Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Eight

One night in their bed in their cabin, Rhett had been telling his stories when he said, "Are you asleep?"

"No."

"My parents' marriage was arranged. My mother brought respectability and my father brought money. The same with my father's parents. My grandmother was a harridan about behaving properly."

"What is a harridan?"

"A very unpleasant woman. I can remember her whacking me with a wooden ruler whenever I did something wrong in her opinion as early as when I was five. Probably before that but that is the earliest, I remember. I was her first grandchild and heir apparent. Great things were expected of me. I have a cousin who was six months younger than me, and she whacked on him too. We were just children, and she expected our behavior to be perfect already. The truth is she beat on all her grandchildren. That I know. She probably beat her children too. She would tell me that I was just like my grandfather and that wasn't a good thing."

"Did your father beat on you?"

"And my mother too."

"Your father hit your mother?"

"No, I meant my mother beat on me. I think he slapped her around occasionally."

"My parents never spanked me. My mother wouldn't because it wasn't ladylike to spank your children. Pa wouldn't because he was too softhearted to spank any of us girls. Mammy did occasionally but not very often. Just when I was being especially hardheaded. She would always ask my mother first though."

"So, it was a weekly thing, huh?"

Scarlett laughed and said, "More like monthly. She never spanked me awfully hard or very much. She was too softhearted also.

"My grandparents hated each other, and they didn't mind everyone knowing it. Everyone in Charleston knew it. My grandmother had her committees and social commitments, and my grandfather had his ships, his whiskey and his cigars. My father and mother barely tolerated each other. Not like you tolerate me now but like you tolerated me when Frank was alive, and I came to call on you. They weren't openly hostile like my grandparents, but they certainly didn't enjoy each other's company. There was definitely no warmth in the house.

"What about your brother?"

"My brother and I probably had the same kind of relationship you and Suellen had. I was the heir and supposedly more important than my brother. I was handsome and charming. I had lots of ladies trying to get my attention. My brother like Suellen was overshadowed by his more desirable sibling which cause a lot of tension between us. There was no love lost there either. I actually think he was happy when I got disowned. For he was then the heir apparent."

"My relationship with Sue is getting better now that she has taken over the running of Tara."

"That's as long as you don't threaten to steal her cook again."

"I was just teasing."

"I don't think she thought it was at all funny."

"I don't either. Besides, I already have the best cook in Atlanta thanks to my husband."

Rhett smiled and said smugly, "Yes, you do."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Suellen feels such pride in her accomplishments."

"She has reason to be proud. She has accomplished a lot."

"Without any help from her neighbors. Thank goodness she has Will."

"She and Will are a good match even if they did have to get married."

"The people in the county won't talk to her hardly because of her trying to get Pa to sign the unionist oath."

"I'm surprised you forgave her so quickly."

"She was trying to get us some free money besides Pa was long gone."

"That's true."

They were quiet for a few minutes then Scarlett said, "Did you have to listen to your parents fight or did they only do it in their bedroom like my parents?"

"They didn't share a bedroom. I don't know for how long but as far back as I can remember."

"How did they get Rosemary?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. But to answer your question about my parents fighting. I don't know if they did fight. My mother was raised not to question her husband's decisions. I think one of the reasons my mother snuck around to see me before Father died was to secretly defy him. As far as I could tell they were just like all the other married couples in polite society."

"Oh."

"My grandfather was a pretty amoral person., My grandfather was fun to be with and he would tell me about his exploits. I loved my grandfather, but I was never proud of him. My father was an amoral person who was pretending to be a gentleman. I never really felt anything for my father. My father told me about his exploits also. There was no warmth in him. It galled me that a man who was so amoral wanted me to marry a girl just to appear proper especially since I hadn't done anything."

They were both quiet for a few minutes.

"I would have married you for I had wronged you."

Scarlett didn't think so because the man Rhett was then had been a selfish, self-centered, amoral bastard to the extreme and she was beginning to understand why. She was happy that he felt enough guilt to wish he had married her the day the war started. He was still a selfish, self-centered, amoral bastard but not to the same extent. Scarlett knew from personal experience that once one becomes a parent whether one wants to or not one has to take another person into consideration.

"I wouldn't have married you. Remember you weren't received."

"That's true."

"I don't think Pa would have approved the match even if he had known the truth."

"He might have then he would have killed me."

Scarlett giggled and said, "That does sound like something my Pa would have done."

"It is what I would do if someone took advantage of either of my daughters."

"Yes, it is. Why didn't you ask me to marry you during the war?"

"Because you hated me. You would never say yes. I had to blackmail you into marrying me."

"Why did you ask me to be your mistress if you knew I hated you?"

"That immature man wanted to see you mad. You are a sight to see when you are mad. Your eyes are flashing, your chest is heaving and there is a flush about your face."

"Is that why you make me mad now?"

"No, I just like to aggravate you. You and the rest of the world but you are my favorite target."

"Thanks."

"Nowadays I get to see all of that when we are intimate."

As expected, Rhett felt the slap on his chest. Then he heard her say, "What do you feel toward your mother?"

"I don't know. I guess I love her, but I didn't consider her feelings when I wouldn't marry that girl or when I stole the Confederate gold or when I was a food speculator. I will provide for her because that is easy. That is just giving money.

They were quiet for a while until Scarlett said, "Thank you for making me go on this trip. I have always wanted to go to Ireland. I hope we can find some of Pa's relatives."

"Do you have an address?"

"Yes, but it is from before the war. Both Pa's parents were dead by then but he had a lot of brothers and sister so there are probably a lot of cousins."

"Probably because you know each one of those brothers and sisters had ten children each."

Scarlett slapped Rhett's chest and he pulled her to him and kissed her. Again, and again. He told her another couple of stories, and he knew she was asleep by then. He was happy enough. He was content. She seemed happy with him also. He knew she didn't hate him anymore. If that was all he got, then he would accept it. He would never give up trying to win her love because that was just the way he was. He never quit trying but then neither did she.

Now that they had actually set sail Scarlett was looking forward to their trip. Their first stop was Dublin. They enjoyed the sights of the city. They looked up Scarlett's relatives and they were nice people. Scarlett saw a family picture of her Pa when he was a boy. Almost everyone in the picture had black hair except her father. Scarlett's grandmother had ebony hair just like her. Scarlett enjoyed hearing stories of when her Pa was a boy, but they were secondhand stories, so she didn't know how accurate they were. Scarlett smiled sadly when her cousin had said, "It is too bad Uncle Gerald let his reckless nature get the better of him. He never did think before he acted."

Scarlett said, "It all worked out for my Pa. He married a fine woman and owned a large plantation. If the war hadn't come, he would have died a success."

Rhett said, "That is true."

Scarlett linked her arm in his arm. Touching him always gave her comfort.

All the relatives commented on how much the children looked like her. Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, they do."

"Where you surprised when your Ella had red hair?"

"No, my Pa had red hair."

"It is strange that your youngest daughter has such blue eyes."

"My Pa had very blue eyes also."

"Rhett, you must be disappointed none of your children look like you."

"No, I am happy they look like my wife. I think my wife is beautiful so naturally I am happy that the children look just like her."

Scarlett smiled at Rhett. It was rare that he gave her a true compliment without a joke behind it. Rhett smiled back.

The family enjoyed their day with the O'Haras but neither of the adults wanted to spend any more time with them. They were good people, but they were simple people. They had not shared the experience and harshness of life that Rhett and Scarlett had.

Scarlett enjoyed her time in Europe. While they were in London, Rhett had talked about them moving to the city. She agreed with him that it was nice that nobody knew their history, and everyone just assumed the children were all Rhett's children. Especially with all the children looking so much alike.

While they were in Paris, Rhett took Scarlett to a couple of the fashion houses, and she bought some patterns and fabric for herself and the girls. She and Rhett discussed whether they thought the girls would want matching outfits. They finally decided that Ella definitely would and probably Genie also.

They shopped in a couple of shops that had ready to wear clothes where they bought the girls matching outfits. They went to a milliner. Rhett said, "Let me buy you a green hat."

Scarlett knew by the twinkle in Rhett's eyes that he was referring to the green hat he had tried to give her during the war. Scarlett with a stone-cold expression on her face said, "No, that was a gift for a mistress not a wife. Besides, I know who you gave my hat to. The town madame."

Rhett sobered immediately and said, "You are right. I should not have mentioned the green hat."

"And?"

"Belle is my business partner. I have never been intimate with her. She is an amusing companion but that is all."

"Never?"

"Never. In all honesty though I have used whores and had a couple of mistresses. You are the only person I have ever wanted to marry."

"Because of Wade and Ella."

"No, if I had not wanted to marry you, I could have made other arrangements to stay in my children's lives."

"If I had not thought my life would be better being married to you, I would have weathered out the social storm or moved back to Tara."

"I am extremely glad you married me. You are a delightful wife."

"You are an acceptable husband and a great father."

Rhett changed the subject and started talking about them moving to Paris, but he was pleased by Scarlett's words. After he got finished with his spiel about Paris, Scarlett said, "No, I think I want to live somewhere that they speak English."

Rhett took Scarlett out to supper at his favorite restaurant in Paris. After they got finished dining Scarlett said, "You are right this food is even better than the food at Chalet Basque."

"Another reason to move to Paris."

"Another reason to not move to Paris with food this good I would be as big as a cow."

"That would never happen."

Scarlett had smiled at him.

Scarlett really liked the city of Florence because of all the great artwork but she didn't want to learn Italian which nixed out Milan and Rome also. As they got on the ship in Rome to return to Charleston, Scarlett said, "I don't know where I want to move to or when I will be ready to move but I do know I want to move to some place that speaks English. But not the North. What about Texas?"

Rhett smiled. It was progress. He said, "No, I won't live in the wilderness."

On the return trip while the children were napping one day, Scarlett asked Mammy, "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, Miss Scarlett, I saw sights I never thought I would see."

"I'm so happy you came with me. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You don't needs to worry about that. Old Mammy will be with you always."

"Thanks."

The ladies talked about the sights they had seen and the food they had eaten for quite a while longer. They talked until Wade woke up. He immediately wanted his Daddy because Rhett had promised to take him on another tour of the ship. Mammy had thought, "I know I will never forgive Captain Butler for taking advantage of my little lamb, but he has been a good father and surprisingly a good husband.'