Rosalie Butler sat on the edge of the train seat, eyes rimmed in red and legs spread open flashing rolls of white lace petticoat as her feet swung, nearly missing his knee. Her father eyed her unladylike posture, and warned, "You best sit back next to your mother, or you will fall on your face when the train pulls off."

"No," she spat out at him and stuck her tongue out.

Scarlett looking up from her reticule noticed the nasty behavior, and slapped her leg, "Sit back, and don't act like that with your father."

She turned to do the same to her mother, but seeing her cold eyes and set jaw, she whined, "Mother, I wanted that pony."

Rhett sat stoic, as Scarlett glanced at him, and raised her eyebrow, "Rosalie, if I hear about the pony once more, the tea set and doll will go to the orphanage in Charleston."

"I don't care, I don't want those nasty toys. Daddy said I could get a pony when I was five!"

Rhett tried to reason, "Maybe the pony will be waiting at home, when we get there."

Now, Scarlett wanted to kick Rhett, "Come, you need to sit with Ella and Wade."

Scarlett scooted the reluctant child to the next set of seats and deposited on the chair next to Prissy, "Here, let her sit with you," commanded Scarlett as she gathered the sleepy baby John in her arms, and returned to Rhett.

Rhett held out his arms, "Ah, yes. Children are delightful, until they start talking."

"It's your fault," hissed Scarlett.

"I didn't bring her to the market in Jonesboro, that was Will and your sister."

"No, you promised her a damn pony, how could you?" Scarlett's eyes filled with tears.

"Well, a first disappointment at five is better than one at sixteen."

Scarlett glared at him, "You can deal with her, she isn't afraid of anything that used to work with Wade and Ella."

Rhett smirked, "She's our daughter."

Rosalie had taken the ride with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins along with Ella to get the Christmas tree at the market in Jonesboro, and upon looking at livestock the girls saw the most beautiful pony with white blonde mane and tan hide. Her younger cousins Martha and Carrie had announced they wanted the pony, and Rosalie told them of her father's promise, and added, "I'm the only little girl at my house, so it will be all mine, you have to share!"

It was Christmas morning, that the Benteen girls ran out to see a sleek mahogany mare for their oldest sister Susie, and the precious pony with red ribbons for them. Rosalie had thrown a tantrum to put Bonnie and younger Scarlett to shame. Even after Aunt Suellen offered her a ride on the pony by herself. Rosalie could not be reasoned with by Rhett or Scarlett, who at last resort locked her in the office to cry herself out. Rhett had went in when all was quiet to see ehr curled on the green, velvet settee like a cat sleeping, and had scooped her up to put in her bed.

As the family packed the next day, Rosalie had risen in a foul mood, that continued on the evening train.

Rhett searched for a change of conversation, "I'm glad mother agreed for us to come a week early, I think Sue was tired of us."

Scarlett sighed, "We have every right to be there, I pay all the bills, and as if her girls are angels."

Rhett sighed as John settled on his shoulder to sleep, "Well, we are off to Charleston now."

"Rhett, what made you promise her a pony after Bonnie's accident?"

"Scarlett, I don't want to scare her, we can't let that one accident-"

"We can, and she's not getting one!"

John stirred and Rhett shushed her, "I'm sorry, but she was so excited and she just asked last summer when I took her riding with me. I figured she's forget."

"Why not promise her one when she's eight? That's when Wade had one."

Rhett sighed, "I'll take care of it, once she stops sticking her tongue out at me, I'll tell her the pony is too small and he needs to train. And that Santa will bring him next year. She might forget."

Scarlett rolled her eyes, "I don't need to deal with this, I'm still waiting for Henry to let me know about the store, that buyer hasn't answered."

"It is Christmas, you might hear word by the end of the week."

"I hope," Scarlett snuffed.

There was a howl, and the sound of small patent boots running down the aisle. Rhett quickly deposited John in Scarlett's lap, and stood to see Rosalie running towards their seat. Ella followed red, tight curls covering her face, "She pulled my hair down!" Rhett scooped Rosalie in his arms, and stopped Ella, "Go and fix your hair, she will sit with us."

Rosalie looked over her father's shoulder sticking her tongue out at Ella, "You'll see, I'll have a pony at out house!"

Ella turned and took a breath, "Uncle Rhett, I told her it's too dangerous."

Rhett sat with his daughter in his lap, and he looked at Scarlett as she pretended to sleep holding the baby, he had made this fiasco, let him deal with it, or she just might spank Rosalie right here on the train.

Rhett opened his pocket watch, and quietly showed it to Rosalie, "Look at this, Rosalie."

She peered at the picture in the locket, "Who's that girl?"

"That is a little girl named Bonnie. She was just your age when she got a pony."

Rosalie's face lit up, "She did, are we going to see it? Does she live in Chawson?"

Rhett sighed, and looked as Scarlett opened her eyes,"No, she doesn't. She was a little girl like you, who we all loved very much."

"I never see her, where is she?"

John started to stir, and Scarlett gathered the blanket around him, as she started to feel ever so cold. A lump started in her throat, and tried to swallow.

Rhett continued, "Well, she is far away, but you see she was too little to ride a pony, and she fell off and got hurt. So, mother and daddy learned that little girls need to be eight to get a pony."

Rosalie asked, "Where's the pony? If she doesn't want it-"

Scarlett thought, 'God bless you Rhett, you have patience.'

Rhett smiled, "The pony got hurt, too. I should not have told you about getting a pony when you are five, so I was wrong."

Rosalie felt the emotion and started to cry large, sincere tears, "But-I-I want one."

Scarlett broke in, "And you will get one when you are eight, like Wade."

Rosalie looked at her father and he nodded, "Yes, when you are eight, but until then Daddy can take you riding on his horse, and Grandma Butler has a beautiful carriage we can ride and I'll let you hold the reins."

Rosalie's face lit up, "Can we go fast!"

Rhett sighed, "We need to be careful, Charleston is a big city. There are lots of horses and carriages."

Rosalie crawled in Rhett's lap and hugged him, "I love you, Daddy." Rosalie wriggled down and went over to Scarlett petting her hand, "Can I get a pony just like Martha when I'm eight?"

Scarlett pet her daughter's face, "Yes, darling, just like Rebel. How old is Martha dn Carrie?"

Scarlett thought for a minute, "Hmm, eleven and eight."

Rosalie sighed, "They are older than me! How old is Bonnie?"

Scarlett looked at Rhett, and her voice was low, "She's ten, and she is very far away. When you are older, I'll tell you more about her."

Ella passed by the seats, and stopped, "Bonnie would be ten?"

Scarlett looked coldly at Ella, "Ella, go sit down, please."

Ella looked for confirmation at Rhett who pointed toward the seats, "Ella, go, please."

Rosalie's eyelids were heavy as she snuggled up to her mother's side as the train moved on to CHarleston.

Charleston was windy and cold with drops of rain in the air when the Butler family's carriage rolled up to the house on the Battery well after nightfall. Rhett carried Rosalie under his heavy woolen cape up the steps, and went back to escort Scarlett in with the baby wrapped in two blankets. The coachman Victor held the umbrella for Ella and Prissy, as Wade ran behind them.

Mrs. Butler was in the foyer hugging and kissing the children, and gladly relieving Scarlett of the baby.

"Come in, I have warm milk for the children and some milk punch for the adults in the parlor by the fireplace."

Rosalie was the first to run up to the table, "Grandma, you got cookies too?"

"Yes, I do Rosalie, ask your mother, first."

The wet outer clothing was gathered by the servants and wisked away. Mrs. Butler sat in her pale blue silk chair smiling and cooing at John Gerald, as Scarlett sunk in the twin chair with a milk punch and Rosalie perched on her Daddy's lap a cookie in one hand and a mug in the other.

"Now, I hope this will warm you up. If you would like dinner, I have been keeping some warmed in the kitchen, unless you ate on the train?"

Scarlett nodded, "Yes, we did, but the food was bland."

Wade agreed, "Yes, it wasn't very good."

Rhett added, "I think they could all use a decent meal."

Mrs. Butler rang the bell and her maid arrived in a clean white apron, "Yes, missus."

"My family is in need of dinner, could you set the places."

The woman nodded and went back into the kitchen. The baby fussed and wiggled to be let down, and Prissy was at the door to take him, but Mrs, Butler said, "Girl, get those wet clothes off, and go get a bowl of soup in the kitchen, you'll get sick and the children will catch it."

Rhett motioned to his mother, "Sit John on the floor, Mother."

He sat on the floor and looked around the unfamiliar room at the faces aglow from the fireplace, and setting his eyes on his mother reached and let out a wail. Ella handed him a piece of cookie as he put it in his mouth sucking on it.

As the children and Scarlett filed into the dining room for a late night dinner, Mrs Butler held Rhett back, handing him a telegram, "This came this morning, it's addressed to Scarlett, but I wasn't sure if it was right to give it to her."

Rhett nodded and put it in his pocket, "I'll give it to her after she has relaxed a bit."

John had been settled in his bed by Prissy, when Scarlett and Rhett had settled in bed after midnight. Scarlett had a second wind after the dinner of pumpkin soup, warm bread with meat pastries with gravy. She had warned the children not to over eat, but she had a second meat pie, and now she was wide awake. Rhett had finished his brandy and cigar and slid in the bed next to her, "So, you look refreshed."

"Rhett, to get out of those clothes, and get a hot meal and a warm bed, I'm in heaven."

"Now, those cold cheese trays and jellied gravy on the train didn't count as haute cuisine?"

"I don't know how Wade could eat that, and dinner here?"

"He's not picky at all, I was glad we had packed those pancakes and apples from Tara, or you and Ella would have starved. I'm sure Rosalie will wake up with a stomache tonight, she ate about 3 cookies, but I didn't care."

"You let her eat 3 cookies? Rhett, poor Prissy will be up all night."

Rhett pulled the telegram from the side table and dropped it on her stomach, "Here."

"What? A telegram, for me? From who?"

Rhett waited, and Scarlett's giggle escaped her throat, "He answered, Uncle Henry answered!"

Rhett asked, "What does it say?"

"This came this morning, I got the buyer and the sale! He's paying fifteen percent less than what I asked." Scarlett's eyebrows were knitted together, "Why?"

Rhett could see quite a tantrum of her own brewing, "My pet, read the whole letter, there may be a reason."

"He's cheap!"

"Darling, read and stop hyperventilating," Rhett took the telegram and read, "This is 15% less? Your asking price was high. Wait, look here."

Scarlett was up pouring a brandy of her own, "What? Tell me."

"He said he will pay the entire amount, if you let him keep the profits from December since he is buying the story before January, but if you wait til the first he wants to pay the lesser price."

Scarlett tapped the edge of her glass, and then drank a gulp, "Who is this-this Mr-?"

Rhett smirked, "A Mister MacGinnis. He is of Scottish descent from North Carolina, and he wishes to settle in Atlanta."

"Scotch, hmph." Scarlett sat, and thought for a long time as she drained her glass, and sey it down.

"I see it this way, you want to see, it's just if you sell now and get it all, or sell later and get a part."

"But if I wait, I can keep my profits, but I lose money."

Rhett threw the telegram on the floor and pulled her next to him, "Sell it now, and get rid of the damn place, you will have a nice dowry for Ella when the time comes for her to go to further schooling or marry."

Scarlett wriggled, not wanting to be coddled just now, "I can't make a decision just now."

"Then, let's not. Come and kiss me. What do you say, we can "think about it tomorrow"?"

Rhett grabbed her hand as she swatted him and kissed it.