Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Fifty-One
The couple went to see Mr. Powe about their holdings in Atlanta. Scarlett talked about her tenants and the arrangements she had made to send her aunts a check every month. Rhett said, "Sell those lots, Scarlett, and put the money in the children's trust fund. We will set up a trust fund that Mr. Powe will administer to send my mother and sister a check and your aunts a check. I will put ten thousand dollars in the trust which should be more than enough to support the women the rest of their lives. If the money runs out, they can find someone else to live off of. None of the four of them are grateful and they all look down their noses at us."
"Alright. My aunts can move in with your mother if the money runs out. You did say she was saving half your support check."
"It is only a third after I reduce the amount of her check."
"That's right. I forgot. Yes, lets' do it."
Rhett made all the arrangements with Mr. Powe. The money that was in the trust would be invested in government bonds. If there was any money left over when all four of the women had passed away, it would be returned to the Butlers' bank account.
Every other day the Butlers were eating at Picard's. Rhett and Scarlett, both knew it would be a long time before they found another great French restaurant. Rene had asked why they were visiting the bistros so much and Scarlett said, "Just keeping an eye on my investments."
Rene knew that wasn't all of it, but he didn't want to make the Butlers mad by pushing the issue.
The Butlers were eating out a lot in the evening also. They were visiting all their favorite restaurants. They had gone to Main St. Bistro several times also. It was still one of Scarlett's favorite restaurants.
The Butlers made a trip to Tara. Scarlett and Suellen had their argument about Frank Kennedy. Scarlett did not mince her words to spare Ella's feelings. She didn't know that Ella knew that Frank Kennedy was her father. In truth, Frank Kennedy was just a name to Ella. No one had ever told her anything about her biological father therefore, she had no emotional connection to the man. Besides, as far as Ella was concerned Rhett Butler was her father.
As Rhett watched his family while they were at Tara, he felt some regret that they couldn't live here. Everyone even Gerry came alive while they were on the plantation. Everyone but him that is. They couldn't live here. He would go absolutely insane if he had to live in the country. He had always felt that way even as a child. Maybe that was one of the reasons he had been able to give away his inheritance. He would never have been able to live on the family plantation, Middleton Acres.
Rhett and Scarlett were walking around the plantation before dinner. Rhett said, "Do you want me to hire a photographer to come down and take some pictures of the estate?"
No, I don't want a picture of it as it is now. I want a picture of it as it was before the war. A picture of me sitting on the porch with the Tarleton twins. They had come to call on me the day before the barbecue. All three of us were so innocent and naïve. We didn't know that would be the last day," Here Rhett could hear the tears in Scarlett's voice. He let her get her emotions under control. She finally went on, "The last day of our childhood."
Rhett took Scarlett's hand and tucked it into his arm. He said, "I still remember how naïve I had been that day the buggy wheel broke. I had honestly thought, 'This will be a five-day wonder, but it will blow over. It was just an accident. Alas, it didn't. It was the last day of my childhood."
Scarlett started laughing and said, "Alas? Alas? What kind of stupid word is alas? Do you have a book of words and quotes that nobody else in the world has ever heard of?"
"No, but I could write a book like that."
"Unfortunately, you would be the only person who would want to read it."
Rhett had laughed. He had said, "Maybe Mr. Wilkes would like to read it."
Scarlett joked, "Better, you and Ashley could write the book together."
"No, that would never do. You know I would have to do all the work while Mr. Wilkes talked about the good old days."
Scarlett laughed and said, "Yes, you would and yes, he would."
After dinner, Scarlett and Rhett visited the Tarletons. Beatrice and Jim were pleased to see them. 'Randa and Camilla joined them every time the Butlers visited but never Hetty. Scarlett still couldn't keep their names straight therefore she never called them by their names except after she and Rhett had left the plantation. If she called the sisters by the wrong name Rhett never bothered to correct her. In Rhett's opinion the Tarleton sisters looked similar but not so similar that it was hard to tell them apart. Scarlett just didn't care enough about the sisters to bother to match the names with the faces. It didn't appall Rhett. He had always known Scarlett didn't care about people who weren't part of her inner circle.
A week before the Butlers were scheduled to leave Atlanta to go to Boston for the holidays while Genie and Gerry were napping and Wade and Ella were in school, Rhett and Scarlett drove around Atlanta. At first, they were happily remembering all their time together but the later the afternoon got the sadder the couple got. They drove by what was left of the building that the Hospital Bazaar was held at, they drove by Hamilton House, they drove out to the mill that Scarlett had bought with the loan Rhett had given her, they drove out to the bend in the road where he would wait for her to drive her home, they drove by the depot which they barely got by that horrible August night, and finally they just drove around Atlanta. At one point Scarlett said, "I can't believe we are really leaving."
"Me either. I honestly never thought you would."
"If I was still the selfish, self-centered person I was when we got married, I wouldn't be."
"Now you love your children enough to do what is best for them."
"Yeah. Let's go home. I'm getting sad."
After a few minutes, Scarlett said, "We have spent our entire relationship life here except for us meeting at Ashley's birthday barbecue."
"No, we went to Europe twice. We went to New York. We will continue our relationship life somewhere else. We can't stay here."
Sadly, Scarlett said, "No, we can't."
Rhett saw Mrs. Merriwether on the street, and he said, "Do you think I can splash her?"
"No, there aren't any puddles."
"True."
"You can run her down though."
"Yes, but I won't. It might damage the horse."
"True, she is as big as a horse."
Within weeks of Rhett's birthday party, the Butlers were on the train to Boston supposedly for the holidays. Yet, they had sold all their horses. They had let everyone go but Pork, Dilcey, Prissy, and her husband Jethro. Rhett had told Jethro, "It will probably be a good idea for you and Prissy to find other jobs."
Rhett had gone ahead and had his handkerchiefs embroidered for he knew of an excellent embroiderer. He only used four colors now. They were blue like Bonnie's eyes, green like Ella and Gerry's eyes, brown like Wade's eyes, and scarlet because that was his true love's name.
Rhett had never told Scarlett, but he had kept the handkerchief Belle had given her. He had kept it because Scarlett had faith in him for no other reason than she believed him to be a trustworthy person. She had believed he would be faithful to her for no other reason than that is what people did – remained faithful. That was a pretty big compliment considering that until he got his miracle, he had been an awfully corrupt, amoral, unreliable man.
As Scarlett and Rhett left Atlanta, they had taken every piece of jewelry they owned even the pieces that Charlie and Frank had given Scarlett. They had taken all their pictures also. They had told the children to take all their favorite toys. Scarlett also had two dozen croissants that Rene had baked especially for her.
As the train pulled away from the station, Rhett said, "You know your croissants will go stale before you and Genie can eat them all."
"We will still eat them."
"Will you share?"
"The stale ones? Of course."
Rhett just smiled. He knew Scarlett wasn't joking.
Scarlett had not told Mammy of their plan, but she was not a stupid woman, and she knew that the family was moving away from Atlanta. Isn't that what Miss Scarlett had told her every time Mammy had scolded her about having white trash in her parlor. Mammy had to decide if she was going to move with Miss Scarlett or go back to Tara and live with Miss Suellen. For now, she didn't have to decide because Miss Scarlett had not told her that they were moving to the North. Right now, supposedly the family was just going to Boston for the holidays.
Although neither Rhett or Scarlett had out and out stated it, they both knew they would not be returning to Atlanta any time soon. They were moving to either New York or Boston. Probably New York because Scarlett's friend Violet lived there.
Scarlett made a point of setting up a playdate between Beau and Wade before the Butlers left Atlanta. Melly had dropped Beau off, but she had not come in the mansion. When Melly came to pick up Beau, Scarlett made Wade and Beau carry a couple of boxes of Wade's hand me downs out to Melly's buggy. It gave Wade a chance to tell his aunt goodbye.
As much as Scarlett despised Melly, Wade was fond of her, and she was fond of the boy. They would miss each other in the future. Scarlett didn't know how often they would return to Atlanta or even Tara. There wasn't anything here for them anymore. She still loved Tara, but she had to do what was right for her children.
Scarlett stood there and looked at Melanie while Wade talked to his aunt. Scarlett smiled at Melly's dress. Even though Scarlett could tell it was new in style and color it was the same as all her other dresses. It was drab, boring, and high-necked. Yet, what made Scarlett sad was how old Melly was looking. Melly looked like she had aged five years over the last year ever since the Wilkeses had moved into Hamilton House. Scarlett guessed Melly didn't see a bright future in front of her. Sadly, Scarlett agreed. Melly didn't have much of a happy future in front of her. Probably Beau and Wade were her only happiness and with a twinge of guilt Scarlett knew she and Rhett would shortly be taking Wade out of Melly's life.
Scarlett shook off those guilty feelings. She and Rhett had to do what was right for all their children. She also believed that taking Wade out of the South was what was best for him.
The family enjoyed their time in Boston. Rhett took the family to all the local historical sites in the city. There were quite a few of them considering Boston had been where the American revolution had practically started. They all had to buy a heavier coat along with gloves, wool caps, and scarves. Wade had seen some boys ice skating and he had said, "That looks like fun. I wonder how they are doing it."
Rhett said, "Let's walk down there and talk to them about it."
Fifteen minutes later Rhett and Wade returned and told the rest of the family all about ice skating. Scarlett said, "That does sound like fun."
Another day the family saw some children riding sleds down the side of a hill. They would get to the bottom, grab their sleds, and climb back up the hill. Rhett and Wade went over and talk to the children. Rhett found out where he could buy a sled. It wasn't close so he shelved the idea of buying one for the children to try out the sport.
They had a lovely Christmas celebration. Rhett had curtailed his gift buying because they were traveling but he still bought a lot of presents. Scarlett just smiled. They would have to buy another trunk.
