Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Both Rhett and Scarlett are going to be a little OOC.

Chapter One

Scarlett fled the library. She was so embarrassed that Butler man had heard her conversation with Ashley. She was so embarrassed and hurt that Ashley didn't love her enough to marry her. He was going to marry Melanie Hamilton instead. She heard people coming down the staircase and she decided to hide under it. She couldn't face anybody right now.

Scarlett heard women talking. It was Suellen, India, Honey, and another woman talking about her. They were saying she was fast and that she had been chasing after all the men. She heard the other woman defending her. She knew who it was it was that mealy mouthed Melanie Hamilton. The woman Ashley was going to marry.

Scarlett wanted to cry but she couldn't let anyone see her cry. She hid in the alcove until she knew she had her emotions under control. There was so much commotion going on that she had to come out of hiding to find out what was happening. Everyone was walking rapidly everywhere. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was smiling. She was standing at the window looking at all the excited people.

That is where Charles Hamilton found her. He looked at her with a worshipping look. She smiled at him. He said, "Miss O'Hara, have you heard the news?"

"No, what news?"

"President Lincoln has called for 75,000 volunteers. We are going to war."

"War! Can't you men think of anything important. You aren't going to go, are you?"

"Of course, I am going to go. Will you wait for me, Miss O'Hara?"

"I wouldn't want to wait."

"What? Oh. Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

"I'll go find your father."

After a minute, Scarlett followed after Charlie to tell him she had changed her mind. She couldn't marry that namby-pamby. It would be for the rest of her life. As she was about to come around the corner, she heard Charlie say, "Congratulate me, Ashley, Scarlett has agreed to be my wife.

Scarlett heard Ashley say, "Charlie, you have got to get a hold of yourself. Scarlett is fun to be around, and she certainly is pretty enough but she is not good enough for us."

"Ashley, she is so sweet."

"She is stupid, illiterate, and far too earthy to ever be a proper lady."

"Don't say that about Scarlett."

"She actually asked if Butler was kin to the Borgias. She asked if they lived in the county. I'm pretty sure Scarlett wouldn't even know how to open a book."

"Honey isn't much smarter."

"No, she's not, but she can trace her ancestors back to Jamestown. Scarlett can trace her ancestors back to a village in Ireland. She's Irish! She's Irish trash!"

"Her mother is a Robillard."

"Alright she's Irish and French trash! After a year of marriage what are you going to talk about. She doesn't read. She likes to flirt with every man around. Did you see her today? She wasn't paying any more attention to you than the man in the moon. Charlie don't disgrace yourself by marrying someone so far beneath you."

"I'm not going to marry Honey."

"That's fine. There is our cousin, Jenny Piper."

"She is ugly."

"That's true but she does have good breeding."

"No, Ashley, I love Scarlett and I am going to marry her."

"Charlie, she was so uncouth as to tell me she loved me. What lady would do that?"

"No, she didn't! You are lying, Ashley. Leave me alone. I have to find Mr. O'Hara."

"You are going to regret marrying her. She is little better than white trash. No, Irish French white trash."

Scarlett didn't hear Charlie reply, so she hurried away from the corner. She would die if Ashley found her listening to his and Charlie's conversation. Maybe Mr. Butler was right – she wasn't a lady. No, she was a lady she was just more spirited than the rest of them. If Ashley thought that of her then he had been trifling with her feelings these last two years. Scarlett smiled when she thought about what Mr. Butler had said about when she got over the insipid Mr. Wilkes, he would like to spend time with her. Of course, she wouldn't but it was terribly thrilling to think that a worldly man like Mr. Butler was interested in her. She thought, 'I bet he doesn't think I'm Irish trash.'

Scarlett went back and stood by the window to wait for Charlie's return. Yes, she would marry him. He would make a good husband. She could lead him around by the nose. And best of all it would stick in Ashley and Honey's craw that she married Charlie. That she was part of their family. Actually, she could spite all three of the Wilkes children with that one act. She smiled really big.

Scarlett saw Mr. Butler standing by the drive. He must be waiting on Mr. Kennedy to take him back to Jonesboro. As if he could feel her eyes on him, the man turned and saw her standing in the window. He smiled a very sexy smile. A smile that made her feel very strange, indeed. She waved at him. She felt she could be bold regarding him because she would never see him again and if she did, she would be a married lady. She would have to behave herself then. Maybe she wouldn't marry Charlie. No, she was marrying Charlie. She would become part of that very distinguished family. Nobody would ever call her Irish trash again.

Rhett waved back at the very entrancing Scarlett O'Hara. He hoped that meant she had forgiven him his comments in the library. He hoped so. Of course, he knew her name. He had been watching her all day. He had overheard all the women talking about her. It seemed that Scarlett was the belle of the county. She also had a reputation for stealing other girls' beaus. Rhett decided that was sour grapes. What man would want to be with any other woman if he could have Scarlett. Rhett knew he was going to fantasize about the young lady for the next several months. He had sat up when she had thrown the vase because he had to see her in full anger. She was magnificent. Her green eyes were blazing, her chest was heaving, and there was a slight pink tint to her cheeks. Yes, indeed, magnificent. If he ever saw her again, he would make her his mistress.

As Scarlett continued to look out on the lawn, she saw Ashley kissing Melanie goodbye. Her hatred of Ashley was beginning to grow. All her love had turned to hate.

Ashley had talked about her as if she was no better than Emmie Slattery. She thought, 'Not good enough to be in your family, am I Ashley? We will see about that.'

Scarlett looked back at the unreceived exciting man. At that moment Frank pulled up in his buggy. The man looked back over his shoulder at her. He smiled and waved again when he saw her. She smiled and waved back not caring how forward she was being. The man got into the buggy then turned so he could look at her as they drove away. They made eye contact. They never stopped looking at each other until Frank went around the bend.

Scarlett knew she was going to dream about the man tonight. There would be a vacancy in her dreams because she certainly wasn't going to dream about that snob Ashley Wilkes. Besides, Mr. Butler certainly was a handsome man.

July 1862 - Atlanta

Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton was bored. Not as bored as she would have been if she had still been at home but bored, nonetheless. She had been so excited when she had gotten the invitation from Melanie to come visit in Atlanta. Her mother had said she could as soon as her deep mourning was over. Scarlett thought about Charlie.

Charlie and Scarlett had been married just two weeks after the barbecue. They had gotten married the day before Ashley and Melanie. She made sure that she and Charlie were married before Ashley and Melanie. She had managed to avoid spending a lot of time with Ashley by telling Charlie she wanted to spend time with him alone. Charlie seemed to be fine with not spending time with Ashley also.

In those two weeks she had found out that Charlie really was an extremely kind person. Although he sometimes did come off as effeminate, she decided that was because he hadn't grown up with a man in the household. He told her about his time at Harvard, his time at Harvard Law School, and his grand tour.

Scarlett had been so extremely nervous on her wedding night. Charlie had been kind and slept in a chair their first night together to give her time to get used to the idea of being intimate with him.

The next night Charlie had been very gentle with her. He had kissed her for a long time before he entered her. Before he did, he had whispered, "This is going to hurt for a minute but then it won't hurt anymore."

Charlie had been right. It had hurt but afterwards it wasn't unpleasant. He had made her feel loved and cherished. He had made her feel like she was a queen. After Ashley's cruel words she had needed to be treated that way.

During Charlie and Scarlett's last night together, he had said, "This is going to be all over in six months. You will have to move to Atlanta when I return. Will you like living in Atlanta?"

"I don't know. I've always liked visiting the city and I feel an attachment to it but the only place I have ever lived was Tara."

"I hope you do. My Aunt PittyPat will be happy to introduce you to all the ladies in Atlanta. Melanie will be living a Twelve Oaks by then. Aunt PittyPat is kind of ditzy, but she is a dear,"

Scarlett had smiled. She would do her best to be a good wife to Charlie. She said, "Will she live with us?"

"We will live with her until I can buy us a home of our own although half of the Hamilton House is mine. Scarlett, listen to me."

"Yes,"

"I own several plots of land in Atlanta. I have a little bit of money in the bank. And I own half of Hamilton House. I have made up a will."

"No, Charlie, that is bad luck."

Charlie smiled and said, "No it is called being prepared. I have left everything to you. If I die, go to Atlanta, and claim your inheritance. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you, but I don't want to talk about you dying. It just can't happen."

"Thank you, my love. Let Uncle Henry manage your money. He will take good care of it. That way you don't have to worry your pretty little head about it."

"Of course, Charlie. I would have to do that. I know nothing about managing money."

Most of what Scarlett was saying were words to make Charlie feel better but some of it she really believed. She really wanted Charlie to live. He could give her a good life.

Now as she thought back upon the conversation, she was extremely glad she had said everything she had said. She knew she had made his last days happy days by his thinking that the woman he loved, loved him. She was not glad that Charlie was dead, she was going to miss him. Everyone kept saying that it was unfortunate that she hadn't gotten with child. If she had Charlie's child that would bring her comfort in the coming years.

That may have been true if Scarlett had loved Charlie or even had truly liked him but since she hadn't therefore, she was glad he had not gotten her with child. The truth was she just didn't want any children.

Now Scarlett's biggest problem was getting through her mourning period. She wasn't in deep mourning anymore, but she wasn't being allowed anymore freedom than when she was. She guessed getting to be in Atlanta and help with the war effort was more freedom, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to go to the Hospital Bazaar.