Disclaimer: Margaret Mitchell owns "Gone With the Wind" and all its characters. I own a handful of OC's and a story idea. Book-verse. Not "Scarlett" compliant.

On a rainy and chilly Saturday afternoon in early December, Wade tapped on Scarlett's open door before entering her office. "Mother, may I speak with you? It's important."

Scarlett looked up at Wade. He was lowering himself into the chair by her

desk, and his face was full of suppressed delight. Scarlett thought she had a good idea of what he was about to tell her--after all, Christmas was coming up soon. She nodded.

"Mother, I'm going to marry Marybeth."

Scarlett wasn't surprised by this announcement, but that didn't prevent her from feeling happy on his account. "Oh, Wade, how wonderful. Congratulations. So she said yes?"

He looked at her in some confusion before he laughed outright. "I shouldn't have phrased it that way. I suppose it's customary to actually ask the bride before one makes the announcement. No. I'm going to ask her on Christmas day."

"What will she say?"

"Yes. At least I hope she does." He laughed again. "We've had an understanding for some time, so unless I'm seriously mistaken about her intentions, I expect her to say yes."

Scarlett sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers. "I expect she'll accept your proposal. My one regret for you, Wade, is that I don't have any family jewelry for you to give her. Your father gave me a beautiful sapphire ring as his betrothal gift, but those dirty Yankees took it when they came through Tara...And I donated my wedding ring during the War when they needed gold and jewelry to sell for army supplies."

"Don't worry about it, Mother. I never even thought about that. I just came from the jeweler's, in fact. Her ring will be ready before Christmas."

Scarlett held up her left hand to display her own engagement ring and at the same time raised an eyebrow at her son. "Hopefully not as big as this."

Wade shook his head and laughed, blushing. He didn't want to insult Mother's or Uncle Rhett's judgment, but to his own masculine--and admittedly unformed--taste, it was a ridiculous ring.

Scarlett laughed too, and sat back in her own chair, folding her hands over her stomach as she took a good look at Wade. If Marybeth came with no other recommendation, she had to give the girl credit for pulling him out of his shell. He was sitting back easily in the chair, slouching a little--Wade slouching!--his hands shoved into his pockets, one ankle crossed negligently over the other knee. He looked joyful and carefree--Elsie never made him look like that. Scarlett felt a little twinge of envy. There seemed to be nothing to stand in the way of happiness for him and his intended, and she knew she'd never felt the type of sweet and uncomplicated love that Wade found. And she never would, either--her own life had been too torturous and convoluted...

Suddenly she remembered something and sat straight up. "There is one thing you should have--I don't know why I didn't remember this sooner. Come on." She stood up and motioned for him to follow her.

They went into her bedroom, and she had him drag a chair into the spacious closet. As she gathered her skirts to climb up onto it, he tried to prevent her.

"Just tell me where it is and I'll get it," he offered.

"Wade Hampton, I'm not too decrepit to rummage through my own closet,"

Scarlett snapped. "But give me your hand, just the same."

He handed her up onto the chair and watched as she reached up to the highest shelf and pushed the boxes and baskets aside. Finally, tottering on her very tiptoes, she found a dusty, paper-wrapped parcel that she brandished triumphantly before having him help her step down to the floor.

"This," said Scarlett dramatically as she brushed the dust off, "is your father's picture."

"My father's picture!" Exclaimed Wade. "But I haven't seen it since Aunt Melly died."

Scarlett blew more dust off the package then handed it to him. "Wade, I can only say I'm sorry. It came to me after she died and I always meant to give it to you. Just like you have the sword. But I couldn't bear to look at it because it belonged to her, you see. And I stuffed it away, meaning to give it to you later. Maybe when you got older or something. But then I forgot. Just plumb forgot. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course." Wade was untying the string and tearing off the wrapper. When the picture was uncovered, he looked at it for some time, nodding a little bit to himself.

Scarlett inched next to him and tilted a corner of the frame downward so she could look at it too. She shook her head slowly as she perused the picture. How little had she known Charlie! Most of what she knew about him she'd learned after his death. Before their marriage he'd not made much of an impression on her--he was too shy and tongue-tied. And after they married, their enforced intimacy hadn't endeared him to her. She glanced up at Wade. No, there was no denying Wade Hampton was the son of the soldier in this picture. But India was wrong, too. Wade wasn't the spitting image of Charlie. They had the same curling brown hair, the same mild brown eyes. But Wade seemed to have an inborn gravity to him, a seriousness of purpose she couldn't recall Charlie having. Sometimes she wondered where his personality came from. She never knew Charlie's parents, but at times his serious disposition reminded her of Ellen. However, he lacked the confidence Ellen had, the confidence that came from successfully running a plantation of over one hundred persons.

But in recent months she'd come to question just how innate Wade's seriousness was. He laughed and smiled much more easily nowadays, and between his success at work and Marybeth's unabashed admiration, he'd become much more self-confident, too.

Scarlett found herself wishing she knew this only son of hers better. There was much more to his personality than she ever bothered to try to find out. And he wasn't the type of person to force his presence where he didn't find a warm welcome. Of course, she hastened to remind herself, she had to work so hard during his childhood and she didn't have time to play with him. Or the inclination, either. But she felt a pang of regret.

Something of her thoughts must have shown in her face, because she broke out of her reverie as Wade asked, "What's the matter, mother?"

She shook her head as if to clear it. "I can't believe you're all grown up, finding a bride. Where did the time go?--I always laughed when the old people said that. But then again, your mother's an old woman now, Wade."

Wade laughed. "You could put the twenty year old's to shame," he said gallantly. "Thank you for saving the picture for me. Do I look just like my father? I don't think so, but folks are always saying I do."

Scarlett nodded. "Very much like, but not exactly. Don't forget, you're half an O'Hara."

"Nivver mind, mither--I won't be fergettin' it," He aped a flawless brogue.

"Why Wade," Scarlett gasped, laughing. "You're just full of surprises today!"

He grinned and shrugged, then became pensive. "Were you and Father very much in love?"

Scarlett looked at him, trying to gauge the seriousness of this question. "Yes, there was much love between us," she answered evasively. Wade didn't need to know that all the love in her first marriage had come from Charlie and not her. "But I also have to confess, looking back now, I'm not sure that what I had to give at 16 was worth much. And then we only had about a week of married life before he went away to the army. And you also have to realize how different things were at that time--the War was all anybody thought about."

Wade tucked the picture under his arm, and crumpled the brown paper wrapper between his hands, preparatory to throwing it away. "Marybeth's a great girl. I only hope I can be worthy of her."

Scarlett patted him reassuringly. "I've seen the way she looks at you, and she doesn't try to hide her feelings. She's probably hoping she's worthy enough of you."

And for once she hit the nail precisely on the head.

oOoOoOo

Scarlett was at the store a week later, checking off inventory, when Rhett burst into the back room. "Rhett!" She shrieked and dropped her clipboard. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"

"You should pay better attention to your surroundings, then," he answered curtly.

"Well..." she stammered, "It's...good to have you back," she said weakly.

"Scarlett, sit down."

Rhett was more agitated than she could remember seeing him in a very long time, and in wonderment, she perched herself on the stool by the desk to watch him pace back and forth.

He spoke abruptly. "Wade's getting himself engaged to that--Marybeth."

"Yes, I've known for a week. How did you--?"

"He wrote me. He's pleased as punch, too. How could you let this happen?" Rhett flung at her.

"I? What did I do?"

"You should have stopped him--you should have told him not to throw himself away on a servant of unknown antecedents."

"But Wade doesn't think he's throwing himself away."

He looked at her ironically. "Of course he doesn't--he's not exactly thinking with his brain right now. If he were, he'd realize he could do much better."

"Well now," Scarlett said slowly, "I'm not so sure about that. She loves him, you know. And he's never shown any interest in any other girl besides Elsie Wellburn and I don't want him marrying into that clan."

"The Elsings aren't that bad--they're an old family and they--"

"--And they're snobbish and small-minded and haven't learned to fit into modern times. They still cling to the old ways and they all depend on Hugh to support the whole family--did you know that? Every last one of them relies on Hugh for their sustenance. No. I don't want him marrying her."

"Fine. Not Elsie. However, Wade's only twenty-three--there are plenty of other girls out there, he just hasn't met them yet."

"But he loves Marybeth."

Rhett continued to pace, then he slowed down and furrowed his brow, thinking. "Fine. He doesn't have to give up Marybeth if he's determined to have her. But he doesn't have to marry her, either."

"What are you suggesting?" Scarlett asked warily. She didn't like the cunning look on Rhett's face.

"He could move her to another city where nobody knows her, set her up in a house of her own and keep her as his mistress. Then he would be free to marry somebody better suited to his station in life."

Scarlett blinked as she tried to comprehend what he just said to her. She'd heard--and enjoyed--plenty of coarse and ribald stories from him, but they were always about people she didn't know, or people she didn't really care about. But this--this was different. He was talking about her son now. Her son, who she was just beginning to really enjoy and to see as a separate person in his own right. Not to mention Wade was innocent and a little naive. Then she imagined him turning into another Rhett. And in spite of herself, she shuddered. "She won't agree," said Scarlett firmly.

"If she loves him that much, she will."

Scarlett shook her head pleadingly. "Rhett, no. Did you know that he takes her to church? She's not that kind of girl. She won't do it. And besides, Wade may not take kindly to the implication that she is that kind of girl."

Rhett frowned, leaned his elbow on her desk and put his chin in his hand. He hated to admit it, but there was sense in what Scarlett said. Wade would likely jump to the defense of his lady-fair. Then he straightened up. "I'll concede your point. I won't say a word to him."

Scarlett slid off the stool. "Will you reconcile yourself to this marriage?"

"As I said, I won't say a word to him."

oOoOoOo

After he came into possession of the ring, Wade went to Dr. Meade's office to speak to him privately.

"I want to declare my intentions," Wade stated as he sat down in the chair Dr. Meade indicated for him. "I'm here because I want to marry Marybeth Dandridge."

"Have you asked her yet?" Dr. Meade asked, perplexed.

"We've talked about it, and it won't be any surprise to her when I do, but no, I haven't proposed to her formally. I thought it would be proper to talk to you first, since she's part of your household."

"That's very considerate of you, son, but Dandridge is an independent young lady. She can make her own decisions."

"Yes, I know, but she doesn't have family. And she esteems you as much as family."

Dr. Meade smiled. "I can only give my approval. It's not up to Mrs. Meade and me to give permission. Dandridge is quite free to work for us or leave, as she wishes. But as an interested friend, I want to see her well taken care of and happy."

"Dr. Meade," Wade said, all earnest seriousness, "if she agrees to marry me, I promise she'll never regret it."

"Then you have my approval." They shook hands.

Wade passed Dr. Grant as he was seeing himself out the front door, and the two men nodded to each other.

"What is it, Dr. Meade?" Dr. Grant asked when Wade had gone. "Has Miss Hamilton taken a turn for the worse? Or is it Miss Kennedy? I really hope not--I just talked to her in the store yesterday and she was looking fresh and pink-cheeked."

"Neither," said Dr. Meade, shaking his head slowly. "It's the most extraordinary thing, Andrew. Young Mr. Hamilton came to ask me for Dandridge's hand in marriage." Then he bent over the appointment book, squinting as he peered at Miss James' tiny handwriting.

A pause. Then the younger man said, "Oh...I don't know. I don't think there's anything extraordinary about somebody wanting Miss Marybeth's hand in marriage."

Dr. Meade looked at him sharply--he hadn't forgotten Mrs. Meade's suspicions that his partner entertained tender feelings for the girl--but Dr. Grant's face was as open and bland as a baby's.

oOoOoOo

The conversation with Wade served to satisfy Dr. Meade as to his intentions towards Dandridge, but he still wanted to talk to the girl. However, in the interest of marital comfort, he knew he had to discuss the situation with Mrs. Meade first of all.

They were getting ready for bed that very night when he relayed his conversation with Wade to her . Mrs. Meade's face lit up immediately.

"He asked you for her hand?" She exclaimed, clasping her own together in joy. "Well, don't that beat all. I declare, I don't know how Wade Hampton can be his mother's son. Scarlett never cared a lick what people think or what looks right but Wade...the Hamilton really shows in him. Well, never mind about that. There are a million things to be done for this wedding."

"You're forgetting one little detail, Mrs. Meade. He hasn't asked her yet."

Mrs. Meade waved impatiently. "Just a detail, Doctor. Just a minor detail."

Dr. Meade knew better than to argue. "There's something else, something I want to discuss with you. It worries me that she has no money of her own."

She slipped into bed, pulling the blanket up under her arms and settling back against the feather mattress with a sigh. "You don't imagine she's marrying him for his money, surely."

He climbed in next to her and extinguished the lamp. "No. In fact, I don't think the difference in their monetary situations has crossed either of their minds..."

"...but someday, after the honeymoon blush is over..." She prompted--years of marriage made her almost able to read his mind.

"...she may feel it keenly that she came to him with nothing more than the clothes on her back."

They lay in silence, each feeling the other's thoughts.

"Of course," Dr. Meade continued. "Wade adores her. And he's a gentleman. He would never throw that up to her, even if drunk, or in anger."

Mrs. Meade shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Marybeth is sensitive. She would feel it."

"Well, that leads up to that matter I mentioned earlier. We don't have any heirs or even close relatives. We don't have a lot of money, but what we do have, I'd like to leave to her. If that plan meets with your approval, Mrs. Meade?"

That worthy lady gasped, and grabbed his hand in the dark. "Does it? Of course it does! Oh doctor, how many times I've wished we could adopt her--if only she weren't too old. But this is just as good. She can be our heir."

"As I said, it's not a lot of money. Just the bit we've put aside, the house, Betsy and Old Talbot, and a little revenue from my share in the practice."

"You must arrange it, right away," Mrs. Meade urged.

"Yes. Tomorrow when the office opens--the law office, I mean. But...I'll have Morris handle it. It wouldn't be appropriate for Wade to do it, I think. I don't know much about the law, but it might be a conflict of interest for him to be involved."

"But just the same, he'll know about it through Mr. Morris. And it won't be a bad thing for Wade to know that Marybeth is neither penniless nor without connections."

Hope you're enjoying it so far…more to come!