Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day Scarlett met her father and sister at the train station. She handed Suellen some flowers and said, "Here is a bouquet for you to hold. Come on Rhett's waiting in the cab and Frank is meeting us at the courthouse."
When they got to the courthouse, Frank looked so happy that Scarlett was happy they had forced him to marry Suellen. Suellen looked so happy also. Maybe they did love each other. Less than thirty minutes later, Suellen was Mrs. Frank Kennedy. The happy couple were on their way back to the store.
When Frank had taken the ring out of his pocket, he said, "This is a temporary ring for the ceremony. I want us to pick out the rings together."
"Thank you, Frank."
Nobody had suggested the group go out to celebrate the nuptials but as soon as the Kennedy's cab had turned the corner, Rhett said, "Let's return to our suite and toast the happy couple."
Gerald said, "You mean the happy trio. Just a nip. It is really too early in the day to be drinking."
Despite the hour of the day, Rhett, Gerald, and Scarlett each had a small glass of brandy. Rhett said as a toast, "May Frank live a long and bountiful life."
Gerald said, "Without any offspring."
Scarlett said, "Can you imagine if they looked like Frank and whined like Suellen? It makes me shudder just to think about it."
All three people swallowed down their drinks. Rhett and Gerald had another drink which they drank down much slower. After the second drink Gerald said, "I have got to go back to Tara."
"Alright, Pa. I will walk down to the lobby with you."
When father and daughter got to the lobby, Gerald said, "Don't be a stranger like you were during the war. You are only sixty miles away."
"I won't, Pa. Now that Rhett and I are married, I can bring him with me."
Gerald walked out of the hotel lobby and decided to walk to the train station. It was only five blocks. As he was walking along, he thought, 'I would be willing to bet my plantation that within five years, Katie Scarlett is no longer living in the South. They are going to want a more exciting life than what Atlanta or anywhere else in the South can offer them. After Careen marries Will, I will change my will and leave Tara to her.'
In the month of December, the Butlers had been invited to several social events. In truth, these were trying, boing, tedious events for the couple. After the first of the year, Scarlett and Rhett went to New Orleans. They were going to be there for three weeks. Rhett had telegraphed Gerald where they were going to be staying. They were having a wonderful time. Eating good food, buying new clothes, going to parties and dances every night.
One night on the way back to their hotel Scarlett said, "These people are so much more fun than the gentry of Atlanta."
"That is because they are not proper people."
"True."
Ten days after their arrival in New Orleans, Rhett received a telegraph from Gerald. It said: Taxes raised STOP Need three hundred dollars STOP Will you loan it to me STOP
Rhett telegraphed back. It said: When is it due STOP
Gerald: January 31 STOP
Rhett: Will leave on train Saturday STOP
Gerald: Jonesboro STOP
Rhett: Jonesboro Monday 8 STOP
After all the telegrams had been sent, Rhett found Scarlett reading one of her news magazines in the common room. He sat down on the tea table in front of her and said, "Baby…."
"Did someone die?"
"Not that I know of. We have to return to Jonesboro sooner than we planned. They have raised the taxes on Tara and your father needs the money by the end of the month."
"How could they? Is that legal?"
"They can do anything they want. We are a conquered people."
"How much is it?"
"Three hundred dollars"
"My stars."
"We have to return to Atlanta so I can move some money around to get the three hundred dollars. I also want to talk to the authorities about this issue. I want to make sure everything is legitimate. Your father is a wily, clever, shrewd man but he isn't very well educated."
Excitedly Scarlett said, "You are though, and you are wily, clever and shrewd also."
"Yes, I am. We will leave Saturday morning. There is a ball Friday night that I want to take you to. If we leave Saturday morning, we will be in Atlanta by Sunday afternoon. We can take the eight o'clock train to Jonesboro. Your father can meet us there."
The couple went to the modiste, the tailor and the portrait studio to have the items they had purchased mailed to them. Scarlett wanted to go to Tujague's one more time for dinner and Gattuso's for supper. She bought a dozen pralines from a candy maker. She even convinced the candy maker to share the recipe. He wasn't worried about the rich lady becoming competition to him. Making pralines wasn't hard but there were some tricks to it. Rhett had smiled at Scarlett and said, "Give the recipe back. We don't even have a house much less a kitchen."
"We will one day."
"My beautiful, slim wife, you having a candy recipe sounds like a recipe for trouble to me. Give it back."
The candymaker said, "Madame, it is a difficult recipe to master that was why I was willing to give you a copy of it."
"Alright. Then I want a dozen more of the candies."
"Unfortunately, Madame, all I have made are in front of you."
"Give me those other two also. Rhett, pay the man."
"Of course, my love. May I have one of your pralines?"
"Get your own."
"I can't. You bought all the shop had."
"That's not my problem."
Scarlett walked out of the shop with a bag full of pralines that Rhett knew without a doubt she wasn't going to share with him. He followed behind her and was glad he really hadn't wanted the candy.
As the Butlers were returning to the hotel, they passed a bookstore. Scarlett said, "I need some more magazines."
"Alright."
Scarlett picked up a fashion magazine, but she also picked up several other magazines about the news, music, medicine, feats of engineering, and scientific breakthroughs. After some initial resistance, Scarlett soon was enjoying learning things. She would never be a reader of novels, but she did like to learn things
Rhett got a couple of new books also. He also purchased the complete works of Shakespeare. He was going to read the plays to Scarlett in the evenings when they weren't going to a social event.
All too soon Rhett and Scarlett were on the train to Atlanta. As they got in the bed Saturday night, Rhett said, "Are you nervous or anxious about Tara?"
"Not at all. You will fix the situation one way or another."
Rhett stared at Scarlett. At last, he said, "That is a lot of faith in another human being."
Scarlett smiled and said, "You deserve it. Rhett the things you have done are amazing. Didn't you tell me that Langston threw you out on the street with the clothes on your back and the money in your pocket? Now you have amassed a small fortune. I don't know how much money you have but you had enough money to buy your ships and all that cotton you stockpiled in England."
"I have over a million dollars."
"Wow! If you can not only survive a horrible situation but triumph, you will fix the situation at Tara. This will be like child's play to you."
"Thank you for your faith."
"Now come to bed."
"Alright."
After Rhett got in the bed, Scarlett rolled over and kissed him tentatively. He kissed her back. She reached her hand between them and as always, he was in heaven. With his wife it was always magnificent.
Monday morning the Butlers were in Jonesboro and Gerald met them at the train station. They went to the Yankee headquarters. They got shuffled between several different officers until they finally found the right one.
Rhett said, "There is a rumor that the authorities have levied more taxes on my father-in-law's plantation. First is that true."
"Yes, sir. Three hundred dollars."
"Where is the official written notice? You can't raise a person's taxes without written notice."
"We mailed it to you."
"We didn't get it."
"That is not our problem."
Rhett smiled. He knew he was going to be able to get the taxes dismissed now. He said, "You also can't raise one person's taxes without raising everyone's taxes, but it seems that none of our neighbor's had their taxes raised."
"Your taxes got raised because you still have a house on the property."
"When the taxes were originally assessed that house was on the property. That is not an improvement therefore it does not warrant the authorities raising the taxes. In fact, the taxes should be lower because the house is in bad shape and there is probably only one third amount of usable acreage. Are you going to drop these extra taxes, or do I need to take it to a higher authority?"
"Let me talk to my commander. I will be right back."
Scarlett who had been standing by the door the entire time said, "Rhett, you are amazing."
"Come here. You too, Gerry," After the three people were huddled up, Rhett said, "They are doing something not quite right here. I knew it when the officer didn't offer to show me the letter, they supposedly sent to you."
"Thanks, Boyo"
"You're welcome."
After about fifteen minutes, the officer returned and without making eye contact said, "There seems to have been a mistake. You are right we should not have raised your taxes."
Rhett stood up and said, "No harm done. Goodbye."
When the group got outside, Scarlett said, "No harm done. I had to give up a week of my honeymoon."
"Come on, my love. Give your father a hug and a kiss and let's go back to Atlanta."
"You don't want to come out to the plantation?"
"Not today, Pa. We are exhausted from all our traveling."
"Come down next week."
"Alright."
Rhett and Scarlett did start visiting Tara once a month and they would stay for a couple of days. It was enough to keep Scarlett happy but not too much for Rhett. Starting in January Gerald had Careen start teaching Will to read and do math. Gerald started teaching Will to speak properly and behave as a gentleman. Will did not object to this tutelage. In fact, he was appreciative of all the instruction.
After Rhett and Scarlett got back from their honeymoon, they went to the jewelry store. They chose their wedding rings. The rings had to be sized. Scarlett left the ruby ring also. When she did, she said, "I miss it already."
"You will get it back."
"True. Do you know that red is my favorite color?"
"No, you never wear red."
"Unfortunately, I don't look good in red," Scarlett smiled and dimpled at Rhett and said, "Or maybe fortunately I don't look good in red. If I did it might be the only color I wore."
Rhett laughed and took Scarlett's hand. He couldn't stop himself from constantly touching her. He didn't think she minded. He often found her reaching for his hand or arm.
A week later, Scarlett had both of her rings on her finger and Rhett had his ring on his finger. Every time she saw his ring it thrilled her that he was wearing his wedding ring. Every time he saw her rings it doubly thrilled him first that his mother had given him the ruby instead of selling it and that Scarlett was his wife. Maybe it thrilled him in triple fold because red was Scarlett's favorite color. If he had chosen an engagement ring for her, he would have chosen an emerald to match her eyes. Rhett smiled. Some more of his Irish luck.
Scarlett and Suellen didn't see each other very much while they were both living in Atlanta. Occasionally they would see each other at a social function but they did not speak to one another. Scarlett was quick to note that Suellen didn't have an engagement ring just a wedding ring. She guessed it was pretty enough. Not as pretty as hers, of course, but pretty enough for a shop keeper's wife.
Author's Notes:
Pralines are a candy famous to New Orleans but are available all across the South. They are made from sugar, butter, and pecans. There are at least a hundred recipes out there. I make them all the time but there are some tiny mistakes one can make that will ruin the candy. I.E., one can't cook the mixture on high heat it has to be a medium high heat. Or one has to stir the mixture until it loses its gloss. What does that mean? Once someone shows it to one, one knows what that means. I was born and raised in Texas. In fact, I am an eighth generation Texan. My mother taught me to cook and would often say, '….. until it looks right.' Once one knows what right looks like one can cook that way but if one doesn't know it is extremely frustrating.