Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Thirteen
When Mammy saw Wade hugging Miss Scarlett while they were on the train to Charleston, Mammy again wondered what had changed about her little lamb after her last confinement was over. Mammy knew that Miss Scarlett and Mr. Rhett loved each other now and she wondered how that had come about also. Mammy knew the first year of their marriage had not been a happy one. Miss Scarlett had a good time spending money and hanging out with that white trash Mr. Rhett had introduced her to and Mr. Rhett had seemed to get more and more short tempered as the days went by.
Everything had changed with the birth of Miss Genie. Mammy had been a little surprised by Mr. Rhett's immediate attachment to the little girl. His obvious love for the little girl. It was a paradoxical situation This incredibly hard man acting like such a ridiculous fool over his daughter. Overnight Miss Genie had become the center of Mr. Rhett's world.
Mammy smiled. She didn't have all the answers, but she did know that Miss Scarlett had been jealous of all the attention Mr. Rhett had been lavishing on Miss Genie instead of her. Miss Scarlett went about getting Mr. Rhett's attention back. That was why she had spent so much time in the nursery when Miss Genie had first been born. Miss Scarlett had succeeded in getting most of Mr. Rhett's attention back on her.
Mammy didn't know how they had come to fall in love with each other she was just glad they had. Mammy didn't know what had caused Miss Scarlett to finally give up her crush on Mr. Ashley, but she really was glad that her little lamb no longer thought she loved that loser.
Mammy didn't know why Miss Scarlett was so much happier than she had ever been before. She really didn't know why Miss Scarlett was being so much nicer than she had ever been before. She was glad Miss Scarlett was happier and nicer.
The Butlers only spent three days in Charleston and those days included their arrival day and their departure day.
The family had visited with Scarlett's aunts. The older women hadn't even raised much of a fuss about letting Rhett in the house. The visit was pleasant enough with the older women oohing and aahing over the children. It was the first time her aunts had met Scarlett's daughters and only the second time they had seen Wade. Scarlett saw her aunts as the old women they were who now at the end of their lives had nothing but their traditions.
The family had supper at Rhett's mother's townhouse both nights. It was pleasant. Rhett's mother and his sister were welcoming. Both women oohed and aahed over Genie. It was obvious to Scarlett that Elizabeth Butler loved her son very much. Elizabeth kept touching Rhett's arm like she was reassuring herself he really was there. Elizabeth told Scarlett to call her mother and she told Wade and Ella to call her grandmother. It was also obvious that while Rosemary was friendly and polite to Rhett there was no depth of feelings there. As Scarlett observed Rhett and Rosemary talking, they were friendly strangers that were related although they did seem to share a love of reading. They also seemed to like the same authors. It was a pleasant meal.
It pleased Scarlett how touched her mother-in-law got when Rhett gave her copies of their family pictures. He also gave her one of just him and Genie. Scarlett knew that Rhett had wanted to get a picture taken of just him, Scarlett, and Genie but he couldn't hurt his stepchildren in that way.
Soon the family was on the ship sailing to Nice, France. Scarlett was sick the entire time they were on the ship. Rhett had said, "How can my wife be seasick?"
"I don't know but leave me alone."
Rhett had laughed and left her alone.
When the family had gotten off the ship in Nice, Scarlett said, "I don't know how you are going to get us home for I'm never getting on a ship again."
"I would be happy to live the rest of my life in Europe."
"I told you I want to live close to Tara."
"Then you will have to get on the ship again, that is the only way back to Tara."
"Alright. I guess I will have to get back on the ship."
"I guess this will be our only trip to Europe."
"Yes."
The family went to the Cote d'Azur and saw Queen Victoria and her family there. After Rhett pointed the monarch out Scarlett said, "She is almost as fat as Suellen. Are all those children hers? How many does she have?"
"Nine."
"Two more, Rhett. That's it."
"Accidents do happen."
"There better not be any accidents."
"Besides, she gained most of her weight after the death of her husband, Prince Albert. I think she started overeating because of her sorrow."
"Or she no longer cared what she looked like. How long has he been dead?"
"He died in eighteen sixty-one so nine years. Come along, let's continue walking on the shore. Wade, get away from the water and come here."
After Cote d'Azur, the family went to Milan and attended an opera, to Florence and viewed all the great artwork, to Rome and visited the Roman colosseum, to Venice and rode in the gondolas, to Vienna and drove around the city looking at the Baroque architecture, to Berlin and took a boat cruise on the River Spree except for Scarlett. She wasn't getting on a boat if she didn't have to. They then went to Brussels and strolled around the Grand Place and Rhett bought Scarlett chocolate, then to Zurich and went mountain climbing and Rhett bought Scarlett more chocolate, then to Paris where Rhett bought Scarlett fabric and they toured the city. Scarlett chose not to meet her Robillard relatives, then to London, and to Dublin where Scarlett met her O'Hara relatives. They even went to Verona where the real-life Romeo and Juliet lived in 1303.
The family had celebrated Ella's birthday in Paris and Rhett's birthday in London.
After six months of touring Europe everyone was ready to get back on the ship to return to Georgia, even Scarlett therefore in mid-November the family returned to Georgia. It no longer mattered if Scarlett was on dry land or on the water, she was sick. She was with child. Just about four months along. Rhett had asked her, "Do you want to stay in Europe and have your baby here?"
"No. I want my baby born in Georgia."
"The practice of medicine is a lot more advanced here than in Georgia."
"I am having my baby in Georgia."
"Alright. We should talk about redecorating the mansion."
"No."
"It is ugly."
"You will get used to it. I am currently doing something just to make you happy so don't complain about my awful taste which I don't think is that awful. Besides, I chose you."
"Yes, you did, my love. Yes, you did."
The family sailed into Charleston again. They again only spent three days in the city. They had supper with Rhett's mother both nights. Elizabeth again oohed and aahed over Genie while not ignoring Wade and Ella. Rhett gave his mother and sister the gifts he had gotten for them while the family had been touring. Rhett told his mother and sister all about their trip and he ended it by saying, "It will be my last trip to Europe for I will never get Scarlett on a ship again. She was sick the entire time we were on the water."
Elizabeth said, "That is why your father and I never went to Europe. I get seasick also."
Scarlett said, "I had never been on a boat before, so I had no idea that I would get seasick. I am certainly never leaving this continent again."
"So, I guess I am stuck on this continent also."
"What about your business investments in Europe?"
"I sold them all while we were there."
That night in their hotel room as Scarlett and Rhett were getting ready for bed, she said, "We can spend Christmas with your mother if you want."
"No, my dear, we can't. Robert will not enter my mother's townhouse if I am in it therefore if we stayed my mother would have to choose between her sons. I will not do that to my mother."
"Robert still won't speak to you?"
"Rosemary probably wouldn't either if she didn't need my financial support."
"She seems to like you very much."
"I think she does but that doesn't mean she approves of my actions all those years ago. My mother doesn't approve either, but she loves me too much to shun me."
"It is obvious how much she loves you."
As Rhett pulled back the covers of the bed, he said, "I have been lucky to be loved by three great women. You, my mother, and Genie
Scarlett was a little flustered as she watched Rhett get in the bed. He never wore anything to bed, and she could see that he was already aroused without her having done anything. "I guess I don't need to put my nightgown on," As Scarlett got in the bed, she said, "Genie isn't a woman."
Rhett didn't argue with Scarlett. He was past ready to get intimate with his wife. All he had to do is watch Scarlet get undressed to get aroused. He remembered once thinking that he would have relations with Scarlett several times and get the woman out from under his skin. In truth, she was more under his skin now than she was then.
When the Butlers arrived back at the mansion, Scarlett said, "You are going to have to start redeeming our reputations without me. In a month I will be going into my confinement."
"We will start working on it right away. You have a month to start going with Miss Melly to all the committee meetings and sewing bees she attends."
Scarlett glared at Rhett. She said, "I don't know if I will have time, I will have to hire a staff since we let half of them go when we went to Europe."
"You will just have to do both. We will both be eating humble pie. Remember this was your idea."
"Not exactly."
"Remember we are doing this so we can live close to Tara. Although as I said even if we lived in New York, we could visit Tara just as much as we do now."
"I will think about it some more. I will hire a couple of footmen and a couple of maids."
"That will be enough. Afterall we aren't going to be entertaining anytime in the near future. I will tell Pork that we are no longer receiving that white trash you had so much fun with."
"I know they were white trash, but they were fun. They never talked about the past. They never looked down at me. In fact, they all admired me. I'm going to blame you for having invited the governor into my home."
Rhett smiled and said, "Go ahead but I'm not taking the blame for how much time you spent with the wives."
"What are you going to do?"
"Join the Democratic party."
"Will they let you in?"
"Me and my money."
"This isn't going to be easy."
"We don't have to do it. We can move to New York. You liked New York. Or we could try San Francisco I liked it in my youth. Either place we could probably visit Tara as much as we do now."
"We will give it a year and if they still don't receive us then we will move to New York."
"Alright, Dear. We will have to start attending church every week," Scarlett groaned. Rhett continued, "How about the Episcopal Church? They do have better music."
"That is fine, Dear."
Scarlett spent the next couple of days hiring a couple of maids and a couple of footmen but that was all. There was no point of hiring a lot of staff right now after all they would not be entertaining anytime soon.
Melanie was quite happy to take Scarlett with her to her committee meetings and sewing bees. Despite the fact that Scarlett was being polite, kind, and respectful, nobody else was happy that Scarlett was there. Everyone was looking at her like she was a turd in the punch bowl especially India Wilkes, but Scarlett O'Hara Butler was no quitter. Therefore, one way or another she would get herself welcomed back into Atlanta society. At the very least she would get her children welcomed back into proper society.