I'm baaaack! I'm sorry but this school year was a kick in the butt! (Im a teacher)

But after a few weeks rest, the nightmares have stopped and the creative juices are flowing.

Thanks for all my loyal followers, and for giving me a boost to continue, we are not done….yet.

I'm starting slow, but I want to post another chapter this week, too!

PS. I am also working on proofreading my original novel that I completed last summer.

ENJOY

The train was warmed by the sun streaming through the windows, as Rosalie made clouds on the freezing window with Ella. Vella bounced the baby on her knee, and John cooed as her face constricted into a variety of smiles. Scarlett glanced across the aisle, and hissed, "Ella Lorena, you are too old for this!"

Ella sat back, not realizing her mother had entered the train.

Rhett and Wade stood at the seat head, and clapped at Vella, "Give me the boy, and you keep an eye on these two girls, Vella."

Rosalie noticing her mother, dropped her doll and ran over to claim the seat next to her.

Wade smiled, "You took my seat, Rose."

Rosalie stuck her tongue out, "I sit by Mother!"

Wade squeezed in the aisle seat next to Ella, across from Rhett.

Scarlett settled next to her daughter, removing the child's hat and scarf, "Sit still, darling, where is your doll?"

Rosalie looked around and pointed, "Vella has it."

Rhett entertained John with his watch, as the train pulled out, "Hopefully, we can all get a nap before we get to Atlanta."

Where's Atlanta, Daddy?"

Rhett smiled, "It's the place we used to live."

Wade sighed, "Yes, it where Mother and Daddy got married."

Scarlett glanced over at him, and bit her lip, looking at Rhett.

Rosalie thought about that, and asked, "In a church?"

Scarlett put her hand over her daughter's shoulder and sat her down, "Rosalie, come and sit by me, and we can take a nap, otherwise, you will be asleep and won't see Atlanta."

Ella leaned over, "Are we staying at the big house?"

Scarlett ignored her, and Wade explained, "No, they sold it, years ago. Where are we staying?"

Rhett switched arms, as the chubby ball of white crochet lolled his head on his father's chest, and he said, "We have a suite at the National Hotel, it's only for the weekend. We get on the nine o'clock train on Monday morning."

As the train pulled in the station on Thursday night the Butler family made a parade through the depot, as Rhett hurried Scarlett and Vella with the sleeping children inside, as the wind started to blow the cold night air. Wade and Rhett went with the porter for the bags, it was Ella who recognized Ashley.

"Uncle Ashley's here!" Ella yelled through the window.

Ashley and Beau entered the depot escorted by the wind. After the hugs and kisses of greetings, Ashley offered to carry the sleeping baby in Scarlett's arms, and she held on tighter, "No, he might wake up."

Ashley could barely see the baby wrapped in crochet and wool hoisted on her shoulder. It was Rose whose head popped up from Vella's shoulder, and asked, "Where's my Daddy?"

Ashley looked at her face, and saw a slight resemblance to her older sister around the nose and eyes, but her darker coloring was more striking on the pale, rosy cheeks, and her mouth was a rosebud of defiance.

Ella soothed her, "We are in Atlanta, Daddy is getting a carriage."

Ashley offered, "But, we brought-"

Scarlett blushed rocking the baby, "We are going to need 2, it seems our family has grown."

Ashley looked over and saw Rhett approaching with an outstretched hand shaking his warmly.

Wade and Beau started loading the the valises and a trunk on Ashley's rig, "Who brought the trunk?" Beau asked.

Wade rolled his eyes, "It got Mother's clothes as well as the little children's stuff."

Beau nodded, "For three days?"

Wade shrugged, "I wouldn't know."

Rhett put Scarlett, Vella and the two younger children in the rented carriage and he and Ella joined the others in the rig. Ella pouted wanting to get in the cab, but Rhett offered, "C'mon, let your Mother deal with the babies, you can ride next to Beau."

Ella giggled with a blush as she slid in between her stepfather and Beau.

At the Hotel, Ashley waved goodbye to Scarlett reminding her, "Now, don't forget, we are having dinner tomorrow night at Aunt Pitty's. Catherine will be thrilled to see you again."

Scarlett nodded and waved on the steps and hurried into the lobby, she was exhausted.

Rhett finished brushing Scarlett's hair and handed her back the brush, brushing her neck with a playful kiss, making her smile to her eyes, even through her fatigue.

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"Well, I am going to the story as soon as I have my breakfast."

Rhett chuckled, "Really? I thought we could sleep late."

"Late? Are you crazy? I haven't been to the store in over a year!" Scarlett hurried to get in bed.

Rhet followed her and pulled back the covers, "Why did I even suggest-"

"Suggest? This is the main reason I am in Atlanta."

"Oh?" his sardonic smile crept under his graying mustache.

"Yes."

"So, you didn't come to visit your family?"

"Well, that, too. But I'll feel better after I have a look at the store and the books."

Rhett slipped into bed, and gathered her in his arms to his side, "Go to sleep, Scarlett."

It was after three o'clock when Scarlett rushed in from town, and found Rhett sprawled on the floor with Rosalie arranging tea cups with juice and her doll, and John was tucked under blankets sleeping like a turtle on the sofa.

"Come join us, it's tea time!" Rosalie sang.

Scarlett smile a brittle smile, and said, "Not now, darling, Mother has to get ready."

"Rhett stood and took her arm, "What's wrong, Scarlett?"

Scarlett's eyes were moist with tears, "Everything, the store-"

Rhett whisked her to their bedroom and called for Vella to watch the children.

"Tell me."

Scarlett wrung her hands as she flopped on the bed, "None of the inventory matched, and then the books haven't been correct since you checked in July."

"What? I met with Hugh."

Scarlett wiped frustrated tears from her eyes, "Hugh has been sick, he was afraid to tell me. Seems he had a swollen foot, and it got worse, so he had to have a operation. He is having trouble getting around, so he runs the store from the office where he sits."

Rhett shook his head, "Who has made this mess?"

Scarlett jumped to her feet and paced, "If I wasn't in Louisiana, I could have known, could have done something!"

Rhett tried to hug her, but she threw him off, "Don't coddle me, I'm not a child!"

Rhett stepped back and let her fume, it was the best for him to do.

After a while, her color drained from her face, and she flopped back on the bed leaning against the pillow, "Hugh has been letting his nephew 'Try his hand at the books'"

Rhett was enraged, "That little pissant, Eddie?"

"Yes, he's younger than Wade, and barely graduated the eighth grade."

Rhett approached the bed, and sat next to Scarlett, "Look, we have a wonderful evening tonight, and tomorrow, we will go down to the store, and meet with Hugh and Eddie."

He kissed the top of her head.

"Rhett, could we go down this afternoon?"

Rhett stood up and shook his head, "Scarlett, no. We have a dinner party tonight, and this is not going to ruin it."

Scarlett pouted, but she knew he was right, "I just want to clear this up, as soon as-"

"Tomorrow, Scarlett."

Scarlett laid back on the pillows, "I would feel so much better-"

Rhett was at the door, "Vella, call the housemaid, Miss Scarlett is going to start getting dressed in about an hour. In the meantime, please bring her in some tea and cake."

He turned back to her, "You are not doing this. We can go and fire Hugh if you want tomorrow, but tonight it is about the children and your family."

Scarlett was silent shooting cold, green eyes at Rhett, and he knew it would be a cold night in Atlanta, indeed.

At seven o'clock, the Butler's left the hotel and headed down Peachtree Street to the house that had once been Scarlett's home, as well as the parlor that Rhett had asked her to marry him, following her second husband's funeral.

Wade had rode over earlier with Beau, and Scarlett rode silently in the cab with her youngest child on her lap, and Rhett across from her wrangling her youngest daughter from hanging out the carriage. Ella's face was pinched and worried, and Scarlett just realized this was the first time she was seeing the child today.

"Ella, is something wrong?"

Ella shook her head.

"Ella? What is it?"

Ella leaned over, "It's lady things."

Scarlett nodded understanding and sat back, one blessing of having Ella at the convent school, was not having to deal with her peculiar, goofy daughter at this age when so much was changing.

"But, Daddy, look that is a really tall house!"

Rhett chuckled, "No, dear, that is the bank. I used to work there."

"You worked there! WHen?"

Rhett closed the window, "It's going to be too cold in here for the baby, a long time ago."

Rosalie settled on her Daddy's lap, "Mother, did you live here when I was a baby?"

Scarlett answered, as she pulled on her glove, "No, we were in CHarleston, darling."

As the carriage pulled to a stop, Rhett gathered up the packages and held the door open as his family spilled out.

Pitty's house was warm and welcoming with gas lamps glowing through every downstair windows. Ella hung back, walking quietly behind Scarlett sniffling. Scarlett turned sharp with irritation, "Ella, do you need to leave?"

"Can I? I can't bear to let Beau see me like this?"

"Like what?"

"Dirty and nasty."

Scarlett pulled her closer, "Did you wear, the rag?"

Ella's face was purple, as she nodded.

"Do you feel sick?"

Ella's eyes spilled with tears, "No, just strange."

"Nobody will know, unless you carry on and tell them!"

Rhett looked back at the two, and approached, "Is Ella sick?"

Scarlett answered without looking at him, "She has a headache."

Rhett backed up as Rosalie pulled him toward the house.

Ella wiped her tears, and sniffed, as Scarlett breathed out all her frustration, making John's wispy dark hair move under her chin, "Ella, just come in and eat, then I'll have Wade drive you back, and for goodness sake, stop all this, this isn't the first time."

As they entered, Scarlett was impressed by the beautiful green tree filled with candles that India had prepared in Aunt Pitty's parlor. The house had been painted and new rugs were stiff under her leather boots. Aunt Pitty was still her robust, red faced self, only moving slower with a cane.

"Scarlett, let me look at you, and your new baby!"

Scarlett gave Pitty her check, and juggled the baby to leave out a toothless grin at the old lady, "Oh, he is the image of his Father, but with those blue eyes like-" and then she bit her lip.

Rhett came over hugging Pitty, "Let's hope it's only my looks he inherits."

Rosalie was eying the two little girls who sat on the newly upholstered satin couch swinging their patton leather boots, in matching blue calico jumpers, and white ribbons in their blonde braids.

Ashley knelt down and asked, "Would you like to meet my little girls?"

"Are you a Daddy, too?" Rosalie asked looking from the children to Ashley.
Ashley too the smaller girl's hand, and then the older one's and brought them close to Rosalie, "Girls, this is Rosalie Butler, she is a cousin of sorts to you."

Rosalie switched her doll to her left arm as she held out her hand, "Hello."

The girls smiled shyly, not knowing what to do, but the taller one held her hand, and kissed Rosalie's cheek, "I'm Julia, and the baby is my sister, Helen."

Rosalie took in the size of Helen, "She's a big baby, I have a little baby brother."

Julia smiled, "She's a baby to us, she's only two."

Rosalie hugged the smaller girl, Rhett looked on, as Pitty hovered over the girl's, "Let me get a look at our Rosalie."

Rosalie turned around, her dark curls bouncing at her shoulders, and smiled, her eyes coyly studying the old woman, that is her eyes, seemed like a friendly witch from her story books, "Hello."

Rhett told her, "Rosalie, this is AUnt Pitty."

Rosalie looked from her father, Aunt Pitty and the two little girls, "You all have white hair, but Aunt Pitty has the most."

The adults chuckled as the Rhett scooped up his daughter and tapped her hand, as he admonished her, Aunt Pitty chuckled, "Oh, my goodness, isn't she Scarlett's daughter. But she looks so much like her grandmother Ellen at her age."

Scarlett came down from laying John upstairs in a bed, and she caught the end of the conversation, "You knew my mother when she was only 5 years old?"

Aunt Pitty nodded, "Yes, I had went to Charleston for a wedding of your Aunt Pauline, and she was that same pouty mouth and dark hair and eyes like Rosalie."

Scarlett sighed, "And here I thought she was all Rhett."

"Maybe some, but she has the features of a Robillard."