was chubby also. Scarlett decided her waist was as big as Maybelle Picard's waist.

Scarlett wondered how the women could be plump with all the food shortages in the South, but Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Meade, and Aunt PittyPat were all fat, so it was possible.

Scarlett could tell that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were as prim and proper as Scarlett's aunts. Elizabeth Butler's eyes got huge when Rhett walked into the room in his bright yellow suit. She pressed her lips together as tight as she could. In Elizabeth's opinion Rhett's wife was dressed equally garishly. She knew all about Rhett's wife. Scarlett's aunts had told her all about their niece and all her antics during the war.

Rhett was smiling so big. He was smiling much like he was a small boy who had pulled the best prank on someone. He said, "Mother, Rosemary this is my wife, Scarlett, and my son, Wade."

"I have heard all about Scarlett and her doings with you from her aunts."

It was clear by the tone of Elizabeth Butler's voice and the look on her face that what she had heard about Scarlett had not been positive.

Rhett said, "Whatever you have heard was an exaggeration at best or at worst out and out lies. Scarlett has never done anything wrong."

Rhett was rewarded by getting a worshipping look from his wife and a scowl from his mother.