Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The next morning over breakfast, Scarlett said, "We need to leave in about ten minutes to go to Melly's."

Rhett said, "No, I'm not going."

"Rhett, I need you to go with me to help with the children."

"Take Eunice with you or get Wade and Ella to help you. I can't go."

Scarlett and Rhett stared at each other and finally she realized what he was implying. Melly would never let Rhett in her house ever again. She said, "Of course, Dear. Wade and Ella will be able to help me. Eat up children. We need to leave soon."

Rhett finished feeding Olivia her eggs. He then handed the child over to her mother and stood up, "Let me go get you a cab. Just sign for the check."

"Of course."

Soon the Butlers minus Rhett were in a cab heading towards Hamilton House. When they arrived, Melly greeted them in the foyer and welcomed them into her parlor. In the parlor waiting were Beau and Aunt PittyPat. When Scarlett saw Beau she said, "You have gotten so big. We have brought you some clothes. Come give me a hug. I will have Mortimer bring them over tomorrow."

Melly said, "Everyone come hug me. I have missed all of you."

Aunt PittyPat said, "Hug me too Wade."

None of the other children were invited to hug Aunt PittyPat which was just as well. None of the children wanted to hug the old woman including Wade.

Melly said, "Mortimer?"

"Our footman, at least while we are traveling. He is our butler the rest of the time. His wife is our nursemaid, so it makes it easier just to take him with us instead of another man."

Melly smiled. She remembered when they had a footman. Now they just had Uncle Peter and Cookie full time. They had been able to hire a wash woman thanks to the profits from the mill that Scarlett had given Ashley. That knowledge always made Melly smirk. They could enjoy a few perks because of Scarlett giving Ashley half the mill on Decatur. Very few but a least they had those few. Melly now knew that was how Ashley was able to afford to use a whore which made Melly smirk also. She briefly wondered if Captain Butler was still using whores. Probably. Men did have such baser instincts.

Melly said, "What happened to Mammy?"

"Nothing. Mammy needed help. She isn't as young as she once was."

"Sit down, Scarlett. Let me hold Olivia. Beau, why don't you take everybody else to your room."

"Can we go outside?"

"Of course, get your coat."

For the next hour Scarlett, Melly, and Aunt PittyPat had a stilted conversation. At one point, Aunt PittyPat said, "It is so nice that Charlie is getting to live on through his son."

Scarlett neutrally said, "Yes, it is."

"Yes, Wade is just like Charlie. It will be so nice when he returns to Atlanta."

"I don't know if Wade wants to return to Atlanta."

"He will have to return to Atlanta. He is the last male Hamilton."

"Beau is as much a Hamilton as Wade is. Just have Melly change Beau's last name to Hamilton."

Melly said, "We can't do that Beau is the last male Wilkes."

"Then it seems you have quite the dilemma. I will not force Wade to return to Atlanta. It will be his choice. I also will not allow anyone to try to browbeat him into returning."

"But, Dear, he must."

"No, he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to."

With that PittyPat didn't say another word the rest of the visit. Scarlett talked about her trip to Europe and all the sights the family saw.

Scarlett asked Melly, "How is Ashley?"

"He is not well. He is having pain in his stomach, sometimes runs a fever, and is getting warts everywhere. Even on his tongue. He will feel bad for several weeks then he will begin to feel better."

"What did Dr. Meade say?"

"Dr. Meade doesn't know what is wrong with him."

The ladies talked some more while ignoring PittyPat. Finally, Scarlett rose to leave. Melly and Scarlett went to the back yard and Scarlett gathered up her children.

On the way back to the hotel while in the cab, Wade happily said, "Guess what, Mama?"

"What?"

"Beau got the knife I gave him out of his pocket, and it was obvious that he had been using it."

"How wonderful!

After returning to the suite, the family went out for dinner. They went to an Italian restaurant that had opened after they had moved away from Atlanta. The food was good enough but not as good as the Italian food they could get in New York.

Over the meal Scarlett said, "Melly said that Ashley is having a lot of stomach pain and has started getting lots of warts even in his mouth."

Rhett burst out laughing. Scarlett stared at him. He said, "I will tell you why I am laughing later."

Later when Rhett and Scarlett were alone in their room, Rhett said, "Mr. Wilkes has a venereal disease. It is one of the hazards of using whores. It is why yours truly always used a sheath."

"A sheath?"

"A device the man puts his penis in that protects him from getting diseases."

"Oh! Then there is no way you have," Here Scarlett rolled her hand to indicate what she was talking about.

"No, I am clean, and I guess so are you."

"Rhett Butler! How dare you imply that I could have gotten one of those horrible diseases that whores have?!"

Rhett smiled and calmly said, "Because one of your stupid husbands could have infected you. Although I'm fairly sure Charles Hamilton was a virgin when he married you."

"What about Frank?"

"I'm fairly sure he wasn't a virgin when he married you. How old was he?"

"I don't know. Old! He was older than you."

Rhett let the slight about his age go by unchallenged. To her he was old. He was sixteen years older than her. He said, "We can safely assume Frank used whores before you two got married."

"Oh. I don't want to talk or think about Frank Kennedy. You would think Ashley would have been smarter than that. Will it kill him?"

"Eventually."

"How long?"

"Ten to twenty years. Miss Melly will be dead by then. We will take Beau in if both his parents die. We will be able to give him a better life than any of his other relatives."

"Why?"

"Because he is Wade's cousin."

"Why?"

"One more good deed. I will go to the bank and ask Mr. Wilkes to leave Beau's custody with us."

"Will you tell Ashley he has a," Scarlett whispered the next words, "venereal disease."

"I'm sure he knows he has it."

"No, he doesn't. Dr. Meade didn't know what was wrong with Ashley."

Rhett smiled an amused smile. He said, "I am sure Dr. Meade told him what was wrong with him. I am sure Dr. Meade told him there was no cure for it. I am sure Mr. Wilkes lied to Miss Melly about what was wrong with him because it would do no good to tell his wife that he had contracted a venereal disease by using a whore. Since we know they aren't having relations, we know he hasn't already given it to Miss Melly. So, there is no need to tell her.

Sadly, Scarlett said, "No, there isn't. Yes, go see Ashley about getting custody of Beau."

"I will do it tomorrow while I am at the bank. I have to go get some money."

"I need to go see Mr. Powe about getting the children's trust fund moved to New York."

"You are better off leaving the money in the stock and bonds you have it invested in right now until the crisis is over. We will be back in two or three years to visit. Hopefully, the country will be coming out of this recession by then."

"Alright."

"We will stop by and check up on Mr. Powe though."

The next morning, Rhett did go see Ashley Wilkes at the bank. Rhett waited in line to use Mr. Wilkes's services as a teller. Rhett presented him with the withdrawal slip. Ashley checked the balance on the account and nearly gasped as he saw that Captain Butler had almost a thousand dollars just sitting in his checking account. There hadn't been any activity on the account since the Butlers left back in December of seventy-two.

Rhett had withdrawn two hundred dollars. Ashley thought, 'That is more than I make in a month, and I suspect Captain Butler is going to spend it on frivolous things. Things that Scarlett wants just so she can own them.'

Rhett said, "I know what is wrong with you."

"There is nothing wrong with me."

"Scarlett said you are having stomach pains although I feel sure the pain is further south, you are running a fever, and you are getting warts all over your body, and here is the giveaway, even on your tongue."

"There is nothing wrong with me."

"Scarlett wants you to give her custody of Beau if something should happen to you and Miss Melly. You know she is the best person to take Beau. Those other people are barely able to take care of themselves. I'm not saying they don't love Beau, but Scarlett will love him and provide him with the quality of life he would have had if the war hadn't come."

"Nonetheless, I don't want my son raised by a dishonorable man."

"You always have been such a hypocrite. You are no more honorable than I am. An honorable man doesn't lead a young woman on for his own benefit. An honorable man doesn't forsake his wedding vows by using whores. Nonetheless, giving Scarlett custody of Beau is the best thing for the boy and you know it. The offer is on the table if you want to take it. I would say you have about ten years before you will die. Good day, Mr. Wilkes."

Scarlett was not happy when Rhett told her what Mr. Wilkes had said. She said, "I will go talk to him."

"No, Dear. You would just embarrass him. Him knowing you know he was a man that used whores and that he had a venereal disease."

Scarlett sighed and said, "I will think about not talking to him."

The next day, the family went to Tara. Scarlett couldn't help but notice that Mammy had her carpetbag with her. Scarlett said, "What is going on?"

"I want to spend some time with Miss Suellen and her children."

"I will give you a week then you must return."

"Miss Scarlett, I.."

"What is it, Mammy?"

"Nothing."

"We will buy you a return train ticket for a week from today."

"Alright, Miss Scarlett."

Eunice was going with them to help take care of the children therefore Mortimer asked to go also. He said, "If the entire family is going to Tara, then I will have nothing to do here."

"Of course, get in the cab."

The family and their servants took two cabs to the train station. The family alone took up an entire cab. When they got to Jonesboro, Scarlett got Mr. Price to take them out to the plantation. Rhett smiled as the children climbed into the back of the wagon. Olivia, who Rhett was holding, started squirming because she wanted to get in the back also. She wanted to be where her brothers and sisters were. Therefore, Rhett put her in the back of the wagon. Eunice and Mortimer climbed into the back of the wagon. Rhett turned to help Mammy in the back of the wagon and saw the old woman. He saw how old she really was. He said, "I'm going to sit in the back with the children. You will have to sit on the buckboard with Scarlett and Mr. Price." Scarlett gave Rhett a strange look but then she turned to help Mammy get up on the buckboard.