Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The last week in March after Melly and Beau had left the mansion Scarlett said to Rhett, "Melly is having a surprise birthday party for Ashley on the fifteenth of April."

"Is that his actual birthday?"

"Yes, he is going to be thirty-five. Anyway, she wants us to attend. She spent the entire hour talking about her plans. I don't know how she can afford to throw such a lavish party when they can't even afford to buy new clothes."

"People do silly things with their money."

"You have that right. Fanny and Tommy Elsing got married that January after the war ended when everyone was poorer than church mice."

"Some of them still are like the Wilkeses."

Scarlett laughed and Rhett knew without a doubt she didn't love Wilkes. Now for him to practice patience. Scarlett said, "but the Elsings hosted a lavish reception to celebrate. Or Mr. and Mrs. Tarleton spending good money during the war on four headstones for their sons. Their sons were just as dead with or without the headstones. That money could have been spent on food at the very least."

"True. That is the silliness of Southerners. They are doing the same things they have always done because it is what they have always done. The Southerners have never had a lot of brains."

"No, all they have now is arrogance and cotton. They once had slaves, but their arrogance cost them that."

Rhett laughed and said, "And most of their cotton too."

Rhett and Scarlett laughed. Partly at the truth of the matter and partly because of the memory of that barbecue.

Rhett said, "I suppose we will have to attend the birthday party?"

"Of course. Melly would be so hurt if we didn't attend. If you really don't want to go, we can think of a reason not to go. Like an emergency business trip."

"No, we will attend. It is our anniversary in a way."

"Our anniversary is not until the twentieth."

"Yes, but we met on April fifteenth ten years ago."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, we did."

"That was a memorable meeting with the cursing, foot stomping, and the flying vase."

"Not to mention the snide comments and the mocking laughter."

Rhett and Scarlett both smiled at each other. He was thinking, 'I wish I had let her tell me what had happened at the sawmill so I can prevent it from happening again but at the time I wanted to sweep it under the rug and get her out of Atlanta. I never thought I would have a chance to stop the sawmill incident from happening. I thought I had gotten a miracle by being warned about our disastrous life. And I had. Then I got another miracle. I have to stop her from going out to Mr. Wilkes' sawmill that afternoon no matter what. Yet, no matter what happens I will stand by her side.'

As the days passed, things were not unfolding the way they had before. Scarlett was not complaining about not getting to stand in the receiving line. No, she was complaining about having to go to Melly's to help decorate. She didn't want to spend the entire day with Melly, India, and Aunt PittyPat. When Mamie Bart invited Scarlett to a tea on that afternoon, Rhett knew that Scarlett had been so tempted to accept but he knew she hadn't because it would hurt Melly's feelings.

Scarlett said, "Melly wants everyone to be there by seven. We will have to spend all evening with those people."

"How about we just show up late?"

"Alright."

"And leave early."

Scarlett smiled and said, "As soon as we sing, He is a Jolly Good Fellow."

"Alright."

When Scarlett visited her sawmills the next Wednesday, she had praised Ashley for making a profit small though it may have been. She had praised Johnny also for making a large profit but when she looked at the prisoners, she decided she was selling her sawmills. She would let Uncle Henry know in the next couple of weeks. No, she was going to start using Mr. Powe. That way they would have an attorney-client relationship. Mr. Powe would not feel free to comment on her behavior and her actions. Furthermore, if Mr. Powe did overstep his boundaries, Rhett would straighten him out.

There was no personal conversation between Ashley and Scarlett anymore. They, in fact, were never alone. They were now boss and employee, although Ashley felt that Scarlett still had a soft spot in her heart for him and would not fire him.

On the road back to Atlanta and the store, Scarlett sighed. She thought, 'Rhett takes such good care of me. Part father, part best friend, and part lover. He is so perfect for me and to me.'

The Wednesday the party was going to be held when Rhett woke up, he thought of a way to make sure Scarlett didn't go out to Mr. Wilkes' sawmill that day. He woke her up with soft kisses and wondered, 'Does the time matter? Can we conceive our son right now. No, I don't want her mad at me. I will wait until tonight. I might just get one chance.' Nonetheless, Rhett did make love to his wife that morning. After they were finished, she turned over to go back to sleep when he said, "Are you going out to your sawmills today or going to Miss Melly's to decorate?"

"Both. I am going to check on my businesses first then join Melly around ten."

"I am going to buy you something special for our ten-year anniversary. You can decorate with Miss Melly until dinner. After dinner you must come home so I can take you to the jewelry store."

"I would rather have a new buggy. One that seats four."

"If that is what you want, that is what you will get."

"Can it be another color than black?"

"If Mr. Munson has one on the show floor."

"Can it have the fringe around it?"

"It can be any way you want it to be."

Scarlett threw her arms around his neck and said, "You are the best husband ever."

"And?"

"The best best friend ever."

Rhett smiled at her. Not what he wanted but he would take it. He said, "No, you are the best best friend ever."

Scarlett smiled and said, "How you do go on."

Rhett burst out laughing and pulled Scarlett close. He rolled over with her in his arms. In a moment of seriousness, she said, 'When you propose and said I should get married just for the fun of it, I thought you were crazy. Marriage wasn't fun. Yet, Rhett, you have made it fun. I ….. I'm glad I said yes."

Rhett's heart had soared when he thought she was going to declare her love, but she hadn't. He said, "I'm so glad you said yes also."

As Scarlett drifted off to sleep, she thought about the fact she had almost told Rhett she loved him. How could she love Rhett when she loved Ashley? She would think about it later.

Rhett held Scarlett until she went back to sleep. He then got up and got dressed. He went down to have breakfast with his children. He thought, 'Today is a make-or-break day. No, it isn't. If everything goes to hell in a handbasket, I will take her to Europe again. We will stay until our son is born. Maybe we won't ever come back.'

Later as Scarlett was getting dressed, she thought about how she had almost told Rhett she loved him. She knew she did love him. She didn't know when she had stopped loving Ashley, but she knew she had a while ago. She thought about Ashley and what her feelings for him were. He was a man who had once called on her. And he had called on her for two years no matter what he said. He was a man who had once been her neighbor. He was a man who was not adjusting well to their new world. What had Rhett said about that? Ashley was raised to believe that all he would ever have to do is drink wine, wear broadcloth, eat fine food and be a gentleman. Scarlett thought, 'Ashley is failing at being a gentleman because a gentleman would not have let our relationship go on as long as he did. A gentleman would not call on a young girl when he was committed elsewhere.' Nonetheless, Scarlett knew she would continue to take care of him and Melly. Someone had to.

As Scarlett was driving to the sawmills, she passed where Shantytown used to be. She was glad it was no longer there. She had long ago gotten over the guilt of having gotten Frank killed. In truth, she was not sorry Frank had died. It had been horrible being married to him. He was just what she had always said he was an old maid in britches. Scarlett wondered how he had lived so long. He had always been sick with something. She now wondered if that had all been in his head. He was always so concerned about what people would say about her behavior.

Scarlett's next thought was whether Rhett had killed Frank to get him out of the way. At one time she would have emphatically said no. At the time she hadn't believed that Rhett could be that cold hearted. To kill someone just to get them out of the way. Now she wasn't so sure. She decided that he hadn't, but she wouldn't swear to it. It didn't bother her even if he had.

Scarlett thought about Rhett and wondered what his feelings for her were. That was a lot of love to kill someone just to protect someone, but she wasn't sure. At the very least, he was extremely fond of her. At best, he loved her too. She would tell him tonight. Even if he didn't love her, he wouldn't be cruel or mean to her about it. She had to know. She thought, 'If Rhett loves me, he would have told me. No, he wouldn't have because he believes I love someone else. There is nothing more pathetic than someone declaring their love to one when the person knows one loves someone else. Maybe I will tell him after he buys me my new buggy. What if I tell him and everything changes? No, I would never be able to stand it if everything turned sour between me and Rhett. I don't want to lose his friendship. I don't want things to become awkward between us. I won't tell him yet. But what if he loves me too? I know I will tell him I no longer love Ashley then he will be free to tell me he loves me. That is what I am going to do.'

When Scarlett saw Ashley's mills, she stopped thinking about Rhett and whether she should tell him she loved him or not. Gus who was walking by came over to help Scarlett down. After she was on the ground, he said, "We have a lot of orders. Mr. Wilkes finally went out and sold lumber last week."

Neither Gus nor Scarlett noticed the despairing way Gus had talked about Ashley. Scarlett said, "Good. Good."

"Mrs. Butler, I know he is your childhood friend but…"

"No, Gus. Don't say what you are thinking. Just let it go."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gus was relieved Mrs. Butler had stopped him. He had been about to say something unkind about Mr. Wilkes and Gus knew that Mrs. Butler would have not been happy with Gus for saying it whether she believed it to be true or not.

As Scarlett and Gus got to the office, she said with a sad smile, "He is also my sister-in-law's husband. We have to take care of our family."

Gus smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am, we do."

"Come on in and chaperon us. Despite him being my brother-in-law, it still wouldn't be proper for us to be alone."

Gus followed Mrs. Butler into the office and wondered not for the first time why she now felt the need to be chaperoned. He would do it. All he had to do was be in the room.