Author's Note: I want to give a shout out to all the People who have left reviews Thank You so much it means a lot to me that you have enjoyed these stories. It's the reason after twenty years I came back and finished it. So much has changed since I started down the W or M road, the Yahoo groups have been taken away from us but at least we still have ff net around to share our stories.
Please leave a review let me know how you liked the end of the road for W or M journey.
SW,
Chapter Five: The Epilogue
Being at Tara was something Rhett had gotten use to over the years as his money was sunk into the former Plantation, now at days it was a large working farm. The main house was if Rhett had to give a guess in better shape than it had ever been. It was white as Scarlett always demanded, he had jokingly offered to have it painted black once, and she hadn't spoken to him for two whole days until she had finally cooled down.
They had added an entire new wing onto the house for their growing family. Wade was in Scarlett's old bedroom, wanting to have a little distance from his younger sisters. Gerald Butler known as Gerry, their eleven-year-old son and eldest together, had begged to be able to share Wade's room, wanting away from his little sisters as well.
Rhett hadn't given in to his son's cries, Wade was becoming a man and at the age of sixteen needed his own space away from the nursey floor. Gerry would be getting his own room soon enough, another year in the nursing wouldn't hurt the boy. He had too much of his parents in him, and Rhett wasn't sure what he would be getting up too if they let him board in another part of the house just yet.
Wade was a responsible young man who in a few short years would be leaving them for college. He wanted to study law as his Father had, mostly Rhett thought it was just something Wade felt he had to do to honor the Hamilton family. His Uncle Henry would send for Wade a few weeks every summer to show him the ropes of being a lawyer. Wade was expected to go to Law School, Rhett hated that and wasn't going to force him to go if he didn't want to.
Wade though wanted to go, to carry on his family's name. But Rhett knew the boy would more than likely end up back at Tara, running the farm with a law degree. Perhaps he was wrong through and Wade would make a great lawyer and love practicing the law. It wasn't beyond expectations that Wade could both run Tara and practices law.
Gerry Butler so far did not show the love of Tara that both his Mother and older Brother did. He loved running around the former Plantation and getting into all type of mischief. He was indeed his Father's son, if it wasn't for the years between them, you would promise they were twins. The only difference Gerry had from his Father was he had inherited his Mother's green eyes. He did not want to learn about farming at all. He liked playing cards, which Rhett had taught him when he was four, just to pass the time on a train trip they had taken to visit with Rhett's Mother.
Gerry was taking after his Father and namesake grandfather with his love of cards. He would beg both men to play a hand with him all day long. He even got his Uncle Will to play with him a few times just to get the young boy to shut up about it.
Will Benteen had been a Cracker before the war, but had shown up at Tara during the time after the War when the soldiers were making their way home. He was a good worker and never complained about anything, although he was left with a wooden peg for one leg. Before the war he never would have married one of the O'Hara daughters, they were too far above his class. But things changed after the war, there were not enough men who returned.
Suellen marrying Will came as a surprise to the household of Tara at first. They became engaged when Gerry was a year old, right after Carren had left for the Convent. Everyone knew that Will was sweet on Carren for the longest time. But the young woman had her heart set on becoming a Nun, Mr O'Hara even in his state of mind did not want his youngest to become a Nun. But Carren would not hear a word against it. So off she went to the Convent.
Suellen had been heartbroken by Frank Kennedy, and everyone knew she just wanted a husband of her own. So the pair married and seemed happy, as a wedding present Rhett had a small house built for them on the other end of Tara. So the two O'Hara sisters remaining at Tara did not have to see each other every day. It made both sisters very happy to have time away from each other.
Suellen and Will have two daughters and were expecting again, hopefully this time Will would get the son he so wanted.
Rhett found Will to be a good man who was hardworking, and he didn't mind his sons' to be around their Uncle, he was hoping some of that would rub off on Gerry, but it had not yet. Wade enjoyed learning how to work the fields from his Uncle Will.
Scarlett also got along well with Will, way better than she did with Suellen. The two of them could set down in the office at Tara to talk about what needed doing they would agree or sometimes argue, but they got everything sorted out. Will respected Scarlett, he listened to her, only spoke up if he didn't think her ideas had merit. Rhett couldn't help but think that respect they both had for each other was born when they worked the fields of Tara together after the war.
Suellen treated them both we cool disinterest since her marriage, before that she wined to Scarlett all the time about how unfair it had been for the Butler's to have kept their marriage secret and cause Mr. Kennedy to abandon her. If there was one person Suellen disliked above her sister in brother-in-law, it was her former love. She had never forgiven the man for breaking her heart. When news of his death came, Suellen had almost smiled claiming to Mammy, who then told Scarlett that Suellen had said that Frank would have still be alive if he had married her. Not out on the street so late at night returning from his store to get robbed. He would have been home with his family instead of a bachelor.
Rhett had been so relived when Scarlett had agreed to leave Tara for a few months every year. As soon as Gerry had been six months old, they had taken their first trip. Rhett would have liked to go across the ocean, but Gerry had still been too little at the point, so they settle for visiting his Mother in Charleston. Will was left in charge of Tara for the few months they were gone, they took Prissy with them as a nurse mate. Mammy would not leave her younger two lambs unchaperoned, with Will coming in and out of the house.
Melanie Wilkes and Beau had also departed Tara the same time as their first trip away. But she was going up north to join Ashley, he had settled in and had gotten them an apartment to live in. Ashley it seemed was a better banker than a field hand. Melanie always wrote along with her and Beau visits. From her letters they learned the Wilkes had brought a small house and were happy mostly. Melanie did dislike living in the north. Which is why she visited Tara and Atlanta every year. Ashley could not make the trips, so it was only Mother and son.
Every time Scarlett wrote of her additional pregnancies, Melanie made sure to come stay to help with delivering the babies and for Scarlett's recovery. The two were still close, Scarlett hated writing letters, but for Melanie she would bear it. Rhett chuckled at that thought, how far Scarlett had come from hating Melanie Wilkes to loving her dearly.
Those two even with the distance still were as close as sisters, well closer than Scarlett was to any of her blood sisters. And it was because of this closeness that Melanie was coming to visit with them, but also because Rhett had written Mr. Wilkes and asked if Melanie would stay a few weeks longer than she usually did. If she were wiling to watch over the Butler children for those few weeks?
Ashley had replied that Melanie would love to spend more time with her nephews and nieces. So with that information in hand, Rhett got to working on the long overdue Honeymoon, he and Scarlett had never taken. It was always something that came up, and they couldn't leave Tara without the children with them.
One of the most often reasons being there was no one there to watch all of them. If it was just Wade, Rhett knew Mammy could take care of that young man just fine. But not his three rascals, they were always up to something. Well, his little Bonnie mostly just wanted all the attention in a room and would throw a tantrum if she didn't receive it. She had gotten better with sharing attention with her siblings, because Rhett wasn't going to ignore his other children to please her. Scarlett was of the notion that Bonnie needed a spanking for that behavior, and he had to keep an eye out for that.
Scarlett had said she had been spanked by Mammy a few times when she was younger, and it did her all the good. Of course Mammy only spanked her because Mr. O'Hara had told the older woman too, he couldn't force himself to spank his little girl. Mrs. O'Hara only had to look to disappoint in Scarlett, and it made Scarlett feel worse than a spanking ever could.
Bonnie took after her Mother in that respect and cried her eyes out if Scarlett looked cross at her. For that reason alone, Scarlett had never spanked her daughter.
Their youngest, who had just two three Katherine nickname Cat, was into everything she loved being outside with her older boy Gerry. She would follow him around everywhere, and he was teaching her to play cards, something Rhett kept warning his son not to do.
But that boy, oh if one of their children need spanking, it was definitely Gerry. He thought he was his own boss and would not listen to anyone. Scarlett rarely ever saw any fault with her younger son, she thought all the things he did were amusing.
His wife would just laugh and tell him she was sure that Rhett himself acted the same way as a child. Of course, he had, but that didn't mean he wanted Gerry acting that way. Rhett knew from beyond the grave his Father was laughing at him. It was not easy to handle a Butler boy.
It was not easy to handle a Butler girl, thought Scarlett O'Hara Butler. Who's two daughters were like night and day. And both looks and temperament. One was everything a little girl should be, Bonnie loved shopping and dressing in the prettiest dresses she could fit in. She looked in all the world like a mini Scarlett with her grandfather's blue eyes. The other Cat hated dresses with a passion, if she could, Scarlett knew she would rather wear britches. She had once caught the youngster trying on a pair of her brother Gerry's pants, thank goodness they were too big for her. In looks she took after her Father, but Cat like her older brother Gerry had gotten her Mother's green eyes.
Scarlett just hoped Cat grew out of her hatred of dresses soon. It was an everyday battle to get the little girl dressed. Mammy and she were each taking turns having to dress the girl. Bonnie was just so easy to get dressed, she loved looking her best. Cat hated to stand still for any length of time, brushing her hair was also a nightmare. Of course, Rhett did not see this, all he saw was his baby girl wanting to play outside with her brothers.
Scarlett knew she had her work cut out for her in the future to get Cat to become a proper young lady.
Bonnie, while was all girl, she was also very spoiled by her Father who let the little girl have anything she wanted. All she had to do was pout her lip out and Rhett would buy her whatever dress, doll, candy she wanted.
And whenever Rhett had to tell his little angel 'No' she threw tantrums that would break your eardrums. Scarlett had tried to spank her once over it and Rhett would not allow it. He had threatened to spank her instead if she touched his angel child.
Scarlett had tried to explain to Rhett more than once that a spanking would not harm Bonnie. She wasn't going to abuse the little girl, she just thought a slap or two on the little girl's bottom might stop her tantrums.
Scarlett herself had been given a few spankings during her childhood and was fine. Mammy had not hurt her, just a late tap really to get her attention. It had worked somewhat, Scarlett learned which behavior she could get away with and what was not allowed.
The only good thing Scarlett learned from Bonnie's tantrums were that if she spoke up to the little girl, Bonnie would stop, not wanting to disappoint her Mother. Scarlett had been shocked by this, to know her little girl looked up to her had put a smile on Scarlett's face to brighten the room up.
Scarlett had never thought about her daughters looking up to her, as she had to her own Mother before that. Now though she knew that at least Bonnie did, and she wanted to keep that. It was wonderful knowing her child wanted to be like you.
Unless you were Rhett Butler and you did not want your son to be like you. Scarlett had to laugh at that thought. Poor Gerry, he could just do no right in his Father's eyes. The boy was so much like his Father and why Rhett found fault with that Scarlett did not know.
Wade of course was the best behaved child they had. Scarlett thought perhaps that was why Rhett was so hard on Gerry. Because Wade listened to Rhett, they could talk and Rhett would even take Wade on business trips with him. They had a close father-son relationship, one that Scarlett hoped would start to include Gerry.
It wasn't fair to Gerry that he was trapped still on the nursery floor away from his brother who he looked up to so much. Scarlett had tried to talk Rhett into letting Gerry have his own room by Wade's, but he would not hear of it.
"That boy would be running to Jonesboro and back before we would know he was even gone"
In all fairness, Gerry did like to run around Tara all the time, but so had Scarlett when she was younger. Cat was his tag along, the two got along so well, Gerry adored his baby sister. Bonnie and Gerry did not get along very well. Gerry loved to tease Bonnie and steal her dolls, when he wasn't playing cards.
He had even talked Scarlett herself into playing a few hands with him from time to time. She just could not tell her baby boy no. Cat who couldn't read yet was getting pretty good at cards through. Scarlett knew Rhett did not want his baby girl playing, but she didn't see the harm in it. Besides, it kept the little girl from mudding and tearing her dresses all up.
Scarlett knew Rhett was planning something, he always got a certain look in his eyes when he was. Usually it was something he wanted to surprise her or one of the children with. Why he just could not tell her when it was for the children, Scarlett never understood.
Sometimes she felt he wanted to surprise her as much as the children with their gifts, or he just didn't want her approval of his gifts. Like how he had brought all the children ponies when they turned three, Cat loved hers, but more for a companion to play with then ride. Bonnie loved riding and would live on her saddle all day if Scarlett would let her. But the little girl refused to learn to ride sidesaddle, because Gerry did not have to ride that way.
And no matter how many times Rhett and Mammy explain why Gerry did not have to ride sidesaddle, and she did, Bonnie would not budge on the topic. So Rhett had instead of letting Bonnie ride on her pony started taking her on carriage rides. Bonnie now was demanding to learn to drive a carriage herself.
Gerry thought the whole thing was hilarious and egged Bonnie on, telling her he did not blame her about the whole sidesaddle issue. Wade of course tried to get Bonnie to listen, but all she did with her oldest brother was batted her eyes at him, and Wade just couldn't be too firm with his little sister. Not with something like sidesaddle.
Wade could be firm, if he thought any of his younger siblings were doing something dangerous, he would be the first to either stop them or tell on them. He took being the oldest serious and showed his siblings a lot of love. Scarlett knew he got his good nature from his Aunt Melanie, for Wade showed no jealousy of his younger siblings. In fact, Wade tried to get Rhett to be less strict on Gerry.
Wade was sometimes too good to be true, Scarlett was sure there had to be some of her in him. She was just waiting until it came out one day. He had to be selfish in something, it made no sense if he wasn't.
What Scarlett couldn't see was that Wade was selfish all right, but it was with his family. He loved them beyond anything, and would not allow anyone to hurt them. Wade had the courage of his Mother and the heart of his Aunt Melanie. And the charm he learned from his Uncle Rhett.
Scarlett's days were filled with running, Tara, trying to keep track of all four of her children. Not to mention keeping an eye on her Father, Gerald O'Hara's mind still refused to accept the death of his Wife. He had come over time to remember Rhett and Will as his sons-in-law and the additional grandchildren, but nothing else.
Scarlett always tried to keep Pork with her Pa, she did not trust him to not try to jump that fence again. The last time he did he was thrown from the horse and broke his arm, thank goodness it hadn't been his neck. Bonnie, who had been following after her grandfather on her pony, had been scared silly and cried for hours, thanking her Grandfather was going to die.
That had stopped the little girl from wanting to jump herself. Which Scarlett counted as a blessing, she did not need to worry about more than one person getting hurt or killed jumping. She was relieved that Wade and Gerry did not find having their horses jumping fences fun.
But Scarlett's nights they were filled with the most delightful loving from Rhett. He was always so passionate. The days might be for her family, but Scarlett knew her nights belonged solely for her husband. Not long after Rhett had moved into Tara, a new door handle with a lock had to be installed on their bedroom door. It was not used until Gerry was five months old and spent some nights in the nursery.
That's not to say they had not been intimate before after the Doctor had given her the all clear. But it was different when they did not have to worry about a baby waking up. It was even better than their short honeymoon. Rhett's kisses seemed to make the whole world disappear, and all Scarlett's troubles seem just forgotten.
That's not to say over the years they haven't fought, oh they had many times. But the making up was just so much fun. Of course, that only came after all of their angry had been spent. Scarlett knew that she was usually was madder longer at Rhett than he even was at her. She tried not to be, but sometimes that man could just say the rudest, silliest things, that seem to just set her temper off.
Scarlett sometimes promised he did it on purpose just to see her Irish flare up. Rhett could be so hard to understand at times. He spoiled them all rotten, but yet he expected them to all behavior as if they weren't. Only Wade passed that test if it was one of Rhett's.
Scarlett's mind wondered to what she and her husband would be doing together tonight. She couldn't help but sigh and take a big breath, imagining being in her husband's arms, and having him all to herself for the whole night.
Not having to share Rhett's attention with anyone else, that brought a smile to Scarlett's face. She did not like having to share Rhett, but one could not ban a Father from spending time with his children. Besides, if they weren't with Rhett then they were wandering all over Tara, getting into all types of trouble.
Just last week, Gerry had tried talking his namesake into taking him into Jonesboro . To do what, Scarlett wasn't sure, she was just glad she had caught them before they could leave. If it had been Rhett who have caught them, she was sure his stance on spanking would have changed.
Scarlett had let the topic slip her mind when she was with her husband. She had told Will though to keep an eye out for the two Gerald's not to be allowed out by themselves or with Cat tagging along. The work of a Mother was never done.
"Rhett" Scarlett uttered as she entered their bedroom, happy to be on a floor without children. The last hour spent trying to locate Gerry and Cat, who had decided hide and seek before bed was a great idea. Also, Scarlett had kept Rhett in the dark about said game, because she knew Gerry would be in a world of trouble from his Father if he did not appear when he called for him.
So Scarlett, Wade, Mammy and even Bonnie had spent the hour looking for the two little troublemakers. Finally, finding them in the nursery of all places, Gerry reading Cat a book, a book Scarlett had thought she had taken and hidden in her bedroom from Gerry a few days ago.
The book had been taken from Gerry because he would rather read it than do the lessons his tutor wanted him to do. He must have sneaked into her room and gotten the book early today, because Scarlett was sure it had been there this morning.
Rhett looked up from their bed he was laying on, from a book he had been reading, looking all the in the world like Gerry had when she found him a few minutes early.
"So you found the kids at last?" Rhett asked, laughing as he saw the shocked look on Scarlett face from his question. "Did you really think you could keep the secret of Gerry and Cat missing from me, my Pet?"
Scarlett bite her bottom lip, not knowing how to answer that without Rhett coming out on top of that conversation. So she just walked towards her walk in closet to get her nightgown and other things she needed to get ready for bed.
"Come now, you can tell me. Did it really take you an hour to find our two wayward children?" Rhett egged on. Hoping this would teach Scarlett a lesson in not keeping things from him. Especially things concerning their children and their whereabouts.
Scarlett with her nightgown in hand walked out of her closet. Now, instead of shock on her face, a look of anger replaced it.
"They were up here with you the entire time, weren't they?" she accused her husband, who just smiled in respond. "Why didn't you let us know, the whole house had been searching for them"
"Why didn't you let me know they were missing?" Rhett answered back with.
Scarlett opened and closed her mouth, knowing she did not have a good excuse for not telling her husband. But she tried anyway with "I didn't want to worry you, knowing it was just a silly game"
"Nice try my Pet" Rhett stated as he got off the bed and walked towards her, "Why don't you try telling me the truth this time"
"How do you know that isn't the truth" Scarlett offered back, smiling her most southern belle grin. "You are getting up there in years Rhett, I didn't want to give your heart such a scare"
"Is that so?" Rhett asked, trying not to laugh at Scarlett ridiculous reply. "It had nothing to do with you wanting to keep Gerry from getting into trouble again?"
"Of course not" Scarlett said, playing with the nightgown in her hands to keep from looking into Rhett's eyes. He always could tell when she was lying if she looked him into his dark, dreamy eyes.
"You're still a terrible lair, my dear" Rhett retorted as he took the nightgown from her hands. "Gerry doesn't need you trying to protect him from me"
"But Rhett" Scarlett started but was interrupted by Rhett leaning down to kiss her making all her thoughts on defining Gerry gone with the wind.
Pulling back, Rhett silently laughed at the pout Scarlett gave him as she leaned up to try to claim his lips again. She was more a temptress than any mistress could ever be. First, before he gave in to his Wife's demands, Rhett had to get his point across.
"I want a promise right now from you, Scarlett" Rhett demanded, "That you will not keep things about the children from me"
Scarlett pulled away from Rhett, looking so much like Bonnie. When she was not getting her way, he had to force himself not to smile. It was times like these, Rhett knew why he did not have time for any other women in his life. His Wife and daughters kept him extremely busy.
Rhett had feared after Gerry was born and before Bonnie came to be that he would grow tired of just being a one woman man. Scarlett herself had asked him once why he had never taken a Mistress on her. He had just laughed and told her he had, it was just she also happened to be his Wife. Scarlett had not found that respond funny at all.
Because there were still those in Atlanta who believed that Scarlett truly had been his Mistress before they were married. The good people of Atlanta still gave him the cold shoulder most of the time, but Scarlett was received along with the children. Miss PittyPat let them visit and even help her out financially from time to time.
"Scarlett, I'm waiting for you to promise" Rhett said, knowing getting her to keep her word once given had improved with time. If she promised him, she would keep it. The problem was going to be getting her to promise in the first place. Rhett thought as he noticed Scarlett start to unbutton her dress.
"Really Rhett, is that important right now" Scarlett asked as she slowly unbuttoned a few more buttons, "Wouldn't you rather help me get undressed for the night?"
God help him, this woman was going to be the death of him, Rhett thought. Taking a deep breath he replied slowly as he walked towards his wife "You know I would my love, but first the promise"
"Ugh" Scarlett screamed as she pushed pass Rhett into her dressing room.
Rhett couldn't help but laugh at his Wife antics, only she would try to seduce him in order to get the topic of her promising not keep things from him about their children dropped. He laughed again when Scarlett appeared a few minutes later in her nightgown, looking ready to kill him.
It didn't look like he would be getting any loving tonight, so he got into his side of the bed under the covers and waited for Scarlett to join him. It took a few minutes and Scarlett's pout grew wider, but she finally got into bed with him.
Dimming the lamp, Rhett turned to Scarlett and whispered "Goodnight"
Scarlett looked defeated for a moment then turned her head to Rhett gently and said "I promise to tell you if the children are missing again. But you have to promise me the same thing"
Rhett opened his mouth to remind Scarlett that wasn't what he had wanted her to promise too. But seeing the look on her face he knew that was the best he was going to get this evening, so as any smart man would, he took the deal.
"Of course my dear, I promise as well" they then sealed their promises with a kiss that was more passionate than their early kiss had been. When they parted, Scarlett whispered, "I've missed you all day"
"Let me make that up to you, my pet" Rhett replied before kissing her again and all thoughts of anything but each other forgotten. Yes, their marriage was going to be a long, happy one, Rhett knew as he closed his eyes that night. He was so glad he had taken Scarlett up on her offer of marriage. It was the best deal he had ever made.
The End.