Scarlett was bemused, and Rhett, enjoying a rare evening at home with his estranged, looked quizzically at her.
"What's going on, my dear? Have you corrupted a local mule-skinner perhaps?"
Scarlett wrinkled her nose. "Well, as you know, I sold my share of the mills to Angus Mycroft some time ago—"
"As did I, and glad to get rid of it, why…do you miss being a business owner that much?" Rhett scratched his chin, and wondered if life would ever be uncomplicated.
"Unbelievably, I met with Mr. Mycroft today, and he wants to sell the mills back to me for the price of one dollar." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "He says they are cursed, or Hugh Elsing is the devil, or something."
Rhett held his head in his hands, but Scarlett didn't seem to notice him.
"After Hugh married Mycroft's daughter, Presendia, as you know, Angus bought the mills and put them under temporary management from the oldest son, Angus Junior, or Gus…as Hugh, Presendia and our Wade went to France for a trip. Apparently while they were there, Presendia saw something that bothered her so much, that she tried to hang herself from a replica of Michelangelo's "David" that Hugh had bought for their vacation house."
Rhett said nothing, but he smiled for the first time during the conversation.
"Presendia wrote home to Angus about this, although she wouldn't repeat what she saw that scared her so much" Scarlett paused, "And then Angus ordered the three of them to return immediately, and on the way, Presendia somehow fell overboard the "Queen Mary" and has perished. Angus just got the wire."
"That's very peculiar" Rhett responded, as he cut the tip off his cigar. "She was a hefty young thing, but she seemed to love life, or at least the part that involved pastries, our Presendia."
"It's a terrible tragedy, as they were only married forty-two days. Now Angus Mycroft says that he reviewed the mill's books, and decided he doesn't want to be saddled with such a thing, but he's terribly angry at Hugh, and doesn't want Hugh to have any sort of inheritance—he says Hugh should spend his life as a waiter at Picard's."
"An astute thinker, Angus." Rhett said as he lit the cigar. "So Angus wants to return the mills to you, and you can now have full power again, as I am no longer a part-owner, even through the peccadilloes of Ashley Wilkes?"
"But that's the thing, Rhett." Scarlett smiled, a rare smile. "I have enjoyed the last few weeks of being business free…it's much, much easier. I've decided that since Rodney and Ella are doing so well with the store, I will just give the mills to them.
"Have you?" Rhett said, trying not to sound too terribly interested.
"That's right. And now that you've helped Beau restore his sight, he can do the books for the mills, he's not going to behave as his father did. Wade, for some reason, has never been very interested in working in the business—"
"Which I told you time and time again." Rhett said, blowing smoke rings at the ceiling.
"Yes, so I guess if Wade likes, I can send him to the University, or he can do something else. And—and perhaps I can spend more time—" at this Scarlett was hesitant—"being a wife. I think I can try again, Rhett."
As Rhett walked across the parlor to take his wife's hand, Bonnie Blue Butler, floating just over the mahogany secretary cabinet with the accompanying ghost of Phillippe Robillard, smiled. "I guess it's time for me to go, Unca Phil."
"Do you think everything will be all right now?" Phillippe doubted it, as Scarlett was such an unpredictable minx.
"Yes, and for you, too." Bonnie pointed towards the ceiling, and Ellen Robillard, fifteen years old again, was beckoning enthusiastically.
In a moment all three ghosts had dissolved into thin air, and Rhett and Scarlett were kissing passionately on the divan.
Three months later Hugh Elsing and Wade Hampton Hamilton started the Confirmed Bachelor's Hotel and Bathhouse on Peachtree Street…and thus, Wade Hamilton had his Birthright.
THE END