Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. This is the last chapter then the epilogue. I guess I have gotten addicted to adding an epilogue to my stories.
Chapter Eighteen
Lulu James was beside herself with happiness. Working for the Butlers was easy work. She just had to do what Mammy told her to do. She had been a bit surprised that it had been Mr. Butler that had interviewed her but after being in the household for over a month she knew why he had been the one. She had never seen a man more involved with his children. He was much more involved than Mrs. Butler.
Most of the time Mrs. Butler behaved towards her children like all Lulu's employers had behaved towards their children. Mrs. Butler would have very little interaction with the children. Lulu guessed that was the way rich women acted. What was strange to her was Mrs. Butler would go through these periods where she was very involved with the children. She would even let the children hug her and kiss her which Lulu knew the woman didn't like. Lately though Lulu had seen Mrs. Butler spending time with her eldest son on a regular basis.
Lulu didn't care. She had a good job with a good salary and now she was getting to travel to England.
Once Rhett and Scarlett were back in London, they sent notes around to their friends. The invitation started rolling in. Not just for Rhett and Scarlett but for the children also. They had a second birthday party for Gerry.
While they were in London, Rhett did go talk to a doctor about new forms of preventatives. The doctor informed him of a surgical procedure that would render him sterile. Once the doctor explained the surgery, Rhett decided against it. He was not letting anyone cut him down there. He would rather use preventatives for the next twenty years.
Over the next week, Rhett watched as Scarlett kept getting increasingly miserable. Finally, he scheduled the surgery and had it done.
Rhett had told Scarlett all about the procedure and that the baby she was caring would be their last one. He had ended his explanation by saying, "I will not be completely sterile for ninety days after the surgery."
Scarlett had looked at Rhett with doubt written all over her face. Finally, she said, "I certainly hope so."
Rhett had the surgery done at the end of September the day after Gerry's second birthday just in case he had to stay in bed because of the pain. He did take a few spoonfuls of Laudanum over the first couple of days and he was in some pain for the next couple of weeks, but he knew it was nothing compared to how much pain Scarlett was in. Best of all he would not have to practice coitus interrupts ever again.
Around the first of November Scarlett said, "Let's talk about names."
"Alright."
"If it is a boy, do you have someone you want to name him after?
"Yes, my grandfather. Alexander."
"Alexander Rhett"
"We already used Rhett."
"We can use it again. You won't let me give one of our sons your name as a first name therefore I insist we give them both your name as their middle name."
Rhett smiled and said, "Alright, Sweetheart. I have no women I would want to name my daughter after."
"Not even your mother."
"Absolutely not my mother! How about Katie Scarlett? We can call her Katie."
"Thank you, Dear. I would be honored but how about Katie Solange. That way I can honor both my grandmothers," When Scarlett saw Rhett's questioning look, she continued, "Pa's mother was named Katie Scarlett and Mother's mother was named Solange.
"Ah. Wonderful idea."
On November sixteenth Rhett got the best birthday present. He got another daughter who look more like him than she looked like Scarlett although there was still no doubt who her mother was. She had the O'Hara blue eyes also. So far, Ellen and Gerry had retained their blue eyes.
Rhett had been in the nursery when Mammy had brought the baby to him. Mammy had said, "It is a girl, Mr. Rhett."
"And Scarlett?"
"Is just fine. I gots to go she will be wanting her meal in no time."
"Yes, she will. Children let me introduce you to your baby sister. Her name is Katie Solange Butler."
Later that night as Scarlett laid sleeping next to Rhett, he counted up the number of days since his surgery. It was fifty days. Scarlett would not be able to play for six weeks which was forty-two days. He smiled really big. Fifty and forty-two was ninety-two. No more using preventatives. Ever.
Scarlett and Rhett had a fourth birthday party for Ellen, celebrated Christmas, had a ninth birthday party for Wade, had a really good time on February fourteenth, then sailed out of London on their way to New York. With the family on the ship was Mammy, Alice, and Lulu.
As Rhett and Scarlett were walking on deck one night, she said, "I think we will have to hire another nursemaid."
"I agree. Mammy has certainly slowed down in this last year."
"She is not a young lady."
"No, she's not. When we leave Georgia, we may need to leave her behind."
"It will be her choice."
"Of course, Dear."
After they docked in New York, Scarlett sent a note to Melly telling her they had arrived. She had already written Melly with her expected arrival date and what hotel they would be staying at. They were staying at The Plaza again. They liked it because it was close to Central Park. They would have supper with the Wilkes the next night. Depending on how long it took Rhett to get a private car, they hoped to attend an opera. They would take the children to the menagerie again.
Melanie got hugs from all the children and insisted on holding Katie all throughout the meal. No one argued with her. If Melly wasn't holding her Rhett would so it didn't matter to Scarlett. Towards the end of the meal Ashley looked at Rhett and said, "We want to move back to Atlanta. All our family live there. Melly's aunt and uncle aren't getting any younger. With the experience I now have I am confident I can get another job in the banking industry."
Scarlett said, "That would be wonderful."
Rhett said, "I own part of First Atlanta Bank. Send your resume to John Smith and I will put in a good word for you."
"Thank you."
Later in their room, Scarlett said, "You surprised me with your offer to help Ashley."
"I am helping him, but he has to get the job on his own."
"Of course, Dear," Scarlett teased, "Do you now think it is safe for me and Ashley to live in the same town?"
"I'm fairly certain that you love me and only me."
"I love the children and Mammy to."
"What about your sisters?"
"I am fond of them, but I would not say I love them."
"Very well. I only love you and the children."
"And Mammy?
"I am fond of her."
"I think she is fond of you also."
"Naturally."
Rhett smiled when Scarlett gave him her special smile. She was giving it to him a lot more now. Yes, best decision he ever made to get the surgery rendering him sterile. No, second best. The best decision was to take Scarlett all the way to Tara.
The Butlers got off the train in Atlanta and resumed their lives in the South.
The Kennedys were doing well. Frank was doing well enough to open another store despite the fact that in Suellen's opinion he still gave out too much credit. Suellen was happy enough though for she was having another child. The Butlers had supper at the Kennedys once a month to stay caught up on their lives.
One night Frank said to Rhett privately, "About a month after you and Scarlett left to go to London this last time, a large part of the men wanted to make a raid on Shanty town. I was able to talk them out of it when I told them I knew the Yankees were watching us and I wasn't going to lose everything I had worked for in the last years. I had already lost everything once and I wasn't going to do something stupid and lose it all again. With those words a lot of the men backdown from wanting to make the raid. Thanks for the information."
"I'm glad the information I gave you didn't fall on deaf ears."
"Indeed not. You may have saved half the men's lives."
"We will never know."
Rhett took the entire family down to Tara about once a month. Not only did Scarlett enjoy visiting the plantation but all her children did also. It must be the Irish in them. He and Scarlett were still sleeping in that tiny bed, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
In June, the Wilkeses had returned to Atlanta. They had moved into the Hamilton House which had made Aunt PittyPat happy. The Butlers continued having supper at Hamilton House once a month although Scarlett and Melly spent a lot of time together apart from these suppers. Ashley got a job at First Atlanta Bank as a vice-president. Within a month India had moved to Atlanta and unbelievably she was still mad at Scarlett over Stuart Tarleton.
Christmas that year was at Rhett and Scarlett's. Everyone attended, The Wilkeses, The Benteens, The Kennedys, and The Hamiltons. The Benteens came up a couple of days before the special day. That afternoon Careen said to Scarlett, "I am with child again. It is due in June."
"I suppose you want Mammy to deliver this baby also."
"Of course, I do."
"If she wants to go, I will send her down at the beginning of May."
"Can I have her for a month afterwards?"
Begrudgingly Scarlett said, "Yes."
Mammy definitely wanted to go. She had managed to deliver all of Miss Ellen's grandchildren except Miss Susie. That was because she had been in England with Miss Scarlett.
During the dinner Rhett looked at everyone sitting at the table and thought, 'I guess this is my family even Mr. Wilkes although I'm pretty sure Miss PittyPat and Mr. Hamilton would not agree with that assessment.
Scarlett smiled at her husband. These large family get togethers always made Rhett think of his family. Whenever he thought of them the memories were always bittersweet. One time he had told her in the dark in a sorrowful voice, "I just couldn't do it. I couldn't tie myself to someone I didn't love. Especially not over an accident. It would have been forever. I just couldn't do it."
"I will always be glad you couldn't."
Scarlett was glad he had not. If he, had he wouldn't have been in Atlanta when she needed help escaping. If he, had no one would have ever showed her how much fun life could be. If he, had he wouldn't have been with her during those eighteen months of hell. Even if he, had been he would probably have been as worthless as Ashley had been. If he, had he certainly wouldn't have been as rich as he was right now. He would have been as poor as everyone else.
In November of seventy-two after the election results became known Rhett said to Scarlett, "The Democrats are back in power. Let us decide on a city to move to."
"Let us start with Philadelphia or Chicago."
"We will start with Chicago. I have some business contacts there."
"You can sell this house."
"I will get right on it."
Before Scarlett and Rhett left Atlanta, Scarlett had told Mammy, "Rhett and I will probably never live in Georgia again. Do you want to continue living with us or would you like to live with one of my sisters?"
"I will continue living with you and Mr. Rhett."
"That makes me so incredibly happy. Thank you, Mammy."
"When I dies, just bury me wherever we are. Don't spend the money to return me to Tara. I will already be with my Miss Ellen in heaven."
"Yes, you will."
Rhett gave his half of The Painted Lady to Belle. It was only right it was her business. He hadn't helped her in any way since his marriage to Scarlett except spend his money there. Rhett smiled when he thought and not very much of that since I stopped using the whores. The house had not sold in two months. Rhett was not surprised. Now that the tasteless Scallawags had left town it would be difficult to sell because of the difference between the outside and the inside but it would sell eventually. He left the caretakers in charge until the house sold. He could always reduce the price if needed. He didn't care. The house had made both him and Scarlett happy to live in. Her in the public part of the house; him in the private part of the house.
Rhett had taken Scarlett to visit Tara one last time while knowing she would probably never see it again. Rhett had let her be morose the entire time they were there. There was nothing to say to cheer her up. She was finally saying goodbye to her childhood.
Rhett had a photographer come down and take pictures of Tara and the Benteens. Rhett had pictures taken of the Kennedys also. He even had pictures taken of the Wilkes and Hamiltons. Pictures would be all they had. The Butlers would never return to the South.