Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Five

Dinner was a pleasant meal. There was just Rhett, Scarlett, Ella, and Genie. About mid-way through the meal, Bonnie turned to her father and said, "I want to go to school."

"You aren't old enough yet."

"Ella is getting to go."

"Ella is two and a half years older than you, also."

"Ella doesn't want to go."

"Is this right, Ella?"

"Yes, Daddy. Mama said you might hire me a tutor instead of me having to go to school."

"Alright. If you don't want to go yet, you don't have to go. But why don't you want to go?"

"I don't know."

Rhett looked at Scarlett and she was looking at him with a confused look on her face. He said, "Why don't we talk about it later."

Ella brightened up and said, "Thank you, Daddy."

After the meal was over, Scarlet sent the girls up to the nursery to get ready for their naps. After they had left the room, Rhett said, "You know she is a very shy little girl."

"No, she isn't."

"You don't see it because she isn't shy around you. How does she behave when you take her to other children's birthday parties?"

Scarlett considered the question then she said, "She stands next to me until either Lottie or Vera come ask her to play with them."

"She is scared to approach a group of other little girls by herself. Find out where Lottie or Vera are going to go to school. We will send her there. She will be comfortable if she already knows some girls in the class."

"And if she still doesn't want to go?"

"Then we will hire a tutor until Bonnie goes to school then Ella will be alright with going because Bonnie won't let her stay home."

Scarlett laughed and said, "No, she won't."

Scarlett left the house at one to attend the tea Harriet Youngblood was having that afternoon. She had a wonderful time. The ladies were lively and fun. They were happy to update Scarlett on everything that had happened in the last year. They all congratulated her on the birth of her son and promise to come and see the baby. When Scarlett asked Vera's mother which school, she was sending her daughter to in the fall, Vera's mother had said, "Swan Academy."

Another woman had said, "That is where we are going to send Jenny."

Scarlett said, "That is good news. Ella will be so excited that she already has friends in the class. I must go by tomorrow and sign her up."

"Vera will be happy Ella is there also."

The ladies talked about a lot of things. The one thing Scarlett didn't understand is all the talk about the November elections. They talked like the results of the election would change their lives. She would ask Rhett about it later.

While Scarlett was out, Wade arrived back home. Rhett asked him, "How was your visit with Beau?"

"Good. I haven't been to Beau's house in a long time. We mostly spent the time packing," When Wade looked away, Rhett waited for the boy to continue speaking. Finally, Wade said, "Why doesn't Beau have any clothes than what I gave him?"

Rhett smiled at his insightful son. The insight he got from Charles Hamilton. Most ten-year-olds would not have been aware of the fact that his cousin never got any new clothes. Rhett said, "Miss Melly doesn't need to spend money on clothes. Your mother spends enough for both of them."

Wade smiled. He then said, "Will you start saving my clothes for Gerry?"

"And take one of your mother's joys out of her life. No, your mother loves to buy clothes. Mainly for herself but she is also happy buying clothes for her children."

"Does she buy clothes for you?"

"She would like to, but I like to choose my own clothes. Her taste in clothes, well, just about anything is too modern for me."

Wade smiled and said, "Me too, sometimes. I am so glad I had to wear a uniform to school last year."

"You will be returning to Barclay's Academy in September therefore you will get to wear a uniform to school again."

"Alright."

"Now run along and go read a book. Your sisters will be awake soon and you will get no peace then."

"Thanks, Dad."

Rhett smiled as he watched the boy leave the room. He would bet his last dollar that Wade had never once told his mother that he didn't like the material or clothing style she had picked out for him. He would just continue wearing the more garish clothes until he could finally buy his own.

Calvin Hobbes could not believe the note he got from Mr. Butler. It stated: You can start tearing out the staircase tomorrow. We will expect you at eight A.M. – RKButler.

Calvin looked at the note and could not believe the arrogance of the man. Like he expected Calvin to drop everything and put his renovation before everyone else. Calvin would soon find out that was just the first of the Butler's entitlement expectations.

Calvin sent a note back to Mr. Butler stating: The soonest I will be able to start on your renovation will be Wednesday of next week. .

When Rhett received the note, he said to himself, "This is disappointing. I hope his workmanship is better than his logistics."

That night Rhett said, "Mr. Hobbes will not be able to start tearing out the stairwell until next Wednesday."

"Why not?"

"He says he has other people in front of us."

"How can that be? He showed us the sketches and we said yes right away. This shows poor management skills."

"I agree. Hopefully, his workmanship is much better."

"Hopefully."

"I'm going to go play some cards at The Painted Lady," With the cock of Scarlett's eyebrow, Rhett added, "You know I'm not going to use a whore and I like the atmosphere at The Painted Lady better besides, I'm pretty sure that Miss Melly told everyone I was using whores, so I no longer have a reputation to maintain."

"True. I don't associate with proper ladies anyway.

"Except Mrs. Welburn. Thanks, my love."

"Fanny and I don't associate as ladies but as business associates. She doesn't care what you do as long as I loaned her the money."

"True, my love. I will be home early."

"Wait. I have a question. I need to ask it before I forget. The ladies at Harriet's tea talked like the November elections were going to change their lives. Why?"

"Because it will. In the November elections the Republicans are going to be voted out of office. Now that the Southern gentleman have the right to vote back, they will vote the Democrats back into office. The same people that got them into this mess in the first place."

"I still don't understand."

"With the Democrats back in power, the Scallawags and Republicans will not be able to make money off the government."

"What about you?"

"Not me either but I know a lot more ways to make money. Don't despair. I will still be able to buy you everything your greedy heart wants."

Scarlett scowled at Rhett. She knew he was teasing but she didn't like him saying it anyway. It was too close to the truth. She said, "Go on and go."

As Rhett sat at The Painted Lady playing poker, he decided that he would not be returning to this saloon. It brought up too many unhappy memories. It brought up shameful memories of his having cheated on Scarlett. Not because he wanted to have sex with Belle but to hurt Scarlett. To shame the woman, he loved just because she dared to love someone else. It made him remember what a horrible husband he had been to the woman he loved in his first timeline.

Rhett got up and went to the privy. On his way back into the main room, he saw Wilkes heading up the stairs with one of the girls. Rhett smiled. He wondered if Wilkes had always been using whores or after he learned what the rumor was about him, he decided to make it a reality. As Rhett sat down at the table, he decided that it was the latter. He also decided that once Wilkes image of himself was shattered he had been able to form a new image of himself. Much like what he had to do once he was disowned. Once he was no longer considered a gentleman by Southern society, he had decided he could be anything he wanted to be.

The next day Scarlett told Ella that her friends Jenny and Vera were going to Swan Academy next fall and were looking forward to her being in their class. Ella said, "If Jenny and Vera are going to be there then I will try going to school."

"Thank you, Dear."

The next Wednesday, at eight A.M. Hobbes's workman were at the mansion and by eight ten Scarlett was cursing them. They had woken her up from a very lovely dream about Rhett. He had given her a lovely diamond and ruby necklace and she had been kissing him.

When the noise and racket had continued, she had jumped out of her bed and put her wrapper on. When she had reached the upstairs landing, she had known what was going on. She shouted, "Stop! Stop!" After the workers had stopped, she said, "Do the quiet part until I wake up."

One worker said, "There is no quiet part."

Scarlett stormed back to her bedroom and quickly got dressed. She went down the servant's stairs and ended up in the foyer where she found Mr. Hobbes. She shouted, "Why didn't you tell me it was going to be this noisy?"

"I thought you knew. We are tearing out a staircase. Once we get the old staircase out, it will be a lot quieter although there will still be noisy moments."

"You should have told me! You are just going to have to shut down all this noise while my children need to take their naps."

"Are you serious, Mrs. Butler? That would cost me half a day of production. I pay my workers by the day so no I am not going to do that."

"We will see about this. I am going to talk to Mr. Butler."

"Go ahead. I will tell him the same thing."

Scarlett did go talk to Rhett. On this point he was more reasonable than Scarlett. She said, "The children will not be able to nap with all this noise going on."

"Let me see how long it is going to be this noisy."

Mr. Hobbes assured them it would only be this noisy for a day or two or three at the most. Rhett said to Scarlett, "Go to the National and rent us a suite for a few days. Take Mammy and the children. Leave Wade with me."

"Alright. Let me pack my carpet bag," Scarlett glared at Mr. Hobbes and said, "There is going to be dust all over everything."

"Yes ma'am, there is."

Within the hour, Scarlett and her younger children had left the mansion. Within thirty minutes, Scarlett had returned to get a lot of items Mammy needed to keep the children entertained. Not to mention Gerry's bassinet.

If Mr. Hobbes thought Mrs. Butler was going to go to the hotel and stay, he was sadly mistaken. She would come and watch the men work. She would leave every so often but within the hour she was back. Sometimes with her baby and sometimes not. Within three days the entire staircase had been torn out then they started constructing the new staircase.

Scarlett took the opportunity to go to Swan Academy for Girls and register Ella for the next class year. The secretary asked, "Why are you here?"

"To register my daughter, Ella, for school."

"What is her name?"

Without any second thoughts or any shame, Scarlett said, "Ella Butler."

"What is her age?"

"Six."

"She will be in first grade."

"Yes."

"Very well, Mrs. Butler. The tuition is ten dollars a month. You need to pay the first month now."

"I will pay the first month now, of course, but can you send my husband a bill monthly?"

"Yes ma'am. What is your address?"

"106 Peach Tree Street."

"Very well, Mrs. Butler."

"Does she have to wear a uniform?"

"Yes ma'am. Let me write out the requirements but they are a black blouse and a red and black checked jumper that will be worn over the blouse."

"Do you know of someone in Atlanta who makes these jumpers for little girls?"

"Mrs. Marshall on Fifth Avenue."

"Thank you."

With that Scarlett left the office. Ella was registered for school. She would love it. Her friends Vera, Jenny, Beryl, and Lottie were all going to be in her class.

Scarlett could not understand someone being shy, but she guessed Frank Kennedy had been shy in social situations, so it was understandable.