Scarlett slept better that night then she had in months. And without having a drink of brandy. She rang for Pansy to help her dress wishing that she didn't have to continue wearing black. She was in too good of a mood for black. Would anyone out here really care? she thought. She reached for a red silk sash and tied it around her tiny waist. There, she thought happily, looking in the mirror. It was better then nothing. She laughed suddenly as she remembered the green hat Rhett had brought her from Paris. She had been mourning Charles' death and had been so bold as to wear the pretty bonnet out in public. Oh how people had talked! And Rhett had loved her spirit. She would get that spirit back too. It was a promise she had made to herself and one that she would keep.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of Pansy's voice. "Miz Scarlett? Are yo alright? Yo's lookin' of into space."

"Yes Pansy. I am just fine. Better then I've been in a long time."

"Thas a good ti hear, Miz Scarlett. Are yo gonna join the family fo breakfast?"

"I think I will. I slept so well and I am just famished this morning. Go on down and tell them I will be there in a moment."

"Yes'm," Pansy said with a curtsy. She closed the door behind her and seconds later there was a knock.

"What is it, Pansy?" Scarlett called.

The door opened slowly and Scarlett saw the tiny head of Susie peek in. "Auntie Sarlett?"

Scarlett caught her breath. With that dark curly hair she suddenly looked more like Bonnie then like her. "Yes Susie. Come in," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Did you need something?"

"No Auntie Scarlett. I just wanted to ask you a question." She suddenly looked nervous, looking up at this grand lady who always looked so beautiful.

"What is it, Susie. Don't be shy," Scarlett smiled.

"Well I wanted to ask if I could sit by you at breakfast. Martha was going to ask, but Lutie made her go wash her face again. So, I got here first." She was silent for a brief moment. "Will you let me sit by you Auntie Scarlett?"

Scarlett looked down at her niece and smiled. She could remember her and Suellen doing the same kinds of things. And Martha was very much like Suellen and Scarlett could see Susie was more like her than her mother. That ought to really make Su angry. "Of course Susie. I would love to sit by you at breakfast." The little girl smiled her thanks and started to make her way out of the room.

"Susie wait!" Scarlett said. "I have something for you." She went to her closet and pulled out another sash just like the one she was wearing and tied it around Susies waist. "There," she said, happily. "Now we can match." She held out her hand and Susie took it. What a pair they made walking into the dining room together...looking so much alike. And Scarlett was even more pleased when she saw the look of anger on her sisters face.

"Good morning, everyone," she said brightly. "My, this all looks so wonderful and Susie and I are just starving, aren't we?"

Susie smiled up her aunt and said, "Yes, just starving."

"Susie!" Suellen said, "I hope you weren't bothering Aunt Scarlett this morning."

"No Su. She didn't bother me at all," Scarlett said taking a bite of her eggs. "So Will,"she continued, trying to divert the conversation. "Have you given any thought to my proposition?"

Will set his cup of coffee down on the table and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Yes I did Scarlett. Suellen and I discussed it last night and we both think that it's in the best interest of everyone if Tara is fixed up."

Scarlett clapped her hands together. "Oh Will! I am so glad. And of course you just let me know what you need and I will get it for you. Why, we can bring in the lumber from my mill! Oh this will be just perfect!"

The rest of breakfast went on with Scarlett and Careen talking about Tara and Will putting in his ideas about how to best go about starting. Suellen was silent and finally got up and started to clear the table.

"Suellen, sit down and join us. You have some say in this too," Will said.

"Well the table isn't going to clean itself now is it!" she snapped. "Some of us don't have servents at our beck and call. Some of us actually have to do work for ourselves and not pay others to do it for us!" Her face was red with anger and as she leaned down to pick up a spoon she had dropped, she suddenly grabbed her stomach and reached for the side of the table.

"Suellen," Will cried, rushing to her side.

"Will...the baby! Someone...get...doctor!" Suellen said before falling to the ground.

Careen ran to her sister, and helped Will get her to the sofa. But, Scarlett sat glued to her seat, unable to move. She remembered when she had miscarried her and Rhett's child and the pain she had been in. As much as she disliked Suellen, she certainly didn't wish that on her. Losing a child of any age was terrible, even one still in the womb.

The doctor came, but it was too late. Suelln lost the child that was to have been born in only three more months. The doctor said that it had been a boy. Suellen would be needing her rest to recover from this and was instructed to stay in bed. Lutie kept the children in the nursery away from disturbing their mother and Will stayed by her side. When Will needed rest or a break, Careen was there. Scarlett did what she could...bringing them tea or soup. But, mostly she kept busy at her fathers desk, writing down ideas and working on plans to fix Tara when Suellen was back up on her feet. She had tried to tell her sister how sorry she was about her loss, but Suellen pretended not to hear her. And so, Scarlett kept mostly to herself for the next few weeks except for dinners with Careen and the girls. Will ate his dinner upstairs with Suellen. She was happy most days for the solitude, but some days she got so lonely for Rhett and Bonnie.

Soon, the time came when Suellen was allowed to get out of bed. She spent lots of her time on the veranda, sitting and watching her children play or reading to them. One warm afternoon Scarlett brought out some lemonade to her. She sat next to her and watched as Will burned the pile of dry vines that were pulled of the side of the house. It was the first step in re- constructing Tara. A new window had been ordered and was on the way to replace the broken one. Scarlett had also wired her mill for lumber to be delivered and it would be arriving some time next week. She looked over at her sister, who was still pale.

"He's a good man, Suellen," she said.

"I know he is. I am lucky to have him."

"Su. If I didn't say it before, I am so very sorry for your loss. I know how terrible it is to lose a child at any stage."

Suellen smiled gratefully at Scarlett. "I know you are. I never thought you were capable of feeling anything , but losing Bonnie must have been terrible for you. Especially after losing your unborn baby. I...I wish I could have been there for you like you have been for me these past weeks. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Su. Family is family no matter what has happened in the past."

Scarlett stood then and pored another glass of lemonade. "I'll just take this out to Will. He looks like he could use it."

Suellen nodded. She knew that Scarlett wanted to end the conversation there while it was still civil....before they said something to ruin the closness they had just shared. She knew they would never have a strong bond no matter what.

Scarlett was thinking much the same thing as she approached Will. She handed him the cool drink which he gulped down.

"Thankya Scarlett," he said, handing the empty glass back to her. "It's slowly but surely comin'along. Paintin'will be the biggest job."

"Well, I can hire some extra help when the time comes. And if I can be any help at all...I could paint the shutters or anything."

Will laughed at the thought. "Scarlett O'Hara Butler paintin'and gettin'her hands dirty? I can't imagine!"

"Will Benteen!" she retorted. "You forget that after the war I picked cotton until my hands were bleeding. I was the one who kept things going here. If it weren't for me we would have all starved to death! And Tara is special to me and I want to help out with more then just financially."

"Scarlett, I didn't mean anything by that. Forgive me?" Will took her hand.

"Oh I know you weren't trying to be mean. Don't worry about it."

"If ya ant to help, then ya will. I'll get the shutters off and sanded ready to paint."

"I'll be waiting. Maybe Suellen will be feeling good enough to help out by then. I've sent word for Mammy to come to Tara to help out. That way Suellen won't have so much to do. At least that way we can have a half decent meal. Lutie is not the best cook. Speaking of which, I'll call for you when supper is ready."

Mammy did arrive a few days later. It had worked out perfectly as Will had had to ride into Jonesboro to get supplies anyway. Scarlett ran out to meet the buggy waving her hands and calling. "Mammy!! Oh Mammy! I'm so glad you're here!" She threw her arms around her as soon as Mammy got down from her seat.

"It's good to be home, chile. Yo Pa would sooner die den see Tara in dis way," she whispered.

Scarlett nodded, linking her arm in Mammy's and leading her towards. "But, the good news is that Will has finally decided to take my help and we are starting to fix it up. It looks much better then it did when I arrived." Scarlett paused before asking the question that she was waiting to hear the answer too. "Have you seen or heard anything from Rhett?"

"I sorry Miz Scarlett. He came and tooks his tings and left agin. I done tol him to come to ya but he weren't listenin'"

So he knew she was here. She had hoped that he hadn't come to get her because he didn't know where she was. "That's alright, Mammy. Things will work out. They always do. So, you don't worry about a thing. Rhett always comes back, doesn't he?"

Mammy looked skeptical but decided to bite her tongue. Let Miss Scarlett have some hope. But as far as she was concerned, Rhett was done with his marriage. She made her way to the kitchen despite Scarlett telling her it wasn't necessary and she could rest tomorrow. She felt more at home when she was keeping busy.

Scarlett cried that night. For the first time in a long time, she cried. She had been holding on to any strand of hope since she had come to Tara and knowing that Rhett knew where she was and didn't come filled her with sorrow. Was it truly over for them? Was it time for her to forget her husband? It was with these thoughts that she cried herself to sleep.