Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twelve

That night Scarlett chewed Frank out for being a part of the clan. Frank for once stood up for himself and said, "I will continue attending those meetings whether you like it or not."

Scarlett thought, 'Not if you are dead." She left the parlor and went to her room. That night as she laid in her bed instead of fantasizing about Rhett, she fantasized about getting rid of Frank. Once she figured out how to get rid of Frank, she then fantasized about Rhett. She just wasn't ready to put her plan in motion.

At the beginning of September, Elizabeth Butler received a letter from her friend Eulalie. Eulalie asked if she and Pauline could come live with her and Rosemary. Elizabeth smiled a mean, little smile. She liked Eulalie and Pauline well enough but since the end of the war they had become two of the most whining complaining people in Charleston. She would never have stopped receiving the ladies, but she certainly wasn't going to invite them into her home.

The reason she was thinking malicious thoughts about her friends was that her friends had gossiped about Rhett incessantly while telling her to her face that they thought Rhett had gotten a raw deal.

Elizabeth wrote back and told the ladies that Charles' life insurance pay out was a meager amount. It barely covered the expenses for Rosemary and herself. In truth, her support check was very generous, and she could have taken the sisters in if she had wanted to, but she didn't want to. They were better off in Georgia. Well, she was better off with them in Georgia. These days she didn't need the Robillard sisters support to stay received in Charleton. On the day she received visitors her parlor was always full. She knew that it was because she could afford to serve sandwiches with meat in them. Rhett was right all proper society was a bunch of hypocrites, herself included.

At the end of September, Frank found one of Scarlett's stashes of money. He took all two hundred dollars and put it in a bank account. A bank account that she could not access. Frank didn't know it, but he had just signed his death certificate.

His excessive whining about his marital rights was getting on her nerves. Him putting her sawmills at risk by being a member of the clan infuriated her. Him stealing her money was so enraging it was not to be borne.

As she laid in her bed, she wished he would just die like Charlie had. That is when she decided to put her plan into effect. She was going to help him to the other side. When she had wondered if what she was doing was what was best for her, she thought about the fact after Frank was dead, she could finally be with Rhett. What's more if she got rid of him then she would have the profits from the store also. As far as Scarlett was concerned, there was no downside. Like Charlie before him Frank had served his purpose. She never once thought about whether what she was going to do was right or wrong. She just wondered if it was right for her.

Scarlett made Frank go visit Henry Hamilton and draw up a will. Besides some money Frank left to his sister, Edith, he left all his worldly belongings to Scarlett.

Scarlett put rat poison in the whiskey Frank used to make his hot toddies. Because Frank had always complained about one illness or another since he had moved into the Hamilton House PittyPat didn't suspect anything. In fact, nobody suspected a thing. The best part to Scarlett was that the sicker he got the more hot toddies he had. By November Frank was dead. Scarlett poured the contents of the bottle down the drain. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt although if Aunt PittyPat died she wouldn't be unhappy. Yet, she wouldn't help her to the other side.

Scarlett quickly buried him, and no one questioned the death of Frank for he had been old and extremely sick for the last month.

Scarlett horrified the matrons of Atlanta when one week after Frank Kennedy's death she was being seen in public. Mrs. Bonner told her, "Scarlett, what you are doing is shameful."

"What am I doing that is so shameful?"

"You are being seen in public so shortly after Mr. Kennedy's death."

"I have two businesses to run. I need the money. I have a lot of people to support. I can mourn Frank just as easily outside the house as I can inside the house."

"Your mother must be turning over in her grave."

"Probably. My mother did always do the right thing."

Mrs. Bonner left in a huff. Scarlett didn't care. With her marriage to Rhett, she would barely be received in the South, if at all. The truth was she was tired of living by rules that didn't make any sense. The truth was she was tired of living by other people's rules whether they made sense or not.

After Frank's death, she got her two hundred dollars back and with the three hundred she had hidden elsewhere, she bought another sawmill. The owner, Pat Morris, was happy to stay on and run the mill for her. She had Johnny Gallagher run the other one. She promoted Hugh Elsing as manager of the store.

In December Scarlett had been driving herself around town. Uncle Peter had refused to drive her around anymore because he had gotten his feelings hurt by some comments made by some Yankee ladies. Melly had talked her into letting Archie, the murderer who lived in Melly's basement, drive her around but he had quit when she had leased convict laborers. Scarlett never understood why whipping convicts was so much worse than whipping slaves.

When Scarlett told Melanie that she was fearful when she drove through Shantytown. Melanie said, "You know, Darling, maybe one of your former slaves lives at Shantytown and can become your bodyguard."

"That is a promising idea."

While driving through Shantytown Scarlett started looking at the men hoping to recognize one of them. After several weeks she saw a man, she recognized. It was Big Sam. She stopped her buggy and pulled out her gun. She sat in her buggy screaming out, "Big Sam! Big Sam!"

Soon she saw Big Sam walking towards her. She shouted out, "Get your stuff. You are going to come work for me."

Big Sam kept walking towards Scarlett. When he reached her, he said, "I haven't got any stuff to get," He climbed in the buggy and said, "Let's get out of here."

Scarlett smiled and loosened the reins. The horse was ready to go.

Rhett had been out of the country when Frank died. He did not return until January. He went to Belle's and heard the incredibly good news. Scarlett was a free woman. He left Belle's and went straight to Scarlett's home. After he knocked on the door, Uncle Peter answered it.

Uncle Peter said, "It is not proper for you to start calling on Mrs. Kennedy. She is still in deep mourning."

"I am not calling on her. I need to see her about a business matter."

"Very well, sir. Follow me."

Uncle Peter showed Rhett into the parlor were PittyPat and Scarlett were seated. PittyPat said, "Mr. Butler it is not proper for you to call on us. We are in mourning."

"Forgive me for intruding in your time of grief but I need to speak to Mrs. Kennedy about her loan."

"Of course, Rhett. We shall go into the library so we can conduct business in privacy."

"Certainly."

Once the door was close behind them, Scarlett said, "You have compromised me. It is not proper for us to be alone in a room together."

"If I have compromised you, then I will certainly marry you."

"Thank you, Rhett," With a smile Scarlett said, "You are such a gentleman."

"As you are such a lady."

They both laughed.

"When?"

"Why do you want to marry me? And don't tell me it is because you compromised me."

"You know why."

"Why?"

"I have waited long enough to possess your body. I will not wait any longer. You made it plain to me that the only way I was going to possess your body was by marrying you."

"So, did you lie to me at Rough and Ready."

Rhett smiled, "No, I didn't lie to you at Rough and Ready. I love you. Tell me you love me."

"But I don't. Not yet anyway. But I do want to marry you and be intimate with you very much."

"I can work with that."

"You are my best friend."

"I can work with that. Set the date."

"As soon as I am out of deep mourning."

"You are going to make me wait another year."

"I think it is ten months by now."

"Alright. I think I may have to go to Europe to get away from the temptation of you."

"But I would miss you so much."

"You better make this up to me once we are married."

"I will, Darling."

"No, you won't. You won't give me anything for free. Just as I would never give you anything for free. Come along, my love. I must go before I truly compromise you."

"Oh, I need to give you my final loan payment."

"Keep it for now. I will get it when I come to supper in February for our business meeting."

For the next ten months, Rhett and Scarlett were never seen in public together socially. They continued to visit with each other when they ran into each other on the street, but they never went out together. If they happened to run into each other a lot more often than they had in the past that surely was just a coincidence.

It was not a coincidence. It was always pre-planned. They always made arrangements for their next accidental meeting.

Although Scarlett had paid off her loan, she and Rhett continued to have a monthly supper business meeting. Scarlett didn't want anyone to question her feelings for Frank until his body had rotted away.

Rhett had been a little annoyed at all the secrecy, but he had gone along with it because he didn't want her to balk at marrying him this close to the finish line. Soon she would be in his bed, and he would finally get the raging desire out of his system.

At their business meeting supper In March, Rhett said, "I brought you a birthday present." As they were at the front door, Rhett gave her a ring box. She opened it excitedly. It was a huge diamond ring. Scarlett thought it is probably at least three carats. It was a round cut and it had emeralds around the stone. She tried it on, and it fit. She said, "Thank you. It is beautiful. It fits perfectly. This is not my birthday present though. You are going to have to get me something else for my birthday."

Rhett pulled another jewelry box out of his pocket and said, "Like this."

"Yes."

Scarlett opened the present. It was a brooch time piece. It was very ornate. It was a bow with the time piece hanging down. It had little rubies all over it.

Rhett took the box and took the brooch out of the box. He leaned forward and pin the brooch to her dress awfully close to her breast. After it was pin on, Rhett ran his hand over her breast. She just smiled at him. She leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed her back. Finally, she pulled back.

Rhett smiled and said, "I know that you aren't going to wear the ring until it has been a year after Old Frank's death, but you will wear the brooch every day. Do you understand me?

"Of course, Rhett. Whatever makes you happy."

Rhett smiled and thought, 'She will never do anything just to make me happy. She will always be extracting something out of me. I wonder what she has in mind for compensation for her wearing the time piece every day.'

In November of sixty-seven on the anniversary of Frank Kennedy's death Rhett and Scarlett were married at the courthouse. They went straight to the National Hotel. Rhett got a suite. Rhett hurriedly took off his clothes. When he was naked, he reminded Scarlett of one of the stallions she had seen in her youth. Scarlett was slowly taking off her clothes. She instinctively knew that would get Rhett even more excited. She had to make sure it was the best sexual experience he had ever had. She didn't want him to have buyer's regret.

As Scarlett got in the bed she said, "If you get me with child, I will kill you."

"Thank you for the warning."

Rhett took her in his arms and kissed her. The threat of death did not lessen Rhett's desire.

Rhett and Scarlett had relations at eleven o'clock in the morning. Rhett had managed to satisfy her before he lost control. He guessed he was going to have to admit that he had no control over his body where Scarlett was concerned. Also, it would be quite some time before he got the raging desire out of his system if ever.

Scarlett was thinking. That was wonderful. It was so much better than me self-pleasuring myself. I now know why men would pay money for that. Of course, I would never have to pay for it.