Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twelve

Rhett and Scarlett spent all of July attending Scallawag and Republican parties. They always had such a good time. Scarlett never questioned Rhett when he would disappear for an hour or so. One time she had asked, "How much money did you make tonight?"

Rhett had flashed her a smile and said, "At least a thousand dollars."

"A thousand dollars?!"

"I told you an obscene amount of money."

"Should we stay in Atlanta?"

Rhett turned serious and said, "No amount of money is worth yours and the baby's lives."

"Thank you, Rhett."

The family had gone to Tara at the end of July before the cotton picking began. They had gone for a visit before their move to London. Over dinner Scarlett said to Careen, "It appears you were up to the challenge of running Tara."

"It has given me something to live for, a purpose in life once again."

"What are you going to do for a work force?"

"There are enough hungry freed people around that for now I can pay them in food and a place to live. That is thanks to you Rhett. Thank you for continuing to pay for supplies at Frank's store."

"I'm willing to do it for a little while but eventually Tara will have to become self-sufficient."

"It will. Will and I will make it profitable."

The trio had turned to look at Will and he had simply smiled.

On the train back to Atlanta, Scarlett said, "Pa looked good."

"Yes, he looked happy to be at Tara."

"He certainly wouldn't be happy living in London. He hates the English."

"Most Irish do."

"Why?"

Rhett smiled at Scarlett. How could a girl so proud of being Irish not know her own heritage? Because it had never been important to know. For the rest of the train trip, Rhett had happily told Scarlett and Wade about their heritage.

Before the family had gone to Tara at the end of July Scarlett had said to Mammy, "Do you want to go with Rhett and me to London? I so want you to go and I have Miss Ellen's only grandchild although Suellen is with child also. Or you could go back to Tara and take care of Careen."

"No, Miss Scarlett, I will go with you and Mr. Rhett to London. Mr. Rhett certainly does know how to treat a girl right. I loves my red taffeta petticoat."

"We will have to get you some more fabric so you can make yourself some new dresses."

"Maybe when we get to London."

"Yes, when we get to London. Thank you for going with me. I don't know what I would do without you."

Mammy was happy to go. She had wanted to go. She had not wanted to return to Tara, and she had not wanted to live with Miss Suellen and her husband. Miss Scarlett had always been her favorite.

Mammy even like Mr. Rhett now. That awful August night when she had first seen the man, she had known he was lying about him and Miss Scarlett being married, but she had gone along with it because Mammy knew Miss Scarlett was going to need help in the coming months. Mammy had admired Mr. Rhett because he let Miss Scarlett be the boss of Tara. She also admired him because he had worked as hard if not harder than anyone else at Tara. Mammy knew that Miss Scarlett had drawn on the man's inner strength to get them all through that horrible time in their lives.

All through August Rhett and Scarlett had attended more parties and soirees, even a few balls. In the middle of August as they got in their carriage to return to the hotel, Scarlett said, "What are you going to do to make money in London?"

"I'm sure an opportunity will arise."

"If not, you will make it happen. You are so good at making money."

"I have to be. I have a greedy, little wife."

Scarlett pouted. Soon Rhett had coaxed her back into a good mood.

On the first of September, the Butlers boarded the train to Charleston. They were only going to spend a couple of days in the city until they boarded the ship. The ship that would take them to London.

On the train Rhett took Scarlett's hands and while looking at them, he said, "We will never have the hands of a gentleman or a lady. No, we have the hands of survivors."

"Although they do look a lot better now than they did in January."

"Yes, they do but the scars will remain."

Scarlett looked at Rhett's hands. No, they didn't look like the hands of a gentleman. They looked like the hands of a survivor. She knew there was a story behind every scar, but she also knew he would never tell her those stories.

Scarlett smiled at him and with that worshipping look said, "Thank you for staying."

"I had to stay. The relations were just that good."

Scarlett swatted Rhett on his chest but he could tell she was pleased with his statement.

After arriving in Charleston, they had checked into The Loutrel.

The family had stayed at The Loutrel because Rhett's mother really didn't want them staying with her. When Rhett had sent Elizabeth a letter telling her when they would be in Charleston, she had written back telling him that they had to stay at a hotel for there wasn't enough room in her townhouse. Which Rhett knew was a lie for the townhouse had four bedrooms. He knew the truth was his mother was uncomfortable with her unreceived son staying in her home.

Rhett let the lie pass by unchallenged because neither Rhett nor Scarlett wanted to stay at Elizabeth's townhouse. Their suppers together were torture enough.

As soon as they got to the suite, Rhett sent a note to his mother telling her they had arrived, and they would be at her townhouse by six. They would have supper with Elizabeth and Rosemary that night.

As Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade left the hotel, Rhett was wearing his bright, yellow suit. After they got in the cab without looking at him, Scarlett said, "You promised to get rid of that suit."

"I know and I will. I just couldn't throw it away without wearing it one more time for my family's benefit."

"Promise?"

"Promise. We can throw it over the side of the ship together."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Thank you."

Wade said, "But I like Daddy looking like the sun."

"Never you mind, Wade Butler."

Rhett just smiled. The suit did not get any better of a reception than it had the first time Rhett wore it. If anything, it made Elizabeth and Rosemary even madder because they knew he was wearing it just to annoy them.

A frosty Scarlett greeted Elizabeth and Rosemary with a perfunctory smile and said, "Mrs. Butler, Miss Butler."

The women both said, "Mrs. Butler, Mr. Butler, Rhett."

No, the women would never have a warm and friendly relationship, but Rhett didn't care. He loved his mother, but he didn't really like her. She was too set in the Charleston gentry mentality. She would never understand why he didn't just marry the girl.

Rhett smiled at Scarlett. His Scarlett. His wonderful Scarlett. The woman who was not appalled by his antics but actually found them amusing.

Supper was as bad as everyone expected. Scarlett couldn't get out of there fast enough and only spoke when spoken to. Of course, the only people to speak to her were Rhett and Wade.

Rhett was having a grand time. He was chatting happily about their life in Atlanta and Scarlett's family plantation. He bragged on what a fine job his sister-in-law was doing in running Tara. Based on the pinched faces of his mother and sister, Rhett concluded they didn't approve of Careen managing the plantation simply because she was a woman.

Rhett asked his mother, "What have you done in the last two months?"

Elizabeth looked aghast at Rhett's question. She tightly said, "Rhett, you know I have been in deep mourning for the last two months. I haven't done anything."

Rhett was not phased. He said, "Nothing? You haven't even read a book or done some embroidery? Surely Langston would not want you to go into that deep of mourning."

Elizabeth snapped, "Of course, I have been doing things inside the house. We both have. We just haven't left the house."

"So, Rosemary, have you read any good books lately?"

Rosemary stared at Rhett. How could he be so cheerful and flippant when Father had been dead for less than three months? While Rosemary stared at Rhett, he stared back with a questioning look on his face."

Finally, Rosemary said, "I read Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne recently. It was incredibly good."

Rhett turned to Scarlett and said, "You read that book too, didn't you?"

In a tight voice, Scarlett said, "Yes, it was horrible. I don't know how I was able to finish it." She then turned to quietly say something to Wade. Whatever she said got a smile out of the boy.

Rhett smiled. He knew Scarlett had actually liked the book very much. Rosemary looked aghast at Scarlett like she couldn't believe what the woman had said.

And so, the evening went. All the women were happy when the meal was finally over. Although they all three knew that Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade would be returning the next night and the night after that until the ship finally set sail.

Elizabeth would have like to ask them to not come back but she couldn't. First because Rhett was paying all her bills and second because the proper thing to do, was to have your out-of-town relatives to supper every night while they were in the city. That is unless your relatives begged off. Elizabeth knew that Rhett would not be begging off.

Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade went to see Scarlett's aunts. Mainly to make them receive Rhett. When her aunts would not admit Rhett, Scarlett had threatened to stop their support checks if they didn't let him in. They let him in. Scarlett made Rhett wear his yellow suit because she knew the color would annoy her aunts.

Every time one of Scarlett's aunts made a critical statement about Scarlett, Rhett would make a mocking comment that would put them in their place. It pleased Scarlett a lot. It had been a long time since anyone, but Melanie had defended her.

Soon the family's time in Charleston was over and they were on the ship. Rhett came alive while they were on the ship. Scarlett knew that wherever they finally settled down at, it would have to have access to a lake, a bay, a gulf, an ocean or at the very least a giant puddle.

After Rhett and Scarlett had been on the ship for a week, Rhett said, "Let's go throw my yellow suit overboard."

"No, Dear, it is too fine of a torture device to get rid of it. Besides, it is yours and Wade's favorite."

"Thank you, my dear, I do so enjoy looking like the sun."

While the family was on the ship, Rhett had explained to Wade why they were moving to London. Wade said, "I want a brother."

"We take what we get."

"Alright but I still want a brother."

Rhett had just smiled at the boy. Despite Wade looking just like Charles Hamilton, Rhett often found himself forgetting that Wade wasn't his actual child.

As soon as they arrived in London, they had to find a house to live in. Scarlett was not having her baby in a hotel. During the first week the couple found a house that was acceptable to both people. Scarlett said, "It is not as pretty as the mansion, but we don't have time to build one with the baby arriving very soon."

"True. You can decorate the inside more to your taste."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Rhett and Scarlett went to supper with one of Rhett's business acquaintances and his wife, Mark and Pamela Wylie. Mrs. Wylie gave Scarlett the name of her doctor. She said, "His name is William Bakewell. He is willing to give the mother chloroform while she is in labor. It doesn't get rid of the pain all together but makes it bearable. Queen Victoria used it with her last three or four children.

The couple went furniture shopping. It was not a happy experience for Scarlett. Rhett shot down most of her choices of furniture. She returned the favor and shot down most of his choices of furniture. In the end they compromised although Rhett probably did most of the giving because he still wanted to give her what she wanted. He had an opinion on everything from the color of the walls to the style of the carpets. When they were finished, Rhett found the décor of their London home acceptable. He really didn't like it but at least it wasn't ugly. Scarlett found the décor acceptable also. It wasn't ugly. It was just boring.

Besides spending time decorating their new home Scarlett and Rhett spent a lot of time buying Christmas presents although Christmas was not as big a deal in England as it was in the South.