Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

FYI: I am back in California for the next five weeks.

Chapter Five

Several days later Rhett took a break from selling his goods and called on the Hamilton household. Scarlett answered the door and said, "I will meet you at Keystone Park in thirty minutes. It would not be proper for you to call at this household." She shut the door in his face.

Thirty minutes later when Rhett ran into Scarlett at the park, he said, "Is the reason I can't call on you because it hasn't been a year since your husband's death?"

"Of course."

"Are you really heartbroken?"

"Not the way you mean. I had known Charlie most of my life, so I am grieving for him," Scarlett smiled at Rhett. She continued, "I have known since the first day I met him that I would marry Charlie."

"Even so, why did you marry him?

"He had a good family, he was rich, his sister is my best friend and most important he would let me boss him around."

Rhett burst out laughing. "You are a very practical girl."

"Why did you marry your wife?"

Rhett started to give his standard answer then said, "My mother begged me to marry her so I wouldn't ruin myself and by extension her and my sister."

"Did you regret it?'

"I might have if she hadn't died when she did. You know she died from scarlet fever? Do you think that is a portent of our relationship?"

Scarlett laughed and said, "No but I do like that story you have spread about being so heartbroken that you will never marry again. It has just the right amount of romanticism. That is the story I am spreading around about Charlie and me."

Rhett laughed. He then said, "What was with Ashley Wilkes?"

A scowl crossed Scarlett's face. She said, "I don't know. He and Melly are perfect for each other even if they are second cousins. Or maybe because they are second cousins. I'm sure he wasn't attracted to my mind. I don't even think he knows I have a mind. Charlie and Melly don't treat me like I am stupid nor do you. It is so refreshing. People see my face and think there is no way she can have a brain too. It's like one's intelligence goes down in relationship to one's beauty."

Rhett stared at her. He said, "Even I have underestimated you Mrs. Hamilton."

Scarlett sighed and said, "I miss Charlie. He was my friend. Now, Mr. Butler, I must go. We have been talking almost too much for a casual meeting. My Pa will be here tomorrow to talk to you about your intentions toward me. I will see you Sunday." And she walked away.

Rhett was enthralled by Scarlett Hamilton. He had never met such a practical woman before. He was definitely in love with her. He wondered if she would be his mistress. He had to move slow though. He already knew her well enough to know that there had to be a practical reason to become his mistress not a romantic reason. Yet in his heart he already knew he wanted eternity with Scarlett.

After the ladies of Hamilton House had retired for the night, Scarlett knocked on Melanie's door and entered after she heard her sister-in-law bade her to come in. Scarlett said, "Melly you know I loved Charlie. You know that I have wanted to marry him almost all my life. You know that I will always miss him. You know that I'm grateful that I have Wade.

"But you're not dead too."

"Oh Melly!"

"There, there. It's okay. Charlie would understand."

"I think Mr. Butler is going to start calling on me and I do enjoy his company."

"He is a very good-looking man. He seems very entertaining and fun. He also seems the type that might take advantage of you if you aren't careful. Remember he doesn't want to remarry."

"Oh Melly! Thank you for understanding."

"Scarlett you are my best friend. I know you very well. I've known since Charlie died that sooner or later you would remarry. Not because you didn't love Charlie but because you like having a man around. Actually, a lot of men around" and she giggled and so did Scarlett.

The ladies hugged and Scarlett went back to her room.

That night after Melanie got in her bed, she recalled the first time she had met Scarlett. When she was five years old Aunt PittyPat had let her and Charlie spend a month at Twelve Oaks during the summer. Aunt Martha had invited the O'Hara sisters over to play. India had not wanted to play with her and Honey because the little girls were too juvenile for her. India had been five years older than Melly and Honey. From the first moment Melly had met Scarlett she had known the other little girl was going to be her best friend and she was.

Melly hadn't known how she had known but she had known that Scarlett felt the same way. That summer Scarlett and her sister Suellen had come to Twelve Oaks almost every day. Sometimes their father would walk them over but most of the time it was their Mammy.

Melly smiled when she recalled the day Scarlett and Suellen had walked over with their father after she had an asthma attack. She had one the night before therefore all she could do was sit on the porch. She couldn't run and play with the other children because Aunt Martha and Uncle John were afraid her exerting herself would bring on another attack. Scarlett had sat there on the porch with her all day except for those few occasions when Aunt Martha would let Melly walk around the grounds.

At the end of their time at Twelve Oaks that day, Scarlett had said, "I will start bringing my fishing poles so we will have something to do after you have your next attack. After all, when one is fishing all one is doing is just sitting there unless one gets a bite, of course."

"I will ask Aunt Martha about it."

The next time Melly had an asthma attack Aunt Martha had let Scarlett and Melly walked to the pond and go fishing. Martha Wilkes had not told either girl that there were no fish in that pond. Martha didn't think it mattered. The girls hadn't even taken any bait.

Martha had made Ashley and Charlie go with the girls to protect them. The next day Scarlett had whispered to Melly, "I am going to marry your brother."

"I hope so. We will truly be sisters, then."

Every summer Melly and Charlie would come spend a month at Twelve Oaks and Melly and Scarlett had just become closer and closer friends. When they had finally learned how to read and write they had started writing each other.

Two or three times a year, Gerald would take Scarlett with him when he went to buy the supplies. After the supplies were bought and loaded into the wagon, he would take Scarlett to visit with Melly. The longest they would stay would be thirty minutes. That was the longest Gerald could stand to be in PittyPat's company.

Scarlett and Melly had gone to Fayetteville Academy together. Honey had gone also. All three girls had shared a room. Melly knew she and Scarlett had hurt Honey's feelings so many times because they had unintentionally excluded her. They hadn't done it on purpose, but they had done it. Mainly because Melly and Scarlett just knew what the other was thinking or feeling. Melly also knew that Honey bore Scarlett a grudge because Melly, her own cousin, preferred Scarlett to her. Of course, Scarlett being intent on marrying Charlie hadn't helped those feelings. Charlie had been promised to Honey but he had eyes only for Scarlett once she had been all grown up. Those two years the girls had been at Fayetteville Scarlett's bosom had developed which was another reason Honey resented Scarlett. Neither Melly nor Honey had ever had a large bosom.

Melly laughed when she thought about Charlie and Ashley's reaction when they had returned from their Grand Tour, and they saw Scarlett all grown up. Melanie had known without a doubt that Scarlett didn't have to worry about Charlie asking her to marry him because the man was gaga over her. Melly had been less than pleased with the amount of attention Ashley was giving Scarlett, but Scarlett to her credit never encouraged Ashley's behavior. In fact, in Melly's opinion Scarlett was often frosty towards Ashley.

Melly had been jealous of Scarlett. She was so beautiful and so many men wanted to court her. No one had ever wanted to court her. She loved Ashley and she knew in his own way he loved her. Yet there was no excitement. She knew that was because she wasn't an exciting person. The most exciting part of her life was Scarlett. Melly would always be grateful that Scarlett loved her as much as she loved Scarlett. She was also grateful that Scarlett had made Charlie's life a happy life. Charlie knowing that the belle of five counties wanted him above all others had always made him feel amazing.

Melly smiled when she thought of the number of times Charlie had said, "How can she love me? I am so socially inept."

She would always reply, "Scarlett sees the wonderful man you are under all that awkwardness."

With one last thought Melly let herself go to sleep, "They had Wade, so Charlie lived on."

Gerald O'Hara showed up at Hamilton House the next morning. He greeted PittyPat and Melanie, but he didn't sit down. He wasn't staying that long. He said to Scarlett, "Come with me to the general store."

"Yes, Pa. Let me put my hat on."

After Gerald and Scarlett were sitting on the buckboard of the wagon, Gerald said, "We are not happy with your behavior, young lady."

"It was for the cause, Pa. It was one hundred and fifty dollars."

"Don't sit there acting like the only reason you did it was for the cause."

"Melly was alright with it. In truth, she was the one accepting the dances."

"In your relationship with Melanie Hamilton, you have always led, and she has always followed, so try to make me believe that she suddenly decided to be the bold one. You probably talked her into accepting the dances for you. You always could talk her into almost anything."

Scarlett looked at her father and said, "I just wanted to dance, Pa. I am too young to be a widow. I'm too young to have to wear black and miss out on all the fun. I am grieving for Charlie, but I am not dead also."

"I know, Puss. Mrs. O'Hara got a lovely letter from Mrs. Meade praising you for your sacrifice because of that letter we are going to let you stay. Rest assured if you misbehave again, I will take you home. Furthermore, remember you cannot receive gentlemen callers until after July first. Listen, this Rhett Butler might be a gentleman. He might be from one of the finest families in Charleston nonetheless, he still has a shady reputation. I don't think his intentions are honorable."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"No, need. I know the type. I was the type. It will do no good to warn him off that will just make him more determined. Mine you though, Katie Scarlett, if he brings shame to you, I will kill him."

"Yes, Sir."

Scarlett was not horrified by her father's statement. She knew he would. She knew he had already killed one man. She knew her father very well. She could have been the feminine version of her father if Melly's friendship hadn't softened her outlook on life. She knew her father had been ruthless in achieving his goal of being a success in America. She knew her father had gotten a man drunk to cheat him out of his plantation and his slave. She knew that her father could behave like a gentleman but in his heart, he was still a coldblooded peasant intent on being rich.

Gerald said, "Now give me a smile and tell me about all the good work you are doing at the hospital."

Scarlett and Gerald spent the next few hours together. They had gone to the general store and bought all the monthly supplies for the plantation. He drove his daughter back to Hamilton House. As he was helping her down from the wagon, Scarlett said, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No, I brought a sandwich. I'm not going to spend any more time with that dingbat than I have to spend."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Goodbye, Pa. Thank you for letting me stay."

As Gerald climbed back up on the buckboard, he said, "Don't make me regret it."

"Yes, sir."

With those words Scarlett went into the house.