Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Sixty

When the family walked through the front door of the main house, Sue Ellen said while looking at Rhett, "I can't believe you haven't gotten him killed."

"Of course, Rhett is still living. He isn't stupid enough to go on a clan raid like that lousy husband Frank Kennedy."

"He wasn't stupid he was trying to protect your honor."

"I didn't need my honor protected. I needed my husband to stay alive. Although by that time I was certainly glad he had died. He was an awful husband and he stank."

"He would have been a perfect husband for me. And he would have bathed more often to keep me happy."

"Suellen, as I have told you on numerous occasions, I would have given you the man, all I wanted was the money. In fact, now that I think about it I did you a favor by marrying him. The only thing good he ever did was give me Ella."

"He would have been a perfect husband for me."

"You have a perfect husband."

"That cracker."

"Suellen don't speak that way about Will. He was probably the only man on the planet who would have married you. Of course, we all know he only married you to stay at Tara."

Will stepped forward and said, "Welcome to Tara, Scarlett, Rhett. I'm putting an end to that argument for today."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Of course, Will. How are Pork and Dilcey doing?"

Suellen said, "Good. We don't have much need of a butler or a valet, so Pork is working in the barn now and Dilcey tends to the gardens."

The family spent the morning walking around Tara. They had dinner. Over dinner Scarlett said, "Mammy wants to spend some time here at Tara despite the fact that you live here Suellen. She will return to Atlanta next Friday. Be sure she gets into Jonesboro in time to catch her train."

"If she wants to return to you, I will take her into Jonesboro. I would like for her to stay with me. She was my mammy too until you stole her away."

"I didn't steal her away. She willingly moved to Atlanta with me. She willingly moved to New York with me."

"I am going to try to get her to willingly stay at Tara with me."

"Go ahead and try. She won't leave me," Scarlett stood up and said, "Let's go see the Tarletons, Rhett."

Scarlett walked out of the dining room without waiting on Rhett. He stood up and said, "We should only be gone for an hour then we will return to Jonesboro. Is that convenient for you, Will?"

"Of course."

"Gerry, Olivia, as soon as you are through eating go see Mammy."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Wade, you, Ella, and Genie go outside and play when you are finished eating."

"Yes, Sir."

Rhett and Scarlett took the wagon and drove over to Fair Hill. She was ranting about Suellen trying to steal Mammy away from her. Rhett didn't say that he didn't think Suellen would have to steal Mammy away. He was quite sure Mammy wanted to live the rest of her life at Tara. He didn't say anything because she would not believe him and him telling her that would just make her mad at him. He had learned that lesson when he had tried to get her to see the truth about Ashley Wilkes.

When Scarlett took a breath, Rhett said, "Is this the wagon I stole?"

"Yes. It is the only one Tara has."

"I can't believe it is still standing."

"Me either."

"Maybe I should buy Tara another wagon."

"You should buy whoever you stole it from a new wagon," That made Rhett laugh. Scarlet added, "And a new horse too."

"No, that horse was one step away from dying when I stole it."

"In truth, it was several steps away from dying. It did make it to Tara."

"True. Take a deep breath and calm down. We are at Fair Hill."

"Yes, I will."

Beatrice had been in the yard when they drove up and she joined them. She said, "All three mares delivered foals and they were all healthy. There was two mares and one colt. Come look at them," The trio walked to the corral where the foals were. She continued, "Two springs from now when the mares go into heat, I am going to borrow Mr. Wagner's stud horse and he is going to borrow ours when his mares go into heat. After that we will start selling the foals after they are weened."

Rhett said, "The horse farm is coming along."

"Yeah."

By this time Jim had joined them. Rhett said, "Did you have a good yield?"

"Good enough to make a profit. We are going to share-cropping next year. We are just going to focus on the Brentuart."

"Good idea."

They were quiet for a moment and Jim said, "I don't think I will ever get used to how quiet it is now. Before the war, someone was always making noise usually our sons but there were the slaves and the girls making noise also."

"Yeah."

"How are Hetty and Tony doing?"

"They got married six months ago. They live at Mimosa, but they are talking about moving to Fair Hill. Tony can manage the tenants."

"That's nice."

"Hetty is with child."

"That's nice, too."

"Yeah. We are going to be grandparents again. Betsy has given us two granddaughters, so we are hoping for a boy this time."

"That would be nice."

"Scarlett, we need to return to Tara."

"Of course. Goodbye Jim and Beatrice. We will see you in another two to three years."

Soon Rhett and Scarlett were back at Tara. They chose to remain at Tara for a little bit longer for both Gerry and Olivia were still napping. Ella, Genie, Susie, and Solange were happily playing in the yard. The youngest Benteen daughter was still napping also. Wade was sitting on the porch reading a book. Scarlett smiled as she saw Wade look up from his book to check on his sisters. He was such a good big brother.

After another hour Gerry woke up. Rhett chose for the family to go ahead and leave before the sisters' self-control wore out and they started fighting again. He picked Olivia up while trying not to wake her. Nonetheless by the time he was at the wagon she was awake, but she was content to stay in his arms. She was nineteen months old now and soon like her brother and sister she would not want to be held as much. So, Rhett was going to enjoy it while he could.

Before Scarlett got in the wagon, she hugged Mammy and said, "Remember you are to get on the train next Friday. Get Will to take you into Jonesboro."

"Child, I …"

Scarlett smiled at Mammy and said, "Yes?"

Scarlett looked at Mammy, but Mammy wasn't looking at her. Scarlett gently said, "What is it, Mammy?"

Mammy looked at Scarlett and said, "Never mind."

Mammy hugged all the children. Even Rhett gave the old woman a hug. He knew they would never see her again even if Scarlett didn't know it yet.

Once the wagon was heading toward Jonesboro, Scarlett said, "What was that with Mammy?"

Will looked away. Scarlett could be so obtuse when she didn't want to see something. Rhett just patted her hand and said, "I don't know." As earlier in the day, Rhett knew what was going on, but he didn't tell her. She would not believe him, and she would just get mad at him. No, he would wait until next Friday. She would not believe Mammy wanted to stay at Tara until the naked truth slapped her in the face.

As Scarlett got out of the wagon she said to Will, "Just send us a telegram when you put Mammy on the train. Do you need some money?"

"No, I can afford that."

On the way back to Atlanta, Scarlett was bright and cheerful. She was laughing and playing with the children.

Over the next week the family went to eat at Picard's a couple of more times. Scarlett allowed Wade to spend the day with his Hamilton relatives a couple of times. Rhett and Scarlett visited Mr. Powe and went over the children's trust fund account. They then went to the bank for her to visit with Ashley.

While they were visiting Ashley said, "You should come to supper while you are here."

Scarlett replied, "Of course. Just let us know when." While knowing full well Melanie would think up one excuse after another for why they couldn't invite the Butlers to supper.

Friday afternoon when Scarlett got the telegram, she excitedly opened the envelope. As she was doing so, she said to Rhett who was sitting on the sofa in the common room, "You will need to go get Mammy from the train station."

"No, I will just send Mortimer."

Scarlett stared at the telegram. She couldn't believe the words that were on the paper. Scarlett turned to Rhett. She said, "Suellen is trying to keep Mammy from me," Scarlett waved the paper and said, "We must go to Jonesboro and get her. I know this is a bunch of lies. I know Mammy wants to return to me. Suellen just isn't willing to take her into Jonesboro."

Rhett stood up and took the telegram out of Scarlett's hand. It said: Mammy staying with me. She doesn't want to return to you.

Admittedly Suellen could have told Scarlett in a kinder way but maybe not considering the adversarial relationship the sisters had.

Rhett said, "Baby, haven't you notice how old Mammy is beginning to look. She knows she is coming to the end of her days, and she wants to die a Tara."

"That is just poppycock. Mammy wants to die with me by her side. I'm going to Jonesboro to get her."

"We will go first thing in the morning. We will leave the children with Eunice and Mortimer."

"We can take Wade over to Melly's for him to spent time with them."

"Alright."

Scarlett sent Melly a note asking if Wade could spend the day with Beau the next day. Melly replied in the affirmative. Scarlett wrote back that they would drop Wade off about eight thirty.

Later that night Rhett tried once again to get Scarlett to understand that Mammy really did want to stay at Tara with Suellen. He said, "Scarlett, how old is Mammy?"

"I don't know."

"She was your mother's Mammy, right?"

"Yes, how old was your mother when you were born?"

"She was sixteen."

"You are thirty," When Scarlett started to object, Rhett continued, "Or close to it. That would make Mammy at least forty-six. She was at least fifteen when she became your mother's Mammy. That would make her at least sixty-one. She has had a hard life being a slave and all."

"She hasn't had a hard life. We treated her quite nicely. Thank you very much. Stop trying to talk me out of going to Jonesboro. I know Mammy would never leave me. If you don't want to go, you don't have to go but I'm going."

Rhett sighed. He wished he could save her from the pain she was going to feel tomorrow but once again her refusal to accept a fact that didn't fit with her belief has raised its ugly head. Because Mammy didn't out and out tell Scarlett she wasn't returning to her, Scarlett wasn't going to believe she didn't want to return to her. Rhett smiled sadly at his lovely wife.

"No, I will go with you."

Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade got in the cab the next morning after a breakfast while the rest of the children went upstairs with Eunice and Mortimer. When the cab got to Hamilton House, Scarlett didn't get out. She let Wade walk into the house by himself. He was almost fourteen after all.

Scarlett and Rhett got Mr. Price to take them out to Tara. When they got there Scarlett told Mr. Price, "Just wait for us. This won't take long."