Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Sixty-One
When Scarlett walked in the front door, she saw Suellen in the parlor. Suellen said, "Didn't you get my telegram?"
"You mean your lies. I have come to get Mammy. You cannot keep her from me."
Scarlett hurried up the stairs while calling out Mammy's name. Rhett just stood at the foot of the stairs. He didn't need to witness Scarlett's embarrassing moment. Not five minutes later, Scarlett was hurrying down the stairs. Rhett said, "Slow down, Baby. You don't want to trip and fall and have to stay here longer."
Scarlett didn't speak but she did slow down. She continued across the foyer while never saying a word to anyone. Rhett followed her out of the house and hurriedly caught up with her. He helped her up in the wagon and got in beside her. He said to Mr. Price, "We are ready to leave."
Even though it was highly improper, Rhett put his arms around Scarlett while pushing a handkerchief into her hand. While she clung to him, she didn't speak. She didn't cry either. He knew that she would not let anyone in Jonesboro see her cry. He wondered if she would hold it together until they got back to their hotel room.
Mr. Price dropped them off at the train station. Scarlett stood beside Rhett while he was paying Mr. Price. She held his hand and stood too close to him but that was all. While they waited for the train Rhett started to put his arm around Scarlett. She said, "No, someone might see us." After that, the couple just sat there holding hands but not speaking.
Rhett knew that the reason Scarlett didn't want anyone to see them with Rhett's arm around her wasn't because it was improper but because it would make her look pathetic and that was not to be borne. Especially now when she was feeling so weak and vulnerable.
Rhett looked at Scarlett sitting there. She had her head held high and her shoulders back. She looked like the proud, arrogant woman he knew her to be. Nobody would know she had just received a body blow. It made him realize that all the times he had tried to hurt her in their first timeline he had but because she had showed no reaction to his cruel comment or his insensitive action, he had thought he had failed. He now knew he had hurt her, but she had masked that pain and had not let it show.
After Rhett and Scarlett got on the train, she finally without emotion said, "I will never come back."
"Yes, you will. You love Tara too much to never come back."
"Maybe we should move to London."
"We are not moving to London. The children are settled in New York and besides what would you do without your best friend Violet."
Scarlett gave Rhett a sad smile and then said, "You must really be worried about me if you are calling Violet by her name," With a voice devoid of any emotion, she continued, "You were right. Mammy wants to die at Tara."
"Honey, it doesn't mean she isn't going to miss you as much as you are going to miss her."
"I know. She wants to be buried next to her Miss Ellen."
"Can I do anything for you?"
"No. I will just need time to get over this. The worst part, Rhett, is that Suellen finally bested me in something."
"Not by her actions but by Mammy's actions. She won by default. You know what they say… Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then."
That made Scarlett laugh. Maybe a little hysterically but as far as Rhett was concerned it was a laugh, nonetheless. He knew she would be fragile for a while just as she was in the last timeline when she realized that Mr. Wilkes had never truly loved her. He also knew that she would bounce back from this devastating loss. She always did.
The couple got back to the hotel and Rhett sent Mortimer to pick up Wade. Later that day, Rhett saw no signs that Scarlett was in a distressed mood. Over supper in a bright and happy voice Scarlett said to the children, "Mammy has decided to live the next year with Suellen. She wants to get to know your cousins."
Wade said, "Just a year and then she will come back?"
"Yes, just a year."
"Alright."
Ella said, "I'm not happy about this."
"Nor am I, Sweetheart, but unbelievably Mammy loves Suellen also. Not as much as me but she does love her. Therefore, Mammy wants to spend time with Suellen and her family."
Genie said, "Rats."
Gerry and Olivia didn't speak. After there was silence for a while Rhett said, "Wade, when we get home, we will have to see if there is a better model of sleds."
Because all the children loved to go snow sledding that effectively changed the subject.
That night after Rhett and Scarlett were in bed, she said, "Why didn't Mammy tell me before we went to Tara that she wanted to stay at Tara?"
"She didn't want to see the pain on your face when she told you."
"Did she really think I would accept Suellen's word?"
"She hoped you would."
With a little bit of anger in her voice, Scarlett said, "She has known me all my life. She knows I don't just accept things. She knows I will always fight for what I want."
"I know, Baby. She tried to take the coward's way out."
"Just like Ashley did in the library that day. Did you know what Ashley was trying to tell me that day?"
"Yes, but don't berate yourself too much over Mr. Wilkes. I know he was leading you on. First to take care of his wife then to take care of him and his family."
"I'm going to sleep now."
Shortly thereafter Rhett heard Scarlett crying. He didn't try to stop her. He just held her close. Finally, she stopped crying. Shortly thereafter he felt her relax against him and he knew she was asleep. He was sure that would just be the first of many crying jags Scarlett had before she had put the pain of Mammy leaving her behind her. It made him wonder how many times she had hid her tears from him in their first timeline. He knew it was quite a few times.
Rhett never asked Scarlett what Mammy said and Scarlett never volunteered the information. He didn't need to know the actual words. Basically, it was – Mammy, I am here to take you back to Atlanta with me. Child, I don't want to go. I am staying here. But Mammy… Go on, Child, I'm sorry but this is where I want to die. I want to be buried next to Miss Ellen.
The family only had a couple of more days in Atlanta. They would then return to New York and back to their normal life. Scarlett invited the Hamiltons and the Wilkeses to the hotel to have supper on the Butlers last night in town. Everyone accepted.
When the group was seated at the table in the restaurant, Melly picked the chair furthest away from Rhett. This action was not lost on either Scarlett or Rhett. Scarlett had chosen to leave Olivia and Gerry upstairs with Eunice despite Rhett's objections. Scarlett might have brought Gerry if they hadn't had Olivia, but she knew that Gerry would be happier upstairs eating with Olivia. Eunice and Mortimer would eat when the children were finished. Of course, the couple may have chosen to eat with the children while the food was still hot.
The conversation was pleasant enough. It was on safe subjects, the economy, politics, and religion. All things that one is not supposed to talk about, but they were safer subjects for this group than what everyone was doing in their private life.
As everyone was getting ready to leave, Ashley said to Rhett, "I am going to take your advice and leave custody of Beau to you. I will get Uncle Henry to draw up the papers. It will give me a chance to explain to him why I think this is best for Beau. You are right. You can provide him with a much better life than India, Uncle Henry, and certainly Aunt PittyPat. Good night, Captain Butler."
"Good night, Mr. Wilkes."
The next day the family was on the train back to New York. Two days later they were at Grand Central Station. After the children were back in school, Wade, Ella, and Genie spent long hours getting caught up in their lessons but soon they would have their Christmas break.
Two weeks after the family's return, Rhett got a telegram from Ashley telling him that all had been arranged. If something happened to him and Melly, Rhett would be Beau's guardian. Ashley had not been surprised by the resistance he had received from all of his relatives when he told them what he had done. He was most surprised that Melly was stubbornly steadfast that Rhett and Scarlett Butler would not raise Beau, but she could not give him a reason why they would be bad guardians of her son. She also could not honestly say that India, Aunt PittyPat or Uncle Henry would be better. Finally, she told herself that Captain Butler was a good father and if they raised Beau he would be living in the lap of luxury. Melly resolved that she just wouldn't get sick and die.
The Butlers celebrated Christmas. Once again, Rhett didn't go overboard with the presents. Scarlett said, "Why have you curtailed your gift giving?"
"I have decided to go with quality instead of quantity."
"Good thinking. I like my presents very much."
Rhett had gotten everyone a new set of ice skates and new tennis rackets. He had kind of had to buy all the children new ice skates because they had outgrown theirs from last year. He had bought all the Brooks children new ice skates also which he gave to them when they came to the mansion for Christmas dinner.
Scarlett served a roasted goose, mashed potatoes, fresh string beans, and rolls. For dessert she served pecan pie and deep-dish apple pie.
Over dinner, Lee announced, "Genie and I are not getting married. We have decided to just be friends for right now."
Dean said, "I think that is a good idea, son."
Rhett said, "You have a long time before you have to decide who you are going to marry. I was forty before I married the love of my life."
Scarlett had served wine with the meal and Rhett raised his wine glass in a toast to his wife. She raised hers and toasted him also.
Scarlett had sent Mammy a Christmas present. It was the same thing she had given the older woman every year. It was fabric. Usually, Scarlett had given Mammy black or brown material because that was what Mammy supposedly wanted. This year Scarlett sent her ten yards of red material and ten yards of blue material with a note that said, "Make yourself something pretty." Hopefully, Suellen would read the note to the older woman.
Scarlett had her usual round of birthday parties for her children. Gerry turned four, Wade turned fourteen, and Genie turned seven. At every party there was a mansion full of people. Yes, the Butlers were immensely popular in the North.
On February twentieth Scarlett got a letter from Suellen. Scarlett looked at the letter with dread. She knew there was only one reason that Sue would write her. Someone was dead. She just knew it was Mammy. She took the letter to Rhett and made him read it first. When he looked up at her with compassionate eyes, she ran out of the room. He found her crying in their room. He held her until she was cried out. She finally said, "She was the last of my childhood."
"You have Suellen and Tara."
"No, Tara is a farm. A lot of farms. Will is going to sharecropping. My last goal to besting Suellen is to outlive her."
With laughter in his voice, he said, "I will help you achieve that goal."
That night at supper after everyone had finished eating, Rhett said, "Your mother and I have some incredibly sad news.
All the children had notice how quiet their mother was being. They all looked at her then looked back at their father. He said in a grave voice, "Mammy is dead."
"How?"
"What?"
"No!"
Rhett continued, "She died in her sleep. There wasn't anything anyone could have done to save her. She died of old age."
Scarlett stood up and said, "Come on. We all have to get ready for bed. We will talk more upstairs."
Scarlett and Rhett had gone up stairs with the children. Rhett had left Gerry and Olivia with Eunice. Rhett told her the news. Rhett wasn't surprised when tears sprung into Eunice's eyes. She said, "I will talk to them about heaven."
"That is good."
Scarlett talked to the girls and Rhett talked to Wade. They talked long into the night. Eventually, all the children fell asleep.
Once Rhett and Scarlett were in bed, they each had a glass of brandy then they just laid in each other's arms until they fell asleep.