Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Fourteen

Scarlett and Rhett finished the American History book on their way back to New Orleans. After they finished it, Scarlett said, "I guess we have just finished a crash course on history."

"Some of those eras I would like to know more about."

"Me too."

They went to the Wilson's home upon their arrival back in New Orleans at the end of September. Jasmine and Marshall were happy to see them and welcomed them back into their home. Upon their return, Scarlett asked for Jasmine's permission to redecorate their room. Jasmine happily agreed.

The ladies went to Pier 21 and Scarlett bought several items. She placed them around their room. Scarlett was so happy. Rhett was so tempted to make lots of mocking comments about how ugly they were. If he hadn't been sober, he would have but he didn't because in his sober state he knew they would hurt Scarlett. He had known she had awful taste in clothes and decorating when he married her.

Although when she said, "Do you like it?"

With complete honesty Rhett gently said, "No, Honey, I don't but you do so I can live with it," When Rhett saw Scarlett's downcast face, he added, "Honey, I think this is what being part of a team is all about. Nobody gets everything they want."

Scarlett stared at him for a long time finally she said, "Which piece do you hate the most and I will take it back."

Rhett smiled at her and said, "Thank you very much for the offer but I pretty much hate them all equally."

That night as they laid in the bed, Scarlett said, "I still like it."

"I know, Baby, and I'm glad you do," Rhett smiled and said, "I would rather sleep in an ugly bedroom with you than sleep in a tastefully decorated bedroom alone."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Then Scarlett rolled over and kissed Rhett passionately. It was the first time she had initiated relations. Rhett's last sane thought was, 'Indeed, I will sleep in an ugly bedroom to get to sleep with her.' The décor was never mentioned again.

Jasmine and Marshall liked Rhett and Scarlett and didn't want them to move out. They actually like them a lot. They certainly admired Scarlett for everything she did after the end of the civil war despite all the censure she faced. They admired everything that Rhett had accomplished after being disown. Marshall asked Rhett one night over dinner, "Did you really get thrown out with just the clothes on your back?"

Rhett had laughed and said, "No, that is just what I told people to make my father look worse. My father actually let me take all the clothes I could get in my trunk and anything else I wanted to take with me," Rhett smiled a regretful smile and continued, "In my foolish innocence I left behind some of my most treasured possessions. I don't know why but I thought they would keep my stuff. I understand from my mother before she knew what my father was going to do, he had the servants clean out my room and burn everything that I left. By the time she found out what was going on my treasured possessions were a blazing fire. There was nothing she could do."

Jasmine said, "She couldn't have stopped him even if she had tried. She had no rights in that day and age."

Rhett looked at her and said, "I know, Jasmine. I know."

Scarlett said, "I'm sure she did everything she could do to stop him but what I have learned already from my acquaintanceship with you is Butler men can be pigheaded."

Rhett laughed and said, "Yes, we can, my dear. Yes, we can."

Everyone laughed and the tension was broken. Scarlett had been surprised that Rhett had revealed so much about that terrible time in his life. The conversation turned to more neutral subjects.

A week after they had been back Scarlett said to Jasmine, "Did you work on your dissertation while we were gone?"

"Some."

"Jasmine, you are never going to obtain your goal if you don't work harder. Starting tomorrow every morning you are going to work on your dissertation. Rhett and I will take care of your chores for you."

"I look at that white paper and I can't think of what to say."

Rhett said, "I have an idea. Why don't you interview Scarlett and me? I have seen reporters do that on television"

"That is a promising idea."

A week later Jasmine was no closer to breaking her writer's block than she had been at the beginning. That Friday during their interviewing session, Jasmine stood up and threw her pencil across the room. She said, "I am just going to quit. My mother is right. I don't have what it takes to get a PhD."

Rhett said, "Is this the same idiot that hates the love of your life just because he is a cop?"

Jasmine smiled and said, "Yes."

Scarlett said, "Is this the same idiot that said you shouldn't even go to college?"

Jasmine smiled again and said, "Yes."

"Jasmine if I had listened to all the people telling me that I couldn't, shouldn't be the belle of five counties, I never would have been. If I had listened to all the people telling me that it was unladylike to run a sawmill, I wouldn't have been able to support thirteen people on that sawmill and buy another one," In that moment Scarlett had a healing. She said, "If my mother had lived, she would have told me that all my actions were improper and maybe they were but sometimes you have to shatter the mold and do what you know is right."

Rhett said, "Jasmine, you defied your mother when you married Marshall. Don't succumb to family pressure now. I gave up everything when I wouldn't marry Sarah," At Jasmine's confused expression Rhett added, "The girl in the buggy incident. Yes, I have had regrets but really too few to mention. If you give up now, you will regret this for the rest of your life."

"Now go pick up that pencil and let's get back to work."

Jasmine smiled and went and got her pencil. She titled her dissertation. It was How the Civil War Changed the Gender Roles in the 19th century South.

For the next two weeks, the trio got a lot of work done on Jasmine's dissertation. Rhett and Scarlett went to the library with her and helped her research her thoughts and ideas.

One Tuesday night, Marshall was called-out to a double homicide. When Rhett got up, he found Jasmine in the kitchen. She said, "Marshall is going to be terribly busy for the next two to three days. Let's go to Atlanta."

"Alright. When do you want to leave?"

"An hour ago."

Rhett laughed and said, "Let me wake Scarlett up. I should be able to get her in the car in thirty minutes. Have something for her to eat ready."

Jasmine laughed.

It was closer to forty-five minutes, but they were soon on their way to Atlanta. Jasmine offered to let Rhett drive and he refused. He said, "No, Jasmine. You are a much better driver than me."

Jasmine smiled and said, "I don't know about that but thank you."

Off the trio went. After an hour went by Scarlett said, "Just because we are on a trip doesn't mean you get to skip our work sessions."

For the next several hours, Rhett and Scarlett discussed how the Civil War had changed what was socially acceptable for a woman to do and what wasn't.

Rhett said, "A lot of women could not lower their standards and marry anyone that wasn't a gentleman. General Lee's daughters are that way."

Scarlett said, "And none of them have managed to find a husband. Only one of the Tarleton girls has married. Honey married but not India. Of course, India has always been too proper for her own good."

Jasmine said, "She had a stick up her ass?"

Scarlett laughed and said, "I couldn't have said it better. I don't think Suellen would have married Will if she had anywhere else to go."

Jasmine said, "Couldn't she have moved to Atlanta and lived with you?"

"No, that was not possible."

"Why?"

"At the time I was married to Frank so that would have just been awkward. Also, I didn't want to go to prison."

"Why would you go to prison?"

"I know I would have murdered Suellen within the first month of her living with me. Aunt PittyPat was almost too much for me to handle."

Rhett and Jasmine laughed.

Scarlett said, "I think the matrons really did a lot of women more harm than good by making it shameful to marry a Yankee. Therefore, there were a lot of women who didn't get married because of that restriction even though most of them were starving to death."

"Where you shunned for marrying Rhett?"

"I would have been if we had returned to Atlanta."

"I wish I could live in that time."

"No, you don't Jasmine. There was practically no indoor plumbing and that privy got ripe in the summertime."

"Since taking a bath was such erroneous task people usually bathed only once a week and we didn't have deodorant in the nineteenth century."

"There was no reliable way to prevent having a child every year."

"You certainly wouldn't have been able to go to school."

"If your father had not approved your match to Marshall, you would not be able to marry. The marriage could be annulled if you married without your father's permission."

At the same time Rhett and Scarlett said, "And there was no air conditioning."

"Alright! Alright! I don't want to live in that time."

The passengers in the car were quiet for a few miles. Scarlett said, "Jasmine, while we were gone did you go see your parents?"

Jasmine flashed Scarlett a sheepish smile and said, "Yes. Marshall got a new murder case and I thought I would go while I didn't have to take care of y'all. From the minute I walked through the door my mother was on my case. 'When are you going to give us a grandchild?' 'When are you going to settle down and give up this unladylike behavior?' "When are you going to come to your senses and divorce Marshall?' That is how my mother was able to get back under my skin. Like the matrons of Atlanta my mother thinks what I am doing is shameful."

Rhett said, "It isn't. Not in this day and time. In our day and time, it was considered shameful for a woman to be educated. They even had a derogatory term for those women – bluestockings. An educated woman was not considered good marriage material."

"The worst part is when she goes on and on about my student loans? How am I ever going to pay them back on Marshall's salary. She has no idea what Marshall's salary is. Marshall's salary covers all our living expenses so when I get a job, I will be able to pay my loans off fairly quickly. That is another reason I want to work for a few years before we have children."

"Wow. The only way someone can go to college in our time is by having all the money before they start."

"So only rich people can go to college."

"Yes, I guess so."

"The only way I could afford to go was through student loans and scholarships."

"Scholarships?"

"It is something I was awarded to help pay for my college."

"Like what?"

"Like being the valedictorian for my graduating class."

"Valedictorian?"

"I had the highest GPA in my class."

"GPA?"

Jasmine smiled at Scarlett and said, "Grade point average. An A is worth four points, a B three points, a C two points and a D one point."

"And nothing for an F, right?"

"Yes, mine was 3.89. I beat out the runner up by one one-hundredth of a point. The scholarship paid for my first two semesters at Tulane."

"That's wonderful, Jasmine. I would never know you were that smart."

"Just like you I hide it very well."

"Does Marshall know you are that smart?"

"Of course, he does. Just as Rhett knows how smart you are."

"Yes, I do."

"How you all do go on."

Which made Jasmine and Rhett smile.

Jasmine said, "There's a Dairy Queen. Let's stop for lunch."

After they had finished eating and were back in the car, Rhett said, "Jasmine, never take us to that kind of restaurant again. The food was definitely subpar."

"You ate everything in your basket."

"I had to. I have a healthy appetite and I didn't know when we would be able to stop and eat again."

As Scarlett was eating a dilly bar, she said, "I like the French fries," When Rhett looked at Scarlett with a frown, she added, "I did."

Jasmine suspected that Rhett like the food more than he was willing to admit. Despite it all, Rhett was often a snob and he had decided the way the food was served was not dignified. Jasmine burst out laughing when Scarlett added, "I like that gravy they gave me to dip my chicken in. What was it called again?"

"Chicken fingers."

Jasmine barely stopped herself from laughing when Rhett said, "You can like it all you want but we are never eating there again. Do you understand, my wife?"

Jasmine did laugh when Scarlett said in the fakest meek voice, "Whatever you say, Dear."

Soon they were talking about other things.

Author's Notes: For those of you who have never eaten at a Dairy Queen they serve hamburgers, fries, and fried chicken that is boneless, battered, and fried. The gravy Scarlett is talking about is called country gravy and yes, it is quite tasty. Dairy Queen serves ice cream treats one of them being a Dilly Bar. It is vanilla ice cream with a chocolate shell on a stick and yes, it is quite tasty too.