Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Seven

Several days later Scarlett was sitting in her buggy outside of Johnny's mills. It was the first of the month and she had to check the books at all of her businesses. The little voice had told her, 'The way Johnny is stealing from you is when he receives goods, he has the waybill show less than what was actually received. The price remains the same so the suppliers are still getting all their money so no one is the wiser. It is a deal he has with the drivers. Then he pays them for their silence.' She asked the little voice, 'How can I prove it?' The little voice said, 'You can't without getting the drivers to confess. That is the beauty of his plan.' She would think about that later.

She started off to Ashley's mill. She had managed not to think about the revelation she had discovered that night but she knew she couldn't keep ignoring the obvious. She was driving out to Ashley's mill to check the books. She was sad and even the thought of Ashley didn't cheer her up. She knew he would have barely made a profit. He wasn't doing any better than he had in her confinement. The little voice said, 'He was perfect before the war but now he is a gentleman but this world doesn't need gentleman. He is like a turtle on his backside.' She had stopped arguing with the little voice. It was always right. But she knew it was definitely right this time. Ashley was living in a time that had passed. What was it he had said that day in the orchard about something that had destroy their world and he was happy he had gotten to experience it? This was the part she truly remembered, 'There are people with intelligence and courage who will survive and the rest of us will be winnowed out.' When she recalled his statement the little voice said, 'He had already accepted defeat. He put himself in the group that would be winnowed out.'

She thought, 'What does - winnowed out - mean?'

The little voice said, 'I don't know. Ask Rhett when you talk to him about Ashley.'

She would talk to Rhett after supper. Since Rhett had lost his voice, he had behaved more like her friend than that horrible man that was her husband. She had to try to talk to Rhett about Ashley even if he got mean and ugly. He could not be mocking and rude because he couldn't speak. Even the few times when he had written a mocking comment it wasn't as hurtful as when Rhett said it. She had to talk to Rhett her friend. The little voice in her head said, 'That is exactly what you need to do.'

Scarlett went out to Ashley's mills and as she suspected he had barely covered expenses. She looked at Ashley and he looked like a beat dog that was going to get beat again. She started to say something about him trying harder but she couldn't. The little voice said, 'He isn't any good because his heart isn't in it. If you looked in the drawer, I bet you would find a book of poetry.' She opened the drawers until she found a book of poetry. She said, "This was your mother's book. How did you save it?"

Ashley looked startled and said, "I had given it to Melly as a wedding present so it was in the Hamilton House during the war. That's what saved it."

She stood up and said, "Have you thought about what you would like to do if you weren't doing this?"

"I thought I might like to teach although not many schools and universities are hiring."

"What about working at a bank, or a newspaper or for Uncle Henry?"

"Maybe any of those."

"Ashley, try harder to make a profit or let's just sell this mill."

"Alright Scarlett."

As Ashley walked her to her buggy, he started talking about getting the vote back. She just let him prattle on. As she was heading back to town the little voice said, "You never listen to him when he talks about things you don't understand or that you don't care about." She didn't answer the little voice. They both knew it was right.

Over the last several months Scarlett and Rhett had created signs and gestures to communicate. Most people would not understand them. They had figured out a simple way to communicate so Rhett didn't have to write the request down every time he wanted something.

Scarlett sat with Rhett on the divan that night. They had to sit close together so Scarlett could read Rhett's written sentences. That's what they told each other anyway. Scarlett said, "What does it mean to be winnowed out?"

Rhett wrote, - 'Use it in a sentence.'-

"Ashley once said that we had experienced a Getter something and that the only people to survive would be those with brains and courage and the rest would be winnowed out."

Rhett wrote, - "Thrown away like waste."

"I don't know what to do. Ashley is such a bad business man. I either have to replace him or sell the mills.'

She ignored the smirk on Rhett's face. He wrote a question down on his pad of paper. She leaned forward to read what Rhett had written and he turned his head to see her expression. Their lips were less than an inch apart. Scarlett saw a way to wipe that smirk off Rhett's face. She kissed him. Rhett was surprised. Scarlett had never kissed him before except when they were having relations and that wasn't very often. She had kissed him back but she had never been the first to initiate a kiss. It wasn't a deep passionate kiss. It was a kiss a spouse gives their spouse as a sign of caring. Rhett had to control his thoughts and not let them get ahead of where Scarlett was. Wherever that was. He watched her as she read the note.

He wrote - I have been telling you that for years. What did he do to make you see him as a bad business man?

Scarlett said, "You left off the 'my pet."

Which made Rhett laugh and he wrote it on the paper. She scowled at him and said, "I always scowl at you when you call me 'my pet."

Which made Rhett smile. She wasn't flirting with him in that shallow way she sometimes did. Rhett felt that Scarlett was playing with him. That she was engaging with him as a woman to a man, not as a woman to her checkbook. It made him feel good but he was being very cautious with his feelings for he had been fooled before. He wasn't going to show her anything as always. He tapped the paper with his pencil.

Scarlett wondered what Rhett would say if she told him a little voice in her head told her Ashley was a lousy business man. He would be sending her to the Georgia State Lunatic Asylum at worst and keeping her locked up at best. No. She would keep that information to herself. She wasn't telling anyone about the little voice. She didn't think she was crazy. The little voice so far hadn't led her astray. She would think about it tomorrow. She had to think about what she was going to say to Rhett. So, what did she tell him? Scarlett started speaking slowly, "After I got out of my confinement I went to the store. Mr. Elsing is not the smartest man around and he made a nice profit those six months. I went to Johnny's mill and he made a nice profit despite the fact he is stealing from me. I went to Ashley's mill and he had barely covered expenses despite being much smarter than Mr. Elsing and being honest. Looking at the facts he should have made the most money but he made the least amount. He has barely made a profit for the last six months.'

Rhett stared at her. That was so logical and well-thought out. Scarlett usually wasn't that logical in regard to Mr. Wilkes. There were so many questions he wanted to pepper her with starting with, 'Have your feelings for Mr. Wilkes changed?' All his questions he wouldn't write down. Writing them down would expose him too much. If he could talk, he could say it in a mocking way to see her reaction and not expose himself. As he continued to stare at her Scarlett said, "What should I do? I can't fire him. That would cause problems between me and Melly."

Rhett quickly scribbled down. - Why would you care if you caused problems between you and Miss Melly?-

Scarlett looked at him and said, "She is my only friend besides you, silly goose. Especially since I stopped hanging out with the Scallawags wives." Scarlett knew that Rhett wanted to know if her feelings for Ashley had changed but to be honest, she didn't know if they had or not. Just because one loves someone it doesn't mean one doesn't see their faults. Maybe she should ask the little voice then she giggled. No, she wasn't going to encourage the little voice to talk any more than it already did. Rhett looked at her and she smiled but didn't explain the giggle. "So, what should I do? I don't want to sell the mill but it isn't worth all the work if all I am doing is breaking even."

Rhett wasn't ready to let the subject of Mrs. Wilkes go just yet. He wrote – 'I am glad you have seen the value of Mrs. Wilkes but don't pretend that you have always loved her. Shall I remind you of all the hateful things you have said about Mrs. Wilkes in the past?' –

"No."

Rhett wrote, - 'Well?'

"Isn't it enough that I know how wonderful she is now?"

Rhett wrote, - 'I want to know what has changed your opinion of her.'

"I don't know. One day I realized that she was my best friend next to you. I really don't know, Rhett'

As much as he wanted to make her admit that the reason, she now loved Mrs. Wilkes was because she no longer loved Mr. Wilkes, he knew she didn't know she didn't love Mr. Wilkes yet. As frustrating as it was, he let it go. He wrote, 'You need to sell your mill.'

"I don't want to sell the mill."

Rhett wrote something then started to show it to her and wrote some more - That is the only way to get rid of Mr. Wilkes and not ruin your relationship with Mrs. Wilkes. As long as you don't hire him at the store."-

"He wouldn't be any better managing the store than running the mill. I really don't know what he would be good at except sitting around reading poetry." Scarlett said and laughed.

Rhett stared at her. He couldn't believe she made a joke at Mr. Wilkes's expense.

"Oh, come on. That deserves at least a chuckle."

Rhett smiled and wrote - Yes, it does - And laughed. Not at her joke but at the fact she made one at Mr. Wilkes's expense. Rhett wrote on his pad – I think Mr. Wilkes would be a good teacher or a good newspaper reporter. I have a friend who runs a Boy's Preparatory School. I will talk with him and see if he needs any more teachers. I will go tomorrow."-

"You get Ashley another job and I will sell both my mills. Then I will be rid of both my problems Ashley and Johnny."

Rhett laughed and Scarlett smiled a self-assured smile. Rhett stood up and offered his wife his hand and they walked up the stairs to retire for the night. Rhett was a happy man. He didn't think Mr. Wilkes was out of her heart but she had lost the hero worship and that was a large step in the right direction. He also knew she wasn't holding herself back when they were having relations now. He was holding himself back less and less. The more he gave of himself the more she seemed to give of herself.