Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Butlers moved into the house the next day even though there was still some construction going on. Pork, Dilcey and Prissy had come up from Tara to be household servants. Scarlett hired a couple more maids, a cook and a scullery maid. Rhett hired a head groomsman and a couple of stable boys.

At supper, the first night Rhett said, "If you are trying to poison me, you need to disguise the taste of the poison in the food. This food is inedible. Go upstairs and tell Mammy we will bring her some food back."

Scarlett went upstairs. She said to Mammy, "Rhett says the food is awful. We are going out to eat and we will bring you some food home."

"Captain Butler would be right about that."

Which made Scarlett smile. She agreed with Rhett also the food was inedible. When Scarlett reached the foyer only Wade and Ella were there. Scarlett said, "Where is Daddy?"

"He went to fire the cook."

Rhett walked into the foyer. He said, "I told that woman that she was fired, and I wanted her off the premises tonight. I told Dilcey to makes sure she was gone before we got back. I also told Dilcey that I would bring some food back for her, Pork and Prissy. I will give the other few servants some money and they can go get their own supper."

"I guess Dilcey can fill in until we get another one."

"Why do we not just use Dilcey instead of hiring another person?"

"Dilcey's food is good, but she would rather not be the cook."

"Come along. Pork will have the carriage brought around by now."

They went to eat at a little café. The food was good, but the reason Rhett chose it was because it was fast. Scarlett got cranky when she was hungry. She was already cranky because she was uncomfortable. They were back home within the hour and Dilcey had done her job. The cook was nowhere to be found. Dilcey was agreeable to being the cook until they found a permanent cook.

The next day Scarlett had hired another cook. Although her food was better than the last cook, it was still not acceptable to Rhett. For the next cook, before she was hired Scarlett had her prepare the noon time meal. Scarlett thought it was alright, but Rhett again found it to be unacceptable.

After Rhett had run her off, he said, "Why is this so difficult? Are we not paying enough?"

Scarlett replied, "We are paying enough. It is just the really good cooks are already employed. The ones that aren't employed usually aren't that good. That is why there is a lot of cook stealing."

"What do you mean?"

"One has supper at someone else's home and they like the food so the next day they go and make the cook a better offer to become their cook."

"Mmm."

Over the next week, the couple attended three different supper parties. At the last one Rhett really liked the food. After the men had joined the ladies, Rhett excused himself to go to the privy. When he came back to the rest of the group, he was in an exceptionally good mood. Scarlett had smiled. She knew exactly what he had done.

When they got in the coach to go home Scarlett said, "What is her name? When does she start?"

Rhett gave her a quick smile and said, "Her name is Ethel Brewer, and she will be at our home before dinner."

"How much did you agree to pay her?"

"Twenty-five cents an hour."

"Twenty-five cents an hour? Rhett that is way too much. Fifteen cents a hour is the going rate."

"I don't like what we can get for fifteen cents an hour. Besides, I wanted to offer Ethel enough that George won't outbid me. I even gave her ten cents so she could take a cab to our home."

"Rhett, the most the cab fare will be to our home is a penny."

"I know. I wanted to make her beholden to me already."

"Will this cause problems between you and George?"

"Who cares? I can't take anymore mediocre cooks. Besides this was my last chance to steal a cook because we will not be attending anymore social functions until the baby is born. Your confinement starts tomorrow."

Scarlett smiled, "Thank you, Rhett. I don't think I could stand having lousy food my entire confinement."

"Nor could I. You are already going to be cranky enough."

Scarlett scowled at Rhett, but she wasn't mad. She was cranky and she didn't care who knew it. She was fat, uncomfortable and she hurt all over.

Rhett had offered the cook twenty-five cents a week for all the reasons he had told Scarlett but there was another reason also. Both he and Scarlett loved fine food. Probably him more than her. He thought her love of food was because she had almost starved to death. For her there always had to be more than enough. That was important to her. He knew she always had the cook prepare enough food for a family of eight, but he would never say anything about her wasting food. That was one of those sensitive subjects that he knew to leave alone. The truth was that he didn't care. If her always having too much food gave her security, then she could waste as much food as she wanted.

Suellen wrote Scarlett a letter giving her an update on Tara. At the end of the letter Suellen wrote, "I don't begrudge you Pork and Prissy, but I am going to miss having Dilcey in my household. I will have to somehow manage with just Ralph, Liberty, Opal and Lulu."

Scarlett had smiled. She felt the same way about Prissy, but she needed Pork to be her butler and valet for Rhett when he needed help dressing. He didn't need help often, but it was nice to have a valet on hand for those rare occasions that he did. Scarlett was sure Will never needed help dressing.

The first week they were in the house, Rhett went out and bought Wade a pony. At first the boy was frightened of the animal but Rhett day after day patiently helped Wade overcome his fears of the large animal. Within the month Wade and Rhett were riding around town together.

When any of the matrons saw the two together, they would smile. They decided that even that aggravating reprobate had a soft side. In that respect Scarlett Butler was a lucky woman. So many stepfathers could barely tolerate their stepchildren. They also decided that if he wanted to act like a silly old woman over his stepchildren that it really wasn't any of their business. They did find it difficult to believe that such a hard man could act so ridiculous over his stepchildren.

Ella at age two was aware that she was being left out of an activity. She would start crying every time Rhett took Wade riding. Mammy said to Rhett, "Captain Butler you can't leave her behind. It breaks her heart every time you take Wade and leave her behind."

Rhett looked at Ella who was looking at him. He said to Mammy, "She is already that aware?"

"Yes, Captain Butler."

"Yes, my children are so very smart."

Mammy smiled. At least Captain Butler loved his children and was taking full responsibility for them. Although Mammy didn't think she would ever forgive him for taking advantage of her little lamb.

So, Rhett started taking Ella with them also. She rode in front of him. The matrons smiled even bigger when they saw Captain Butler with both his stepchildren.

For the next several months life was good for them. Once the changes were made Scarlett was alright with the décor although she thought the original way was better.

Scarlett and Rhett talked about names and decided on Eugenia Victoria and Gerald Albert. Rhett wasn't crazy about the name Albert, but she was adamant on it, so he gave in. They were going to have another girl, so it really didn't matter. At least he hoped they had another little girl. Rhett was certainly proud of Wade, but he did hope that the rest of their children were girls. Although he hoped they didn't have anymore.

One night when Scarlett was in her ninth month, they were sitting in the family parlor. Rhett had made Scarlett change the wallpaper in that room to a more soothing design of brown and blue. Scarlett said, "I think I am going to change the name of the store. After all I am not a Kennedy anymore."

"No, you aren't. Ella is never going to be a Kennedy again either."

"Are you really going to let Wade go back to Hamilton when he turns eighteen?"

"No."

"Rhett! How could you lie to Melly?"

"I lie to everyone. Why not Miss Melly? Besides, we will be long gone from the south when Wade turns eighteen. Did I tell you what he did yesterday?"

"Not right now. Really, Rhett, sometimes you are worse than a doting grandmother."

"I suppose. You should be happy that I am so immensely proud of them."

"I am," She looked at Rhett and he smiled. She said, "What do you think I should rename the store?"

"Caveat Emporium."

"Is that Latin?"

"Yes."

"Mmm. I don't think so. Any other suggestions?"

"Let me think about it."

"Tell me about your latest deal."

Rhett told Scarlett about his latest deal knowing full well she was only understanding half of what he said. The part she was not understanding was the illegal part, so he was fine with her not really understanding.

When Rhett saw Scarlett put her hand to the small of her back, he stood up and said, "Let us retire so I can massage your back. I can do a better job without your corset in the way."

Scarlett smiled at him and got up. He said the same thing every night and every night he massaged her lower back until she felt better.

Rhett had been very accommodating her entire pregnancy. He had done his best to alleviate any pain she may have had. He was always bringing her candy or flowers. Every time she had said, "I am absolutely huge. I am glad you and Melly are the only people who will see me in this hideous shape."

He had patiently said, "You are not huge. The baby is huge. You are so tiny that the baby only has one way to grow and that is out. It is not a hideous shape. It is a beautiful shape."

Every night Rhett happily rubbed a cream on Scarlett's baby bump. The cream was to reduce the stretch marks. When Scarlett said, "My skin is disfigured and ugly"

Rhett patiently said, "No, I think your skin is beautiful and I am the only person who is going to see it."

When she had told him at the beginning of her ninth month that she was just too uncomfortable to have relations Rhett had smiled and said, "Then we won't have relations. There are other activities we can engage in if you want to."

Sometimes Scarlett did want to but most of the time she was just too tired to do anything more once she got in the bed. Rhett had never tried to coax her into doing anything. He had accepted her saying, "I'm too tired" when he had initiated anything.

One night after she had said she was too tired she had a worried look on her face. Rhett had smiled at her, and he had whispered, "I can see to my needs until you have the energy to participate."

"How?"

After he explained how she said, "Wow! I would never have thought of that."

He laughed and laughed. After he sobered, he pulled her close to him and started telling his stories.