Gemma: Lol. Rhett has such trust issues. Words are so not his friend.
Thanks to everyone for reading and their great reviews.
Because I can see chapter hits, I am pretty sure a chunk of you haven't seen part 24 yet (Charleston), so hit previous before reading this part. Lol, that has maybe happened a few times and now I am trained to stop you guys.
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Part Twenty Five
July 1872
Bedford Plantation
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"Is this too much?" Scarlett asked the day of their barbeque.
Rhett took in the sheer printed cotton with small pink flowers on her dress, the décolleté that hid everything, but hinted at everything. The dress and fabric were a design from Paris, he wondered if there was a single person in Clayton County outside of Scarlett and Leticia to realize that.
His wife looked delightful, sweet and welcoming with all of the flounces and trim.
"You look wonderful my dear."
"I don't mean me Rhett, I know I'm too overdressed for them. I mean the party, do I look as if I'm parading our wealth over them?"
"I imagine most of them will be happy to have a taste of the old days. It's not like you to be worried about showcasing our wealth."
"This isn't Atlanta, Rhett," Scarlett looked at her husband as if he were insane.
No, he realized, she was right. In Atlanta, she was a business woman, she was the wife of a man who had made his money in vulgar ways. In the country she was the daughter of Ellen and Gerald O'Hara. In the country she was raised to be a lady, a fine lady, according to her father. Rhett could recall as Scarlett's father had gotten deeper into his cups, more of his life had come out. The deep and still fascinated love he'd had for Scarlett's mother. She was delicate, but able to easily manage her home and daughters. Gerald O'Hara had gone to Savanah for a wife of breeding and Ellen Robillard had certainly been that.
His mother had been quick to recognize it within Scarlett, she had the breeding of a Robillard. Rhett recalled now Gerald's mention of his wife's haunted look and how he would give anything for her, do anything for her. Rhett's own wife often hid that better, he had seen it with Ashley, but he'd often suspected it was for much more than just one man and she had confirmed that with Ashley's visit to Bedford.
He wondered if she was broken just the same, had he imagined it all those years ago, seeing himself and Scarlett as the same or had she truly been more like Ashley Wilkes clinging to the past, while merely making a spectacle of their future.
"Pa would have loved to see this," Scarlett spoke softly as the yard around them was filled for the party and guests were starting to descend up the drive. "Thank you," she looked up at her husband.
He looked down awaiting more.
"This is better than Twelve Oaks and Tara."
"I have no doubt that Teddy is the reason you included Tara in that comparison."
"I love and adore all of our children Rhett," she said without batting a lash.
"I imagine Suellen would like to be out here when the guests start arriving."
A flash of annoyance crossed Scarlett's face, "I suppose you're right."
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September 1872
Bedford Plantation
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As Rhett walked up from the stable where he had left Wade brushing down both of their horses, he wasn't surprised to find his wife asleep on the veranda as the girls played with Prissy in the yard.
Scarlett had turned down going for a ride the last few days and now she was falling asleep in the middle of the day.
They had been taking only the most basic measure at preventing another child and it seemed as if those measures had ceased being successful. They certainly had a lot more time on their hands in the country and that generally resulted in their hands spending more time on each other.
He smiled as he laid a hand on her stomach.
She awoke to find him that way, "I don't need to ask if you're happy."
"My dear, I was quite happy with three. You're the one that keeps blessing us with more children."
She gave him a look; he had certainly not taken a single preventive measure with Teddy's conception. "I was starting to wonder if we would actually have to try for the next one."
"Oh yes, my promised child."
"I can always keep him, if you don't want him," her hand went to her stomach.
"I look forward to getting to hold this child at least an hour out of the day."
"You hold Teddy plenty now." Teddy was a particularly active and engaging child, always wanting to be a part of things. Rhett didn't hesitate to hold his child, just as he had Bonnie through their meals. Or carrying him around as they surveyed the workers, Scarlett was sure Teddy was more than a few inches taller and few pounds heavier than Wade had been at his age.
"Do not ever mistake my gentle ribbing as anything less than absolute appreciation of what a wonderful mother you are."
"You are an equally wonderful father Rhett Butler."
"I am quite certain no one ever expected that of us."
"Melly certainly expected it of you, I imagine you were a great letdown to her the first years of our marriage," Scarlett said with a smirk.
He laughed, "Come on Mrs. Butler, let's neglect our children in the middle of the day."
"Why what do you suggest we do Captain Butler?"
"Make sure you are thoroughly begotten with child."
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Late October 1872
Atlanta
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"Was I this large last time?" Scarlett questioned with a hand over her stomach as she stood in her red robe before bed, the one she always wore when she wanted him to remove her robe and what lay underneath.
She was certainly perplexed if she had just used the word large to describe herself. He would surely not follow her lead. "Do recall how quickly you pop thanks to our many children. Of which, again, I thank you for them all."
"Well I thank you for being fine with the fact that we'll likely never be able to find my waist again. Rhett honestly, I'm larger than I was with even Teddy."
He laughed, "You are likely further along my dear, it's not as it was with Teddy, we do not have a clear date this baby was conceived."
"I suppose that make sense."
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Mid-November 1872
Atlanta
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"You don't think I'm carrying twins, do you?"
Rhett looked up to his wife, who had quietly entered his office.
She turned to show her profile, it took him a moment to take it in since the sapphire silk bustle on her back had to be at least a foot, possibly two behind her. He forced his focus to the bodice, it certainly did extend out, but he was fairly certain it was supposed to do that with the fullness of the skirt she wore. She'd had an entire new wardrobe designed to mask the pregnancy as long as possible since she hardly wanted to be trapped indoors until summer.
"I am not certain I know what that would look like," Rhett answered truthfully. She had shown faster with each of the children, it wasn't until she was nearing the end that they all seemed to balance out.
"Mammy said I might be having two."
"Well that would certainly make things interesting."
"No one has twins, Rhett. Carrying two babies means you're doubly large, I'd likely have to stay home halfway through."
"I can't imagine it would be that severe."
"Twins! God's nightgown. Could you imagine the gossip?"
"What gossip would that be exactly Scarlett, does something particular have to happen to get twins? We could narrow down the conception date if that were true."
"Rhett this is not funny."
He stood and approached her, "Perhaps when I stripped you bare by the creek, sunlight beaming down on you. God watching us closely, thought we deserved a bit extra for putting on such a show?" He caught his wife in his arms.
"Rhett," she tried to resist him.
"Perhaps when we make love in the tub and then the bed?" He began undoing the buttons on the bodice.
Scarlett didn't say a word.
"Or at your vanity when you don't think I notice you watching us?" He made it halfway up the buttons so he could slip a hand in to cover her stomach. "Perhaps two more beautiful girls that look exactly like you."
"What are you doing?" Scarlett finally questioned.
"Obviously, I need to inspect the area, I think I'll need a visual inspection as well, likely seeing it in comparison to the rest of your form."
"It's the middle of the day, we're in your office."
"Perhaps that is the secret to twins," he smiled, they had certainly done that in the country.
"I wouldn't mind if we went upstairs, I could change into a more comfortable dress afterwards," she suggested.
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Late November 1872
Atlanta
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The congratulations from Dr. Meade as he left Scarlett's door after an examination gave it away as did the mention of Mrs. Butler telling him. They were after all, already expecting. The only change could be if they were expecting more than just one.
Her look was slightly blank as he entered the room. His, a brilliant grin.
"I believe we need to talk about those unnatural means of preventing pregnancy," was all she said as he approached the bed and his awaiting wife.
He let out a barking laugh and nearly flew to her side.
"Rhett, I'll never have a waist again," her eyes were lost at the thought, she didn't even think to yell at him as he joined her on the bed with his shoes still on.
"That hardly seems true my dear, there are still several inches between your bust and your waist," he gave an appreciative look at his wife's bosom.
"You are exceptionally proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"Twins while we were trying to avoid-"
"Whoever told you that worked, lied," Scarlett informed her husband that his act of finishing outside of her was certainly not a means of preventing children.
"My dear, I do believe most have never encountered a woman as irresistible as you and certainly not as fertile."
"I do hope you realize; your amorous behavior is over."
"Could you get more pregnant than twins, perhaps triplets?"
"Dr. Meade has already informed me I'm to rest every afternoon and to expect to be put on bedrest towards the end if not earlier."
Rhett stiffened, he hadn't thought about any complications from having two at a time, "Did Dr. Meade find something wrong?"
"Yes Rhett, I'm carrying two babies instead of the one most woman normally carry."
"I'll go back to watching over the mills and Kennedy's, you're not to pick up or carry Teddy," his mind leapt into action over the steps needed to protect his wife as best he could.
"You expect me to not pick up my own baby?" Her baby that slept in a room attached to theirs, which she had a door put into from their room, so they could always reach him before the servants.
"He is the size of most two year olds."
"He's hardly that large," their baby was still shy of being a year old.
"He's certainly not a small child and you're carrying two children."
"I'll consult Dr. Meade, he's certainly aware of Teddy and he didn't say anything about not caring for him."
"I'll get Dr. Meade right back; I was obviously remiss in letting him take his leave. I might be able to catch him before-"
"Rhett," Scarlett spoke in a soft voice, "it'll be fine. I've never had a problem carrying before."
"You've never carried two at a time."
"No, but two of my favorite playmates as a child were twins."
"The ones you talked to, just before your Mr. Hamilton," Rhett supplied the memory of their first day. He had spent a large portion of their recent barbeque talking to their mother.
Scarlett was suddenly thrown back into the memory, "Yes," she shook away the bittersweet memory, "They were likely just as gangly and long legged as Teddy is now and their mother brought them and their two brothers into the world with no problem, not to mention four girls. Likely at the expense of her waist," Scarlett said recalling Mrs. Tarleton's waist, although she and her girls had all survived the lean years.
"Eight children," Rhett mused.
"Do not even think about it," Scarlett ordered her husband.
"Six is more than enough, we may need to buy a house for the next time we visit Charleston."
She laughed quietly. "Rhett, I mean it. I understand that my body appears to be built for childbearing, but truly six is enough."
"Six beautiful and healthy children," his hand gave a flicker on her stomach.
She nuzzled into his shoulder, "Melly will be happy, there'll be no way I can carry two at once."
"I don't know who will be happier Miss Melly or Ella over there being two."
"Oh I do hope one's a girl, Ella does love dressing up her dolls."
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Christmas of 1872
Atlanta
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"I believe I have a new favorite Christmas," Scarlett said while pressed alongside her husband as the four children played on the floor.
It felt almost as if she had blinked and her children had grown. Wade just about to turn 11 was starting to hold more than a hint of the man he was quickly becoming. Scarlett knew if she blinked again that his boyhood would be gone. Traces of the past overlapped when she looked at him, there was so much of Charles, of an entirely too sweet boy, who had never been a man, she could see in Wade traces of her uncles and their sons and her aunts had remarked that he reminded them of their cousin who had passed before Scarlett was born.
Bonnie had lost all of her baby fat, she had gone from a toddler to a young girl, to a girl that sometimes nearly resembled a woman, for she was so sure of herself. She was a force to be reckoned with at nearly four. Before she had gotten her way with tantrums, now she got her way through being clever, the child sometimes frightened Scarlett with just how ingenious she was.
Scarlett supposed she got the portion that should have been reserved for Ella, who was just as excitable and sweet as she ever was. Thankfully, now she had her little brother to occupy her. Teddy would never flinch at the Miss Pitty's of the world having grown up with Ella constantly at his side rattling on about anything and everything.
Teddy had gone from a helpless baby to a toddler. He could say Mama and Dada. Just two weeks ago he had taken his first steps with Ella crouched in front of him. For months he'd been crawling after Bonnie, who would steal away his toys, thankfully to Teddy and Ella, Bonnie's behavior was always a game. Crawling was still his favorite pastime since he could catch them faster on 4 limbs rather than two. Scarlett knew she would blink and that too would be gone.
Just as her waistline was well and truly gone, despite only being halfway through her pregnancy. Rhett caught her hand moving to her stomach, his followed as well with a smile for her and their children's movements within her. Despite what she had said, she would have a dozen children for him. The joy he found in them. Her discomfort truly was not so great, at least not in comparison to his joy.
Rhett treated her like the Jumeau doll her father had gotten her for her 7th birthday and Suellen had broken in a fit of jealousy just before her 9th. Carrying twins had convinced him she was made of the finest porcelain. She had been forced to talk to Dr. Meade to convince her husband to continue making love with her for the few months remaining that she had that she could still see her feet.
She saw him as he was now. She saw what Melly and Mammy had said. Her husband loved her, oh he loved their children without a doubt, but she knew his behaviors were for her. He truly didn't care if she gave him twenty children, he wanted her more than children.
He had turned into a right fool with expecting twins, his small worries while she carried Teddy, nothing in comparison to what he was like as she carried twins. It made it all more than bearable, it was almost enjoyable, if not for the physical discomfort of actually carrying children, which was still fresh in her head from her final months of carrying Teddy. Rhett loved her. He loved her more than anything. She didn't need to hold it over him. He did that to himself. He would do anything for her and he did. It was significantly better than she imagined all those years ago when he had first started to court her. It was also odd because she wished she could ease his torment brought on by loving her and she often did everything to reassure him that she would be fine. She had certainly never expected to love him back when she had plotted out him being in love with her.
"What are you thinking my dear?" Rhett questioned, seeing the deep thoughts in his wife's eyes, instead of the gaiety of the day.
"Why that this Christmas is even better than last."
"It certainly is," he smiled, "and next year will be even better."
Thanks for reading!
Lol. I told ya'll twins weren't happening with the last one and to be patient.