Rhett looked down at his wife's bare back. He still couldn't believe that this intoxicating creature was finally his after all of these years. He took his index finger and traced it down her spine. She gave a soft sigh at his touch. He leaned down and placed small kisses on her shoulder blades. She rolled over and her sparkling green eyes met his. She wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him closer to her. Rhett gently placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her away from him. He had tried to be patient with her; letting her come to him with her story as soon as she felt ready. However, they were almost a week into their journey to England and Rhett could tell she was not going to tell him what happened at the mill without him prompting her to do so. Scarlett must have been able to tell by the look on his face that her time was up. She tried to roll back over, but Rhett held her in place.

"Scarlett…"

Scarlett took a deep breath. "Things between Ashley and I have been different ever since he came back from the war. It was shortly after he returned that I realized I loved you and not him. I never told him that my feelings changed but he could tell."

Slowly, Scarlett told Rhett the day at the mill. By the time she finished her story, she was crying hysterically. Rhett pulled her into his embrace and held her while her body was wracked with sobs. She could feel the tension in Rhett's body. She wondered if he was wishing that he had just gone ahead and killed Ashley before they left Atlanta. Scarlett wanted Ashley to suffer, but she didn't want Melanie to have to suffer too. The emotional turmoil took its toll on Scarlett and she fell asleep in Rhett's arms.

Rhett held onto Scarlett long after she went to sleep. He was rigid with anger. He had suspected something like this but he wouldn't allow himself to fully believe it until he heard it directly from her. He should have called the little gentleman out the night he followed him to the saloon. Rhett knew he had "associates" that would take care of Ashley for a small fee. All Rhett would have to do is write the necessary letters when he got to England. But Rhett didn't know if he wanted anyone else to handle this situation for him. He knew letting someone else do the deed would keep him from hanging in the gallows but he felt the need to be the one to dole out punishment to Wilkes. He was fond of Miss Melly and thought that she was one of the greatest ladies that he had ever met. But Miss Melly was deserving of a much better husband than Ashley. Rhett knew that Scarlett was afraid of the hardship that Melanie and Beau would face if Melanie was widowed; but Rhett could ensure that they went on live comfortable lives.

During the day, Scarlett, the children and Mammy took in the sights that London had to offer. They went to Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Big Ben. Scarlett and Mammy laughed at Wade's discomfort at visiting London Bridge. He was afraid that it would crumble under their feet. Scarlett enjoyed the shops and sights of London so much she wished that they never had to return. Scarlett was happy that Mammy seemed to be warming up to Rhett as well. Of course, Mammy kept the act up that she didn't like him. She still refused to call him anything but Cap'n Butler but Scarlett caught Mammy smiling at Rhett when she thought no one was looking. Mammy was beginning to realize that he wasn't nearly as unmannered as everybody said he was. Mammy figured anyone that could treat her lamb and her lamb's children so well couldn't be that bad.

Rhett and Scarlett's nights were filled with trying to make up for lost time. Scarlett knew that being married to Rhett would be different than her first two marriages; but she was surprised by how much different it was. She thoroughly enjoyed being married to Rhett. He made her forget all of the hardships she had endured since the end of the war. She had always held always withheld affections from Frank as much as possible but she didn't think she would ever tire of having Rhett in her bed.

One afternoon Rhett took Scarlett to Harrods department store. They found themselves in the jewelry department.

"Scarlett, let me buy you a diamond ring. I feel bad that I didn't have one for you when I proposed."

"Oh, Rhett, it's silly to get one now that we're already…." Scarlett didn't finish her sentence because the most beautiful ring she had ever seen caught her attention. It was a large diamond surrounded by emeralds. "Rhett, it's beautiful!"

Rhett leaned in so the sales person couldn't hear their conversation. "Scarlett, it's too large. It's almost vulgar."

"I don't care. I love it. Please, Rhett?" Rhett gave in when he saw how Scarlett's eyes sparkled as she glanced at the ring. He truly thought the ring was awful but he would do anything in the world to make her happy. The ring was so large it almost came to Scarlett's knuckle. The ring made her so giddy; she practically danced back to their hotel room. When they returned to the hotel, Rhett informed Mammy that he and Scarlett were not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.

Scarlett laughed when Rhett told her that her ostentatious ring was the only thing she was permitted to wear for the rest of the day. She happily obliged as he helped her undress. As she lay on the bed, she looked from her beautiful new ring into Rhett's dark eyes.

"Rhett, I want to do something to make you happy," she said shyly.

"I'm already happy."

"I know… But I want to do something special…For you." After noticing how brightly Scarlett was blushing, Rhett finally understood. Rhett whispered his suggestion into her ear. Scarlett's eyes went wide, he hadn't thought his wife could blush deeper than she was but he was wrong.

"I don't know what to do, Rhett."

"I'll guide you." Rhett rolled onto his back and instructed Scarlett to sit on the bed between his thighs. Rhett laid back and taught his wife how to please him with her mouth. Rhett gasped as she tentatively sucked and licked at his manhood. She sat back and looked at him with a little bit of fear in her eyes.

"Was that wrong?" She asked him in a whisper.

"No," Gently he guided her head back down. Several minutes later Rhett grabbed a handkerchief off of the bedside table and wrapped in around himself. Scarlett looked at him in confusion. Rhett hadn't wanted to frighten her by ejaculating in her mouth. He pulled Scarlett to him and cuddled her to his side. She drew lazy circles around his nipples.

"I was terrible, wasn't I?"

Rhett let out a hearty chuckle. "My pet, there is nothing in this world that you are terrible at." Rhett and Scarlett spent the rest of the evening locked away from the rest of the world.

In Georgia

Ashley sat on a barstool in what had become his favorite seedy little bar. He tried to recall if he had even bothered to go into work today. He wasn't sure. He wasn't entirely sure what time of day it was now; it might still be morning for all he knew. It probably didn't matter if he went to work or not; once The Butlers returned from England he was sure to lose his job anyway. He figured it wouldn't be like when Frank was Scarlett's husband; but Ashley didn't really want to think about Frank.

Two men entered the saloon and sat on either side of Ashley. Ashley looked the men over. They were rough looking, obviously not gentlemen. Fear pooled in the pit of Ashley's stomach. He tried to slide off of his stool; when one of the men clamped a hand down on his shoulder.

"What's the rush, Mr. Wilkes?" Ashley vaguely wondered how they knew his name.

"I need to get home to my family." One of the men chuckled.

"Not just yet, Mr. Wilkes, the night is still young." The man asked the barkeep to bring them all a round of drinks. The three men sat in silence drinking for several rounds.

"A mutual friend of ours isn't very happy with you at the moment, Mr. Wilkes."

"No he ain't."

"I'm guessing this friend is Captain Butler?"

"Butler? Never heard of him. You heard of him, Hugo?"

"Nope, never heard of him." Ashley nodded his head but who else would send these two men after him?

"Well, tell our friend that I'm sorry." Again Ashley tried to get up from his stool. Again he was held down.

"I'm afraid you can't leave just yet, Mr. Wilkes." The two men finished their drinks and roughly escorted Ashley outside to the alley behind the saloon. The named Hugo held Ashley back by both arms while the other one punched Ashley in the stomach.

"Our mutual friend suggests that you leave town, Mr. Wilkes."

"And if I refuse?" The next punch landed on Ashley's nose, making blood spew everywhere.

"You can do as you please, Mr. Wilkes. But a friendly piece of advice? He's not a good man to cross, our mutual friend." The man punched Ashley yet again in the stomach. After the blow was delivered, Hugo let Ashley go. Ashley fell in a heap and lay in the dark alley for several minutes. When he no longer felt as if he were going to vomit, he got up on his feet and staggered down the street.

Melanie watched out her front window for her husband to return home. He left earlier in the morning for work than he usually did so she wasn't sure that he was even really going to work. Melanie felt terrible about asking Scarlett to give Ashley a job. Melanie didn't like to think badly about her husband but she felt as if he was running Scarlett's business into the ground. Everything seemed to have fallen apart since they came back to Atlanta. But Melanie knew that wasn't quite right. Everything seemed to be fine up until a few days before Frank disappeared. Melanie had a sick feeling that her husband's strange behavior, Scarlett's sudden coolness towards her, India's sudden departure and Frank's death were somehow all tied together. She tried to push the thought from her mind. Melanie wasn't able to believe in evil in anyone she loved. There had to be another explanation; she wouldn't let herself believe otherwise. She walked out to the front porch and looked the street up and down. She wondered where Ashley could possibly be.

Rhett decided to put his business on hold for a few weeks to take the family to Ireland. As Scarlett roamed around County Meath, she could easily envision a young Gerald O'Hara running the streets creating mischief. She stood on the hills of the real Tara and she understood why her father had named his plantation after it. The hills of Tara filled her with the same vitality that her Georgian Tara filled her with. She looked at the faces of people she passed on the streets and wondered if any of them were her kinfolks.

As their time in England drew to a close, Scarlett was nervous about returning to Atlanta. She didn't know what Rhett was going to do to Ashley. She didn't believe that he would leave him alone. She didn't think that Rhett would enjoy living in the country. She hadn't like Charleston very much when she visited when she was younger but maybe living there with Rhett would be different. Rhett could make living anywhere exciting.

"Rhett, where are we going to live when we get back?"

"I assumed you would want to go back to Atlanta."

"Oh."

"You don't want to go back? What about your mills? The store? Tara?"

"I don't know, Rhett. I just don't know if I can face Atlanta."

"You mean Ashley? He's not going to be a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"I think he will have enough sense to leave my wife alone." Scarlett gave him a suspicious look but let the subject drop.

"Well, not just him but the Old Guard too." Rhett laughed.

"You weren't concerned about them before we left."

"I know, Rhett, I was just in such a hurry to get away from all of the gossip and all the unpleasantness with Frank I didn't give it a second thought."

"I've already purchased a lot on Peachtree Street, but if you'd like me to sell it I can."

"Oh, Rhett, you're going to build us a house?!" Rhett chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"I was going to but I could just as easily build you one somewhere else."

Scarlett wrapped her arms around Rhett. "You'll always keep me safe?"

"Always."

"Build me a house that will make everyone pea green with envy."

A few weeks later, the Butler family boarded the ship that would take them back to the United States. The closer the ship came to America Scarlett's feeling of impending doom grew larger and larger.