Sorry about the delay guys! Thanks for all the great reviews last time! This and the next chapter (maybe 2) are really kind of disjointed. We are definitely flashing through the Butlers' life.
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Part Twenty Three
Christmas 1871
Bedford Plantation
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Scarlett sat with the baby in her arms as Rhett found himself on the floor with their remaining children.
He had to physically escort Miss Melly out of the house 2 days prior in order to get his family alone. His wife hadn't seemed to mind because Melly's presence meant she had to share Teddy. Rhett wasn't dumb enough to try to take the baby from his wife unless she offered, Miss Melly had no such qualms. That being said he didn't hesitate to constantly sit alongside his wife, with an arm around her back and gaze lovingly at the baby in her arms, to trace Teddy's limbs and features with his free hand. To look up at his wife and thank her for the baby and herself.
In less than a week they had gone from a family of five to a family of six for life with the baby was drastically different than life expecting the baby.
Wade was grateful his mother was fine and that the baby was a boy and that was the end of his interest with the change.
Ella was infatuated with the living doll her parents had gifted her with and snuck away from Estelle and Prissy constantly to seek him out.
Bonnie had reverted back to being a baby herself and while Rhett knew he shouldn't carry his daughter everywhere, he carried his daughter everywhere. He also fed her from his plate and let her sleep in the bed with himself and her mother as the baby slept alongside in a cradle. Thankfully, Bonnie liked sleep too much to stay in the room with the baby who never slept more than two hours at a time.
Scarlett hadn't hidden herself away with the baby. Rhett carried her downstairs every day, despite her laughter, just before dinner, just as he did that first day when Scarlett despite Mammy's claims had no interest in staying abed. The children joined them every day for dinner and supper, Scarlett spent the day on the first floor of the house, floating from children and husband. Not doing much else, but spending time with them and Teddy never out of arm's reach.
He looked up at his wife in her deep green dress, holding their son in a cream cashmere blanket as she looked upon the tree with their children at its base playing with their toys.
"This is the best Christmas ever," she said speaking only to him.
"That it is my dear, that it is."
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January 1872
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Their house quickly turned from the peaceful bubble they existed in, to a livelier place. Everyone always underfoot and getting in the way, boredom was starting to creep in with winter. The DeVaughns had returned up north at the start of December, plantation work had slowed to a crawl because of winter, the family only had each other to entertain them with.
No one had dreaded the end of Scarlett's confinement and Rhett had arranged a private train car for the family to travel back to the city in. It was a short trip, but Rhett couldn't understand the point of having so much if not to make his family's life as comfortable as possible.
Rhett hadn't hesitated to escape the house the morning after their return. Well aware that it would be an endless sea of females coming to see the baby, why Miss Melly had been there before he'd even taken breakfast. He imagined she would have been in Scarlett's room before the dawn if not for his presence.
Rhett circled the town, making general inquiries regarding the store, the mills, a few business ventures he had in town, stopping by the bank, not to sit at a desk, but to review investments that had occurred or been proposed over the past 3 months. He had tasked them with compiling the files of several for him to review the next day. He found himself in an hour long debate regarding Conley's recent decisions as governor.
There was a vibrancy to his day that had long been missing, he knew it had to do with the change within his family, likely being that they were indeed finally a family.
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"I was worried you wouldn't return home in time to take the children for their walk," Scarlett spoke as Rhett cradled his son as they sat in the formal parlor. His wife had certainly put on the show the women in the town were expecting. A dark velvet green day dress, her hair done in subtle, yet detailed curls and twists that Rhett had no doubt, Scarlett had tasked Estelle instead of Prissy with doing her hair. She had put their wealth on display today, financial and familial.
"You mean, you were worried I wouldn't return to free you from all your visitors," Rhett smirked, having watched how quickly Scarlett cleared the parlor with his arrival.
"I suddenly have a lot of friends who were concerned with my wellbeing," Scarlett did not look amused. Her northern friends had been there for the most superficial of reasons. Melly's friends who had turned their noses up at her the night Teddy had been conceived, had likely all been there to see who the baby resembled. The only reason she hadn't shown them all the door was her son was beautiful and she could hardly fault them for wanting to admire him.
"I imagine it was not the worst thing in the world to show off the fact that our son is-"
"The most handsome baby," Scarlett said with a smile going to take the baby back.
Rhett laughed and let his wife relieve him of the baby. He at least got to hold Teddy while she bathed.
"I believe Estelle has the girls in the school room, she made a hasty departure when the visitors began arriving."
"Smart girl," Rhett smiled.
"I do hope she'll like it here. I'd hate to lose her to Clayton County. If she tries, I might just send the children back with her."
"They'd likely turn out more well-behaved," Rhett acquiesced, not even noticing that a year ago that statement would have caused a blow out fight between them, instead now he continued the banter.
"They would be the belles of the county. I imagine my mother could finally rest peacefully in her grave."
"Why Scarlett, when your mother was alive, your only unladylike behavior had to do with me. I imagine she would be more than pleased with the outcome were she around to see it."
"Rhett, do be honest. All of my un-lady like behavior has always had to do with you. Mother would have certainly not faulted me for making money to support her sisters and her daughter."
"I should say I regret encouraging it," he smiled. He wondered to himself if maybe he did, just a bit. He could have smoothly slipped into the role of her suitor after her mourning period had passed instead of making a spectacle of her during it. They could have settled into a nice, steady life. That certainly hadn't been his style and he'd been loathe to admit the depth of his feelings for her, once certain they would eventually cease. Every suitor, every husband, they had exponentially grown.
Could he have ever been satisfied with that domesticated Scarlett? When he had wanted the fiery temper, the explosive nature that had been hidden behind her charming demeanor.
Did he only appreciate the softness and the kindness now because of the years of strife between them?
As it was those two long and angry years, years that had seemed to stretch an eternity and go by in an instant. They were starting to fade. They had been two years out of nine. He certainly couldn't blame Scarlett for the year and a half she had spent married to Frank. Rhett knew he himself had been a large cause of that and certainly not how she had reacted every time she had seem him, despite having a husband. No without question, Rhett had done that to himself. The two years, those horrible two years between Bonnie's birth and Teddy's creation, out of what would hopefully be forty or perhaps if he was extremely lucky, closer to fifty years.
Less than a year ago, he had asked his wife for a divorce. He had been so selfish and self-centered that he couldn't imagine a future they weren't miserable. It was a loathsome thing for a man like himself to admit. A man who had made his fortune on calculated risks, seeing a need and a future that others could not. He had not been able to see it in his own life. She had spent the night laying before body open before him, showing him sides of her that he had only dreamed possible. He ran. He hid for two days, summoned the courage out of his cowardice to ask for a divorce and when that didn't work, he fled with their daughter for three months. A tenth of their young child's life, he had taken her away from her mother.
He wondered if his precious young son would ever realize how he had saved his family. He supposed not. Details like that tended to stay hidden.
"I suppose I should retrieve the girls, have they been out today?"
"They're hardly dogs Rhett."
"Of course not, Ramsey is less destructive and certainly quieter," Rhett pressed a kiss to Scarlett's cheek.
She smiled.
"Will you be going to the mills and store tomorrow?"
"It's much too cold for Teddy to be outside."
"You could leave-" Rhett paused. "I will continue to check on them."
"Thank you," Scarlett smiled.
"I could bring the books-"
Scarlett gave him a look as cold as the weather.
"Focus on Teddy, I will handle the mills and store."
"Thank you, darling," Scarlett smiled at him.
"Would you like to go to DeGive's this weekend?"
Rhett smiled as he noted his wife's pause at the mention of the opera house.
"Teddy nurses-"
"Mammy has already informed me there are two servants that could nurse-"
"It's hardly comfortable Rhett to go past-"
"We could leave at intermission,"
She smiled, "That sounds wonderful Captain Butler."
"I will go retrieve Ella and Bonnie as I imagine you'll require Prissy and Estelle with you in your dressing room."
"Seeing as its winter, I may need to visit the dressmaker. I am quite certain no amount of seam letting will get me into anything formal from last winter."
"Have a few made. We certainly deserve an evening or two away from the children."
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Early February 1872
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Rhett exchanged a quick greeting with his wife and her two friends before continuing on. Rhett had been informed by Pork about his wife's visitors, Melly and Leticia DeDaughn as he handed off his coat. Not surprising because the topic of the DeVaughn's arrival in Atlanta had come up nearly immediately as he had joined his like-minded democrats for one of their discussions. Too quickly it had left Rhett to unable to easily focus and respond to those around him.
"Leticia, how wonderful to see you both. Delightful surprise, I thought you would be going on to Europe after New York."
"Yes," the older woman nodded, looking even more pristine than normal, clearly wearing her clothing and hair as an armor, "we had a change in plans. We brought our daughter and her two children to Atlanta with us. Our eldest hadn't been to the south since she was a girl."
"I look forward to meeting her. If you'll excuse me, I have a few matters to tend to."
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"Shall I assume your visitors have departed?" Rhett questioned as Scarlett walked into his office holding Teddy. He stood and went to cross the room to greet his wife with a kiss on her cheek and a finger given to his son's firm grasp.
"Yes and I've told Melly that she can take Wade home with her after school and he can have supper with them."
"He'll enjoy that," Rhett smiled as Scarlett handed him the baby. Teddy had been blossoming from that crying and sleeping newborn he'd been out in the country to a person. The grunts and gurgles had Rhett sure Teddy would talk earlier than any of the other children and the smiles, the smiles were a special treat indeed. Rhett certainly couldn't fault Scarlett for choosing time with Teddy over the mills and the store. Of course, that meant Rhett had spent even more time in town and therefore with the townspeople. The number of remarks he had received over how the new baby looked just like him, even by people who hadn't seen the baby, led Rhett to believe everyone in town had expected the baby to be born with fair hair or pale eyes. They had been quite surprised to find out Scarlett had given birth to her husband's child.
Rhett greeted his son with a multitude of words the baby couldn't understand, occasionally Scarlett answered a few of the questions he had posited in there regarding Teddy's day and remarking on the summary Rhett gave his son about his own day.
"So the daughter is divorced?" Rhett questioned without warning at the end of his ritual with his son.
"Don't you dare say it Rhett," Scarlett warned him.
Rhett looked at his wife awaiting the rest of her remarks.
"You're going to tell me that I cannot associate with Leticia's daughter because she's a divorcee and I'll ruin our children's future-" Scarlett's eyes started to sparkle.
"Did she have an affair?" Rhett questioned cutting off his wife.
"Why she's divorced is no business of ours, I certainly never cheated on you and you tried to divorce me," Scarlett continued to be outraged.
"We have four children Scarlett, I may one day want to run for office," Rhett calmly continued the conversation with just enough swagger in his voice to outrage her.
"You'll need to be divorced for that because I'll never be a politician's wife."
Rhett tamped down his smile for her words. "There are still the children to consider Scarlett, how do we know what type of woman-"
"Because she is Leticia and Percy's daughter and they're good people."
"It is only because I know them as well that I will concede that they are indeed good people. That certainly isn't true just because the woman is of their blood." Rhett thought of most of Scarlett's friends, he wasn't quite sure he would classify many of them as good. Likely they would do the same with himself and Scarlett. He settled himself into his favorite chair and waited for his wife to continue her case, savoring the extra time with his youngest child in his arms.
"Rhett, we will not believe the town's malicious gossip. We have both been on the receiving end of their nasty minds more than once."
"So there is malicious gossip already," Rhett inquired, "when did they arrive in town?"
"Two days ago," Scarlett supplied.
"It doesn't suggest anything to you that-"
"Yes, it suggests that the Old Guard doesn't care about what's actually in front of them," Scarlett's eyes blazed.
"So you do know what happened," Rhett once more prompted his wife to share the details.
"It had absolutely nothing to do with her and you would have done the same," Scarlett defended.
"If I would have done it, you would normally be the first person to find blame in it," Rhett countered.
Scarlett was entirely too aggravated with her husband and shared the details, "Percy surprised his daughter at her brownstone, her husband had apparently just struck her. Percy had a confrontation with the man, it turned physical."
"That is hardly what I would have done Scarlett, neither of our daughters would be divorced, they would be widows." He paused, "Had he caught her having an affair?"
"Really Rhett?" Scarlett did not look amused, there was still a flash of fear over her husband the night of Ashley's party.
"It is an irrational motivator to one's behaviors."
"She did not have an affair. I believe he was accusing her of preventing pregnancies while she had only given him two daughters."
"What is she, 21?"
"Nearly 22," Scarlett supplied, "the oldest is about to be 4, the youngest almost 3."
"Was she?"
"I don't know Rhett, I certainly don't imagine that is a reason to strike your wife. I certainly don't believe it was the first time and her father just happened to be there."
"Ella and Bonnie would tell me the first time."
"Bonnie would tell you, so you would help get rid of the body," Scarlett pointed out. Reassured though that neither of her daughters would ever find them in that situation more than once. Bonnie would handle herself and Ella, just as she always did, would run and repeat what had just happened to the first person she saw and likely the next six as well.
Rhett smiled for that.
"She didn't want the divorce, her husband and father insisted on it. Leticia's father is furious at the scandal."
"They haven't been cut off, have they?"
"From any further funds, yes. They are still quite wealthy."
"Did you actually discuss that with her?" Rhett queried in surprise.
Scarlett gave him a look of annoyance, "Yes, Rhett. She is actually my friend. We have actual discussions."
"Well the girls will be good playmates for Ella and Bonnie."
"We'll be socializing with them?" Scarlett questioned in shock.
"What lesson would I be setting for the children if we taught them that hitting a woman was right?"
"What about the children's future?" Scarlett distrusted Rhett's words.
"The DeVaughn's have enough children and grandchildren to keep them company now and we've agreed to travel in the future. Perhaps the children will choose to settle in places outside of Atlanta. Perhaps we'll decide to settle outside of Atlanta."
"Rhett, you nearly sold your soul to redeem yourself in the eyes of Atlanta."
"It occurs to me now that being a role model for our children might be a more productive practice unless I want them to blindly follow the herd," there was a hint of remorse in his words. The things he had considered doing to be a part of that society.
"But you-" Scarlett's eyes were wide, why just last year she was worried he had met his end partaking in their vulgar practices.
"I did thankfully stop before I sold my soul to the devil. We will be the kind of citizens we expect our children to be," Rhett said decisively.
"I will not be joining any sewing circles or-"
Rhett gave his wife a look, "I am quite aware of that my dear, your penance will remain church."
Scarlett gave him a look of displeasure.
"What are Miss Melly's thoughts on continuing to associate with the DeVaughn's."
"Melly was ready to rush over and console the young woman."
Rhett smiled.
"I don't know about Ashley," Scarlett said his given name without hesitation as she used to. Rhett had noted the change during their time away, when he wife stopped trying to hide that she thought about Ashley Wilkes as Ashley instead of Mr. Wilkes. It was truthfully a bizarre practice, he had wondered if he had nearly immediately felt closer to Leticia and Percy because they hadn't bothered with such formalities.
"You are Mr. Wilkes' employer. I do not believe he'll attempt to go against you and his wife. He is a foolish man, but not that foolish."
"Can we really remain friends with them?"
"Of course," Rhett nodded, "send a note inviting them and the Wilkes over this Saturday. Make sure Leticia knows we are available for any night outs they require."
"You mean, you require nights outs?" Scarlett smiled.
"I would certainly not reject a carriage ride alone with you."
Scarlett smiled.
Rhett wanted nothing more than to pull his wife down into his lap, however, "I believe Teddy is ready to nurse." The fabric of his vest was damp from the baby's efforts.
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Mid-March 1872
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Rhett Butler was a man growing desperate. Teddy woke less frequently during the night for feeds, but with Scarlett's sleep interrupted at least twice every night and Rhett's own idiotic plan of getting his wife out of the house during the evenings. His wife had little interest in resuming their marital relations.
What had once not mattered to Rhett, seemingly mattered a great deal to him now. Dr. Meade had given them leave to return to the marital bed some time ago and they had returned to it twice and Rhett was quite sure the last time his wife had told him to hurry.
Rhett was tempted to remove the family to the country again, so Scarlett would be interested in doing more than sleeping at night. He had even had to adapt his sleeping behavior to adjust to hers.
Scarlett now slept along the side of the bed facing Teddy's cradle, Rhett was forced to sleep on his side to hold his wife, instead of his back. He was almost tempted to get his wife with child again, so she would be distracted from Teddy. Again, though that would require getting his wife to have relations with him.
Scarlett paused suddenly in her nightly routine, as if catching sight of his face as he sat in his chair, watching her at her vanity, brushing her hair. The raven locks being stretched out and then bouncing up in a wave against the violet dressing gown.
She put the brush down on the table and stood, Rhett automatically moved his hand with his brandy out to the side as she approached him. She lowered herself into his lap, The emerald of his own robe against the violet of hers. The colors perfectly suited to each other. The fact that his wife had a robe made for him in a color that nearly duplicated her eyes did not escape him.
Rhett Butler savored the feeling of his wife against him and ordered all parts of his body to not respond.
"I'm sorry things haven't been particularly exciting lately."
"Things with you are always riveting, my sweet."
"Not in the way you want, I can try harder," she ran a hand along the silk of the robe.
He caught her hand, slightly worrisome that his body would betray him and he would be convinced that sleeping with his disinterested wife would be a good idea. "I am a patient man, I did after all court you for five years."
"I was married for over a year of that," Scarlett smiled.
"Yet, I still courted you. Do not ever doubt my determination, my pet."
"I want you to be happy."
"I am," he gave her a kiss, a soft and gentle kiss. "This makes me happy Scarlett. You and our children make me happy."
"I know you have needs," her hand moved towards his lap.
He captured that hand even quicker. "I can take care of my needs myself. I will not have you debase yourself, when you are positively not interested in the-"
"I am interested Rhett."
He laughed and caught her lips in another soft kiss, "Liar."
"I don't want you going to Belle's," she confessed.
"The days of Belle's are done. If I am ever so desperate that I think that is a good idea, I promise I will come to you first."
"Do you promise?"
He moved her hand back to his lap, to the reaction his body couldn't repress, "Trust me."
"We could-" she went to offer again.
"Sit here and enjoy the comfort of each other?"
"This is nice," Scarlett was quick to let the other idea go and nuzzled into her husband.
"It is," Rhett answered truthfully and held his wife close to him.
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Early April 1872
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It was the middle of the night when he awoke to feel the wiggle of his wife's backside against him as he had her cradled against him. His body instantly came alert and aware.
He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through it.
Then it happened again and he could feel his wife's hand on his thigh.
He gave up on breathing, anything aside from harsh breaths as his hand went to the front of his wife.
Sometime later, he gave a laugh when it was done, when they did not lay there in resplendent splendor, but he was quickly gathering up the crying baby they had awoken.
Scarlett looked up from the pillows to her naked husband, with their still small baby, pressed into the dark hair of his father's chest, walking and bouncing the baby to settle him back down. "Did I yell?"
"Quite frankly, I think we both may have," Rhett's lips lifted up in a smile.
She laughed quietly and pushed herself up, so she was seated. She extended her arms for the baby, "Maybe if he eats he'll settle back down."
Within moments Scarlett had the baby nursing, Rhett sat on the edge of the bed to watch his wife and child. "I bet he'll sleep through till morning if we're quiet."
Rhett smiled and leaned back on his arms and awaited his son being done with his mother, so his father could have her back.
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