Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Forty-Eight

During the next week, Rhett had gone out to a saloon to play cards. It had a brothel attached to it. There were a lot of Yankee soldiers in the establishment. Rhett didn't mind playing poker with them. Their money was as good as anyone else's. Furthermore, unlike most Southerners, they actually had enough money to be able to risk some of it in a poker game.

Rhett liked the madame that ran the establishment. Her name was Mamie. He liked her because she didn't like him. She had been one of the few women who had taken an instant dislike to him.

Rhett had once asked Mamie, "Why do you dislike me?"

"Because you are a member of the rich planter's class. You never had to work a day in your life."

"Yes, my father owned a plantation, but I left that life when I was twenty-two and made my own way in the world. I never took any handouts."

"Yet you knew in the back of your mind that you could always run back home if you needed to, and they would gladly take you back in."

"Maybe not gladly but you are right they would take me in."

"I was thirteen when my father threw me out of the house. He wanted to get rid of just another mouth to feed. As he said, 'I served no purpose in the household.' So, in order to feed myself I became a whore. At first, just to one man then he got tired of me. Don't pity me. I have worked damn hard for everything that I have now. I own this saloon and brothel. I had a commodity that people were willing to pay for, so I sold it to anyone who had my asking price. Man or woman." When Rhett's eyes widen, she said, "Actually, women pay much better than men and they are actually concerned about their partner's pleasure. At least, for that moment."

"I'm not pitying you. That is admiration you see on my face. If this is all yours, you have every right to be proud especially if you started off with nothing."

"Thank you."

Since that night, Rhett believed that Mamie had developed a begrudging respect for him. They had often talked about the war, New Orleans, her business, and where the best place to invest her money was. He like talking to her because they just talked. There was no flirting involved. Therefore, he never felt guilty in regard to his talking with another woman. He didn't want to flirt with another woman, he knew he would feel disloyal to Scarlett. His wife who never questioned him about his nightly activities because she trusted him completely. She had every right to trust him completely because he would never betray her.

It occurred to Rhett that if anyone would know how to prevent making a child it would be a prostitute. Rhett had asked Orson how they were preventing having any more children and his friend had replied, "We aren't doing anything. We just haven't conceived a child since Homer. We had been married for about two years before Elise got with child. I guess she just isn't that fertile."

That night after Rhett finished playing poker, he walked up to the bar and said to Mamie, "I have a question that I hope you can answer."

"Go on."

"Is there any other way I can prevent my wife from getting with child except by wearing a condom?"

"There is no method that is one hundred percent. I have heard the most effective method is the pull-out method after wearing a condom."

"Pull-out method?"

"You pull yourself out before you spew."

"That sounds tough."

"It is, so I have heard. She can douche herself with water and vinegar, but she has to do it right away. You know during that time right afterwards while you two are all lovey-dovey."

"I don't think we would like that one."

"There is the sponge method."

"Go on."

"You procure a fine sponge and cut a piece of it about the size of a walnut; then make a fine silk string by twisting some threads of sewing silk; tie one end of the string to the piece of the sponge; wet the sponge in a weak solution of sulphate of iron. This will kill the seed. Before the two of you get romantic, she needs to insert the piece of sponge far up into her person. It is completely out of the way. That is what most of the girls use."

"Is it successful?"

"Yes, but not completely. They still have to go see a doctor every now and then. There is no one hundred percent method except abstention."

"We aren't going to practice that."

Mamie laughed and said, "Any other questions?"

"No, not really."

"I have heard the most effective method is the pull-out method, but it only takes one oops for your wife to be with child again."

"Yes, that makes sense. I just don't think I could do that."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. Give me another whiskey."

Sure."

Later that night, Rhett told Scarlett everything he had found out. She said, "Abstention may be the only one hundred percent reliable method, but we aren't going to quit being intimate."

"No, we aren't. What do you want to do?"

"Do you think you could do the pull-out method?"

"Honestly, not every time. When we are being intimate, I can hardly think about anything but you and what we are doing."

"Then I guess that after the baby is born, we will try the sponge and iron thing. That one seems the least invasive. I don't want to get up and douche immediately afterwards."

"I don't want you to, either. If you get with child again, we can revisit the subject."

"A lot will depend on how quickly I get with child. I'm not opposed to having more children. I just don't want to have one every year. Of course, I wish I didn't have to go through the pain of labor."

"Alright, Honey."

"Kiss me and let's enjoy this time when I feel relatively good."

"You bet."

Robert had returned from the war. He was so glad to be home. Marshall gave his son a few days to come to terms with their new reality before he asked him, "Do you want to stay here or join Rhett in Galveston, Texas?"

Robert was stunned by the question. It had never occurred to him that he and his family might leave Charleston and South Carolina. Robert had said, "I don't know, Father. Let me think about it for a few days."

"Of course, but my opinion is that we will be better off in Galveston. Rhett will be able to set us up in a business. Maybe a sawmill or a general store. The days of us being men of leisure are behind us. We will have to work hard to support ourselves and our families."

"True. Give me a few days to think about it. What is Rosemary going to do?

"She will go with your mother and me."

"Will you go without me?"

"Probably."

"So, this is solely about what I want for my family."

"Yes, Son."

"Alright, Father."

Three days later, Robert said to Marshall, "There is nothing here for us. All the Southerners are going to be poor for a long time."

"It is really going to be a step down for all of us. We wouldn't even be able to afford to eat if Rhett hadn't sent your mother some money."

"With being in the same city as Rhett, it will make it easier for him to loan us money to get started."

"At this point, we can't even afford servants, so we are doing all the work around the townhouse ourselves."

"All the slaves ran off?"

"Yes. Except Mammy."

"Except Mammy! Why did she stay?"

"I think she stayed because she is old."

"How old is she?"

"I don't know for sure, but I would say in her early fifties. I bought her in twenty-seven when your mother was carrying Rhett. The man who sold her to me claimed she was sixteen, but I think she was really fourteen."

"Why would he lie about her age?"

"Because I had told him I needed a young girl to be a nursemaid for my child and he probably thought her being older would make her more sellable."

"Why did you keep her for so long?"

"All this time we have needed a nursemaid. First for you and Rhett then when you didn't need one anymore your mother found herself with child again. By the time Rosemary didn't need a nursemaid, Daphne had given birth to Bobby then there was Lizzie then Meg."

"We will have to take Mammy with us. She would starve if we abandoned her."

"Yes, she would. I will have your mother telegraph Rhett and tell him we are all coming."

"When will we leave?"

"Immediately."

"We can't leave immediately. Most of the train tracks around Atlanta and Columbia were destroyed."

"Then as soon as the train can take us to New Orleans or Galveston. Wherever Rhett is at the time."

"The train tracks might take some time to repair."

"No, the Yankees will get it done fast so they can transport their troops around. Although, we do have to wait for Rhett to wire us the money for the tickets."

"Why? Doesn't mother have some money that Rhett already sent her?"

"Yes, but we need that money for food and fabric to make new clothes. We also all need at least one pair of new shoes. All mine have holes in the soles."

Robert laughed. He said, "At least, you have shoes. You know I had to walk back to Charleston in my bare feet."

"Yes, I am so glad you survived the war."

"Me too."

Both men laughed. Marshall said, "Let's go tell your mother our plans."

"You tell Mother and I will tell Daphne. I would rather she heard it from me."

"Of course."

None of the women had been surprised at the decision to leave Charleston and South Carolina. In fact, they had been pleased. There was nothing for them in Charleston for them now except the stifling restrictions of a lost civilization.

Elizabeth went to Western Union and sent a telegram to Rhett. It said: We are moving to Galveston. Everyone is coming. We will come as soon as the tracks are cleared. Can you send me another twenty dollars for the train tickets? Also will you send me ten extra dollars to give to Scarlett's aunts.

Rhett had been in the family parlor when the telegram had arrived. After he read the telegram, he smiled. Yes, he would pay to get his family out of South Carolina. He would invest in his brother and his father. They would make the business a success because they would not want to be financially dependent on him. Just as Ashley and Gerald would not want to take a handout from him. His only concern was housing all those people. He paused for a moment and did the calculations. With his family joining them there would now be eighteen people in the household plus two Mammies. It was definitely going to be a full house.

Rhett smiled. He knew that his father, his brother, his father-in-law, and Ashley would be doing their best to not be dependent on him any longer than they had to be. He was going to tease Scarlett a little bit about her aunts.

Rhett found Scarlett. She was in the backyard with Melly. They were letting the boys play. Rhett noticed that Beau was pulling himself up. That was good. How old was the boy? Ten months? Yes, ten months. Rhett was glad the boy was so alert mentally.

The women had not noticed Rhett. That was not surprising. When Scarlett and Melanie were together, they were in their own little world. He was not jealous anymore. He had long ago come to terms with the fact that his wife loved her sister-in-law so very much. He had decided that Scarlett didn't love Melly more than him just in a different way.

Rhett listened to the women's conversation for just a moment. Melly said, "I finally got a letter from India."

"First one?"

"First one. Now that the war is over, we can start to correspond regularly."

"You can but India will not write you regularly. She is a poor correspondent. What did she have?"

"A boy. They named him John Yerkes."

"Nice."

"Believe it or not Aunt PittyPat and Honey are moving back to Atlanta."

"I'm glad we aren't living there."

"Me too."

The ladies both laughed. Then Scarlett saw Rhett and the smile she gave him made him feel like a million dollars. He knew then that she loved him best of all and she always would. Admittedly her love for him didn't make her be a better person but that was alright. He needed a wife that was selfish and self-centered. Then, he wouldn't run over her. Part of why he loved her so much was because she was as amoral as he was although they both pretended otherwise.

After the women both turned to look at Rhett, he waved the telegram. He said, "Good news, bad news, and even worse news."

Scarlett said, "Give me the good news first."

"My family is moving to Galveston with us."

"That is wonderful. Bad news."

"My family is moving to Galveston with us." At Scarlett's puzzled face, Rhett added, "More people to feed, more people to get to Galveston, more people to assign beds to, more people living in the house."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Rhett, you are so silly sometimes. We will make this work because we have no other choice. What is the worst news?"

"My mother is bringing her two oldest and dearest friends with her."

It took Scarlett a minute to figure out what Rhett meant by his statement. She then jumped up and she forcefully said, "When hell freezes over. Those old hags have hated me and Pa all my life. I will not open up my home to them."

Rhett burst out laughing and he finally said, "I guess you would prefer me just to send them a check each month."

"No, I will send them a check each month. I want them to know it is me that is giving them money. After all, I do have access to your checkbook."

Both Melly and Rhett were smiling at Scarlett. Her outburst had not surprised them in the least little bit.