Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Seventeen
After three weeks on the ship, they docked in Dublin. Scarlett enjoyed seeing her father's homeland, but it also made her miss her father. Everyone there talked just like Pa had always talked. After a week they took a short boat trip to London.
The day they arrived in London, Rhett told Scarlett, "We will get settled into the hotel room in the next several days. You are probably worn out from all our traveling so far. We will just take it easy for the next week. I will send a note to my acquaintance and ask him and his wife to supper. We will find out who their doctor is and make you an appointment. I will get a list of rental properties and we will find a house. Then I will take you to Paris and Florence.
Scarlett was excited about seeing Paris. She remembered all the wonderful stories Rhett had told her during the war. She smiled. Rhett had been so fun and exciting during the war. She guessed he still was. Rhett looked at Scarlett and wondered what she was thinking about. He knew it wasn't Mr. Wilkes because she didn't have a dreamy look on her face, but she had more of a serene look on her face. Like she was remembering something very pleasant to her.
Rhett said, "What are you thinking about?"
"When you would tell me stories about Paris during the war. You always made it seem so exciting."
"Anything would have been exciting compared to Atlanta during the war. Maybe you will enjoy Europe so much you won't want to return to Atlanta."
"Don't be silly, Rhett, I could never live that far away from Tara."
Rhett had tensed up because he was sure Scarlett had been about to say Mr. Wilkes' name, but she hadn't. He said, "Come on. Let's go lie down and rest. Everyone else is taking a nap and I mean everyone else."
Scarlett made herself giggle. She had seen Rhett tense up so he must have thought she had been about to say Ashley's name. Scarlett had become a lot more aware of Rhett and his moods since the night she had been thinking about Ashley all throughout supper. She would have to be incredibly careful because she didn't want Rhett to yell at her. She already knew it would not be pleasant. It wasn't pleasant when he was just speaking to her harshly. In fact, Scarlett knew that Rhett yelling at her would be terribly awful. He indeed could make her life a living hell.
Scarlett said, "Let's go take a nap."
"Just a nap?"
"Just a nap."
"If that is your best offer, I guess I will take it."
"Come on. You never know what might happen.
Rhett knew what wasn't going to happen. Scarlett didn't like to do it in the afternoon because she didn't want to get undressed. When he had stated they didn't need to get undress to be intimate she had been appalled. She had said, "That sounds so nasty."
Rhett was a patient man in regard to their intimate time. He just had to keep pushing Scarlett off of dead center. He had done that in his first timeline also and by the time he had gotten sick she had become pretty uninhibited.
After Rhett and Scarlett had laid down, he said, "Let me tell you what I read in my news magazine."
Scarlett whined, "Rhett, no."
"You will find this interesting."
Scarlett sighed and thought, 'If I can sit through Ashley reading me hours of boring poetry, I can listen to what Rhett wants to tell me.' She said, "Go ahead."
As it turned out what Rhett told her was interesting. It was about politics. Scarlett didn't know it but Rhett had made the information very simplistic so she would understand.
A month later the Butlers were returning to London from their trip to Paris and Florence. Rhett and Scarlett were sitting on the train that would take them to Calais. At Calais, the family would get on a ferry and two hours later they would dock in Dover. They would take a train to London and finally be back in their rental house.
Rhett said, "Can I get you anything? Some coffee or tea?"
"Some water would be nice."
"I will be right back. I will take Wade with me."
"Ella too. She always looks so sad when you leave her behind."
"Alright. I will leave Mammy with you."
"Thank you."
Rhett returned with a glass of water and a blueberry muffin. Scarlett saw that he had bought Wade and Ella a muffin also. Scarlett said, "Rhett, you can't give them food in between meals it will ruin their appetite."
As Rhett was handing Mammy a muffin, he said, "I won't do it every day. Besides, I could hardly tell them no when I was bringing a muffin back for you and Mammy," Rhett sat down next to Scarlett and continued, "I know you are tired, but did you enjoy seeing Paris and Florence? Did you like the food?"
"Yes, I did. You were right that the French food was better in Paris than in New Orleans. I don't think I will be able to dine at that French restaurant in Atlanta ever again."
"I am fine with that. It is quite a step down from the cuisine we enjoyed in Paris. What did you think of the Italian food?"
"I like it a lot also. You were right. I am experiencing so many delightful foods. You are going to have to find a bakery in London that sells that roll. What was it called? A croissant."
"I will try."
"Try hard. Your baby liked it too."
Rhett smiled and said, "How do you know my baby enjoyed croissants too.?"
"As his mother, I just know. I enjoyed the performance you took me to, also. Although I did feel under dressed. You should have told me to pack something extremely fancy. On second thought it wouldn't have mattered because all I am wearing these days are these tents."
"It is called an opera. I decided to go to Milan on a spur of the moment. You did get to wear your tiara."
"Thank you for going out and buying me a tiara just to wear to the opera."
"You can wear it other times also."
"Thank you for the muffin."
"You're welcome."
"Rhett, thank you for this trip. You are being so good to me. This is so much better than having to stay in the house in Atlanta."
"You are welcome."
Once the family was back in their home in London, they celebrated Christmas. They had not done it while they were traveling because they had not wanted to haul all the presents with them. Christmas in England was not like it was in the South or even in the North. It was not as big a deal in Europe. In fact, several shops had not even closed in honor of the holiday. Yet the Butlers had a nice time. Rhett had bought a bunch of presents for his unborn child. They were all for a girl.
Scarlett said, "You will have to take all of these gifts back when we have a boy."
"If we have a boy, I will."
"Rhett, are you going to be terribly disappointed if we don't have a girl?"
"Yes, but he will never know."
"Alright."
"What color do you think I should get my initials embroider in this year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Every year I get my handkerchiefs embroider with a different color that way I know how old they are and can purge out the oldest ones."
"That is smart. What color did you use this year?"
"Green. That was the year of the Scarlett"
Scarlett smiled and said, "The year before that?"
"Blue."
"The year before that?"
"Red."
"Then I guess purple for royalty."
Rhett smiled and said, "Purple it is. The only color I will never use again will be yellow. I used that several years ago and it was hard to see on the cloth."
Scarlett had smiled. She said, "Let's get changed. Our guest will be arriving soon."
"Since we are already getting undressed do you want to….?"
"No! We don't have time."
"We could do it real fast."
"No, I refused to be rushed when we…."
"Alright."
As Rhett followed Scarlett to their bedroom he was smiling.
Later that day after dinner when she was alone, Scarlett had tried to remember what color Rhett's initials had been on the handkerchief that the whore had given her and Melly. She was thinking they had been yellow.
The Butlers had a goose and all the English sides for their Christmas dinner. They had invited all of their friends. A good time was had by all.
That night as Scarlett and Rhett laid in their bed, she said, "It was nice, but it wasn't like having Christmas at home."
"Is that a bad thing?"
Scarlett had laughed and said, "Yes."
Rhett rolled over on top of Scarlett and said, "As long as we are together, any holiday will be wonderful."
"Oh Rhett, thank you. Now get off of me. You are squishing me and the baby."
Rhett rolled over and took her with him and said, "Better?"
"Yes." Scarlett bent down and kissed her husband. Before the night was over, he introduced her to another position. She was happy enough with the new position. It was just so hard to get comfortable these days.
Scarlett didn't get out of bed before noon for a week after their return to London, except to go to the privy. One day while Scarlett was coming back from the privy, Rhett said, "Why do you go to the privy so often?"
As Scarlett collapsed into the middle of the divan, she said, "Because the baby is sitting on my bladder which makes me think I have to go urinate more often than I do. The worst part is when I get there I really don't need to urinate."
"Oh!"
"No more, Rhett."
"I will try but I can't make you any promises."
Scarlett looked around the family parlor and said, "Do you like this décor?"
"No, it is too boring even for me, but it is the perfect décor to have in a rental home. It would not offend anyone."
"I suppose. We need to arrange a wet nurse. I don't even know where to start looking. She would have to be someone who could go with us back to Atlanta."
"You could ask the doctor."
"Yes."
"You could nurse the baby yourself until we returned to Atlanta."
Scarlett stood up and shouted, "Rhett Butler, I am a lady, and a lady doesn't nurse her own child."
"I have heard that Victoria, the Crown Princess of Prussia nurses her own children."
"Who?"
"Princess Victoria. She is Queen Victoria's oldest daughter. She is married to Frederick III of Prussia."
"Prussia?"
"It is east of France, close to Russia."
"What do I care what she does? How did you find out she nurses her own children? That seems like that would be extremely personal information about her."
"When you are a royal, everyone knows everything about you. Especially this because it is not the norm. You could do it just until we get back to Atlanta where you can find a wet nurse."
"I will ask Dr. Hickman about where to find a wet nurse."
"When do you see him again?"
"He should drop by some time tomorrow."
"Alright."
That night when Rhett attempted to be intimate, Scarlett said, "No more Rhett until the baby arrives. Well actually until six weeks after the baby arrives. I am just too miserable for any foolishness."
"All you have to do is lay there."
"I'm too miserable even for that."
"Come here and kiss me. That is all you have to do. I will do the rest."
Afterwards, when Rhett had caught his breath, Scarlett said, "What did you do?"
"Brought myself satisfaction."
"How did you do that?"
After Rhett explained how he had pleasured himself, he said, "Next time you will have to help me. I will show you how."
"No."
"I have a lot of sexual desire that you are going to have to help me release otherwise I will get very grumpy. The greater my sexual need is the grumpier I will get."
"This is that heaven or hell thing again, right?"
Rhett chuckled and said, "I guess it is."
"I don't want hell so I guess I will help you with your needs, but I don't know what to do."
"I know that is why I am going to teach you. You might even come to enjoy giving me pleasure. I enjoy giving you pleasure."
"I doubt I will enjoy it, but I will do it."
"That is all I ask."
Rhett pulled her close and started telling her about the kings and queens of Europe. Soon she was asleep and so was he.
