Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Thirteen
The family had stored the cotton everywhere and anywhere but the cotton bin. Gerald had said, "If the Yankees come to Clayton County the cotton bin is the first thing they will burn."
Gerald had been right. When the Yankees had marched through Clayton County in November, thanks to Cathy Calvert, they were able to get all the livestock into the swamp. Scarlett had given her father all the money Rhett had given her to take to the swamp. Scarlett had given Melly Charlie's sword and her ring to take to the swamp. Scarlett had stayed at the house to protect the house but not the objects. She had not protested when the Yankees had stolen everything that wasn't nailed down.
When the Yankees left the house was still standing but so many items had been destroyed. Scarlett almost cried when she saw that the Yankees had cut every string in the box of her piano. Yet, she hadn't said a word. As she had thought while the Yankees were destroying or stealing all their property, 'A piano could be replaced. Rhett would happily buy her another one. That is if Rhett was still alive.'
In that moment Scarlett wished she and Rhett could have gotten married before he left to join the army. Scarlett also resolved that if Rhett died, she would tell everyone they had gotten married in Atlanta on August thirty first. She knew that Pa and Melanie would back her up on her story. Scarlett smiled. Melly would even swear she was there at the ceremony. She guessed she should claim they were married on August thirtieth. She wasn't worried. Rhett's mother was the only person who might put up a stink. Scarlett smiled. Mrs. Butler would probably support her claim that she and Rhett were married. Scarlett covered a sob. She just wanted her Rhett to come back to her. Scarlett said a quick prayer for Rhett to survive. Why had he done that dang fool thing instead of staying with her. She knew why. For their future. For their children's future.
In that moment Scarlett truly understood what everyone had meant by saying, 'If she had Charlie's child that would bring her comfort in the coming years.' If Rhett didn't return to her then having his child would be the next best thing. Maybe she should have given him a special memory for him to take into battle. She giggled with that thought. No, she had been right. Pa would have killed Rhett if he had tried to be intimate with her.
When Gerald had returned to the house to check to see if the Yankees had left, he saw that his oldest daughter had been crying. He knew what she was crying about but what he said was, "Don't worry, Puss, they are just objects."
Scarlett had given her father a watery smile and replied, "Yes, Pa. They are just objects. At least, they didn't get our food."
"True, that we need to survive. Go tell the rest of them to come back to the house."
When Frank Kennedy and his men had come to the plantation looking for food, Gerald had said, "We don't have any extra food. We barely have enough to feed ourselves."
Scarlett had known her father was going to run the men off. They couldn't disrespect Frank Kennedy. Scarlett was sure he was the only man in the entire world who would want to marry Suellen so she had stepped forward and said, "But what we have we will share with you."
When Gerald had looked at Scarlett with a scowl she whispered, "We can't disrespect Mr. Kennedy. He is our only chance of someone taking Suellen off our hands."
Gerald said, "True," He turned back to Frank and politely said, "Yes, come in. You can sleep in the parlor."
Gerald had truly tried to like his middle daughter, but she was not a likable person. She was a whining, complaining, young girl. Every time she had tattled on him to Mrs. O'Hara, he liked her a little bit less. He loved her because she was his child, but he would never like her. He knew Scarlett was right. Frank Kennedy was their only chance of some man taking Suellen off his hands. Especially now that so many men had died in the war.
Although that night over supper, both Gerald and Scarlett were rethinking their decision to let Frank and his men stay. It had been nauseating to watch the couple fawn over each other. Scarlett had noticed that she and Pa weren't the only people nauseated by Frank and Suellen's display of emotion.
Everyone in the household except Suellen had been happy to see Frank and his men ride off the next morning.
The O'Haras had planted winter vegetables. Gerald and Scarlett had helped Old Gus butcher the calf and the piglets. Scarlett had lost her breakfast a couple of times during the processes, but she had come right back to help. Pa and Old Gus couldn't do it by themselves. After Suellen had made a snide comment to Scarlett about a lady not helping to butcher the livestock, Gerald had refused to allow her to have any meat until Suellen apologized to Scarlett for her comment.
After Suellen begrudgingly gave Scarlett the apology, Gerald said, "Next time there is an animal to be butchered you will help me, Suellen. Maybe then you will not think yourself better than your sister."
Suellen had paled and then meekly said, "Yes, Pa."
Gerald and his eldest daughter had done what they had to do to survive. Up until Rhett and Scarlett had fled Atlanta, she had been more child than woman. She had been more spoilt, pampered child of a wealthy planter. She was now fully a woman. She was now more survivor who had been born to an Irish peasant.
It was late May. The family had heard that the war was over. The O'Haras and their servants had survived the war. It remained to be seen if they were going to survive the aftermath of the war.
When Cathy Calvert had come by to tell Scarlett and Melanie that she was going to marry her family's former Overseer, Scarlett had said, "Don't do that Cathy. You and Cade can come live with us."
Cathy had smiled sadly and said, "Cade will soon be dead from Consumption, and I will no longer have a man to protect me. Mr. Hilton is a good man. It will be a good match in these times," With another sad smile, Cathy said, "After all, there aren't very many men left because of the war."
Scarlett tried again. Cathy had been her only friend for so exceptionally long. Cathy had warned them about the Yankees returning thus allowing them to save all their livestock and most of their food. She owed Cathy. Scarlett said, "Are you sure, Cathy?"
"Yes, I am sure. You remember what our mothers always taught us – make the best match you can. Hopefully, I will learn to love him."
At that Cathy turned her horse around and rode off. Scarlett and Melanie looked at each other and Melanie said, "Too many girls are going to have to make that choice just to have a roof over their heads and food in their stomach."
"So true. Sad but true."
A month later, Scarlett was walking back from the fields where she had been pulling up carrots. She had a basket full. She was hot, dirty and she smelled bad. She couldn't remember the last time she had even washed her body much less had a bath.
The soldiers had started going home as soon as Lee had surrendered. She saw a man walking down their lane. She sighed. One more hungry man walking down their lane. She wondered, 'How did the soldiers know they would share.' The family hadn't just shared with the soldiers but with other families in the county. Scarlett had made her father do it. She had said, "Thanks to Rhett giving me the money and the money we got off the deserter, we are doing better than most. Rhett and I cannot afford anyone talking badly about us right now."
Gerald had said, "No you can't."
Scarlett thought as she watched the soldier approaching, 'Pa had been so smart. He had made all the soldiers do some work for their food.'
Pa had gone into Atlanta and was able to buy some supplies with the money they had gotten off the deserter and some of the money Rhett had left them. Pa had not bought very much just enough to help them get by.
Scarlett watched the soldier walking down the lane. Maybe they can get this one to fix the porch swing. As she was getting ready to walk up the steps to the porch, she stopped. There was something familiar about the man. At first, she wouldn't let herself hope but as he got closer a giant bubble of hope swelled up in her heart. She started saying, "Please. Please. Please."
Scarlett then dropped her basket and started running. It was her Rhett. It was her husband.
Rhett saw a woman running towards him, and he started running too.
When Scarlett and Rhett met, they hugged and kissed. Rhett then picked Scarlett up and swung her around. Scarlett said in between kisses, "Mr. Butler I am so happy you are alive and in one piece."
"Mrs. Butler, I too am happy to see that you are alive and in one piece also." Rhett kissed Scarlett again and swirled her around again. He put her on the ground, but he didn't let go of her.
Scarlett said, "I am so glad you are alive. I have heard such awful stories about what the soldiers were having to endure."
"From what I heard your time in Georgia after Sherman marched through was almost as bad as our time in the army."
"It was awful, Rhett. What they didn't take they destroyed. Fortunately, Pa is a survivor and he got us through it all. Let me look at you," Scarlett stepped back and finally said, "Come let me get you something to eat. You are far too thin. I never thought I would see you that thin. I know you are hungry. It is soup."
"That is good. I don't think I could handle anything heavy. My stomach has been queasy for about six months."
"Mammy has a cure for that. If you don't keep it down, she will just force it down you again."
That made Rhett laugh. He stopped and picked her up again and swung her around. He said, "Tomorrow we are going into ..."
"Jonesboro."
"Jonesboro. And getting married."
"Yes, but you will sleep with me tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, very sure."
"Do you still have my trunk?"
"Of course."
"I would love a bath."
"So would I but we don't have enough wood to heat the amount of water needed for us to take a bath."
"Us? Were you planning on joining me in my bath?
With a boldness that surprised Rhett, she said, "Yes."
"How much money do we have left?"
"Almost all of it. There was nothing to spend the money on. Pa spent about twenty dollars on food, but I still have the rest."
"Tomorrow after we get married, we will go into Atlanta and spend the night at the National. We will have a bath and a decent meal. The next day we will buy supplies and return to Tara."
"Rhett that sounds wonderful. We will have to have them shipped to us because we can't take the wagon into Atlanta."
"Of course not, the original owner might recognize it," Scarlett laughed, and Rhett smiled at her. He couldn't stop himself from smiling now that he knew she was still alive. He continued, "I will not live here."
"I know."
"When do you want to start living in Atlanta?"
"I don't know. Let's talk to Pa after we get back from Atlanta. I don't know how much he needs me."
"Perfect. What do we know about Mr. Wilkes?"
"Nothing."
"We will take Miss Melly and the boy back to Atlanta when we move to Atlanta. She can live with her aunt."
"I agree. She is no longer our responsibility."
Scarlett and Rhett walked into the house while holding hands. She led him to the kitchen. She told him, "Sit down while I warm up the soup. Did you walk all the way from wherever you ended up at the end of the war."
"I ended up in Charleston. And no, I didn't walk from Charleston. I had enough money for train fare."
"You have money?" With Rhett's nod, Scarlett continued, "Why didn't you get Mr. Price to bring you out to the plantation?"
"I didn't know there was someone who could bring me out to the plantation."
"Never mind. After you finish your soup, I will show you the plantation."
"I hope you don't plan to make me walk more."
"No, we still have the wagon. The horse died but we acquired another one."
Scarlett set the soup down in front of Rhett and said, "You start eating. I will get the cure-all from Mammy. I'll be right back."
Scarlett ran her hand down Rhett's arm. She bent down and kissed him. She couldn't believe he was here, and he had not been wounded in the war. She turned and left the kitchen.