Merry Christmas!
Not the end, but that is definitely looking to be done before NYE. It has two scenes left. I definitely have not reread this enough to get rid of the majority of the flaws, so feel free to include errors if you review.
No Xmas story this year. :( Which totally bums me out because the Christmas Carol prompt TOTALLY hooked me (like there was definitely a week that I was writing that and not this).
Have a great day guys! Thanks for reading whenever you get around this.
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Chapter Twenty-Three
Calverton
Early August
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"I hardly understand why you keep insisting on helping Will in the fields," Scarlett remarked in annoyance as Rhett had laid down in their bed while she wasn't even halfway through her nightly ritual. They had spent far less time awake together in the last few months as Rhett had taken to riding over to Tara with several workers to help with planting and harvesting.
"Because he is family and he needs help."
"Which is why you send workers. It's bad enough Will insists on continuing to run Tara as if he were a poor farmer-"
"My dear, he is a poor farmer."
"A poor farmer, with rich family. He hardly-"
"It's in his blood. He's not like us, he requires an honest day's work."
"Is he going to refuse our workers when we leave and you don't arrive with them?"
"He's too good of a man to refuse them, I've informed him that Simon has instructions to let go of the workers if there isn't enough to keep them occupied."
Scarlett didn't doubt that Calverton's manager wouldn't hesitate to trim the fat of their decadent horse farm. The man was positively panicked over the fact that the farm was so far removed from turning a profit. He had a young wife and clearly wanted to give her a settled home. "You're more than capable of letting men go, you hardly-"
"Why is it so difficult for you to say that you miss me?" he smirked with half-closed eyes.
"You're impossible Rhett Buttler."
"If I'm impossible I imagine you should enjoy me spending my days at Tara and retiring to bed early."
"You know I don't," she huffed and gave up on her hair and went to his side adoring the feel of her body pressed alongside his and the way he wrapped an arm around her.
"I know you don't since you behave like a sullen child when my attention is not entirely upon you."
"I'm hardly that bad. I get lonely without you. We're miles away-"
"My dear, we are exactly where you moved us to."
"You are impossible, I don't know why I miss you-" she went to move away.
His arm held her firmly in place. "You miss me because I'm impossible and I make things interesting."
"This is hardly interesting, we're laying in bed at 9 o'clock, the sun only set twenty minutes ago."
"Darling, I promise to awaken you before the sun rises in an entirely different manner than how we are going to bed."
"I almost went to visit the Tarletons today I was so bored. I saw the look on Estelle's face when I suggested she practice that last hairstyle from Godey's."
"It needs pearls threaded through."
"What?"
"It's missing pearls, I noticed that the other night. We'll pick some up in Paris."
"We tried it with every ornament I own, feathers and flowers."
"It isn't missing any of those things, it's missing pearls."
"I imagine Estelle would have appreciated you sharing this information before she spent an entire afternoon on it."
"But then what would you have done?" He smirked again.
She glared.
"I meant to talk to you about Estelle earlier."
"Do you think I shouldn't have given her new fabric for the trip?"
"Of course not, she has certainly earned new dresses with all the energy she has put towards fashioning you for the trip."
Scarlett rolled her eyes.
"I spoke to her this morning before I left and she's decided to not return with us from Paris."
"What?!" Scarlett shot up.
His eyes begrudgingly opened all the way as he'd expected they would have to. "As you know her brother is in Paris and Estelle has decided to remain with him."
"She can't do that."
"She is a free woman, she most certainly can."
"And you're allegedly a clever man, I'm more than certain you could have come up with something."
"I agree with her decision.
"How could you agree with her decision, what about the children?"
"The children have Prissy, we'll find someone else to-"
"There's no one like Estelle,"
"It seems you cannot admit that you'll miss her as well."
"I won't miss her because she won't be staying in Paris," Scarlett said standing.
"My dear it is 9," he remarked as she grabbed her robe.
"If I can't sleep because of this she certainly isn't allowed to."
He sat up, "Scarlett, she doesn't belong here. She's trapped between two worlds and will never belong to either."
"She's perfectly content here, I am sure this is all some silly idea."
"Scarlett, wait until morning."
"Absolutely not. I won't allow this silly idea to fester for a second longer."
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He was a light sleeper, the life he'd lived for so many decades had demanded upon that for his safety.
He awoke to the sheet lifting and her body joining his in bed.
"What time is it?"
"Nearly 11," she answered, moving to his side.
He smirked, Estelle was not one to be bullied by Scarlett's temper. "Dare I ask what was decided?"
"Estelle will become the housekeeper at the New Orleans house."
"Very clever my sweet," he said tightening his arm around her.
"Don't think for a second that I'm not furious with you."
He smiled with his eyes closed, "Not for a second."
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Charleston
August
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"How is it when we are not at Calverton that the children and I barely see you?" Rhett questioned in their room as Scarlett got ready for bed.
"I am in the house and with the children far more than you," she said looking at him in the mirror of her vanity.
"You are only in the house more than me because you sleep longer than I do," he smirked.
"Perhaps if you'd let me design the house, I'd want to spend more time in it."
"I do at least see far more of you in this house than I do in Atlanta. Will New Orleans be like that as well? Guests over at every hour of the day?"
"Our house will be the nicest," she acknowledged.
He smiled.
"What did you and Tabitha do today?"
"We fixed her wedding dress."
"What was wrong with her dress?"
"It was boring."
He laughed. "My dear, she'll not live a life like yours you need to be careful what you put into her head when we're in Paris."
Rhett's soon-to-be niece by marriage had made a strong case to Scarlett through their correspondence of how she and Alan would be the ideal traveling companions for the children. Scarlett had been quick to agree with the young blonde she had met the summer before. Rhett suspected after seeing Scarlett and Tabitha's heads close in whispers more times than he could count that Tabitha was more of a companion for Scarlett than the children.
"Alan is clever and with you putting him through school and the connections Tabitha's father has already made in town."
"And how incredibly clever Tabitha is? There are moments I imagine her mind is as devious as yours."
Scarlett smirked slightly.
Oh yes, his nephew would likely own half of Charleston in twenty years, but it would all be because of the foresight and fortitude of his bride. "It's nice that they'll have this trip now before any children. I will certainly not be taking them along on any future travel once they begin to have children. Ours are more than enough."
"Oh, they won't be having children."
"They won't?"
"Not for some time."
"Did you-" he should have been amused by Scarlett spreading contraceptive advice, but he was filled with dread thinking of Reginald finding out.
"I was going to, but we began to talk and I found out she knew far more than I did at her age. Actually, she knows far more than I did until we married."
He laughed.
"She actually taught me something."
"Did she really?" he looked forward to hearing what that was.
"She said you could just not finish inside me that most couples just do that."
"I imagine those husbands aren't faced with the idea of banishment from their bedroom should their wives fall pregnant again."
"It would be nice if it were just you and I again."
"Did Tabitha mention children are much more likely with that then using a barrier?"
"The condoms have broken three times. Twice you made me use those awful things after."
"I imagine you'd have to use it even more often if we relied on only me to remove myself at the crucial moment and even then-"
"I miss you," she said looking up at her husband, her brush forgotten in hand, "like that."
"Trust me, I miss it being like that as well, but-"
"I will not kick you out of our bed if I end up expecting again. In a few years it might not be the worse thing in the world to have another child."
"Really?"
"I don't want another one, but the one we have is wonderful and I imagine I could endure, if I must, another pregnancy."
"My dear are you willing to suffer through carrying another baby for our intimacies-"
"If you continue to talk about this, I will change my mind."
He smirked, "Put down the brush my sweet. I think we both know after a statement like that you'll not be making it to a hundred strokes. I promise you there will be other strokes ahead of you."
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Paris
Sept 1870
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"Daddy," Wade said noticeably forcing himself to walk and not run into the parlor of the house Rhett had leased for the duration of their trip. For as much as he had wanted the ease of a hotel, traveling with a family of eight had made the hotel more a hassle than it was worth.
"My boy, what news has you bursting at the seams ready to ignore all of your mother's rules?" Rhett asked sitting forward and putting down the book he was reading.
"Ella almost lost her kite at the park."
"Now what was your sister doing holding her kite on her own."
"Ella insisted on doing it on her own," Scarlett said walking into the room. She regarded Wade with a look, "Estelle has taken your brothers and sister to get washed up. Please join them so we can sit down to eat."
"Yes Mother," Wade said quickly turning on his heel.
"You've got to stop putting it in her head that she's a grown child when she's still little more than a baby," she regarded her husband with a look, to make it known how displeased she was with how indulged the little girl was.
"It was a kite Scarlett, if she loses her kite, I'll buy her another one. She's simply trying to keep up with her brothers."
"Yes, but because of you she doesn't realize she's closer in age to Julian than she is to Wade."
"All children want to do what the older children are doing. You'd be driven mad if she were as needy as Julian."
Scarlett sighed and sat on the sofa with him. "I'm driven mad by how often I have to try to explain to a baby why she can't do something because no, is never enough for her."
"I wonder where she gets that from?" He wrapped an arm around his wife.
"Don't you dare say me when it's from your influence."
He laughed lightly, "Now Scarlett, I'm hardly that bad."
"I feel wretched I never knew the sympathy I should have had for my mother dealing with my father and I. It was wonderful being the indulged child who was allowed to talk her way into nearly anything, it's absolutely dreadful at times being the mother of such a child."
He laughed again, "She is only four my dear. How trying was your morning?"
"Very. I don't know why I thought to accompany the children."
Rhett imagined it was because Tabitha was caring for the children, Scarlett spent far more time with the children in Paris than she did in Atlanta or Charleston and it was likely all due to the fact that if she wanted the company of her friend she had to endure her children. "I'm sure the children had fun."
"You've got to tell Estelle to stop speaking to me in French when we're out, it's mortifying when people realize my maid is trying to teach me French."
"My dear if we didn't have Estelle, I wouldn't be able to let you be out in the city without me."
"It's mortifying," she repeated.
"The children are doing wonderfully with acquiring the language. So I believe I shall honor your mother and say no to her indulged child."
Scarlett pouted.
"You should not have taught Ella to make that expression. I imagine I would have a far easier time saying no to her if she didn't purse her lips exactly as you."
"Ella and I look nothing alike."
"Her looks may be more of your sisters, but her expressions are certainly all you."
Scarlett pouted again.
Her smiled, how he did love his indulged child, "I've made a reservation at-"
"Absolutely not. Not after the day I've had with the children. Alan and Tabitha can go, they certainly deserve a nice evening out after all the time they've spent with our children."
"If we don't go out, you know you'll have to endure more time with the children."
"I am spending the evening in my dressing gown without a single pin in my hair and then tomorrow I am going to sleep until the children are out of the house."
He laughed and pulled her in tighter.
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New Orleans
Christmas 1870
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Rhett took the stairs down to the main floor of the house, marveling at the masterpiece that they had created. The woodwork in the house was impeccable, the walnut staircase and wainscotting that ran through several rooms in the house, the parquet flooring in the foyer, the design of the flooring changing all throughout the first floor of the house, intricate and detailed, utterly fascinating, he had spent hours admiring the floor before the furniture had been moved in. Gilded wall coverings had arrived before them from France and had all been installed before they arrived. Scarlett had brought back an artist of all things from Paris and the ceilings in several rooms would eventually be covered in murals. The artist was currently working on the master bedroom so Scarlett could continue to host on the main floor. Rhett often found himself sitting in silence in the room leaning back and watching the young man paint.
Rhett had no idea how, but the house was a perfect balance of ostentatious and refined. Dripping in gild and crystals from the many Parisian chandeliers they had purchased. It was all simply so much, yet somehow it all came together perfectly. He thought of the red brick façade and the varying shades of green on the columns, roofs, dormers and trim. He had a portion of the trim perfectly matched to Scarlett's eyes. It was simply exquisite.
The most remarkable thing had been as he had remarked in Paris over the numerous golden frames and various items being purchased she had smirked and said, 'How else would they know King Midas lives here?' She had created a showcase to his wealth. Their wealth. The countless hours of hard work, numerous moments that had almost cost him his life. This house was the final result. Oh it was filled with entirely too many details, for his wife believed more was more, but those details all came together perfectly.
However, the walnut frame of the doorway held a treasure far greater though than any of those gilded frames, his family.
He smiled taking them in as they all sat upon the thick rug. Even Scarlett, who had spent ages regarding him as absurd for taking to the floor to play with the children. His wife, who had spent so many hours in full dress in their own home. She was in a green velvet dressing gown, but sitting on the rug with Julian playing with his blocks, albeit they were sitting on a cashmere blanket as well.
It had taken such great effort for Scarlett to return to play, far more effort than it should have taken since she herself hadn't been long removed from the schoolroom. He had gotten her on the lawn playing refined sports, he had gotten her at a table playing board games or cards with him and the children, she was a shark at whist with her friends, charades she had been slow to, for she hated looking like a fool and would grow sullen and prone to poor behavior when she'd fail to get her word or phrase across. Julian though, her beloved and adored baby. Julian had gotten his mother to abandon her fine dresses and corsets, to join him on the floor on so many evenings. Watching her smile at Julian, the faces she made with the baby. Rhett imagined the baby had done more for healing the last several years of her life than all the money he had provided.
Julian had made it far easier for his mother to abandon convention than anything his father had ever said. The idea of a mother sitting on the sofa, removed from play.
New Orleans and Paris had made it far easier for her to give herself over to the decadent lifestyle, where judgments were few and far between. Where she could boisterously laugh at a party and dance until even the alcohol didn't block out how sore her feet were.
Rhett enjoyed watching Scarlett let go of the idea of what made a great lady, let go of the behaviors that only satisfied others and not herself. "Did everyone have a good Christmas?" he asked walking through the doorway to join them.
"It was like your birthday!" Wade said with wide eyes, "Everyone came!"
Rhett and Scarlett laughed together, "Yes, son. We did have quite a few visitors these last few days. It's certainly easier to have visitors here than in the country."
"We'll have to throw two summer parties since we missed your birthday this year," Scarlett remarked.
"We'll throw one for your birthday when we return," he said settling himself onto the rug.
"It would be crass to throw myself a birthday party."
"I am more than capable of throwing you a party my dear."
"I'd rather have my birthday here like we did last year."
"I don't remember Mama's birthday," Ella said with a puzzled look.
"We weren't there," Lawrence remarked.
"Obviously we need to fix that with a party in New Orleans and back home."
"Melly is doing a party for Ashley. It's silly to do two big parties so close together."
"My dear we shall throw you a party whether you like it or not. We'll make sure that the Hamiltons and the Wilkes don't feel obligated to come out for it." He turned back to the children, "Now back to current matters. How does this rank as Christmases go?"
"Best ever," Lawrence beat everyone to speaking.
"Best," Wade and Ella nodded in unison.
Rhett turned to Scarlett and she spoke, "Julian and I agree with best, of course he's only had two and he couldn't play with toys last year, only put them in his mouth or slam them together."
"But you, my dear have had many more than 2, are you sure it's your best?"
"I cannot imagine how it could have been any better."
Thanks for reading!
