Omigosh! Thank you SO much for the reviews, lol. I love them, each and every one. You guys who have been reading and reviewing are the best, I really mean that. I'm so honored that you would take the time to tell me what you think and that most of you like what I'm doing. Thanks again and on we go...

The Journey Home

Chapter Eleven

Honor and Glory

Ashley had been gone a little over a week, a week that left Scarlett still smarting from his condemning perusal of her marriage and his pitiful excuse of a proposal. She really didn't know which was worse, but for the first time in her life she was glad he was not here but hopefully in Virginia as he had said. Had he stayed, he would have undoubtedly become an albatross around her neck and she simply couldn't stomach that.

The sound of horse's hooves coming up the drive carried to Scarlett's ears as she sat at her mother's secretary figuring sums for the store. She turned to the sound of it, determining there was only one rider.

Laying down the pen, she made her way to the front door, peering through the glass opening to the side of it. She could hardly make out who it was, except that whoever it was, he was dressed almost completely in black. He didn't look like anyone she had ever seen before. That alone had her curious as to why he had come there.

She casually stepped out onto the porch making her presence known to him. The man turned to her and swept off his hat revealing a crop of thick, brown hair.

"Ma'am," he nodded.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm looking for Mrs. Butler. Would you be her by any chance?"

"I am," she confirmed. She glanced him over, taking in the loose, yet confident way he held himself to the easy smile he bestowed on her. He was tall and she noted with a practiced eye at how well he wore the obviously tailored suit. He was a handsome man, there was no doubting that, but Scarlett was immune to the looks of other men when in her mind they all paled in comparison to Rhett.

"Mrs. Butler, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Whom may I ask is calling?"

"The name is Elijah Barrett, Eli to my friends."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Barrett?"

"Well, Mrs. Butler, I came here to your plantation as a favor to a friend of mine. I believe you know Mr. Ashley Wilkes."

"Ashley?" she said and wondered what in the world Ashley had sent this man to her. Had he lost leave of his senses?

"Yes, ma'am, he hired me to keep an eye on things around here while he's in Virginia. He said you've been having some trouble with a scoundrel named Wilkerson."

Scarlett couldn't have been more shocked or angry if the man had said he was the president himself. What right did Ashley have to do this without her consent? Did he think she was simpering fool incapable of taking care of her own? She drew herself up, staring down at the man with a cool eye. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding, Mr. Barrett. I am not in need of hired protection. I'm sorry you've wasted your time here."

He broke out in a grin and nodded. "Ashley said you'd say that, but that I was stay put in spite of your protest to the contrary. I'll bed down in the barn, ma'am," he tipped his hat and quickly hoisted himself in the saddle.

Her mouth fell open in shocked silence. She watched as the man pull back on the reins and wheeled his horse toward the back. She clamped her mouth shut and stormed down the steps. "Mr. Barrett, would you kindly remove yourself from my property. I told you quite plainly that your services were not needed."

"Yes, ma'am, you did, but I promised Ashley that I'd look out for you and your place and that's a promise I intend to keep. We served in the same regiment during the war and he saved my life not once, but twice, so you see, I owe him this."

"I see nothing of the sort," she retorted hotly. "How do I know you really know Mr. Wilkes and that he sent you here? You are a complete stranger and I've never even heard him speak your name."

He grinned and pulled a letter from the inside of his coat. He handed it down to her. "He said to give you this, it would explain everything."

Grudgingly, she snatched it from him and tore it open. Ashley did explain who this man was and that while he was in Virginia settling Beau with his family, it would give him a sense of relief knowing that she would be looked after in case Jonas tried anything. It was only if she wanted him would he come back to her, but as it was, he did the next best thing by hiring Elijah Barrett in his stead.

"What nerve," she breathed and clutched the paper in her hand.

"I take it he confirms what I've told you."

"Unfortunately, yes," she nearly sniped. "But, I can assure you've wasted your time. I am expecting my husband any time now and he'll be more than happy to be my protection."

"Just the same, until he does I'll be here watching out for anything. Good evening, ma'am," he tipped his hat and clicked the hind quarters of the horse, sending the animal jerkily forward. She watched as he quickly disappeared behind the house and out of her sight.

Mammy came out onto the porch at that time, scowling and frowning. "Who dat man and why he gwine to da back?"

"I'd like to know the same thing," she huffed, plopping her hands on her hips. "He says Ashley sent him to protect the place."

Mammy's scowl deepened. "Dat man cain't stay here. It aint' fittin with you's being 'lone lak you is."

"That's the least of my worries," she brushed off Mammy's concern. "I can handle my affairs without the help of Mr. Elijah Barrett. Oh, just wait until I tell Ashley exactly what I think of his 'protection'.

She whirled around and marched into the house and back to her mother's office. Grabbing a sheet of paper, she began to write to him in frustrated strokes, making clear her displeasure in what he had taken it upon himself to do.

Rhett stepped off the train platform onto the worn, scuffed wooden slats of the Jonesboro train station. He shifted the leather bag in his hand as he looked around the familiar surroundings. He paused for a moment, looking back at the train.

What was he doing here? Why had he come? He was tempted to get back on and go straight back to Charleston without anyone knowing he had even stepped foot in Clayton County. He couldn't believe he had been fool enough to come here.

He stopped himself again, he had to remember the reason he had come. It was to get Jonas off of Scarlett's back and to give her the divorce papers in person. She might accept it easier coming from him rather than through the post or from an underpaid court clerk. Once those two things were settled, he could return to Charleston free from his husbandly obligation.

"Excuse me, sir but would you have the time?" a man caught his attention when he walked up to him.

Absently, Rhett pulled the timepiece from his waistcoat, "It's two-thirty," he answered, looking up at him. The man smiled through his yellowed teeth.

"Thanks, I 'ppreciate it," he nodded.

Rhett nodded in turn and placed the timepiece back. He moved away from him and started toward the livery to acquire a horse for his journey to Tara.

"Sir, excuse me again," the man called out for him as he stepped away from the platform.

Irritated by the man's persistence, he stopped, took a deep breath and turned back to him. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Well sir, you seem to be a man of some means, and I'm… well, I'm a bit down on my luck if you know what I mean. Could you spare a few pennies to help out?"

Rhett didn't mind helping when it was appropriate, but this man was too smarmy for his own good. For all he looked destitute, the roll around his middle didn't speak of hard times or doing without. It was one thing to help a man who was truly down on his luck, but he sincerely doubted that this was the case with this man.

"Sorry, I don't have anything to give you," he nodded curtly and moved away. He made his way to the livery and paid for the use of a horse. He secured his bag on the saddle and then made his way toward the road out of town.

He had gotten a mile or so down the road when he heard the footfall of horse hooves behind him. He turned to give a cursory glance at the approaching riders, taking in the man at the train depot among them. He frowned as he reined his horse and turned completely around to face them. There were three of them and upon closer inspection, he saw right away they were carrying firearms. So was he, but he wasn't in a position to get to it as quickly as he would like.

"H'llo again," the man hailed him as they stopped in front of him. "Taking a ride in the countryside, are ya?"

"State your business, obviously you're wanting something from me," Rhett nearly snapped his reply as he shifted his cold gaze from one to the other.

"Well now, you're a real smart man," he smiled and then spit out a stream of tobacco juice to the ground. "I was just tellin' my friends I thought you'd be a right smart man. Ain't that right, fellas?"

The other two men just stared at him, their only movement coming from their shifting horses.

"Again, state your business. What do you want?"

"That was a nice watch you pulled out back there, how 'bout that for starters?" the man answered.

Rhett considered his options and decided if the watch was all he wanted, so be it. With nimble fingers he lifted it out of his waistcoat and threw it toward him. The man caught it, smiling in his triumph. "Yep, that shore is nice alright."

"You got what you wanted, so I'll be leaving now."

"Oh no, you see, that ain't all I'd be wanting from you," the man leaned forward on his saddle. The two other men slowly began to move around to the sides of him.

Rhett looked cautiously back and forth to them and then back to the man. "I told you, I don't have anything else."

"Now, why don't I believe that's the truth?" he asked, spitting out another stream. "You got a wallet don't ya?"

Gripping the saddlehorn tightly, he narrowed his hard gaze on the vagrant's seedy face. "If you're man enough to come and get it, then by all means."

The man smiled then, slicing his eyes over to the man to his right. "Cyrus, why don't you help the gentleman find his wallet?"

The man called Cyrus inched his horse forward, slipping his hand over his gun as he did. "Hand it over real slow," he said, never taking his eyes off Rhett.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"I can get it off you dead or alive, makes me no never mind," he replied coldly.

Once again Rhett considered his options. He had well over five hundred dollars in his wallet and it wasn't so much the money as it was the blatant disregard for the law that galled him. He hated thievery, he despised those that chose to take from someone simply because they weren't man enough to earn it for themselves. When he didn't move, Cyrus lifted his gun, slowly cocking back the hammer.

"Don't make me ask again," he gritted.

Giving a nod, he pulled back his coat slowly and gingerly lifted the wallet from his inside pocket. He held it up for them to see, and then he suddenly flung it sending it flying a few hundred yards out. "You want it, you're going to have to go after it."

"Why you-" the man growled and reached out to grab Rhett, but Rhett had anticipated his move and slammed his boots into the horses side. With a jolt the mare took off running and Rhett hunched his body down low on her neck. He looked back once and saw two of the men gaining on him. He spurred his horse on, hoping she would quickly find her pace.

A crack and zing passed his ear and knew they were firing on him. He weaved his horse back and forth to hopefully keep him out of their crosshair, but another zing near him broke a cold sweat on his back.

When another bullet was fired and he felt his mare shudder, he knew she had been hit. Without warning the horse stumbled and fell forward throwing Rhett off of her and sent him rolling painfully down an embankment. He felt his ribs crack as he landed with a thud near a tree, sending a roaring pain surging in his side. The riders came over him on the small ridge and sneered down at him.

The lead man jumped off his horse and slid down the embankment where he lay. Rhett tried to reach his small revolver in one of the pockets of his coat, but the man was on top of him before he could get to it and jerked open his coat and searched him. He located the silver cigar case he carried and then the gun. Rhett gripped his side as he angrily glared at him. "You sonofa-" he started but the man slammed his fist against his face rocking his head backwards.

"I was gonna kill you straight out, but I think it'll be more fun to just let you lay here and rot," he snarled and kicked him in the ribs.

Rhett grunted as fingers of burning fire coursed through him. He gritted his teeth in an effort to control it, although it didn't do much good.

"You high and mighty 'gentleman' had your day, now it's our turn. You gonna find out that you don't rule like you used to. I hope you enjoy your last on this earth, it's exactly what you deserve… sir," he spit just a few inches from Rhett's face and crawled back up the embankment. With one final glance, he laughed and reared his horse back.

The last sound Rhett heard was of their retreating horses. Everything was beginning to swirl around him. He fought to stay conscious, but as the darkness swamped him, it began to take pain with it. Finally, he could no longer hold on and so he gave in and let it slowly take him to the edge and over.