Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. The final chapter and the epilogue all in one.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Butlers arrived in Charleston the next afternoon. Upon their arrival at the townhouse, Elizabeth said, "Again supper tonight will be just our immediate family but get yourself prepared for all your Butler relatives to come over to see you tomorrow. Lizbeth, Alex, come give me a hug. I have missed you all so much."

Over supper their first night, Elizabeth said, "Rhett, you must take Rosemary away from this city when you leave."

Rosemary said, "Mother, I told you I don't want to live anywhere else."

"No, Rosemary, you are too intelligent to be trapped in this city without anyone to look after you."

Robert said, "Mother, I will take care of Rosemary."

"And you would do a fine job of it too, but I want her to have a life of her own. In New York, she can be a smart, independent woman. Here in Charleston that just wouldn't be proper. I don't want her to become just a spinster. The maidenly aunt that your children and grandchildren have to visit. I have selfishly kept her by my side all these years because I would have been so lonely without her especially when Langston was still alive."

"Mother, I am not unhappy living with you. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."

"How do you know you have never lived anywhere else? No, you will go with Rhett."

"You can't make me."

Rhett smiled and said, "But as your guardian I can, Rosemary. I will make you a deal. I will not take you away until Mother passes away. If after a year of living with us, you want to return to Charleston, I will bring you back. I will not sell the townhouse until you make your final decision."

Both women said, "Thank you, Rhett. That is a good compromise."

Scarlett said, "I never knew what a skilled negotiator you were."

Rhett gave her his cocky smile and said, "I have been negotiating with you all these years and I would have to be very skillful to get you to agree with me as often as you do."

Scarlett scowled at her husband but in her heart, she knew he was right.

The next day Rhett went to see his mother's doctor. His suspicions had been confirmed. His mother was an extremely sick woman. She had heart problems, and it was just a matter of days before her heart quit on her. After Rhett shared the news with Scarlett, it pleased him that tears sprang into her eyes because of the thought of them losing that fine woman.

After Scarlett got control of her emotions, she said, "We will just stay until the end. We can take the children sailing. I think they will like that."

In August Elizabeth Kennesaw Butler's heart beat its last beat. Everyone had gotten to say goodbye. At the funeral Rhett had given the eulogy. He praised his mother and spoke of her faithfulness and loyalty. Her undying love and belief in her children and her grandchildren.

Everyone who was anyone in Charleston was at the funeral. There was plenty of food and refreshments at the reception for Elizabeth did have a son that could afford to pay for it. Scarlett stood next to Rhett with her hand in his hand. She knew he was going to need her calming presence all through the reception.

Two weeks after the funeral Rosemary had packed her trunks, she was going to live with Rhett, Scarlett, and their children.

A year after his mother's death Rhett had sold the townhouse on the battery. Rosemary and Rhett had traveled to their hometown to dispose of the contents of the townhouse. The three children had taken cherished mementos that had belonged to their mother right after the funeral. Nonetheless, there was a townhouse full of items to dispose of. The trio had once again looked over the pieces and had selected a couple of more items but most of the furnishings had been sold.

On the way back to New York, Rosemary and Rhett had talked about her life in New York. At one point, Rosemary said, "Mother was right. I didn't know what I was missing living in Charleston. I have real purpose to my life now."

"I know. Although you do a better job of hiding it than Scarlett, you just have too much spirit to truly be happy living the life a proper Southern woman is supposed to live."

"A year ago, I would have argued with you but not now."

"No, not now."

Rosemary smiled as once again Rhett got his watch out to check the time. They were almost at the Grand Central Station and her brother was eager to see his wife again. She thought, 'Maybe it still isn't too late for me to find love.'

After living with Rhett and Scarlett for a year in New York, Rosemary had not wanted to return to Charleston. She had four gentleman callers which was thrilling but what was more wonderful was she didn't have to marry any of them. Her big brother was happy to support her. When Rosemary had told Rhett over supper that she would not be returning to Charleston, Scarlett had said, "Then we will have to get a bigger house."

"Yes, we will. A place where Rosemary can have a set of rooms of her own."

"A place where she and her friends can visit with each other."

Rosemary belonged to two women's groups that wanted equal rights for women and the right to vote. She was extremely active in those groups. She had even marched for the right to vote. Rhett had been proud of her while Scarlett had been horrified.

Rosemary's sister-in-law was a member of the same women's groups as Rosemary, but she went for the intellectual discussions. Rosemary knew that Scarlett could not understand why anyone would want equal rights. Rosemary also knew that Scarlett didn't know how much freedom Rhett gave her. She truly didn't know how good she had it. Although Scarlett did appreciate Rhett so very much. She thought the sun and moon rose and set on him which Rosemary guessed was only right for Rhett felt the same way about Scarlett.

Rosemary had been amazed at the way Scarlett had argued with Rhett. Rosemary knew married couples argued but she had assumed they did it in the privacy of their bedroom. Not Rhett and Scarlett they argued in the family parlor and across the dining room table. They didn't care who knew that they argued. Rosemary assumed they argued when they went out at night alone together.

After the decision was made to buy a bigger house, it had been two months of the couple arguing. Finally, the family had moved into their new home. Two things Rosemary noted. The home was beautifully and tastefully decorated in the latest style, and it was nice to have a private parlor to entertain her friends in. A room where they could speak freely and not worry about who might hear them.

Rhett, Scarlett, and their children would often travel to different places. If they were going someplace Rosemary wanted to go, she would go with them, if not she would stay home. When Rosemary stayed home, Scarlett insisted that they hire a companion for Rosemary so she wouldn't be in the house alone. Rosemary told her sister-in-law that she had hired a couple of companions but in reality, Rosemary would invite a couple of her fellow spinsters to come and stay with her. They were also her fellow suffragettes, but Rosemary never told Scarlett that. She was afraid Scarlett wouldn't let her have her friends in the house. Scarlett considered suffragettes low-life malcontents who were trying to destroy the entire structure of the civilized world.

One night in May of seventy-five, Rhett and Scarlett were celebrating their ten-year anniversary. They were still living in New York. They now just visited their relatives once a year. Rhett had declared after his mother's death that he was not returning to the South in the summertime. It was just too damn hot. He took the family traveling in the summer months.

He leaned forward and said, "Considering how charming and lucky we both are, you know, our children are going to be impossible."

Scarlett laughed. She said, "They already know how charming they are. It will be some time before they realize how lucky they are. Speaking of children, it looks like we are going to have one more. She will be born around yours and Lizbeth's birthdays."

Rhett smiled and said, "She?"

"I just feel like it is going to be a girl."

"I would like that. Let's go home and celebrate."

"Get me dessert to go."

When Rhett gave Scarlett a slow sensuous smile, she gave him a sensuous smile right back.

Rhett finally said, "Alright."

In November of seventy-five, the Butlers welcomed another daughter into their home. Eugenia Victoria was born in between Rhett's and Lizbeth's birthdays. That made Scarlett happy. Everyone had their own birthday. Genie had the Butler/O'Hara blue eyes also. So far, all of the children had retained their blue eyes which pleased Scarlett and Rhett.

Lizbeth was even less impressed with her baby sister than she had been with her baby brother. Lizbeth decided that she would grow to like the child. She had grown to like Alex. She knew she would still be Daddy's favorite.

Alex was not overly impressed with his baby sister either, but he guessed they would have to keep her. Daddy looked so happy about Genie's birth. It was alright. He knew that he would always be Daddy's favorite.

Genie didn't know who all these people were who were staring at her but as long as the big man kept holding her it would be alright. She already knew she would be this man's favorite.

Rhett and Scarlett were celebrating their fifteenth wedding anniversary. They had gone to Delmonico's. They went there often enough that the maître d, Gustave, knew them by sight. Of course, the Butlers were an extremely attractive couple, and Mrs. Butler always wore the latest fashion. Gustave knew that Mrs. Butler like all rich women who were past their first bloom loved to be complimented and fawned over. Gustave knew it was all just part of his job. What made Mrs. Butler stand out is her pickiness in where they were going to sit in the restaurant. Gustave had long ago stopped showing them to a table but instead let Mrs. Butler pick out the table herself. What always made Gustave smile was after the couple was seated Mrs. Butler was say to Mr. Butler, "Are you happy sitting here?"

Gustave suspected that Mr. Butler would have been happy sitting anywhere in the restaurant, but the man always said, "It will do, I guess. If it makes you happy."

Mrs. Butler would always give Mr. Butler a big smile and say, "Thank you, you are so good to me."

Scarlett smiled at her aggravating, wonderful husband across the table. She sometimes wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming because her life was so wonderful. She couldn't believe how lucky she was.

Rhett was smiling at his lovely bride. He still could not believe his good luck to have been in that library and heard this wonderful woman throwing herself at another man. No, that was not the good luck. The good luck was the fool of a man had turned her down. -

Rhett knew that he and Scarlett had the luck of the Irish in their courtship and maybe the charm of the Irish also.

Scarlett said, "Rosemary is so happy living with us."

"I suspect it is living in New York that has made her so happy."

Scarlett rolled her eyes and said, "Do you know that she actually had that Bloomer woman in our home? You are going to have to talk to her about that, Rhett. She is becoming a bad influence on Lizbeth and Genie."

"No, I will not. I believe in equal rights for women. I think women should have the right to vote. Furthermore, if either Lizbeth or Genie want to march for the right to vote I will allow them."

"Lizbeth is going to finishing school next year. I am not going to let you turn her into a blue stocking."

"I will allow Lizbeth and Genie to go to finishing school, but I will also allow them to go to college if they want to."

"Rhett! How could you allow that."

"Because all our children are too smart for their own good. All our children need to be educated especially in financial matters. Scarlett, don't you enjoy being better educated than you were when we got married?"

"I guess. I got a letter from Careen. Tara is doing good."

Rhett knew that Tara was doing good. About five years ago, Will wrote Rhett a letter telling him that they had five hundred dollars in the bank for a rainy-day fund and Rhett didn't need to continue sending them a check anymore.

Rhett said, "That's nice. Have you heard from Suellen or Miss Melly lately?"

"I heard from Melly. Frank finally promoted Ashley to manager. With Mammy's death Suellen has had to take a more active role in the raising of her children, so she no longer has time to manage the store."

"How is Mr. Wilkes doing?"

"Melly says great, but one never knows. Melly kind of has blinders on where Ashley is concerned. We will find out the truth at Christmas when we go visit."

"True. Actually, we will not be going at Christmas. Julie is getting married in the fall. We will go down for the wedding and that will be our annual visit to the South," With a sour expression on his face, Rhett continued, "I may disown myself, so I don't have to listen to all my relatives complain about their troubles."

Scarlett smiled. She said, "Have you figured out a way to get Alex out from underneath that yoke?"

"Yes, just have him never return to the South."

Scarlett laughed. She said, "Rhett, we are going to have another child."

"Wonderful."

"I don't want to have any more after this one."

"Alright. After fifteen years of marriage, I guess we can start using some pregnancy prevention methods. Although, if you get with child, you will have that one also," Scarlett gave Rhett a puzzled look and he continued, "There is a procedure that can be done to get rid of the child, but it could also kill you, so we won't be doing that."

"Of course not. I don't want to die."

"You have to let me go first because I don't think I could stand it if I lost you."

"Let's not talk about that."

"Alright. Are you ready to go?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting on my dessert."

Rhett leered at Scarlett and said, "We can take it to go."

Scarlett giggled and said, "No, remember I ordered the Baked Alaska."

Rhett quickly said, "Yes, we will eat that here and not in our bedroom."

Author's Notes: Amelia Bloomer was an advocate for women's rights and dress reform. She was also a newspaper owner and editor. Bloomers are basically Turkish pants that were to be worn under once dress instead of all those layers of petticoats. The garment was dubbed 'The Bloomer Costume' by the press and soon got shortened to Bloomers. Bloomer herself was subjected to so much ridicule in the press and harassment on the street that she stopped wearing the garment. Nonetheless, it still carries her name even today. Dress reform was a movement to free women from 'the dictates of fashion' and provide them with 'rational dress.' It had its greatest success in women's undergarments which could be changed without anyone else knowing.

Baked Alaska was first served in 1867 at Delmonico's of New York City. It was the creation of chef Charles Ranhofer. He had called it Alaska, Florida in honor of the recent Alaska Purchase. The dessert took so long to prepare that the diner had to order it at the beginning of the meal.