Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Four

Scarlett, Wade, Ella, Genie, and Gerry had called at Melly's little house. Melanie sent the children except Gerry to Beau's room to play. Scarlett let Melly hold the baby. The children soon ended up outside because Beau's room was so small.

As soon as the ladies were settled in the parlor, Scarlett's first question was, "Why are you moving?"

"Aunt PittyPat can't live alone."

"True. You are right. Since I married Rhett, Aunt PittyPat has been a nervous wreck living in that house alone."

"Ashley and I talked about the problem of Aunt PittyPat living alone and we realized that I already own Hamilton House. Well, Wade and I do. We realized that Hamilton House would eventually be mine therefore we shouldn't waste our money buying another house. We decided that we should just move in with Aunt PittyPat and I would become the mistress of Hamilton House."

"It would be so much cheaper also."

"That is true. Now that Ashley is no longer the manager of a sawmill, we have to watch all of our pennies."

"Of course."

"You fortunately don't have to watch your pennies because you are married to Captain Butler. I guess that balances out the shame you are suffering because he is a man who uses whores."

"I am not suffering any shame. I don't associate with proper people."

"Yes, Captain Butler is not received. With him not being received that will cause problems for his children and his stepchildren."

"Rhett and I have talked about that. We will probably move to New York as soon as I know Tara is on a solid footing."

"You should leave Wade with me. I would be able to get him received into proper society. You wouldn't want him to have to give up his Southern heritage."

"Melanie, I would never leave any of my children behind. I love them too much for that."

"It is nice to hear you say that."

Melanie was wondering if Captain Butler had told Scarlett about his threat toward her and decided that he hadn't because Scarlett wasn't acting any differently. After Melly decided that she relaxed. Although she honestly didn't know how much time she could spend in Scarlett's company. The woman never had anything intelligent to talk about. Scarlett told her gossip about the Scallawags and the Republicans but since Melanie didn't know them it wasn't interesting to her. Besides a proper lady did not engage in gossiping.

Melanie told Scarlett about what was going on with Ashley and Beau, but she could tell that Scarlett was no longer interested in what Ashley was doing or Beau either for that matter.

After about thirty minutes, Scarlett rose to leave. Melanie said, "Why don't you leave Wade? I will bring him home after dinner. It will be a nice break from the packing."

Scarlett said, "Is there a chance other boys will come to visit?"

"No, we are so busy packing we don't have time to received guest. I only received you so I could tell you the news."

"Then I will leave Wade. See you later."

Ever since Captain Butler had informed her of the rumor going around about Ashley, Melanie had not been able to face any of the other ladies. She could no longer face that smirk. No, she couldn't now that she knew what that smirk was all about. She now knew that she didn't have any friends in polite society in Atlanta. She guessed all the other girls were holding a grudge against her for everything she had done as a child. She had never thought she would have to pay the price for getting the other girls in trouble or for tattling on them because she thought after she and Ashley got married, she would be living the rest of her life at Twelve Oaks. She would have been miles away from them.

After Melly saw Scarlett to the door, she returned to her packing. As she packed, she thought over her current situation. She had nothing now. She had once planned to be the mistress of a fine plantation, married to a scholar, and have a house full of children. She guessed she was still married to a scholar but the new had certainly worn off on that pretty quickly. Ashley never wanted to talk about the books he was reading. He just wanted to read them. At night after supper while everyone was in the parlor, it was as quiet as a tomb.

If Melanie asked Ashley about his day, he would answer but he would not prolong the conversation and he never asked about her day. It had taken her a while to realize that Ashley didn't care about anyone but himself. She knew he loved her, but he really was a self-absorbed person. Occasionally Melly and India would talk but they usually did all their talking before Ashley got home. Melly smiled when she thought, 'Aunt PittyPat is going to drive Ashley crazy with all her chatter. He will probably find someplace else to spend his evenings than the parlor.

Scarlett was happy enough on her way home. Ella was happy because she was getting to hold Gerry. It made her feel grown up. Mama usually let Wade hold Gerry. Ella knew it was because Wade was so much stronger than her.

Scarlett and Ella were having a nice conversation. Ella's face was becoming striking which Scarlett was happy about. The little girl had settled down from being so flighty and asking a thousand questions. Ella said, "How old do I have to be to stop taking naps?"

"You will stop taking naps when you start going to school."

"When am I going to school?"

"You will start going to school in September."

"I won't be six until October."

"You can start early. I need to reserve you a spot at Swan Academy for Girls."

"No, Mama. I want to go to school with Wade."

"You can't go to school with Wade. He goes to a boy's school, and you aren't a boy."

"I don't want to go to school."

Scarlett had no idea why Ella was saying what she was saying. At first, she started to reply harshly to the child, but she controlled herself. She knew she was not an insightful person but even she couldn't mistake the distressful look on her daughter's face. She said, "We will talk to Dad about it. Maybe he would be willing to hire a tutor."

Scarlett couldn't mistake the relief that filled Ella's face. Ella said, "Thank you, Mama."

A few minutes later Genie said, "I want to go to school."

"When you turn six, Precious."

Ella smiled at her mother. She knew that her mother tried her best to not show Bonnie and Gerry preference, but she also knew she loved Dad's real children more than her or Wade. Wade had explained it to Ella while they were in London after Ella had asked him, "Why do Dad and Mama treat Bonnie and Gerry better than us?"

"Because Mama didn't love our fathers."

"What?"

"I don't know why Mama married my father probably because everyone else was getting married, but she married your father for three hundred dollars to save Tara."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have heard the argument between Mama and Aunt Suellen often enough to know the entire story."

"Is Frank Kennedy my real father?"

"You didn't know?" Ella shook her head and Wade said, "Yes, he is."

"Mama never told me my real father's name. She has called me Ella Butler as long as I can remember."

"She would be happy to call me Wade Butler if there weren't so many of my Hamilton relatives around. Mind you while we were in London and New York she always introduced me as Wade Butler," The children smiled at each other. Wade continued, "Rest assured, Ella, Mama loves us very much. She just has trouble showing it."

"That is good to know."

"Yes, it is."

Scarlett brought Ella back to the present by sharply saying, "Ella, where are you at? Give me Gerry then get out of the buggy and go to the nursery."

"Yes ma'am."

Rhett greeted the quartet in the foyer and took his son out of Scarlett's arms. He hugged Genie and Ella then kissed his wife's cheek. He said, "Mr. Hobbes dropped off some sketches for us to look at. I think he understands what we want but I didn't give him the go ahead to start until you had a chance to look at the sketches."

"Where are they? I will look at them right now. I am going out after dinner to Harriet Youngblood's. She is having an event this afternoon."

"They are in the front parlor. Where is Wade?"

"I left him with Melly?"

"Scarlett, I told you….."

"Melly assured me she was not receiving any guest this afternoon. She will bring him home after dinner. We will talk more later. Go ahead and take the girls and Gerry up to the nursery."

"Did I tell you that he rolled over this morning?"

"No, how wonderful."

As Ella walked up the stairs, she didn't say a word about Gerry having done that several times already. Ella at almost six knew better than to do that. It made Dad so proud to be there every time when Gerry did something new. Therefore, Mammy, Wade, and Ella never said a word when Gerry accomplished another first.

Scarlett walked to the front parlor and looked at the sketches. Rhett had left them on the tea table. She looked at the design. When Rhett joined her, he said, "What do you think?"

"It will do. It will be a lot safer with all these landings."

The sketch showed a staircase that had seven stairs then a landing then another seven stairs and a landing then the final seven stairs.

"It is what we should do but I will not like it as well as the impressive staircase we have now."

"Me either but if someone fell down that staircase, they could die."

"Exactly. Shall I send Mr. Hobbes a note telling him to go ahead and begin?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Tell me about your conversation with Miss Melly."

"Awkward. She was extremely uncomfortable. I know she was wondering if you told me about the rumor."

"Did you confirm that I had."

"No, she can just wonder. They are moving back into Hamilton House."

"I don't understand why they didn't live there in the first place."

"Pride. They wanted everyone to think they were doing better than they were."

"I guess now that Ashley has settled into being a teller, they are no longer trying to fool anyone."

"Or Melly realized with the rumor going around about Ashley there was no point trying to fool people about how well off they are doing."

"Did I tell you that I talked to Mr. Lowry about how Mr. Wilkes was doing?"

"No, what did he say."

"Mr. Wilkes is doing well enough that he was offered the position of Head Teller, but he turned it down. He doesn't want to have to tell men what to do anymore."

"Probably he knows that he might fail at being Head Teller and he would lose what he has now."

"I forgot to tell you that Mr. Wilkes still owns half of the sawmill on Decatur Rd."

"That was smart of Ashley. Did Johnny say how the sawmills were doing?"

"Yes, they are doing very well because Mr. Greene is out selling all the time. Johnny is managing both mills now."

"Are they still using convicts?"

"I don't know. Johnny didn't say but I imagine so."

"How much is Ashley making as a teller?"

"Probably ten dollars a week."

"With Ashley's salary, the profits from the mill, and moving into Hamilton House I think the Wilkeses are finally going to have a good life."

"All because Mr. Wilkes started living in our new world."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Wilkes admitted to himself that he wasn't a good manager and went out and found another job. He was smart and didn't sell his share of the mills. He collects his profits while a gentleman would not because he isn't doing anything to create those profits. Finally, he is giving up any pretense that he is still Ashely Wilkes, heir to Twelve Oaks, by moving into Hamilton House."

"Rhett, I am so glad I realized that I didn't love Ashley. Now that the blinders are gone, I wonder how I could have been so blind for so long."

"You were not blind. You were too trusting and too loyal because they were family, Scarlett."

"Not anymore."

"No, not anymore."

Rhett smiled when he thought, 'She always will be too loyal and too trusting to anyone she considers family. Fortunately, she now thinks of me and the children as her main family.'

Rhett kissed his wife and said, "Let me go send Mr. Hobbes a note telling him to go ahead and get started tearing out the staircase."