Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Eight

Two days later, the papers were signed, and Picard's French Bistro was a reality. After the papers were signed, Scarlett said, "How soon before I get to taste my first croissant?"

"With luck two weeks. It all depends on how quickly we get the oven."

"Alright. Keep me posted."

With those words, Scarlett left the office. She had to get home and nurse Gerry.

When Elizabeth Butler got the letter from her son, she was shocked. She was shocked he would call her a bitch, and that he knew that she was banking half of his support check. She was horrified that her support check was being reduced but she would not complain to Rhett. She knew that if she did, he would cease her checks altogether.

Elizabeth was going to take his advice and consider herself lucky she was getting a support check at all. She tried to not think about Rhett's letter over the next several weeks, but it was unnerving that he knew she was saving half of his support check. How could he know that? Did he have someone watching her but why? She was also appalled that her own son called her a bitch, but he had lost all his breeding years ago, hadn't he. She would often look around her to see if anyone was watching her. She would look to see if there was a familiar face. There never was but nonetheless she was disquieted by the thought that someone was watching her. She considered tearing up the photographs he had sent her, but she was afraid to do that. What if he found out? If he found out that would make him mad, and he would probably stop sending her a support check all together.

Rhett never spared his mother another thought for the rest of his life. He had written all his relatives out of his life. He had not stopped her support check and he wouldn't unless she gave him a reason to stop it. He couldn't be that cold-hearted to his mother and sister despite the fact that his mother had been cold-hearted enough to refuse to take him into her home when he was dying and needed someone to take care of him.

At the end of June, the Butlers took their carriage and drove down to Clayton County. It was a full carriage because Mammy had chosen to go with them. Gerry was sitting in Rhett's lap but halfway down there he wanted to go to his mother, therefore Rhett let him. As soon as Rhett's lap was empty Bonnie was climbing into it. It made his heart swell with happiness. To hell with all those Charleston snobs, he had true happiness right here on earth.

Scarlett and Rhett left the children at Tara with Mammy. They went to see Henry Stanley. At first, Mr. Stanley tried to run them off because he thought Scarlett wanted to buy his gin.

Finally, Scarlett said, "Mr. Stanley, you are a good businessman. You somehow managed to get your gin back in operation but even I can tell that it needs some repairs. All I want to do is loan you some money at a low interest."

"How low?"

"Three percent."

"How much?"

"How much do you need to get it all fixed up?"

"A hundred dollars."

"I will get my lawyer to write up the contract."

"Thank you, Miss Scarlett."

"Mrs. Butler."

"Thank you, Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett had much the same conversation with David Livingstone. As they climbed back in the carriage, Rhett said, "Why are you doing this?"

"I am trying to help the people who were always kind to me and my family. Besides with all the bad things I've done I need to do some good things to balance the ledger out."

"I do too."

"Is that why you are helping me?"

"No, I am helping you because I enjoy being with you," At Scarlett's skeptical look, Rhett added, "Maybe a little bit."

"Let's head to the Tarleton's plantation."

"Tell me about them again."

Scarlett told him about Mr. and Mrs. Tarleton and their four sons. At the end of it, Rhett said already knowing the answer, "Did they not have any daughters?"

"They had four."

"Tell me about them."

"I don't know anything about them. Ever since I came back from finishing school, no woman has given me the time of day except Melly," With a sour expression on her face, Scarlett added, "I should have been suspicious when a woman wanted to be my friend."

Rhett laughed and said, "Forget her. You knew the Tarleton sisters before you went to finishing school, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. I always wanted to run, play, and be outside, and the girls always wanted to play with their dolls and have tea parties." Scarlett yelled up to the driver, "Jethro, turn here."

"You can show off your husband and make them green with envy."

"If they have any good sense they will be because I have the best husband. Of course, all of them are old maids except one. Don't ask. I don't know which one got married."

Rhett smiled and just said, "Thank you, Dear."

Scarlett again yelled up to Jethro, "Park anywhere."

"Yes, Mrs. Butler."

Rhett got out and waved Jethro off. He helped Scarlett out of the carriage. After he had helped her down, she said, "This was once a magnificent plantation."

"All the plantations were once magnificent."

"Not anymore."

"No, not anymore."

As Rhett and Scarlett walked to what once was the main house. He said, "Where are they living?"

"I don't know. They were living in the overseer's cabin after the Yankees marched through."

Rhett and Scarlett saw the little house at the same time and Scarlett said, "What a step down."

"At least, it is shelter."

"Yes."

Just then Scarlett saw one of the Tarleton sisters walking towards them. She said, "I don't know which sister this is. I know all their names, but they looked so much alike that I couldn't keep their names straight."

Rhett smiled.

Finally, the woman was in front of them. She said, "What brings you to Fairhill?"

"This is my husband, Rhett Butler, and we have the desire to start a horse farm."

The woman said, "Scarlett, you don't know my name, do you? You never cared about other women, have you?"

"They have never cared about me. Since I came back from finishing school, I was the problem not the fact that men found me more attractive than all the other girls. I will admit that some boys I tried to steal away but most of them came to me. They chose me over all the other girls."

Rhett said, "What is your name? We are here to make you a business offer not to dig up old slights. If we wanted to do that we could have stayed at Tara."

"I'm Hetty Tarleton."

"And will always be."

When Hetty started to make a smart remark back, Rhett quickly said, "We would like to speak to your parents."

"I will take you to them. Follow me."

The trio walked down the lane a distance. Scarlett said, "Rhett, soon it will be cotton picking season."

"Then let's hurry and conclude our business and get back to Atlanta before someone tries to make me pick cotton."

"Rhett, you are so silly."

Soon they saw Jim and Beatrice in the cotton field. They were looking at the cotton. When Beatrice saw Hetty, Scarlett, and a stranger, she smiled. Scarlett was like a cat. No matter what got thrown at her she always ended up on her feet. Maybe she wouldn't have been such an awful daughter-in-law. It didn't matter. All Beatrice's sons were dead. Dead because of the damn war. The damn war that had cost them their sons and everything else.

Beatrice said in way of greeting, "Scarlett, what brings you to Clayton County."

"This is my husband Rhett Butler and we have decided to start a horse farm."

"Jim Tarleton and my wife Beatrice. I assume you met Hetty."

Rhett said, "Yes, I did. We need someone to run the horse farm for us."

Jim said, "What?!"

Rhett took the lead and Scarlett let him. He said, "It is quite simple. We will supply the money. You will supply the labor."

"What is the catch?"

"No, catch, Mrs. Tarleton. Scarlett just wants to give back to the people of Clayton County."

"Are you asking us to run a horse farm for you?"

"That is not quite correct, Mr. Tarleton. We want you to be partners with us in a horse farm."

"You know it will be several years before there is any return on your money."

"I understand."

"At least, three years before we can sell the foals."

"I understand. How much would you need to get started?"

Jim said, "Between five hundred dollars and a thousand. We still have the barn and the corral, but we would need to buy the mares and stud horse. We could get started with just two mares and one stud. There is an auction monthly in Atlanta."

"Alright. Do you want to go into a partnership with us?"

"When is the next auction and where is it?"

"It is the first Monday of the month and it is held at Equine Now on Peachtree Lane. It starts at nine."

"Alright. I will buy us a couple of mares, and a stud horse."

Beatrice said, "I will go with you."

Scarlett said, "We will pick you up at the train station that morning. Rhett, Mrs. Tarleton has a good eye for horse flesh."

"Alright."

Scarlett turned to the Tarletons and said, "We will get our attorney to draw up a contract then we will come down and you can sign it then we will be in business."

"Scarlett why are you doing this?"

"For Brent and Stuart, of course. They would want me to help their parents and sisters. Thanks to being married to Rhett, I am able to help people."

"What do you want to call the farm?"

"I want to call it a combination of the twins' names - Brentuart."

Hetty said, "This is very out of character for you Scarlett to want to help other people."

Beatrice and Jim both said, "Hetty!"

"Actually, Hetty it isn't. I have always taken care of my people. Brent and Stuart were my childhood friends and then my beaus. Let's go, Rhett. Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Tarleton."

"If we are going to be business partners make it Beatrice and Jim."

"Sure."

Rhett said, "Goodbye. Let's go collect our children."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

As Rhett and Scarlett walked back to their carriage, he said, "I bet Hetty is getting a scolding."

"I bet Hetty is getting a switch taken to her. Mrs. Tarleton doesn't mess around."

Rhett laughed. Scarlett would have been right. Mrs. Tarleton was taking a switch to her daughter. A golden opportunity lands at their feet and Hetty is insulting the woman. Both Beatrice and Jim knew that was what Scarlett O'Hara was now.

The next day Scarlett had stopped by Mr. Powe's office and gave him the specifics of her contracts. He said it would be two or three days.

Three days later, Mr. Powe sent Scarlett a note informing her that the contracts were ready for her to pick up. She went right over to his office and picked them up.

The family went to Tara the next day and got the contracts signed. Scarlett gave Mr. Stanley his hundred dollars. She made arrangements to travel down to Clayton County once a month to get his payments. She gave Mr. Livingstone his hundred dollars and made the same arrangements. Rhett and Scarlett went to Fairhill and talked with Beatrice and Jim. Beatrice asked them to sit down at the kitchen table. She said without embarrassment, "It is the only table we have now."

Scarlett couldn't help but notice that there was nothing fancy about the home. Everything was basic furniture.

Rhett and Jim signed the contract. Rhett gave Jim five hundred dollars. Beatrice said, "My daughter, 'Randa, is going to keep the books. She is now the smartest of my children. Boyd was but he is no longer living so now 'Randa has the honor."

"That is nice, Mrs. Beatrice."

"Will both of you come up for the auction in August or just you, Beatrice."

"I will be going with Beatrice. I have to chaperon her with you, Rhett."

"That is a good idea. We wouldn't want to ruin her reputation."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Or yours either, Sweetheart."

Rhett and Scarlett smiled at each other.

Beatrice said, "We will be on the nine o'clock train."

Scarlett stood up and said, "We will meet you there. Now we must go."

"Alright."

"Goodbye."

When Rhett and Scarlett got back in the carriage, she said, "Gerry will be waiting for me, and he is not a patient waiter even though we are now feeding him some solid food.

When the couple got to Tara, they found that Gerry was mad. Scarlett took him and went to her room. She finally got the child calmed down enough to realize that what he was crying for was right in front of him. After Gerry was fed, the Butlers got in their carriage and went back to Atlanta.