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

Chapter Six

July 29, 1884

Wade Hamilton had graduated from Harvard College two months ago, and he was planning on going back to Cambridge in the fall to attend Harvard School of Law. He and his friends had decided to have a night out on the town. They had gone to several saloons until one of the young men suggested they go to The Painted Lady. Wade had wanted to decline. Even at twelve he had heard all the gossip involving his stepfather. He hadn't understood most of it, but he knew The Painted Lady was where his stepfather had spent most of his time before his Aunt Melly's death. Wade shook it off and went with his friends.

They had sat in one of the booths. He and his friends were laughing about something when Wade saw him. He saw that black hearted devil that had walked out of their lives at the worst possible moment. He saw Rhett Butler at the poker table. He looked incredibly old and for the first time ever Wade wondered how old he was. Wade's evening was over. He had to get out of this saloon.

Wade stood up and said, "I've had enough fun for one night. I'm going home."

Beau had stood up and said, "I will walk with you."

The two men quickly left the establishment.

The next morning after breakfast Wade went for a ride. He was trying to decide if he should tell his mother about seeing her former husband at The Painted Lady. Even after his ride he didn't know what to do. If he told her that would hurt her. If he didn't tell her would people be laughing at her behind her back. He found his mother in the family parlor. She was looking over the books of her new store. She had a frown on her face. Wade said, "What is wrong?"

"The manager of the new store in Marietta is not working out as we had planned. Uncle Ashley is going to work with him for the next month then, if he doesn't show some improvement Uncle Ashley is alright with me firing him."

Scarlett turned and looked at her son. She smiled. Rhett had always said he could read her like a book, and she now knew what he meant. She could read Wade like a book. Most people would not be able to tell what he was thinking but she always could. No, she hadn't always been able to tell what he was thinking. Just since that awful night after she had finally started paying attention to her children.

Scarlett smiled and said, "Did you see Rhett last night?

"You know he is in Atlanta."

"Within an hour of him getting off the train, Fanny Welburn was at my door telling me that my former husband had returned to Atlanta. He was at The Painted Lady. She said, 'I wanted you to be prepared in case he shows up at your home.' Which I'm sure that was part of it, but Fanny has always borne me a grudge because of her husband, Tommy's death. Fanny will not do anything to hurt me but if something causes me a little pain, she is alright with that.

Anyway, I was glad of the warning no matter what her motives were. After a week, when he had not come to the house, I knew he wasn't going to drop by. I've occasionally seen him around town, but I've always been able to avoid him. So far, I have been lucky that I have seen him before he sees me. I think he wants us to run-in to each other on neutral land."

"Why do you think he wants that?"

"I believe he wants to come back to me, but he doesn't know if I will take him back after all this time. He would have to swallow his pride if he came to the house without knowing if it would be worth it. If he just runs into me on the street, then he can judge whether I will forgive him or not without showing any weakness."

"Would you take him back?"

"No. One go around with Rhett is enough to last me a lifetime.

"Why did you marry him?"

Scarlett looked at Wade and wondered how much to tell him. She said, "He was my best friend then after we said I do, he turned into my worst enemy."

"Why?"

"He claimed he loved me and my refusal to return his love frustrated him to the point of him striking out at me," Scarlett smiled at her son and continued, "The last time we spoke he told me how I had ruined our marriage and everything I had done wrong."

"He did a lot of things wrong not you."

"Thank you, son but I made some pretty big mistakes also. Rhett Butler can be kind and generous, but he can also be an exceedingly difficult man."

"Did you love him?"

"I don't know. Maybe at the beginning of our marriage but his treatment of me throughout our marriage stomped out any tender feelings I might have felt for him."

"Do you mind if I go see him?"

"Not at all. In fact, I encourage you to do it. There are things I know you would like to say to him. You can talk to him man to man."

"Thanks Mother."

"Now I must go check the stock at the store in Marietta. Give me a kiss."

"Will you be home for supper?"

"Of course."

Wade kissed his mother on the cheek and watched her walk out of the room.

Scarlett went upstairs and fixed her hair and makeup. She appraised herself in the mirror. She was still a good-looking woman even at almost forty. She knew she still turned men's heads. She guessed she always would.

As she was driving to their store in Marietta, she thought about everything that had been revealed to her in the night that Melly had died. When Rhett never returned to Atlanta it was easy to believe that she had never been anything but a challenge. It had all been a game to Rhett. A game that she had won at great cost to herself.

She had spent the first six months after Melly's death at Tara recovering and getting her moxie back. She had been so beat down by life and Rhett Butler that she had barely been standing. That spring she decided to take the children to Europe. They had stayed gone for over six months. It was the best thing that could have happened to her and to India. They had returned in August. When she had dropped India and Beau off at the Hamilton House, she could not believe the change in Ashley. He was almost the man from before the war. Ashley had insisted that they spend the afternoon with them telling him and Aunt PittyPat all about their trip.

They told him about how wonderful their trip was. Scarlett met her relatives in Ireland and liked them very much. Scarlett met her relatives in France and disliked them very much. She and India had talked over each other telling them about London, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Venice, Geneva and even Berlin. They had had such a wonderful time. India and Scarlett had finally let bygones be bygones. They had finally dealt with each other as women not as the competition. They would never be best friends, but they could be friends for at last both women had a begrudging admiration for the other woman.

They had met so many ex-patriots in Europe. It was strange but in Europe they hadn't been Northerners or Southerners. They had all been Americans. They had met people with titles who didn't have any money. They had met people who thought Americans were the scum of the earth. They had met lots of fun people. People who were living in the now and enjoying life. By the time they returned to Atlanta, Scarlett had received at least twenty marriage proposals and India had received at least five. The ladies had turned them all down. Scarlett because she didn't ever want to marry again. India because she and Mr. Jackson had developed feelings for each other.

When Ashley told them about events from his Grand Tour it wasn't in that melancholic tone he had used before Melly's death. He had insisted that they stay for supper saying, "We have more than enough food." And they had. Not since the start of the war had there been that much food on the Wilkes table.

As he saw her to the door, he said, "Will you come by the store before you return to Tara? There is something I would like to talk to you about."

She had visited him at the store the next day. When she arrived, he asked her to step into his office. He said, "Being a shopkeeper is my niche in this new world we are living in. I have all the books laid out for your inspection because I am going to ask you to lend me the money to open another store. I wanted you to notice the nice profit I am making. I am doing a lot better than just covering expenses and that is during these financially challenging times," Scarlett just stared at Ashley. He continued, "Before you say no, hear me out. Yes, I was a lousy businessman when running the sawmill but not now. I even manage to keep the books straight. I am a changed man since Melanie's death. I will never forgive myself for my part in Melly's death, but I promised myself I would not let her down again. I must raise her son right. I must make him a man that Melly would be proud of. I had to become a man again and be a father Beau could look up to. I realized that I had to stop wallowing in my self-pity."

Scarlett did look at the books and they indeed were in order. She said, "Tell me about the new store."

For the next hour Ashley had excitedly talked about the new location he wanted to open. Why he thought it would be a suitable location. Why it wasn't a risk because of the panic. What goods he was going to stock. Who he was going to employ. He wanted to promote Hugh to Manager of the new store.

When Scarlett said, "No, not Hugh."

"You scared him so bad, he couldn't think straight."

Scarlett gave Ashley a rueful smile and said, "Did I scare you that bad too?"

"Yes," Scarlett smiled a big smile. Ashley continued, "We have both grown up this last year. We have finally admitted to ourselves that we are not gentleman anymore. We are shopkeepers."

"I suppose you are right. I am no longer a lady but a businesswoman."

"We all grew up the night Melly died."

"We had to."

"Let me think about it but if I do, I will not loan you the money, but I will become a partner with you," Scarlett smiled and said, "A real partner. A relationship where there is give and take. A relationship where I respect and honor your opinion."

"A relationship where I am honest with you, and I give you my best. A relationship where I tell you if I think you are wrong and don't let you bully me into agreeing just to avoid a fight."

"I will take care of the financial side; you will deal with the employees and the customers."

"Yes, both of us will be using our strengths.

Scarlett went to see Uncle Henry. She needed to talk to him about her investments although most of her money was in government bonds, she had a few more speculative investments. After they had finished discussing her financial concerns, she said, "I am thinking about going into business with Ashley. I need you to be my financial adviser and not a gentleman. I need you to tell me the truth. Do you think Ashley is a good businessman now for we know he wasn't any good at the sawmills?

"You are right he wasn't any good at the sawmills probably because he thought the work was beneath him. With you, Melanie, and India all being gone he had to finally let go of the past and start living in the now. He had to stand on his own two feet. Sarah Jane was the only person who was there to help him."

"That might be worse than no help at all."

Henry smiled and said, "At the political meetings when someone brings up the war or our life before the war. He tersely says, 'That was then, and this is now. Let's get back onto the subject we were discussing.' So yes, I think going into a partnership with Ashley will be a safe investment."

"Then draw up the papers."

Scarlett had gone back to the store and said to Ashley, "Yes, I will go into a partnership with you. Uncle Henry is preparing the papers. We will get started as soon as the papers are signed."

They had shaken hands on the deal and soon they had opened another store which did make money despite the panic. With Hugh and Ashley being allowed to trust their instincts they had managed their respective stores to success.

Scarlett had moved back to Atlanta and had become the General Manager. She ordered stock, did the books, and scouted out new locations. She never interacted with the customers or the employees. The only time she interacted with the employees was when one of them needed to be fired. People relations were not her strong suit, and she now knew it. Now they had five stores, three in Atlanta, one in Marietta and one in Jonesboro.

Mammy had died while Scarlett was in Europe and although she was sorry that Mammy was no longer among the living, she was happy that Mammy was no longer suffering.

Scarlett had hired India to teach her in the mornings everything lacking in her education. It was a business relationship. It was a perfectly respectable job for India to have although neither woman told anyone about the arrangement. The only person they told was Mr. Jackson since he was courting India and was in Scarlett's employment.

When Scarlett had noticed that India and Mr. Jackson were spending a lot of time together, she had been jealous and annoyed. She had calmed herself by telling herself that Mr. Jackson was not rich enough or handsome enough for her. Scarlett decided that Mr. Jackson and India were a good match.