Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

All mid-to-late 19th Century toddlers, boys, and girls both, wear the same basic clothing: a dress, often with a pinafore over it, white stockings, and leather boots or shoes. The pinafore can be white or any color, solid or small print. Dressing small children in skirts makes it easier to change their diapers. The boys move into wearing pants sometime between age two and age six.

Chapter Eleven

When Rhett had been in England, he had authorized his London solicitor to sell all his cotton and his warehouses. He could now get three times what he paid for the cotton. He should make close to a half a million dollars on that alone. With what he had made running the blockade, he would have a million dollars to his name. Not bad for a man that had started off with just a thousand dollars. He guessed he owed that to his father since his father had bought the townhouse as a wedding present. He might feel grateful if he just didn't know in his heart that his father had arranged the broken buggy wheel incident.

Henry did come to supper that night. He didn't ask where all the food had come from. He knew. Rhett Butler. Yet he was grateful to have been included in the meal. It had been a long time since he had eaten his fill at a meal. Furthermore, he knew Scarlett would send him home with some of the leftovers. Maybe all this being proper was for the birds. He was afraid that after the war was over being proper would become even more important because it was all they would have left of their old life.

As soon as the meal was over, Scarlett took Wade upstairs to Prissy. The maid would put him to bed then sit with him until he fell asleep. She would then go to bed herself.

After supper Rhett passed out his gifts. Rhett had brought the ladies more fabric, chocolates, and stationery. The fabric for Scarlett was green with white flowers on it, the fabric for Melly was yellow, the fabric for PittyPat was pink. Rhett thought the fabric for Miss PittyPat was too young for her but as Rhett had known she loved it. He had brought Wade some toy soldiers. He had also brought some white material for Scarlett to make some stockings for Wade. Rhett had also included several yards of different colors for Scarlett to make some dresses for Wade.

After everyone had opened their gifts and thanked Rhett for them, he gave Scarlett six hundred dollars. He said, "Four hundred of that is your profits and the other two hundred dollars was your investment. I am going to sell my ships and get out of the blockade running business."

"What are you going to do instead?"

"I have somethings in the works, but I don't want to talk about it. Let's talk of other things."

"Of course.

Scarlett and Rhett had a wonderful almost two weeks together. Once again, he took her, Wade, and Prissy to the train station. Rhett smiled as he saw her wearing the green hat he had given her. She did look lovely in it. She had worn it every time they had gone somewhere together. He was happy to see some color on her. She was not a woman to be dressed in muted colors although he did note that she still had a gray dress on. She said, "Hopefully, my mother will let me start wearing color before the three-year anniversary of Charlie's death."

"I hope so. You don't look good in muted colors."

This time he got a cab. Wade had gotten too big for Scarlett to carry for any length of time. She had said, "I think Wade is going to take after Charlie in height."

"Probably. How long are you going to be at Tara?"

"Until after Wade's birthday. It is the twentieth of January. So almost a month."

"When I leave Charleston, I will send the telegram to Tara."

She smiled a pleased smile and said, "Alright."

"If you ever need to get in touch with me, send a telegram to my mother. Her name is Elizabeth. Do you still have my address in Charleston?"

"No."

Rhett handed her a piece of paper and said, "I thought not."

After Rhett had gotten Scarlett, Wade, and Prissy settled on the train, he said, "I wish you would have let me get you a private car."

"Rhett, that would have been a waste of money. It is only an hour trip. Besides, if I showed up in a private car, it would be all over Clayton County in no time."

"I suppose."

"We have to save all our money. There are going to be hard times for the South once the war is over."

Rhett gave a wry smile and said, "I know, Baby."

Rhett stared at her mouth for a long time until Scarlett whispered, "Not here."

Rhett shook himself and said, "No, not here. I will see you probably in two months."

"Alright."

"Let me catch my train for Charleston."

"Did you get a private car?"

"No, I enjoy talking to the passengers."

"You mean aggravating the other passengers."

Rhett smiled and said, "It is the perfect setting. They can't go anywhere, and they don't know my name. Goodbye. Goodbye Wade."

The almost two-year-old waved his hand and Rhett waved back then he got off the train, grabbed his trunk, and walked to the east bound train.

Scarlett watched him walk away until she couldn't see him. She then pulled her son onto her lap. It was still early. She knew Rhett would not leave Atlanta until she was on the train to Tara therefore, she took the early train so he could take the early train to Charleston.

Gerald picked Wade, Scarlett, and Prissy up at the train station in Jonesboro. He immediately took his grandson out of Scarlett's arms. As they walked to the buggy, she noticed it was beginning to show its age. The horse too.

Gerald was keeping up a steady flow of words. He was talking about the people of the county. He said, "Rafe Calvert died."

"Oh no. Poor Cathy. I will have to call on her to express my sympathy."

"Yes, I think every family in the county lost at least one son."

"How are the Fontaines?"

"Good. Both Alex and Tony are still alive. You know Joe died at the beginning of the war."

"Yes. Sally, Dimity, and I were all with child at the same time."

"Yes. I made Wade a rocking horse for his Christmas present, but you can't take it to Atlanta."

"Alright, Pa."

After the group arrived at Tara, Gerald helped Wade and Scarlett down from the buggy. Once she was on the ground, Scarlett turned to Prissy and said, "Go find your mother."

"Thank you, Miss Scarlett."

As Scarlett looked at the house, her thoughts must have showed on her face. Gerald said, "I don't have the manpower or the money to keep the house looking good."

"Oh Pa."

"I will get Pork to come for your trunk," Gerald picked Wade up and said, "Come, I have something to show you."

The man walked off with the boy in his arms toward the barn. Scarlett went into the house where her mother joined her in the foyer.

When Ellen saw her daughter in her green hat, she said with a smile, "I guess you have decided to start wearing color again before it has been three years."

"Yes, ma'am. I have."

"You might as well take all your clothes back with you when you return to Atlanta. Although I wish you and Wade would stay here."

"I have to do my part for the war effort."

"Of course, you do. How is Mr. Butler doing?"

"Rhett is doing fine. He is going to get out of the blockade running business. In fact, he is getting out of the shipping business altogether."

"What is he going to do instead?"

"He doesn't know yet, but it will be something to help the confederacy."

"I am sure it will be profitable also."

"We all need to make as much money as we possibly can. There are going to be really hard times after the war is over."

"There are hard times now."

"Have any more slaves run off?"

"A few. And a few have returned so we will feed them."

"Can you afford to feed them?"

"Affording is not the problem. Finding food is the problem."

"What are you doing?"

"We are planting a lot of vegetables this winter so we will have food this summer. We already eat a lot of vegetables. We have even started eating black eyed peas."

"That is animal feed."

"It is human feed now. We are just glad we have it. We still have a few chickens although we don't eat them. We just eat the eggs."

"It has been so long since I had an egg. All our chickens are gone except for one and that one is a rooster. I think Aunt PittyPat is planning on serving him for Christmas dinner."

"Enough talking. Where did Mr. O'Hara go with my grandson?"

"Probably to the barn. Wade likes to look at the horses."

"Horse. We only have one horse now. I will let you get freshened up."

Scarlett smiled and said, "While you go find your grandson."

"Yes, I am."

Scarlett walked up the stairs to her room. She was so glad that Wade was so dearly loved by all of his relatives.

When Ashley arrived at the train station, Melly could not believe the man that got off the train. He looked bone tired and weary. They got in the cab that Melly was glad she had splurged on. She had used some of her profits. It wasn't much. Just a dollar but it was nice that Ashley didn't have to walk all the way to Hamilton House.

As Ashley and Melanie were sitting in the cab, he said, "I'm not going back."

"What?!"

"The war is lost."

"What?!"

"The war was lost after our defeat at Gettysburg and Vicksburg falling. We are just fighting for honor's sake now. You know I believe in honor but not at the cost of your life. We are going to move to Twelve Oaks and get ourselves prepared for the awful years ahead of us."

"Ashley, do you really think it will be that bad?"

"No matter how bad you think it is going to be, it will be worse than that. I am going to take care of you, India, and Honey. Father can take care of himself. The day after Christmas, I will telegraph my commander and tell him that a family emergency has delayed my returning to the troops. Nobody will come looking for me when I never return. There are so many men that are absent without leave yet nobody goes looking for them. I did my part for a war I never believed in. Now I am going to take care of my family."

"If you think that is best."

"Melly, you are going to think that I am crazy when I say this but nonetheless, I have a strong feeling that my returning to my troops would be the biggest mistake I will ever make in my entire life."

"No, Ashley, I don't think you are crazy. I sometimes get those feelings also. I have learned to go with that feeling. My feelings have never been wrong. When are you going to tell your family?"

"Once Christmas dinner is over. When are my father and sisters arriving?"

"Later this afternoon."

"Good. As soon as we get to Hamilton House, you can show me how much you missed me."

"Ashley!"

"I have been without you for two and a half years. I am not going to waste any more time."

Melly smiled what she didn't know was a sexy smile and said, "Indeed, let's not waste any more time."

The couple waited until after dinner to retire to their room for a nap. Afterwards, Melly thought, 'That was nice. It is nice to have Ashley lying next to me. That is the way it will be for the rest of my life.'

Ashley was thinking, 'That was wonderful. The best part is I will get to do it again tonight. It has been hard to stay faithful all this time, but I did it. Now, I never will have any more sexual neediness for I shall have Melly beside me the rest of my life.

Soon the couple arose and got dressed again. They had to. Their relatives would be arriving within the hour.

As Ashley and Melanie were getting dressed, she said, "I made you a new gray jacket. Now you don't need it."

"I may not need a gray jacket, but I do need clothes. Mine are threadbare. How did you get gray fabric?"

Melanie told Ashley the story of the dying soldier. She said, "I hope you don't mind wearing a jacket made from cloth from a dead man."

"I have to have clothing to cover up my body."

Because of Scarlett's influence Melly was brave enough to say, "And a fine body it is."

"Thank you. You have a fine body also."

Melly knew she didn't have a fine body, but she was pleased Ashley had said it, nonetheless.

Shortly after Ashley and Melanie had come downstairs his relatives arrived from the train station. John had to carry both trunks because they had left all their servants at Twelve Oaks so they wouldn't have to pay for their train ticket. John wasn't sure if any of the slaves would still be there when they got back four days later. He wasn't going to worry about it now.