Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Three

The men went inside to drink whiskey and smoke cigars while the ladies napped in preparation for the nights dance. Although Scarlett had no plans to take a nap. She had to talk with Mr. Butler. She had to convince him to let her invest in his business. She didn't know anyone else who had a business, and she just knew Mr. Butler was going to make money on the war.

During the discussion the men were having, Ashley said, "Going to war is wrong. I will fight it with every ounce of my being. Yet, if Georgia goes to war, I will go to war, but I will not be quiet about my opinion on the war." After Rhett supported Ashley's opinion that going to war was wrong and why it was wrong, he left the discussion looking for some place to take a nap of his own and perhaps dream of the lovely Miss O'Hara. He had no sooner laid down on the couch when someone came in. Then someone else. It was a man's voice and he said, "Scarlett I must talk to you."

"Yes, what is it, Ashley?"

"I love you. Will you marry me?"

"I'm so sorry to hurt you, Ashley, but no I will not marry you. I don't love you. I am going to marry Charlie."

"Charlie has not asked you to marry him. He is going to marry my sister Honey."

"No, he isn't. He will ask me. Maybe tonight."

"If you knew you wanted to marry Charlie, why did you keep letting me call on you?"

"I didn't think you were calling on me. You never said or did anything to make me think you were calling on me. I thought you were just passing time with me. Besides, you and I both know you are promised to Melly."

"I don't want to marry Melly. I want to marry you."

"Ashley, I would make you miserable. I want to live my life to the fullest. You would want to sit in the parlor and read poetry and drink fine wine. I would at the least want you to entertain me but more than likely I would want to go somewhere and do something. Melly would be happy sitting in that same parlor reading books beside you. Furthermore, I would want every part of my husband. Melly will be happy with whatever part of you, you want to give her. Besides, Ashley, I know you love Melly."

"I don't want to talk about Melly. I don't love Melly. I love you. Just so you know I was calling on you. Why do you want to marry Charlie? I know you don't love him. You love me."

"No, I do not. Don't ever say that again. You are going to marry Melly my oldest and dearest friend. She loves you. You two are so alike and compatible. You are in each other's blood."

"Can you say you love Charlie?"

"Of course, I love Charlie. Why would I marry him if I didn't love him? I have known since I first met Charlie when we were children that I was going to marry him," Scarlett walked around the couch where she knew Mr. Butler was lying. She knew he was there because she had followed him down the hall and she had seen him enter the library.

Scarlett's eyes were laughing even if her face had a shocked look on it. Scarlett said, "Mr. Butler! You should have announced your presence." All of the sudden Rhett heard a door open and close and then Scarlett put her hand over her mouth to stop the laughter from coming out. When Scarlett thought Ashley was far enough away not to hear her laughter she laughed uproariously.

Scarlett said, "Mr. Butler I have been looking for you. I want to invest in your ships. I want to make money on the war like you," Rhett Butler stared at this woman. That was what she was a woman not a girl. Scarlett smiled and said, "Mr. Butler I have listened to all the discussions on the war. Every now and then there will be an opposing view like yours. Those views make sense to me. What was it you said earlier…? All the south has is cotton, slaves, and arrogance. That is true. Please let me invest with you."

"I will be glad to let you invest with me. The minimum investment is one hundred dollars."

"My money is in my room at Tara. How can I get it to you?"

"You can wire it to me. Let me give you my address in Charleston. I will be going there after I leave here."

"How can I trust you?"

"You know my mother and my sister. I promise on my word as a gentleman that if you wire me the money, I will invest it in my blockading business."

"I still don't trust you, but I think that's all I can do."

"Miss O'Hara once I receive your money, I will telegraph you with acceptance into the partnership."

"Alright. Give me your address."

Rhett did and Scarlett was about to turn to leave when Rhett said, "Wait a minute." When she turned to face him, he kissed her.

Scarlett smiled when he broke off the kiss and said, "Wow!" and walked rapidly from the room.

Scarlett had saved every penny she had ever been given as a gift. She had saved almost one hundred dollars. She knew that Melanie had saved all of her money also. She would get Melly to invest with Mr. Butler also. She just wouldn't tell Mr. Butler. Both Scarlett and Melly had always felt that there would come a day when they would need a lot of money. They had both also known that the war was a bad idea, and that the South would lose.

The war started not an hour later. Charlie found Scarlett, he said, "Scarlett, I love you. Will you wait for me?"

"I don't want to wait. Let's get married before you leave."

Charlie and Scarlett were married two weeks later. Honey did not attend the ceremony. Although most of the other residents of Clayton County did attend. Everyone was getting married including Alex Fontaine and Dimity Munroe. Ashley and Melanie were married the day after Charlie and Scarlett. Stuart and India decided to wait until the war was over. It was only going to last six months and India wanted to have an elaborate wedding and Stuart wasn't quite ready to commit to marriage.

Scarlett and Charlie had attended Melly and Ashley's wedding. She had never seen Melly look prettier. Honey attended but did not speak to Scarlett and Charlie. Charlie said, "I hope she gets over being mad at me for not marrying her. I have never given her any reason to think I would marry her."

"Despite that maybe she still hoped you would."

Relations with Charlie weren't bad. It was just something she never wanted to do again. Although she knew she would have to do it again and again. At least, Charlie had made her feel loved and cherish.

Two weeks later Charlie went to South Carolina to join Wade Hampton. Two months later Charlie was dead. She was sad but she wasn't heart broken. She had known she did not love Charlie. Two weeks later than that Scarlett found out she was pregnant. She wasn't unhappy about being with child although by the time it was all over it was something she never wanted to go through again. Although her heart was filled with love for that baby boy.

Scarlett knew she needed to get to Atlanta and sell Charlie's properties while they still had worth, but she couldn't go anywhere until her child was born. Wade Hampton was born January twentieth in sixty-two, and he looked just like his father. She was happy. The Hamiltons would be happy. As long as she had Wade, they would support her, but she had to get to Atlanta. She wanted to invest more in Mr. Butler's blockading. She had to find a way to see him. She just had to get to Atlanta.

As soon as Wade was six weeks old, Melanie and PittyPat came down to see the baby. When Melanie saw the baby she said, "He looks just like Charlie. How wonderful."

"Yes, it is. Charlie can live on through his son."

The ladies talked for the rest of the afternoon then Melanie and PittyPat returned to Atlanta.

One afternoon while staring out the window she started crying for no reason at all. She was holding Wade who was asleep. Her mother came upon her and saw her. Her mother asked, "Do you want to go to Charleston for a change of scenery? Scarlett had immediately said, "Yes."

Scarlett went to Charleston. When Elizabeth Butler came to call, Scarlett asked about her son Rhett. Mrs. Butler said, "He is in Europe getting more supplies for the army."

Elizabeth thought, 'She seems to be Rhett's type. She has fire in her eyes.

Scarlett soon went back to Tara. When she got an invitation to stay with Melly and her Aunt PittyPat. She, Wade and Prissy were on the next train. It was so good to be with Melly. Scarlett was sad that Charlie had died but she had not loved him. She had married him for his money, the fact she knew she could boss him around, and his sister was her best friend. Also, because she had known it was something she just had to do. She was sad and Melly was sad, but they felt better being together.

The night of the hospital bazaar Scarlett had convinced Melly that it was their duty to man the booth. It couldn't help Charlie but there were other young soldiers that the proceeds could help not the least being Ashley. Scarlett was bored. She wanted to go out. More than that she felt she had to go to the Hospital Bazaar. That her future happiness depended on her going to the event. When Scarlett got these feelings, she always tried to fulfill them.

It didn't take much to convince Melanie to go to the Hospital Bazaar. She was bored also. She always let Scarlett talk her into doing slightly improper things because it was always so much fun. Besides, she too felt they had to go to the bazaar.

After Melly and Scarlett had gotten their booth set-up Melanie had made them go talk to all the other ladies. Whenever Melly told Scarlett they needed to talk to someone or do something for someone Scarlett always did. Scarlett knew that Melly had better people skills than she did even if Scarlett could attract anything in pants. She didn't know what there was about her that men thought was so appealing, but she knew it wasn't her brains or her personality.

About an hour into the bazaar, Dr. Meade introduced Captain Butler to the crowd. That was when Scarlett knew why she had to attend the event. Finally, he was in the same place she was. She could give him Melly's money to invest. She would ask him where to invest her other money. In the last year she had found out everything she could about Rhett Butler. He had been involved in a buggy scandal and almost didn't marry the girl. His wife had died of scarlet fever. Everyone thought he was too grieved at his loss to ever think of marrying again. What a bunch of blarney. He just didn't want women from polite society chasing him. There were rumors of his activities in California, Cuba, and Europe. He technically was a gentleman, but he was one scandal away from being booted out of polite society. He sounded fun to Scarlett. She was always having to do the right thing not what she wanted to do. If she did what she wanted to do she would be one scandal away from getting booted out of society too.

Gosh, but Mr. Butler was gorgeous. She could never tell him that. He was already too self-assured.