Thank you lovely people for your reviews, you are much too kind. I really appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to comment, share thoughts, and offer suggestions.

BTW, I not only have a "theme" for the story, I usually also set a stylistic goal for myself, which can sometimes vary by chapter. For this story, the overarching goal was "while flashbacks are ok, we will not be able to tell how the main characters feel in the present by any other way than what they say or do." Feel free to point out whenever you feel I fell short of that goal.

I'm right there with those who really enjoy detailed explorations of inner landscapes, but as for myself, I tend to explain too much, so I tailor-made myself this particular challenge. I hope you enjoy.

The three girls had assembled in Rose's room once more, dressing up for another ball, as they had many times during the Season. Phoebe had joined them as well, after her personal maid had teased the last dark curl charmingly into place. She looked very elegant in a fur-trimmed satin gown that reflected the color of her eyes. It was the first time she would be out in company after the birth of her youngest child, and she was as giddy as the others.

„Tonight's the night I finally get to meet the dashing renegade cousin," said Charlotte, becomingly attired in a burgundy brocade and chiffon gown. "I've been waiting for weeks!" Rose, ravishing in deep yellow peau de soie laced with flowers, more daringly cut than her wont, cast her a look.

"Oh,my, he's ever so handsome, Miss Charlotte," laughed Cherry, engaged in arranging the flowers in Rose's hair. "But watch out that he don't like me better'n all of you fine Misses. There's a rumor that says he's got an eye for my sort of girl."

"Cherry!" Charlotte said, scandalized. Cherry, a free-spirited, handsome young girl, merely laughed. "It's true," she insisted. "His girl that wuz killed was as black as me, they say, and ever so pretty."

"That was a long time ago," said Rose witheringly. Her slender body had stiffened under Cherry's fingers.

"But they say he ain't never got over her, and that's why he's never married," Cherry insisted. "And you won't deny 'es got a dark look about 'im, like someone who's pining. Perhaps I'm the girl what can make 'im forget her!" She gave a dramatic sigh, crossing her arms over her well-rounded bosom.

"Please attend to your work," snapped Rose. Ella stared at her in astonishment. Rose was never sharp with Cherry.

Phoebe, whose eyes had been watching Rose's profile, adroitly turned the conversation back to the ball, and outward harmony was restored.

~~oo~~

The three young women descended last down the stairs, their relations already assembled. They had been spared the first, awkward moment of Charles' introduction to Thad, which Rhett had handled privately in the library. By all accounts, that had gone well enough, as Thad had surprisingly decided to present himself as bashful and charming, which - combined with his tall figure and good looks - had left a most favorable impression on Charles Butler. It must, perhaps, not be wondered at that a man with no other son would take to a young man of fine figure and excellent means, whose education and upbringing had cost him nothing. Thad's reversal was a little more puzzling, but James, going about serving brandy and cigars, looked highly gratified.

They had also missed Rosemary's first impression of the newcomer, which Wade recounted to Rose later in the evening: „It's surprising that you are the only one who looks like a Butler," Rosemary had told Thad. „Rhett's children all look just like Scarlett, and as for my own ... well, let us draw the curtain of charity over that topic!"

"Thad," Wade said, "managed to look embarrassed, which Rosemary decided was Quite Proper, Considering the Circumstances. When he wants to, he can out-perform any professional stage actor, from way back when he was working in saloons. I had the most difficult time keeping a straight face! Chase just laughed as well. He's much too kind-natured by half. But that's Aunt Rosemary for you. And Uncle Charles looked pleased with himself, which made me want to kick him, seeing that Dad did all the raising of Thad, and Charles probably never gave him a thought till tonight. At any rate, Aunt Rosemary said…."

"I'll not mind having you with our company," their aunt had said magnanimously, which, coming from her, was high praise.

When the girls had joined them, Scarlett introduced Charlotte to her nephew.

Charlotte regarded him with frank interest, but although he acknowledged her properly, he didn't seem particularly captivated. His gaze went to her cousin, and stayed stuck.

"You look beautiful, Rose," Thad said, his dark voice gliding over her name like water over pebbles.

Rose started, and then flushed. "Thank you."

"There," said Wade to the room at large. "Didn't hurt at all, did it? We'll make a ladies' man out of him yet."

Thad playfully punched him on the shoulder. "There's more to impressing ladies than flowery speeches, cousin. In Texas, the ladies only care how long you can stay on a bucking bronco. You, if I remember correctly, rarely make it past the three-second mark before you fall off most ingloriously. We will work on improving that next time you come."

"Please no, " said Phoebe. "I like him with his arms and legs."

"See how much confidence my wife has in my riding skills?" Wade said painfully. "Is it my fault Thad always picks the worst broncos for me, and keeps the mule-cross-breeds for himself, just so he can look good?"

„Texas. There some good hunting there?" Charles asked, perking up at the mention of horses.

"Plenty, Sir." Thad answered, respectfully. "Deer is perhaps the most popular, but there's bison and bear and coyote as well as rabbits or hogs for the boys. There's also good waterfowl and fishing grounds by the Ranch."

Hunting remained the topic for most of the carriage ride to the Jennings' house on Albert Street, and if Thad was bored he hid his sentiments most admirably.

"Whatever did you say to Thad?" Scarlett would ask her husband later that night. "He was an altered creature. I swear I imagined he would floor Charles just like he did Ashley, and what a mess that would have been!"

Her husband merely looked impish, and refused to answer.

~~oo~~

The Jennings' charming Colonial house in the fashionable part of town glowed both in old and new glory. Only Rhett knew the exact figure he himself had contributed to the festivities, but the guests were dazzled by the lushness of the carpets, the sheer number of chandeliers, both on ceiling and walls and on marble columns, and the beauty of the flower arrangements scattered all around the ornate ball room. The walls had been hung with velvet curtains, giving it an air of intimacy and luxury as a finishing touch. The refreshments were unusually good, the Champagne of the finest quality, and the numbers of Charleston's upper society that crowed around the dance floor was impressive by anyone's standards. The dance floor itself had been polished so many times that the wood shone like a mirror. "I shall be needing ice skates", Phoebe told Wade, laughing.

Sarah Jennings, who received the guests, was a sharp, elegant lady who owed her considerable clout in society not to the particular noblesse of her birth, but to the number of friendships she presided over, and favors she could call in. Very little happened in Charleston without Mrs. Jennings hand behind it, or beside it, and occasionally invisibly above it.

She had wisely chosen this ball to launch Thad into society, because it was destined to be what was vulgarly known as a "crush", where the sheer numbers would make him less conspicuous. She then filled his dance-card with the daughters of the more open-minded as well as the bribable, and the women of his own family. Rhett was pleased to approve of her choices, suggesting only one significant alteration, which she was happy to make.

Rose, studying her card with the eagerness of any young girl present that evening, found she had been paired with a number of interesting gentlemen, including Mr. Ashley Wilkes. Beau's name was absent from her card, and also from Ella's and Charlotte's, which surprised her.

The even greater surprise came at the very end, and she swallowed briefly, whether from anxiety or anger it was not clear.

"I will be dancing the third dance with our cousin," Charlotte whispered to her. Rose nodded, absentmindedly, before letting her first partner claim her for his dance.

The fifth dance, a reel, had been given to Ashley Wilkes. He strode over pleasantly, stating that his son had been called unexpectedly out of town. Rose was surprised, but did not comment. She wondered briefly if his injuries had been more disfiguring than she'd thought. Ashley's face seemed restored to normal, only a slight swelling on his nose betraying the events of the morning.

"We will miss seeing him", she answered properly. "And I hope you are feeling quite well."

"Quite," he assured her good-naturedly. "Please, don't refine upon it for a minute longer!"

"Thank you," she answered, with real gratitude. "My …cousin has a quick temper, and does not always know when other people may take what he says amiss."

Ashley nodded, and we need not, perhaps, blame him for not agreeing with her outright. The reel passed pleasantly enough, Ashley was a graceful dancer, and Rose in a mood to be pleased. He voiced regret as they separated, and she thanked him for his kindness, before turning to her next partner.

~~oo~~

The musicians played the first notes of the last waltz. Rose stood in the middle of the dance floor, undecided, when she saw him walking towards her.

When he'd reached her, she looked at him warily, and put up her chin as if bracing herself to do battle.

"I…."

"Be quiet, Rosey," Thad said, in his low, husky voice. "For once, let's not argue." She stared at him. "Come here." He held out his hand.

She took a step forward, and must have held out her own hand, for when she searched for it a minute later, she found it nestled in his. His other hand rested at the small of her back. They stood on the dance floor, couples swirling around them. Neither of them moved.

"I think we're supposed to be dancing," she said, her voice trapped somewhere between a sob and a smile.

"Are we?" he murmured. "I hadn't noticed." He drew her even closer, and bent his head, so his forehead almost touched her hair. "I'm not sure if I should. My knees feel funny."

"Mine, too," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

His hand tightened around hers, and a strange sound escaped his breast, like breath held back far too long. "God, Rose." Then he straightened. "Hold on to me." He stepped forward, gliding her into the rhythm of the Waltz, floating her like a champagne cork on the surface of the music. She leaned lightly into his right hand, giving just the slightest bit of weight, and he spun her into a series of pivots that cleared the floor around them, and inspired quite a few of the onlookers to cease their conversation and watch.

When the song ended, he led her over the floor back to her parents. They were both too wrapped up in themselves to notice that other eyes had been watching them as well.

"You danced very beautifully, Rose," said her mother fondly.

"Thank you," Rose murmured, her eyes downcast.

Thad stepped next to her, still holding her hand. "I'll go get some more punch, Rose – Scarlett? and then I'll go over to speak to my father. He's standing there alone in a corner, looking rather bored."

Scarlett stared at him, both for the use of her given name without the prefix "Aunt" that he usually attached to it, and the unexpected eagerness to engage his natural father in a conversation. She watched him walking away without letting go of her daughter's hand, watched their arms stretch between them, until he finally let it slip from his grasp. "What happened to Thad," she said, to no one in particular. "He looks two decades older. And younger, somehow."

She looked back at Rose, who was pale as death. "Oh, mother," she whispered fiercely, "why don't they tell you it feels like this?"

"What, dear", Scarlett asked, distractedly.

Rhett put his arm around Rose's shoulder, giving her a squeeze. There was an unexpectedly reflective look on his face. "What novel ideas you young people have," he murmured into Rose's curls, "to recognize love at the same time."

Rose's face, distraught, terrified, hopeful - turned to him, suddenly flooded with color. "Daddy. I never thought he…I believed …."

"What are you two going on about?" asked Scarlett.

Thad returned, handing the two women their drinks. "Here you are." His eyes never left Rose's face, even as he excused himself to go to his father.

"I'll go talk to Mary," Rose murmured, as she herself left to go to one of her friends.

Ashley Wilkes cut her off before she reached the group of young women she was heading for on the other side of the room. "Miss Rose. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your company this evening. And our dance." He saw her pallor, and the fierce light in her blue eyes, and for a moment, his breath caught.

"Dare I hope you'll have time to go riding with me tomorrow afternoon, even without my son?"

She murmured something incomprehensible, and he mistook her confusion for assent. "You make me very happy. I will call around three, if that should be convenient to you." He bowed, and let her continue on her path.

~~oo~~

The carriage ride home was more sedate than before. It was well past 3 a.m., and even the younger generation was tired. They dropped Charles off at his home, inviting him to visit them tomorrow.

"Was quicker 'n you," Charles said. "Thad here will come see me tomorrow, we decided at the dance. Might take him down to the plantation. No hunting now, of course, but figured he might like to see it."

He hopped down the steps, smiling benignly at the company, perhaps gratified at the surprise on their faces. When the door closed and the carriage moved forward, Rhett grinned.

"Now that, I did not expect quite as quickly."

Thad raised his eyebrows back at him. "I work fast."

Both carriages stopped in front of the Butler mansion, and the tired but contented group alighted. After regrouping briefly in the drawing room, they ascended the stairs to head for bed.

"That was fun," Ella told Chase, and he nodded enthusiastically. He had been paired mostly with his wife, which suited him wonderfully, and with girls who were not the least chatty, so the evening had been a great success from his vantage point.

Wade and Phoebe checked on their infant, who was sleeping peacefully and had, the sleepy nurse said, borne their absence with fortitude.

Rhett and Scarlett still seemed thoughtful, the slightly distant look in their eyes a hint that they were, perhaps, reflecting on matters in the much more distant past than the ball. However, they said good-night to the others in perfect harmony, before closing the door to the master suite behind them.

~~oo~~

Only Rose and Thad remained in the hallway. Perhaps they had designed it that way by moving more slowly than the others. He caught her hand as she walked past him, giving her fingers the lightest of squeezes. She broke her stride, and turned to look at him. He raised his hand, and brushed his bent thumb over her cheek in a feather-light caress.

She attempted a faltering smile. "It never feels like this in books."

He laughed, his full, dusky laugh, so different from the fake one he'd been employing before tonight. "In books, no. In real life, it feels like this. Like standing in the middle of a glacier. Exposed to all winds, and unable to close your eyes against the light." Something had crept into his voice that made her shiver.

"Now go," he said softly. "I can …..barely keep myself from touching you now, and my resolve won't hold much longer. Besides," he added with the hint of a smirk, "I have a feeling your parents will be poking their heads out any minute, and I'd rather not be caught compromising their daughter in the middle of their own hallway."

She smiled at this. She had felt all the austere grandeur, but not yet the warm, familiar intimacy of love, and its sudden discovery may have eased some of her fear.

"Good night", he said. "Sweet dreams."

~~oo~~

Two hours later, alternating between flushing and shivering, she still couldn't sleep. She finally got up, slipped on her velvet wrapper, and opened her door to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Her slippers made no sound on the thick carpet as she stepped softly into the darkness.

Before she had advanced any further, she saw a door open further up in the hallway, and the tall figure of a girl slipping out. Belatedly, Rose recognized her maid Cherry, who was lightly running over the carpet with her back to Rose, towards the stairway on the other end.

There was no possibility of mistake – she had come out of Thad's room. The afternoon's conversation during the dress-up rose before her eyes in a blinding flash of light, and she had to grasp the doorframe to avoid falling.

Rose stood rooted to the spot for what seemed like an eternity, before she stepped back into her own room, closing the door behind her.

I feel the need to explain that Cherry isn't meant to be a loose girl here - simply someone raised in a culture that put less restriction on the exploration of female sexuality. A hundred years later, we will all be Cherrys ...and despite some of the inherent problems, this is a good thing. Rose, however, would probably not agree with me now, and even I cannot blame her.