Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Fifteen

Once a month Scarlett traveled down to Tara, she was hoping that Rhett would get complacent and not come down and check on her every day. She needed at least a twenty-four-hour head start. She had left her power of attorney with Henry Hamilton.

She was ready to go if she got the chance. She had all her money and all her jewelry with her. She had her trunk full of clothing for her and the children. She had made a black skull cap to put over Ella's red hair. Wade's hair was black like hers, so she didn't have to worry about him, but she would make him wear a beanie, so people didn't know for sure what color his hair was. She had bought a black hat with a veil so people couldn't see her features very well. She had just needed some way to get away from those men Rhett had following her.

Unfortunately, Rhett had continued to go down to Tara every day to verify she was still there.

Scarlett had been right in that Will saw too much. After the harvest was over and Will was at the house. When he saw Rhett interacting with the children he knew, and Scarlett knew he knew. Yet not by word or deed did his behavior change toward Scarlett.

Scarlett didn't think Suellen knew. Suellen was focused on the running of Tara. Scarlett smiled as she watched Suellen take the reins and start to turn Tara around. Admittedly Scarlett had given her the money for needed repairs around the plantation. Suellen had explained that they needed to roll the profits back into Tara and buy a lot more seed. Sue had been able to get the laborers to work for food and shelter, so they didn't have to come up with the money for their wages. The two sisters had not made a snide comment to each other since the day of Pa's funeral, and they had established their truce. Scarlett was proud of her sister. She watched Suellen behave just like their mother and admired her for that. Most importantly Suellen had never asked any questions about Rhett and why he felt the need to ride down to Tara every day to check up on her.

Scarlett enjoyed talking to Careen, but her sister was no longer the girl Scarlett remembered. Careen spent most of her time reading the bible and praying. One day Careen had asked, "How can you be so carefree and happy after losing two husbands?"

"I have to go on for my children's sake."

"Yes, you do."

Scarlett had gone to Tara for Christmas just to spite Rhett so he couldn't spend the day with his children. She knew she was being petty, but she wanted to hurt him any way she could.

Rhett had nonetheless ridden, down to Tara on Christmas day. Even on Christmas day Suellen would not let him into the house. It had hurt his feelings, but he had not let it show. Scarlett had allowed him to see the children. He had said to Wade, "I have some presents for you, but they are back in Atlanta."

"Thank you, sir."

After about fifteen minutes, Scarlett came out on the porch and brought the children inside. She said to Rhett, "Our dinner is ready. See you tomorrow."

Rhett had gotten back on his horse and rode back into Atlanta. As he was riding back to Atlanta, he decided that after they were married, they would just have to leave the South and go somewhere he and his children would be received. That is if he ever got Scarlett to the altar. If Scarlett just absolutely refused to marry him, she and the children probably would be better off socially than after their marriage.

After one of his visits to Tara, as Rhett rode back to Atlanta, he reflected that it was really beginning to hurt his feelings how much Scarlett wanted to escape him. He knew that he really had done her wrong. He wondered if she would ever forgive him. He hoped so.

In January when Rhett told her he was going to be busy the next several mornings so she would have to drive herself to the store. Scarlett had hired a woman, Amy Fowler, to pretend to be her. She had Amy go to Melanie's house in the evening. When Rhett left at nine, Scarlett had gone to Melly's house to get Amy. Although both Melly and Ashley had given Scarlett questioning looks all she had said was, "I will explain later."

Scarlett knew the night man was watching the front of the house, so she was safe sneaking Amy through the hedges and in the back door. She let Amy sleep in the guest bedroom. The next morning, Scarlett had Amy dress in one of her more flamboyant dresses. Amy put a scarf over her head. Scarlett gave her one of her favorite purses. At exactly nine the same time Scarlett always left to go to the store, Amy left the Hamilton House got in Scarlett's buggy and started driving to the store. Scarlett had the children dressed and ready to go. Scarlett was so excited when she saw the day man following Amy.

They started walking to the train station because Scarlett didn't want to wait for Uncle Peter to get the carriage ready. She had Wade carrying Ella while she carried the trunk. Scarlett smiled at her five-year-old son carrying his eighteen-month-old sister. He was holding her so tight. Luckily, Ella was holding him just as tight. At the end of the street, they were able to get a cab to the station. Both children were visibly relieved when Scarlett took Ella from Wade.

There was a train leaving at nine twenty heading South. Scarlett didn't know where they were going just that they were going. When Scarlett got to the train station, she bought tickets to Jonesboro. If she got away from the day man, she would buy tickets in Jonesboro for another destination.

As Scarlett sat on the train, she was feeling pleased with herself. When nine twenty came and they didn't leave, she wasn't concerned. The train rarely left on time. When nine thirty arrived that is when Scarlett felt the first inklings of fear. When they had not left the station by nine forty-five, she knew her plan was falling apart. Not by poor planning on her part but simply the fickle finger of fate. When the day man found her at nine fifty-five, Scarlett thought, 'Rhett Butler has the devil's own luck.'

Scarlett allowed herself to enjoy the day man's look of panic while he was searching for her and his look of relief when he finally found her. To make matters worse to Scarlett within two to three minutes of the day man being on the train they pulled out of the station. To Scarlett it was almost like they had been waiting for the man.

When the conductor took her ticket Scarlett asked, "What was the reason the for the delay?"

"The governor's train was coming to Atlanta from the South, and we had to give him the track."

Although Scarlett smiled sweetly at the man she was thinking, 'Damn, damn, damn. It won't work twice.'

The next week after they had returned to Atlanta and Rhett was at her house to pick her up. Scarlett did notice the same day man was watching the house. As she was getting in the buggy, Scarlett said, "I would have fired him for his incompetence. If it weren't for bad luck I would have gotten away."

"I assure you he will never be that incompetent again. That is if he wants to continue breathing."

Scarlett didn't respond. She didn't think that Rhett would kill the man for letting her escape but on the other hand she couldn't say for sure he wouldn't. Rhett was an extremely dangerous man. Most amoral men are because there is no line they won't cross.

"I decided to give the man some grace. It is not his fault that my fiancé is a very clever woman."

"Did he tell you?"

"Yes, I think he was afraid I would find out from someone else and then I would have been really mad."

"I would have told you hoping to get him in trouble."

Rhett started laughing and Scarlett smiled.

Rhett was good company, and he was very amusing when she forgot about what he had done to her but that didn't mean she would ever quit trying to escape from him.

On February 14th Rhett brought Scarlett flowers and candy. She enjoyed the candy, and the flowers were really beautiful. Although she was a little disappointed, he hadn't given her any jewelry. After about thirty minutes, he had smiled and reached in his pocket and brought out a jewelry box and handed it to her. Scarlett ignored the knowing smile on his face and opened the present. It was a very pretty broach.

A week later Rhett said, "After we are married, the children will start using the last name Butler."

"That will be alright with Ella, but Melly will never let you change Wade's last name. After all he is the last of the Hamilton line."

"I will have to ponder a way around that snag."

One night as they sat on the porch with Aunt PittyPat, Scarlett said, "Mrs. Merriwether came by to tell me how marrying you would be a mistake although my reputation was already destroyed by how much time I am spending with you."

"It will be alright once I make an honest woman out of you."

"Rhett Butler don't speak that way to me."

Rhett just laughed.

PittyPat blushed. She wished she could go inside but she didn't want anyone accusing her of neglecting her chaperoning duties.

"I did tell her of your Confederate service. I don't think she believed me."

"I would just as soon nobody knew that I did that stupid thing."

"It was pretty stupid."

PittyPat was appalled but it wasn't the first time she had been appalled by the couple and unfortunately, she knew it wouldn't be the last.

In the middle of March Rhett was in a booth at The Painted Lady. The booths had high back so no one could see who was in them. He had been meeting with some other Scallawags and they had decided on a plan of action that while legal was still questionable. The other gentleman had left the booth. Rhett was getting ready to head to the poker table when he heard some men talking in the booth next to his. He recognized the voices. There was Hugh Elsing, Rene Picard and Darcy Wynder.

"It has been almost a year since we went on that ill-fated raid."

"After Fanny is out of deep mourning, may I call on her?"

"Sure, Darcy. I think she will like that. She hasn't been out of the house in almost a year."

"The same can't be said about Mrs. Kennedy. Except for wearing black she has not been acting like a widow."

"I'm pretty sure she only married Frank for his money."

"I wonder why Frank married her. We all know Frank was more into Boring Bob than he was into his wife."

"Do you think Butler is really going to marry her?"

"I don't know. He keeps referring to her as his fiancé but until he actually goes through with it, I won't believe it."

"Yeah, he isn't an honorable man."

"I can't believe she is marrying him. Whenever they come in the store together, I can tell she would rather he wasn't there. Although she is always very polite to him and never snarls at him the way she does me."

"I don't think she has any choice. She is ruined whether she marries him or not."

"She was practically ruined when she was running the sawmills. Can you imagine any woman unsexing herself that way?"

"I tell you, when she is in her boss mode, she is more man than woman."

"I think her marriage to Butler will redeem her reputation.

"I think she will be worse off if she marries Butler. She may have done business with the Yankees but at least she didn't get in bed with them like Butler and the other Scallawags did."

"No, she just got in bed with Butler."

All three men laughed uproariously.

"Well, she certainly didn't have a man in her bed at home."

All three men laughed even harder.

The conversation moved on to other subjects and Rhett slipped out of his booth unnoticed.

Rhett had spent the next week thinking about what the men had said. He was feeling shame for having taken advantage of Scarlett both times. He was feeling shame for having compromised her. He was feeling shame for having dragged her name through the mud. He knew that she had lost most of her reputation because she was a woman running a sawmill but by compromising her, he had put the final nail in her coffin. No, marrying him would be the final nail in her coffin and he was feeling shame for forcing her to marry him. There was only one thing he could do, and he was going to do it.

A week before the wedding as Scarlett was walking Rhett to the front door. Rhett said, "If you don't want to marry me, I will not force you. Mind you though I will be in my children's lives. Think about it. If you show up at the courthouse next Tuesday it will be understood that you are marrying me of your own free will and not because I am forcing you to marry me. Not that I would want you to marry me for my money, but your sister was right. I am one of the richest men in the South," He leaned forward and whispered a number in her ear. He straightened back up and continued, "That is how much money I am worth. Good night, Scarlett. I will not be back to visit you this next week in order to give you time to make your decision."

Rhett kissed her with his special kiss then walked out the front door of the Hamilton House. Rhett knew that he would be spending the next week praying that she showed up at the courthouse next Tuesday morning.