Great team effort cleaning up that last chapter and the details. Um yes, things had to be told to me twice in order for me to actually find them all. Thank you so much you guys. I hope you keep liking this very light (in comparison) deviation from the original, but the original had too many great lines and moments, to not weave them in when able. So don't be surprised when you see some details pop back up.
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Part Two
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"I've heard if the property doesn't sell soon it'll be seized," Scarlett said as they approached the overgrown lands.
"I heard the same, it'll be sold for practically nothing and the family won't see a penny of it," he said slowing to take in the land.
"There's a fair amount of acreage for sale surrounding it. It seems as if everyone is willing to sell off a parcel or two of land in order to survive."
"The house certainly is standing. Does it get any better the closer you get?"
"Perhaps if you're drunk," she offered.
He laughed and slowed the wagon to a halt to take it in. "The house could be repaired for the time being, it could be good for a manager, take in a family man, make sure the man has a vested interested in his job. A Greek Revival," he pointed, "right over there."
"Like Tara?"
"Tara is a beautiful house, I imagine your mother had a great deal of influence in it."
"Of course, Tara's beautiful, but what of a Gothic Revival, something different. There was the most beautiful one by my Aunt Pauline-Why I just saw one in a magazine. Those steep gables and the arches, all of the fine details."
"My dear are you serious? Do you really enjoy those ornate structures?"
"Why they're absolutely beautiful Rhett, you don't think they're just the most romantic homes? Why with a veranda or balcony, I forget what they called it all along the top floor so you could see all of your beautiful land."
He gave a look at the particularly unattractive land and wouldn't want to see it any more than necessary. "Is that really your dream home for the country?"
"Well it's not my house Rhett, my home is Tara and always will be, but if you were to build a house that I would pass by every day, I wouldn't mind seeing something different."
"Well I suppose it's a thought. What about a Georgian?"
"Rhett that's so stuffy."
"French Colonial?"
"Why those columns are like a jail cell. Rhett, do you like those creole townhouses in Atlanta."
"Yes, they are a beautiful display of architecture. Do you not?"
Her shoulders lifted, "I suppose they're fine."
"What houses do you like in Atlanta?"
"Well there are hardly any houses left," she looked out onto the barren land. Atlanta was like the country, so much had been wiped out from the war. More than just her warehouses, all industry, all business and so many houses. 1845 and 1864, she and Atlanta had been born and nearly destroyed in the same years.
He smiled, "I think you'd be astonished by the progress since you've been gone."
"Oh," she looked back at him in excitement, "have they built any Swiss Chalets?"
"A Swiss what?"
"Chalet."
"Spell it."
"C.H.A.L.E.T. Why I think it was in Harper's Weekly," she regretted throwing out all of her magazines after Frank. Tossing away all of the grand plans and dreams that had led to Frank Kennedy being killed.
"Oh," he said looking peculiarly at her.
She didn't care she was rather used to it; she was caught up in the mental imagines she had retained as she repeatedly studied the pages. "It was lovely. It had a high mansard roof with a picket fence on top and a tower made of fancy shingles at each end." She had examined every picture endlessly.
"I imagine there was jigsaw work."
"Yes."
He lifted his hand and let his fingertips trickle down, "A fringe of wooden scrollwork from the roof of the porch?"
"Oh yes, it's so stylish. So you have seen one."
"Yes, but not in Switzerland. The Swiss are a very intelligent race and keenly alive to architectural beauty. You'd really like to see Atlanta filled with houses like that?"
"I think it would be marvelous."
"It's a good thing you moved to the country."
"Rhett," she pouted and looked offended by the comment.
"You don't think these Swiss Chalets belong in the country do you?"
"Well no, not in the country, although perhaps closer to town. Why they would do wonders for Jonesboro."
"Let's return to the discussion at hand, what do you think of Italiante? Think of how fine the detail on those corbels."
"But they're so flat."
He laughed lightly, "Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore. Come now direct me to this schoolhouse, I look forward to seeing Wade again."
o-o-o
"Tell her Captain Butler can't stay here," Suellen's eyes were wide as she was in the kitchen with Will and Scarlett after dinner, where she had forced them both before retiring to the parlor.
"He offered to pay, why should a boarding house take that money and we shouldn't ingratiate ourselves to our newest neighbor," Scarlett questioned. The topic of where Rhett would stay while the house was being repaired had come up during the meal. She'd been unnaturally quick to suggest to stay with them and he had been quick to offer to subsidize the endeavor.
"I see you're looking for a third husband," Suellen lobbed at her sister.
"He's already asked, multiple times, I've said no. I'm not marrying again, stop thinking you'll get me out of Tara when I have far more right to it than you do."
"Ladies," Will said intervening, "Tara equally belongs to you both and Scarlett, Suellen and I both grateful for everything you've done to keep Tara going. That being said you cannot do anything untoward under this roof. I know times have changed, but there are three children in this house."
"I would never, I'm appalled you could even think such a thing," Scarlett looked at her brother-in-law haughtily.
"I mean it Scarlett, somehow I ended up the man of this house and I will have Mammy sleep at your door if I hear even the slightest creak."
"I am done with men Will, you don't need to worry."
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"Become my partner with the ranch," Rhett said sitting on floor the next day with Ella, she was wobbling backwards and forwards while holding onto his hands, laughing and being totally entertained by the simple activity.
He and Scarlett had taken Wade to school that morning and gone to see Mrs. Calvert and her four remaining girls, the woman had practically fallen on her knees in relief with Rhett's offer. Scarlett had expected Rhett to ride off as soon as they returned to Tara, but he hadn't, instead he'd settled into the parlor with Scarlett making idle conversation as they'd often used to.
She had awoken that morning expecting more of the same from yesterday, she had been flushed thinking of how Rhett would take her in his arms as soon as they set off from the schoolhouse, thinking of new ways to reject his proposals, but he hadn't. He used the word, "I" with Mrs. Calvert as well when discussing his plans, when Scarlett could have sworn yesterday that he was interested in her opinion, the ride home from Pine Bloom went the same as the ride to it. The man was confounding, he had always been confounding. He had at least been nice this visit, or at least nice for Rhett, he did seem to agree with Suellen entirely too often, but Suellen was at least busy with her baby and household chores to join them.
Scarlett set thoughts of his kisses and proposals to the side, she was glad he had moved past, glad to have this spot of normalcy, his company a welcome relief to that of Suellen's.
"You may be rich, but we certainly aren't. I can't tie up our funds in something that will likely never make money."
"I could loan you the money," he offered.
"When I can't repay I have to marry you or you'll call in the debt when you're bored with me." She wasn't quite sure how the mention of marriage entered her comment when he'd made no mention of it and she'd been so very glad the topic had been shut away.
"I could make the terms very agreeable. It will give you far more to do than just this."
"I don't need more to do than just this, I am just fine Rhett," she picked up the needlepoint she had set upon her lap minutes prior as she had done repeatedly during their talk.
"You are a liar Scarlett, even worse you are lying to yourself. You'll never be happy living half a life."
"I am perfectly happy," the needlepoint went down upon her lap again.
"Think about it Scarlett, if we're partners it will give you something to do and a reason to get out of this house."
"I don't need to get out of Tara, I am happiest at Tara."
"Because you don't need to be more, have more. That isn't happiness, it's giving up."
"We're making Tara what it was once again."
He gave a look around the room, "There's no chance of that my dear, it'll never be like it was. The world will never be like it was. I thought you were one of the few that accepted that."
"Rhett, you know what I mean," she picked up the needlepoint again.
"You're hiding in a memory Scarlett, in your father's dream. You've taken on a venture that can never be much more than small profits, will you even turn a profit this year? I am fairly certain that with all that talk of your mother last year and the shame you brought on her ghost, she wanted far more for you than this."
"You mean being a good mother and sister and watching over our family's plantation? You never met my mother; I can assure you that you're wrong. I should have gone home with my father when she sent him after you-" she shook her head.
"After I bought the first dance with the Widow Hamilton," he smirked.
"She saw the person I was becoming, and I shouldn't have let you take my father out and get him drunk. I should have gone home with him."
He opened his mouth.
"None of that matters, it's in the past and there's no point in looking back."
"Oh really my sweet, then why are you here?"
"Because I'm being the type of person I should be." She let out an unexpected curse as the needle slammed into her finger and soon Rhett was on his knees before her to examine her injury and damn him if her heart didn't flutter as he brought her finger to his lips.
o-o-o
He slowly rode his black stallion alongside her wagon to the schoolhouse. She had forced her eyes to not go wide as she exited the house to see his horse saddled and Rhett attaching his pack to the side. There would be no wagon ride side by side, Rhett was only accompanying her in order to say goodbye to Wade before returning to Atlanta.
The entire meal that followed with Suellen had been awful. She'd snapped at Wade when he wanted to play with her after dinner. She'd left her hair loose when she'd gone to nurse Ella before bed and the little girl had pulled at a long lock that fell into her line of sight, Scarlett dropped her into the crib a moment later. Scarlett listening to the toddler's screams for minutes as she paced and had gone to storm out, but her hand never fully turned the knob before turning back and picking up the baby and apologizing as she soothed her cries.
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"Will got a letter from Captain Butler," Suellen said as she took the post from Mammy.
Mammy who in turn gave Scarlett a scathing look.
"Oh really?" Scarlett forced herself to not react strongly even though she wanted to rip it out of her sister's hands.
"Yes, I wonder what he writes if he was able to purchase the property. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he selected something in Fayette, possibly close to the river."
Scarlett seethed at her sister's words and the unopened letter in her hand, "Well we can answer that easily if we open the letter."
"Captain Butler addressed it to Will," she said innocently moving to tuck the letter into her apron.
"Will wouldn't mind-"
"Will will be in for dinner in just under four hours, surely our curiosity can wait. I mean if it were pressing Captain Butler would have sent a telegram and you've been in town twice already since he left, surely you would have gotten word even if someone couldn't get out here to deliver the message."
"Mammy needed molasses-"
"You's the one that wanted shoofly pie, we'd had plenty of molasses 'til then," Mammy gave her child a look.
"It's nearly my birthday, I'm in the mood for sweets," Scarlett explained away.
"And you needed material to make Ella new clothing," Suellen added.
"Don't you see the way she's sprouting up, why within weeks everything will be short and tight and Mammy will be yelling at me about Ella's legs showing while it's still cold."
"Well the point is, Captain Butler obviously has nothing pressing to say, so we can wait until Will comes in and if he wants to share any details with us," Suellen said with a cool expression.
"You know how Captain Butler speaks, we'll likely have to read the letter to Will anyway, I might as well read it now."
"Now Scarlett, I am far more well read than you. I'd do a much better job than you."
"Yes, you have spent much more time at home. So why don't you read the letter now and you can explain it to Will as soon as he returns."
"Now I know you don't understand being a dutiful wife, but I would hardly take it upon myself to read my husband's correspondence unless he directed me to."
"Suellen give me the letter," Scarlett was done playing nice.
Mammy saw what was about to occur the moment Suellen said "No," and stepped in between the girls.
"Mammy!" Scarlett yelled.
"You's both grown women, stop it. I don't like this Cap'n Butler, not one bit, but you give her the letter Miss Suellen."
Scarlett smirked.
"And you take it directly out to Mr. Will," Mammy informed her eldest, "I'll know if you opened it before you handed it to Mr. Will."
"I would never," Scarlett said innocently.
Mammy rolled her eyes and pursed her lips as she stepped to the side and waved at Suellen to hand the letter to her sister, "I'm supposed to be raising the babies now not their mamas." She gave them a shameful look.
"Sorry Mammy," the answered in unison, but it didn't stop Scarlett from gloating as she took the letter from Suellen's hand the moment she pulled it from her apron.
"Don't forget your's shawl!" Mammy yelled as Scarlett turned and headed towards the door.
o-o-o
"Well?" Scarlett asked as Will read the letter, which had take an impossibly long time, he had taken off his hat wiped his brow before even going to start the letter. Scarlett had nearly ripped it from his hands on several occasions.
"Scarlett, what's your interest in this man?" Will said looking down at her.
"My interest, why what do you mean, did Rhett say something about his interest towards me in the letter?"
"No. He wrote to say he bought the property and will be back in four days time, which I believe will be tomorrow. I imagine if you rode to town today, there'd be a telegram."
She coudn't understood their preoccupation with her riding into town, they'd all been necessities and she would have to ride to town in two days to pick up their normal necessities. Perhaps she would go today in case Rhett had wired with details of his arrival, it would hardly be hospitable to be unprepared. "That's all he wrote? How did it take you so long to read just that?"
"No he gave actual details and his plans and discussion for his payment since you turned us into a boarding house," he went to hand her the letter and then pulled it back.
She scowled.
"Should I send word he needs to find somewhere else to stay, I'm more than certain he could more than make do at the house once the women leave."
"Captain Butler is a wealthy man, he shouldn't be forced to habituate like he's not," she answered with hands on her hips.
"Do you want to be a wealthy wife?"
"If I did I would have accepted his proposal last year or even just the other day."
"He truly did ask for your hand?"
"Of course he has," she answered haughtily as if she hadn't waited four years for it.
"Why didn't you accept, you're obviously interested in him."
"Interested as a friend. I've been married twice; I have no interest in a third time."
"Scarlett, I mean what I said about affairs. You're my kin now, while I know I have no chance in controlling you, I have to ask you remember your sister and the three children in this house."
"Will, I would never disappoint you or bring shame upon our family." Again. She definitely wouldn't do that again.
He sighed and handed her the letter.
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"Babies do not belong at the dinner table," Scarlett said giving a dirty look to Rhett who had refused to let Mammy take Ella as the family sat down for the afternoon meal. Ella had begun to cry and cling to Rhett and he was suddenly a lost cause. He'd been in the house for two days, but by the end of the first day, Ella had attached to him as if he'd been caring for her since she was a newborn.
"She's perfectly fine," he said holding the little girl on his lap, firmly holding. He had never been so focused on keeping his clothing clean, everything suddenly had the potential to be pulled at and flung onto him, "and she's hardly a baby. Why you're very nearly a big girl aren't you, Ella?"
"She isn't even a year and a half, she still nurses," Scarlett responded dryly. Then smirked as Rhett's eyes betrayed themselves and dropped down to her bosom and rolled her eyes at the shocked look on Suellen's face.
"Well she is hardly as old as you that's for certain, speaking of which have you given any thought about what you'd like to do for your birthday?"
She'd like to go back in time to her 14th and do those years over, experience hope, joy and excitement. "Why there's no thinking involved, Mammy will make sure my favorite foods are made, my sister should make me a cake, but I'm sure she won't."
"You've never made me a cake."
"You were always much better at the domestic arts Suellen," Scarlett smiled at her sister.
"I will make sure you get a cake, even if I have to make it myself," Rhett smiled.
"Why Captain Butler, you can make a cake?" Suellen questioned.
"Hoecakes."
The entire table laughed.
"What if we go into Atlanta this weekend for the night?"
"That would not be appropriate," Suellen sharply interjected.
"Why you and Will would be invited as well."
"I can't leave Tara, even for a night," Will was quick to reject the notion.
"I couldn't leave the baby," Suellen looked dejected by the reminder that she was also trapped at Tara.
"We'll take the children," Rhett announced with a smile. "Miss Pitty's is certainly large enough for the children."
"I'm going?" Wade questioned.
"Of course, you're going my boy," Rhett smiled.
"I'll not stay with India Wilkes."
"I would get you rooms at The National my sweet, but I imagine that would certainly be inappropriate, and how would it look if you didn't stay at the house you own half of?"
Scarlett frowned.
"There is a French restaurant that opened since you left."
"We could dine out?"
He smiled at his money hungry girl, "We could my sweet. The Wilkes and the Hamiltons would be more than welcome to join us, my treat."
"It is your birthday Scarlett," Suellen nodded, "we should do something special."
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Scarlett had been certain when she escorted Rhett to the porch to say goodnight as he took his leave to retire to The National, certain he would kiss her as he hadn't kissed her all week. Not a single kiss. Not one as they were alone from dropping off Wade or going to fetch him from school. Not a one as they inspected the empty stable at Pine Bloom. Not one as she showed him the grounds of Tara. Oh he kissed her all right, but his kiss on Aunt Pitty's porch at the end of her birthday was entirely too chaste and brief. A kiss not unsimilar to ones her father had placed on her cheek.
It had been such a wonderful night, everyone had been so engaged and excited, of course except for the always miserable India Wilkes, whom Rhett had forced Scarlett to invite. The only way it could get any better was a proper kiss from Rhett.
The gall of that man. All of that talk last year when he proposed, his kisses that very first day he returned. Why he'd proposed less than two weeks ago, he'd taken her in his arms as if he'd spent the year thinking about her. She should have known better, especially with Rhett. She was just another one of his amusements.
And tonight, why it was as if they were just his poor relations that he was treating to a special night. Well, he didn't really have any friends, they were certainly the closest things he had to real friends. She supposed she should be happy for his charity. Oh but she wasn't, it made her blood boil. She didn't need to be treated as a child. She and Suellen had plenty, they had more than enough.
"And what has set the fire behind those eyes?"
Oh she'd not engage him. He'd not know the power he had over her that she was supposed to have over him. "Why nothing at all Rhett, tonight's been lovely. Thank you again, although I suppose we've all thanked you enough tonight that you're likely to have developed some type of saintly complex."
"Why Scarlett, you may be a consummate actress for your many beaux, you know I've always been able to see past that false charm and-"
"I hardly know what you're talking about Rhett. I thanked you for a lovely evening."
"Your words yes, but your eyes. Why even the tightness in your jaw. The squaring of your shoulders. Scarlett it's as if I said goodnight and someone dumped you into a barrel of cold water."
"Rhett well if I were you, I'd be concerned if my kiss had that effect on people. It hardly seems as if that would be-"
"Ah. Now is that what this is my dear?"
"What?"
"For all your words about not wanting to be courting. Did you expect me to trail my fingers against your neck and drop my head as if you were the only woman in the world?"
"Of course not!"
"I am only respecting your wishes Scarlett."
"Oh when have you ever paid attention to a damn thing I've said," she rolled her eyes.
"I have listened to your every word my sweet." He smirked and leaned against a column, "I thought I would try something new and actually follow them. Follow your words and not your actions, every look and move that betrays the words that emerge from your mouth."
"You're impossible Rhett Butler!"
"Why I'm impossible? I'm not the one whose green eyes are burning with rage over not being courted after declaring, repeatedly, that they'll never marry again."
"You courted me for years with no intention of ever marrying me," she turned his words upon him. Marriage and courting were hardly mutually dependent in Rhett's world.
"Ah," he said pushing off the column, "does that mean you've reconsidered becoming my mistress?"
"Of course not."
"Then what is you want?"
"From you Captain Butler, I want absolutely nothing."
"What a beautiful and horrible little liar you are," he took a step towards her.
She should take a step back, but she was transfixed in place by the easy way he moved, by the way his eyes held hers.
"I think this is what you want," his fingertips trailed along her jaw, "and heaven forbid you don't get what you want on your birthday."
She put up only the faintest of resistance when his lips fell upon hers, with little effort her lips parted and she allowed him into her mouth.
She was alive in a way she hadn't been for years when he kissed her. There was so much in every kiss. As if he put the entirety of his existence into his kiss.
"Happy birthday my dear sweet Scarlett," he said pulling back after some time. "Remember you need only say the words and I'll cover you in jewels and build you the grandest house in all of Georgia."
"Only Georgia?"
"I would promise you the world, only I have seen the estates in England, I am fairly sure I would not live long enough accomplish the task."
Thanks for reading!
