Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty-Two

Scarlett and Melanie had gone through the same routine they had the year before, but Scarlett knew that Melly was just being proper, and she didn't care. After Ashley and Melanie got in the carriage, Scarlett said, "Ashley, I do wish that you would rethink letting Rhett get you a job at the bank. I'm sure by now you would have become a junior executive. I know Suellen said at Christmas dinner that she loves managing the store so you may never get your shot at being the manager of the store. Which is such a shame because we all know you would be so good at it."

Right on cue Rhett said, "Mr. Wilkes, please let me help you in this way."

Melly said, "You really should, Ashley"

Ashley smiled and said, "I think I am going to continue at the store for a little while longer. I'm sure if Suellen gets with child again, she will quit working then."

Scarlett said, "We will accept your no but if you change your mind just let us know."

That was the highlight of the evening to Ashley. All evening long Scarlett made jabs at him while pretending to be the most concerned person in the world. What was worse was Captain Butler knew exactly what Scarlett was doing and was secretly laughing at him. The worst part was listening to Melly gush over how sweet and kind the Butlers were.

Ashley refused to accept help from the Butlers. He felt they were beneath him and he did not want to be beholden to them anymore than he was. They did save Melly and Beau's lives. Ashley also knew that he was a competent clerk now, but he hadn't been in the beginning. He had made a lot of mistakes that Mr. Kennedy forgave him for. He knew that the only reason he had kept his job was that Mr. Kennedy had been too kind to fire him. He also knew that if he quit, Mr. Kennedy would never hire him back.

Rhett and Scarlett did the same thing they had done the year before split an entrée in the restaurant then had relations in the common room in their hotel suite. Rhett thought he was lucky to have gotten Scarlett into their suite behind closed doors. He was afraid she was going to want to do it on the stairs. He couldn't allow that. If they got caught, that story would be all over town in a matter of minutes.

In May, Rhett and Scarlett were celebrating their three-year anniversary. He had taken her to Boccalupe. It was still her favorite restaurant in Atlanta. She like Francois's well enough but whenever she left the restaurant she would always say, "It was good but definitely not as good as the food in Paris or even New Orleans."

As Rhett and Scarlett were eating their entrees she said, "Do you remember the first time we came here?"

"Of course, I remember. I'm not senile. It hasn't even been three years since I first took you here. We had just gotten back from Charleston. You had met my mother for the first time."

"I can't believe how much has happened since we got married."

"Me either. Wonderful things."

"Amazing things."

Rhett and Scarlett continued eating their entrees in silence. Rhett didn't say a word when Scarlett reached for another piece of garlic bread. He just helped himself to another piece also. If she was going to have garlic breath he might as well also. As they were finishing their meal, Scarlett said, "Rhett, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You know I am in awe of everything you did to get yourself received in Atlanta so Pa would let me marry you."

"Yes, I know. You were worth it. I think me being received in Atlanta and a war hero allowed me to be received in Charleston. That is as long as we don't live there."

"Oh Rhett! I am so bored living here in Atlanta. After you took me to Europe, New York, and Boston, I can't live in this backward town or state anymore. I love Tara and I always will. Yet, you won't live there. You would never be happy living there. I don't think I will ever be happy living there ever again either. Pa told me he is leaving Tara to Careen. She and Will are both happy living in the country."

"Scarlett, I didn't do all that I did to live in Atlanta. I did all that to live with you and for our children to be received. If you want to live somewhere else, I am happy with that."

"Rhett, thank you."

"Where do you want to move to?"

"New York or Boston or even San Francisco. I don't want to be that far away from Tara or your mother."

"You got it, Baby."

"Rhett"

"Yes?"

"We are going to have a baby."

"Really!" Scarlett excitedly nodded her head. Rhett continued, "Wonderful. Another reason to leave the South and their antiquated ways. I will take you to London where the medical care is much better than in the South. Let me think. How much of the baby is going to be Irish."

Without even missing a beat, Scarlett said, "Three-eighths."

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get that fraction that easily."

"I don't know. I just did."

"Scarlett, how quickly can you add up a column of numbers."

"I don't know. I have never tried."

"I will get your help adding up my ledgers. I think you could be a great help to me in that area."

Scarlett was not concerned about her ability to add up a column of numbers she was more concerned with where they were moving to. She said, "London?"

"London. You will love it. Remember when we went last year."

"Of course, we had so much fun with Rosemary and your mother."

"What do you want? A girl or a boy?"

"A boy, I guess. Don't you want a boy?"

"I want a girl. I have always wanted a daughter since I allowed myself to believe I would get you to marry me."

Rhett and Scarlett talked about baby things, their trip to London, and where they might want to live for the rest of the evening.

After the couple had been intimate, Rhett sighed a sigh of relief. He had been beginning to think they couldn't make a baby. They had not used any pregnancy prevention since they said I do and that was three years ago. Rhett smiled really big. But they had. Finally.

The next day Rhett asked Scarlett to add up a column of numbers. She did it with amazing quickness. When he re-added the numbers at a much slower rate, he found her answer was correct. After that, every week when Rhett was balancing his ledgers, he made Scarlett add the columns for him. It cut his work time in half.

After a month, Scarlett said, "It seems we have found another hobby. That makes three."

"Three?"

"Model ship building, being intimate, and balancing your ledgers."

"Indeed. Those are our hobbies."

In November of that year a week after Rhett's birthday in their home in London, Scarlett gave birth to a baby girl. As soon as the doctor's assistant told Rhett he could enter the room, he was through the door. He never even looked at his child. He had eyes only for his wife. When he saw her smiling face, he finally relaxed after five hours of waiting and praying.

Scarlett said, "Honey, I'm fine. Now go get our daughter and come back."

Rhett did turn to go back to the parlor, but the assistant was right there. She gave the baby to her father and said, "Hold her head, Mr. Butler. She can't hold her head up yet."

Rhett said, "Come here. Elizabeth Katie

Scarlett smiled and said, "No, Rhett. Eugenia Victoria."

Rhett laughed and said, "Our next daughter we can call Eugenia Victoria but this one we are going to name for my mother and my wife."

"Alright, Darling," Rhett looked at the love of his life and smiled. She continued, "Get me some dinner, please. I'm starving."

"Look, Scarlett, she has the Butler blue eyes."

"Or the O'Hara blue eyes. My meal, Rhett."

"I'm going now."

Rhett left the room carrying his child and Scarlett thought, "Silly man."

Scarlett hired a wet nurse and a nursemaid. Both Abby and Eliza had been willing to travel to New York with the Butlers. They were hoping for a better life in America. It soon became apparent to Scarlett that Rhett was going to be incredibly involved in his child's life from the beginning.

When Lizbeth was a month old, Eliza asked Scarlett, "Are you and Mr. Butler always going to be so involved in the raising of your child?"

"Probably. Is this a problem?"

"No ma'am. Certainly not. I'm just not used to my charges' parents being so involved with their children."

"You have to understand. Lizbeth is extremely special to Mr. Butler and me."

"That is plain to see. Thank you, ma'am."

As Eliza walked away, she thought, 'Too bad more rich people weren't so involved with their children.'

When Lizbeth was three months old the couple had sailed to New York. Scarlett had been amused when she watched Rhett carry his child all over the ship. What made her laugh was that Rhett was explaining everything about the ship to Lizbeth like she could understand everything he said. Scarlett had tagged along because she like being with her husband and her child.

Over a year later, Rhett and Scarlett were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in an Italian restaurant in New York. Scarlett said, "This food is so much better than the food in Atlanta."

"That is because it is made by real Italians."

"Remember the good food we had there last summer."

"Yes, I do. Did you enjoy our trip to Italy?"

"Yes, especially our trip to Verona. Who knew that Romeo and Juliet were real people?"

"I knew that is why I took you there."

Scarlett giggled and said, "True."

Rhett said, "Do you think Lizbeth is alright with just the nursemaid?"

"Rhett, you know she is alright. Just as we always do when we go out at night we waited until she was asleep before we left our home just so she wouldn't know we were going someplace without her. I knew I would be jealous of other women where you were concerned but I never thought one of them would be my daughter."

"But you know I love you the best."

"Not by much."

"No, not by much but remember you are the most important person in the world to me."

"Rhett. You are the most important person in the world to me also."

"I wish we could have another child."

"We may have been lucky to get Lizbeth."

"True."

Rhett knew Scarlett's statement was indeed correct. They had never used any form of pregnancy prevention and Rhett had certainly given his wife plenty of seed to conceive another child with but maybe there just wasn't fertile soil in Scarlett's womb. He would always think of Lizbeth as a miracle and if that was all they got he was happy. It was so much more than they had two years ago.

Rhett changed the subject. He said, "Do you like that new group of women you are meeting with?"

"I like when they talk about intellectual things, but I dislike when they talk about women getting the right to vote. And I swear, Rhett, the next woman that tells me how to straighten my husband up I am going to punch in the nose. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my husband."

There were a lot of things wrong with Scarlett's husband from him leaving his clothes all over the floor to him probably drinking too much but that was not how those women wanted her to straighten her husband up. They wanted her to change him in to a weak-willed, docile, mama's boy, who did everything she told him to do. She would not be happy with such a man. She would always want her arrogant, domineering, annoying husband. It still thrilled her to the moon and back when he did something just to make her happy.

Rhett had replied, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with my wife, either."

There were a lot of things wrong with Rhett's wife from her nagging at him to pick up his clothes to her nagging at him to quit drinking and smoking. Also, her flirting with every man around was something he could live without. Yet that was all part of the wonderful package that was Scarlett Butler. He would not want anything else.

After supper was over, Rhett took Scarlett dancing. They then went home and made another baby. Of course, they would not know they had for a couple of months.