I am so sorry I haven't updated this in a long while. I've had the holidays and both of my children's birthdays just two weeks apart. Talk about spent! In everyway. So here goes. I promise the chapter after this will pick up speed a bit. Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed my last chapters. It's the first story I've ever written and I'm glad to know someone likes it. My cousin, the "Oharachic" herself, helped me with the first half of this chapter. She is the expert on GWTW, and the only one of my family I would show this to. Also, a big thanks again to Angel Leeann for being my beta, especially when we are all pressuring her for another chapter of her own story.

Disclaimer….I don't own any of these people. They all belong to someone else and I promise to put them back when I am done with them.

Chapter Three

Scarlett gazed through the large picture window that was adorned with exact replicas of Mrs. Ellen's forte Aires. She vaguely remembered the day she had torn the originals off the wall in a desperate attempt to save the home that her mother had cherished. Those times had been so desolate and bleak. She remembered the hunger and the stench of death that had permeated every fiber of Tara. During that time she did things that were not respectable for any woman. Offering herself to Rhett for money, then marrying a man she didn't love: who'd belonged to someone else.... her sister no less.

Scarlett closed her eyes to shut out the memories of the past that she would just as soon forget. "I can't think about that now, I'll go crazy if I do." Taking a deep breath as though to push away the pain, she opened her eyes to see Rhett and Bonnie approaching the main house. As she looked she noticed they were not alone. "What poor beggars have they brought home this time?"

***

Mammie stood ready at the door as Rhett and his guests entered the main foyer. "Who he done brought up here for me to feed this time," she said to herself.

"Mammie, I picked up these folks on the South quarter. They've been traveling. Could you see fit to get some of Cook's magnificent southern cooking into their bellies?" Rhett plied her with a smile and a finely raised eyebrow. The same look he always gave Mammie to get his way, when he knew she was fit to be tied.

"Yes, Mista Rhett," she replied.

"Miss Scarlett is not gonna be happy with having company this close to time to leave," Mammie mumbled under her breath as she turned and walked down the hall, shaking her head she went.

Scarlett opened the great French doors from the parlor and entered the foyer with the grace of a true southern belle. Only Rhett could recognize the arched brow and set lips of irritation at this intrusion. "May I ask whom this is you have brought to grace our home now, Capt. Butler?"

Roxton gallantly stepped toward Scarlett and took her hand, offering her smooth skin a kiss. Roxton knew the hidden expression also. It was the same one he had received many times in the past from Marguerite. "Mrs. Butler, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I am Lord John Roxton and these are my companions," he explained and continued to introduce each one.

Scarlett's gaze fell behind Lord Roxton to the dark haired beauty that reminded her of someone. Yet, she could not put her finger on whom.

Rhett quickly explained the situation that had brought the group into their company, but he knew that he would be bombarded with questions once they were alone.

Scarlett seemed to accept the fact that they would spend their last night at Tara entertaining, but what would they do with these people in the morning? Surely, Rhett would not expect her to let them stay here at Tara and they certainly couldn't be trusted to return a borrowed horse and buggy. For all she knew these could be a bunch of carpetbaggers trying to steal everything they had.

"Well I suppose Rhett has already ordered supper for everyone. If you would like, Prissy can show you to the upstairs guest rooms so you can rest and refresh yourselves before we eat," Scarlett said, anxious to have some time alone with Rhett to find out what he intended to do with these guests.

"Yes, that would be wonderful Mrs. Butler, thank you." Challenger smiled as he and the others followed Prissy to two of the large guest rooms. The ladies were showed to one and the men took the adjoining one next to it. After Prissy left, they all gathered in the men's room to discuss a course of action.

"Challenger, what do you suggest we do about getting back to London from here?" Marguerite looked at him, knowing it was more complicated than just hopping a ship home.

"I don't think we are going to be able to go back, my dear. If we did, we could disturb the process of events in our lives that lead to our births causing changes to take place that could alter our lives and everyone we come in contact with there that knows us, or will know us. It's just too dangerous; we have arrived about 50 years earlier than we left. I saw a date on some papers lying in the foyer downstairs. It is 1871. All of you are not even born yet, and if I exist in this realm, I am only 4 years old. If you were to find your families, your parents would just be children. They wouldn't even know you." Challenger looked at the people he had begun to care for as if they were his own children. He saw the disappointment in their faces as they began to realize that the lives they wanted to return to were simply not there, as of yet.

Roxton dropped to the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. Even though he had known when he saw Captain Butler that they were not in "his world" he had held out hope that he could return to London. He had not thought of the repercussions of going back in the wrong time frame. Again, he wondered how his mother had managed thinking that maybe he was dead like his brother and father. All he wanted to do was to tell her he was ok and he was happier now. He realized that was not a possibility.

Marguerite dropped to her knees in front him, took his hands in hers and looked up into his eyes. In a whisper she said, "Please don't be sad, we can go back to the Plateau and find another way home. There are other caves, other ways; we just have to keep looking until we find our way home in our own time frame. At least we know there are caves that lead off, this is just one of those strange shifting plane things that happen! Maybe, while we are here we can just have a little fun and enjoy some of the comforts of civilization. This place isn't so bad, right?"

He couldn't help but embrace Marguerite's enthusiasm. She so rarely displayed it. He smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her. The others smiled at the display of affection between the two. They had become used to seeing them behave like this, but only when they thought no one was watching.

"Well, where do we go from here?" Ned thought he would love to go to the city and show Veronica some of the civilized world even though it was fifty years too early. Things couldn't have changed that much in fifty years.

"I would like to look around and see some things, as long as we can go back home." Veronica was curious about her surroundings, she was tempted as well to experience some of the pleasures her friends talked endlessly about.

"I would think that we can go back to the Plateau whenever we like, the passage way is still there and the cave looked stable, I don't see any harm in exploring the area and experiencing a little history. America, during this time period, was a very exciting place to be." Challenger remembered his studies in world history and the stories of war that ravished this area, just a few years before.

"Well, I for one would like to clean up and enjoy a nice dinner. Veronica?" Marguerite suggested as she walked towards her room.

"Right behind you," she said as they entered the room and shut the adjoining door. "What do you think of our hosts?" Veronica had noticed the tension between the Captain and his wife and had been anxious to ask Marguerite about it.

"He is a gallant and attractive man. Very charming. He also seems trustworthy. She, on the other hand, is as cold as a cat." Marguerite smiled and looked at Veronica knowingly.

"Hmm, reminds me of a couple of people I used to know."

***

"Rhett, you can't be serious!" Scarlett fumed as she questioned Rhett about his intentions for his new guests.

"Scarlett, it would do you good to have some new friends in town. Besides, what would you suggest, that I send them out on the street with nothing but the clothes on their backs?" Rhett commented as he watched his beautiful wife pout with anger. After all she has been through she still had the hardest time trusting people.

"I just don't see why you have to ask them to come to Atlanta with us. Just give them some money and send them back to where they came from."

"I could, but these people have intrigued me. I'm tired of consorting with the same old goats that rule this town. These people have been places. You could learn some things from them Scarlett. Besides, it wouldn't be proper to send an English Lord and his companions out without showing some hospitality."

"He doesn't look like royalty to me Rhett, and that Miss Krux looks like she could be up to something." Scarlett looked at Rhett closely to see his reaction to her speculations. "If you insist they go with us, don't expect me to tend to them night and day."

"Scarlett my dear, don't worry your head about any of this. I'll make sure they're taken care of and you'll never even know they are there." Rhett chuckled as he bent down to kiss the lips of the lady. She was still as selfish as a child, but he couldn't help but love that beautiful face. She would adjust to the new guests. She would have to.