Scarlett awoke that morning in the same position she was last night. She stretched her arms out and yawned. She felt a little tired yet excited. "I might get to see Rhett today!" she thought excitingly.

She heard the sound of the servants getting breakfast ready so she quickly got out of the bedand went to get dressed. She looked at the line of dresses she had. She quickly picked out the black mourning dress and put it on. How she dreaded wearing black but somehow, it wasn't that bad now.

She walked to the door, opened it, and walked down the stairs merrily humming.

When she got down the stairs she saw Aunt Pitty sitting at the table looking distressed and Melanie looking a little brighter than usual.

"Good morning Scarlett dear." Melanie said warmly.

"Good morning Melly. Good morning Aunt Pitty." Scarlett said smiling to both of them.

Aunt Pitty looked even more distressed as if not hearing the warm 'Good morning' Scarlett gave.

"Oh dear!" Aunt Pitty wailed.

"What is it Aunt Pitty?" Melanie said looking at her confused and a little worried.

"Oh dear, Scarlett I know they're talking about you. Everybody! Probably right this minute over their breakfast. And probably talking about me and how bad a chaparone I am!" She started to fan herself harder and started moving around.

Scarlett sighed with annoyance.

"Oh Aunt Pitty, do calm down. So what if they talk! I don't care!" Scarlett looked at her and saw she was looking more nervous and a little shocked."Besides, I did it for the Cause." She added quickly.

"But still! The thought of a widow of less than a year dancing at a social gathering Oh! And especially with a man like Captain Butler! Oh everytime I think of it, I feel faint!"

Aunt Pitty started to go into a fainting spell and said, "Do fetch my smelling salts!" She cried.

Melanie quickly got up out of her chair and fetched the smelling salts which were always on the table nearby. She took the fan from Aunt Pitty's hand and started fanning her.

Melanie soothed her by saying, "Oh but Aunt Pitty, you know Scarlett did it for the Cause. Why, everybody probably thinks that!" Turning to Scarlett, Melanie smiled sweetly and said, "I think it was spendid of you to do such a noble thing!"

Scarlett smiled uneasily as she watched Melanie fan Aunt Pitty.

Finally when Aunt Pitty calmed down they all ate breakfast in silence. Then Scarlett finally asked, "Melanie, where is Wade?"

Melanie smiled and said, "Oh the poor dear, he heard you last night and got scared and I had to stay up for a long time trying to soothe him. He was really frightened, that poor thing!"

Scarlett smiled and laughed, "Oh Wade. He shouldn't be worried about me. Did he ever get some sleep?"

"Yes finally after a while he did." Melanie said. She smiled suddenly, "For children to worry about such things. Oh I wish I had my own little boy or girl." Melanie turned her gaze from Scarlett to nothing. Obviously buried in her thoughts.

Aunt Pitty still looked worried and Melanie smiling gazing at nothing and Scarlett picking at the food on her plate bored out of her mind.

"Oh if only someone would come! I don't care who. Or let something happen to break this awful silence. Let someone break down the front door for God's sake I need some excitement!" Scarlett thought wanting to scream to break the unbearable silence.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Scarlett jumped. Melanie snapped out of her thoughts looking to the door. Aunt Pitty looked at the door in anguish and started fanning herself.

Melanie quickly got up and went to answer the door.

Scarlett thought, "Oh what if it is Rhett! Oh who is it? Who is it!"

Scarlett leaned over her chair trying to get a better view of the door.

As Melanie opened the door Scarlett heard her say, "Why Mrs. Merriwether. What a lovely surprise."

Scarlett's heart dropped and she got annoyed. "Of all the people in Atlanta, she has to be the one to visit! That old hen! Oh God's Nightgown, why does she have to be such an old fool." Scarlett sighed in annoyance and heard them walking into the dining room.

"Hello Scarlett," Mrs. Merriwether looked at Scarlett with firmness.

Scarlett turned around in her chair and looked at her.

"Oh hello Mrs. Merriwether. How very good to see you." Scarlett thought, "Oh I wish you'd go to hell!"

"Yes, but Scarlett I haven't just come here for no reason at all. You know why I have come here I trust." Mrs. Merriwether grumbled.

"Yes Mrs. Merriwether I know about the--"

"Yes about dancing. Scarlett I must say I was terribly shocked at what you did. Dancing in public, and your a widow. A well brought up child of Ellen. Scarlett, as one of Ellen's friends I must speak for her. It is a disgrace to dishonor Charles--"

"Oh but Mrs. Merriwether you know Scarlett did it for the Cause. She probably raised more than anybody there." Melaniecut in,defending Scarlett.

"For the Cause or no Cause, it is still a disgrace. And especially dancing with Rhett Butler! That makes it even worse."

"Mrs. Merriweather I don't see that this is any of your business. Besides, I have to have some fun. I can't just sit around all day doing nothing."

"Well I never--" Mrs. Merriwether looked shocked at Scarlett.

"Mrs. Merriwether Scarlett is right, it isn't fair for us widows to do nothing all day. And it isn't your business." Melanie went to Scarlett side and locked her arm in Scarlett's.

Scarlett at that moment felt very glad to have Melanie stand by her. It felt good to have such a noble friend.

Mrs. Merriweather stood looking at them both with astonishment and anger.

"Melanie Wilkes, I never thought I'd see the day where you were disrespectful to your elders. I am extremely disappointed in theboth of you." Mrs. Merriwether gathered her things and started to walk to the door but then turned back.

"I forgot to say that everybody is talking about you Scarlett. And it isn't very pleasant talk either." Mrs. Merriwether said with anger and stormed out the door.

Aunt Pitty started to cry out of dispair.

"Did you hear what she said Scarlett! Everybody's talking about you! Oh dear, if only we didn't go to the bazaar."

"Name of God!" Scarlett said in annoyance and went up the stairs stomping a little.

When Scarlett got up the stairs ready to rush in her room she paused at Wade's door.

"Maybe I'll check on him." Scarlett said quietly to herself and slowly opened the door.

Wade was sitting on the bed. His feet were dangling and he was staring downward. He looked up and looked frightened.

"Hi Wade. How are you this morning?"

"Wade good," he said and he looked shyly into her eyes.

Scarlett smiled and said, "I bet you're wondering about last night. Well don't be worried. Mommy was only having a nightmare. A bad dream."

Wade looked very confused and said, "Mommy have bad dream? I thought Wade only have bad dreams."

Scarlett laughed and said, "No Wade, Mommy has bad dreams too. All the time in fact! Do you have bad dreams?"

Wade looked at her with sorrow. "Yes, bad dream. Blue monster!" Wade remembered his dream and shuttered with horror.

"Oh Wade." Scarlett hugged him when she saw he was scared. "Don't worry. Mommy will scare the blue monster away."

Wade smiled and said, "Really. Mommy really make blue monster go away?"

Scarlett smiled warmly and said, "Yes. I will. Now Wade you need to go downstairs and eat your breakfast! We don't want you to starve now do we?"

They both smiled at each other and Wade took her hand and they walked down together.

Once downstairs they saw that Melanie was already gone to her room and Aunt Pitty probably in her's.

"Fix Wade some breakfast Prissy." Scarlett said and sat down at the table.

Wade ate his breakfast and Scarlett sat on the chair across from him. She started to get extremely bored. She started humming 'Dixie' when she heard a knock at the door.

She sighed heavily. "Oh not another one! Why can't those old cats just leave me alone?"

Scarlett sighed again and got up and walked to the door.

She took hold of the door nob and closed her eyes and had a frown on her face. She opened the door and opened her eyes and gasped. "Yes!" she cried.

"Well, someone looks happy to see me." Rhett said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh don't be silly. I'm just so glad it's not another old hen coming to warn me about gossip and tell me how disgraceful I am."

Rhett laughed and said, "Another." Before he could say anything else she sighed.

"Yes! Mrs. Merriwether came by just a while ago. Oh those old cats. Why can't they just mind their own business."

Rhett looked amused and said, "Because, for some peculiar reason they think it is their business."

"Well--" Rhett continued. "I'm giving all of Atlanta another thing to gossip about being here right now so I'll get to the point of my coming here."

Rhett pulled out an envelope from his coat pocket.

"This is for Mrs. Wilkes. It's a present from me."

Scarlett's jaw dropped open. "What? Melly? A present for Melly!"

"Do I detect jelousy." He looked amused. "Well, it was something that was her's before."

Scarlett was confused but her confusion soon disappeared when she opened the envelope to reveal Melanie's wedding ring.

"Oh." Scarlett said quietly. "Oh!" Scarlett repeated this time in a heated rage. "But what about! What about my--"

"Don't worry. I have your too." Rhett pulledher wedding ringout. His eyes dancing.

She calmed down and took the ring from him and looked at it. Sighed and put it on her finger.

"I'll go call Melly! She'll be so thrilled to hear that--"

"No, I better leave now. Business calls and you don't want me staying so the old cats can gossip about us." He smirked.

She was a little disappointed but then she smiled.

She walked with him to the door and he turned to her and took her hand and kissed it and said, "Goodbye Mrs. Hamilton."

Scarlett quickly pulled her hand away and said, "How many times must I ask you to call me Scarlett?"

Rhett smiled and sarcastically took her hand again, kissed it and said, "Goodbye Scarlett." emphasizing the word Scarlett.

She smiled and stared after him as he entered his carriage and left.

She closed the door and paused for a moment. Then she went upstairs to give Melanie her wedding ring.

She got to her door and knocked on it softly and said, "Melly, it's me."

She opened the door to see Melanie reading what appeared to be a letter.

"Oh Scarlett darling, come in."

Scarlett walked toward her and Melanie got up and met her in the middle of the room.

"Melanie, I just want to say thank you for standing up for me against Mrs. Merriwether."

"Oh Scarlett dear, you're my sister. I'd do anything for you. Besides, I think it's rude and mean to go around casting stones at you as Mrs. Merriwether does."

Scarlett smiled and continued, "And I also have a surprise for you."

Melanie looked confused and smiled as Scarlett revealed the envelope.

"Rhett got it for you. He--"

"Captain Butler? But...Captain Butler was here?"

"Yes, he came especially to deliver this to you."

She handed the envelope to her and Melanie opened it and cried out in joy.

"Oh! Oh! My ring! My wedding ring! Oh Scarlett! Oh!" Melanie took it out the envelope letting the envelope drop out of her hands and she slowly put it on her finger.

Melanie stared at it for what seemed like forever then she looked at Scarlett, tears in her eyes. "Oh Scarlett!" She cried and hugged her tightly. "You don't know how much this means to me! Oh how kind Captain Butler is! He's so kind, considerate, and oh, those people were all wrong. He is a gentlemen."

Melanie broke the embrace and looked at her and asked, "But what of your ring my dear? Did Captain Butler--"

"Yes Melly, he brought mine too." Scarlett stuck her hand out to show Melanie and she looked relieved.

"Oh how kind he is. Is he still here now? I must thank him!"

"No," Scarlett said, "He had urgent business so he left quickly." She said sarcastically.

"Oh, well he'll be back here. I know he will. I'll thank him then. Or I'll write a thank you note! Yes!"

Melanie rushed to her desk and began writing quickly.

Scarlett walked out of her room and smiled. "How could Melly care so much about a wedding ring."

She smiled and walked to her room.

Hey guys! Sooo sorry it took so long to update! My computer had to be sent in somewhere to be fixed. So I just got it back today! I hope it doesn't see rushed. Hope you like this chapter...I shall update soon.

-Katherine