Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Sixteen

Early the next morning, Rhett was awake. The night before he had informed the scullery maid to have three eggs boiled for him and he would grab them in the early morning. Without any fanfare, Rhett was on his way back to Charleston. Besides the eggs, the scullery maid had left him some shelled pecans.

Nobody had been awake to tell Rhett goodbye which had been fine he had already told everyone goodbye last night. He had pushed the horse and made it back to Charleston within an hour. He didn't want to miss the first train to Atlanta. He went to the townhouse. He loaded his trunks and the hat box into the back of the wagon. He went to the livery stable and had the owner take him to the train station. Soon he was on the early morning train to Atlanta. He would get to see Scarlett tonight.

When Scarlett got the telegram from Rhett the day before telling her that he would be on the morning train the next day. It had made her happy. Besides Wade there were extremely few things that made her happy these days.

One of the things that made Scarlett happy was getting a telegram from Rhett. The other thing was getting a letter from Melly. Scarlett was touched that Melly took the time to answer her letters every time Scarlett wrote Melly. Basically, she got a letter from Melly every two weeks yet there wasn't anything going on at Twelve Oaks so there was very little for Melly to write about.

Melly was with child indeed. The baby was due in September. Scarlett had written Melly telling her to go to Tara and borrow her maternity dresses. She had then written her mother asking her to lend Melly her maternity dresses. Ellen had agreed wholeheartedly.

Melly had gotten Ashley to make Honey help her run the plantation, so her workload was lighter. So far, no more slaves had run off. Scarlett guessed they weren't slaves anymore but freedmen. Melly had also told Scarlett that India was an amazing woman. While India was still dealing with the death of her mother, she had stepped into the role of mistress of Twelve Oaks. Furthermore, nobody had appreciated all India's work and effort. Uncle John, Ashley, and Honey had taken India and India's workload for granted.

After reading that letter, Scarlett found India in the parlor. Scarlett had read to India what Melly had written about her. When Scarlett looked up at India, the older woman was crying. All India said was, "No, nobody appreciated all the work I had to do at such a young age. Thankfully, your mother came over and informed me of everything I had to do to run a plantation but I was the one who had to do it. The only happiness I had in those days was Stuart and now because of the war I don't even have him."

"Maybe you will meet someone else."

"Not very likely."

"Let's be optimistic."

"Alright."

Living with India wasn't bad per se, it just wasn't as good as living with Melly. Aunt PittyPat was even more ditzy without Melly here to calm her down. Yet India tried her best to calm the woman down along with Scarlett.

After a week, Scarlett knew she had to keep India in Atlanta with her. Scarlett knew that she needed another normal person's presence in the house, or she would go insane living with just PittyPat.

A week after Scarlett had returned to Atlanta, John had written his daughter and told her to return to Twelve Oaks. India didn't know what to do. She had thought she could openly defy her father, but she knew now she couldn't. Over supper India had shared her tale of woe with Scarlett and PittyPat about her father ordering her home.

When Scarlett heard about Mr. Wilkes demanding that India return to the plantation, she got mad. She didn't know how she knew but she knew that Mr. Wilkes only wanted India to return to the plantation to make his life easier somehow. If India returned Mr. Wilkes would probably make his daughter return to running the household because she had done it so well. Scarlett knew that Melly would do what she could do to help but the further and further along she got with the child the less she would be able to do. She might even have to go on complete bed rest. For a moment Scarlett wondered why the thought about bed rest had popped into her head but she didn't have time to think about it right now. Right now, she had to devise a plan to keep India in Atlanta. Honey could finally step up and assume the role of mistress of Twelve Oaks.

Scarlett said, "We just have to get some of the matrons to inform your father about how badly you are needed here in Atlanta to work at the hospital. How important you are. Dr. Meade has already told me how good you are at your duties."

That wasn't exactly correct. What Dr. Meade had said was, "Scarlett, I am so glad you are back. I don't know if I could have dealt with these half-witted women much longer. The only one of them with an ounce of brains is India Wilkes."

Scarlett added, "I will get Mrs. Meade to write your father and tell him how badly you are needed at the hospital. Aunt PittyPat, if you could get either Mrs. Merriweather or Mrs. Bonner to write a letter, it would go a long way to getting Mr. Wilkes to let India stay. We just can't let her go back to Clayton County."

"I will get both Dolly and Agatha to write a letter to John telling him how much the hospital needs India."

PittyPat may have been a ditzy woman with her vapors and her nervous habits, but she knew she had to keep both Scarlett and India living with her. She knew sooner or later Scarlett would go to Tara to visit her family once again. When Scarlett left Atlanta, PittyPat would be alone again.

It had been easy to get the matrons to write letters to John Wilkes asking him to let his daughter stay in Atlanta. India did work hard at the hospital. Like Melly she didn't shy away from the more unpleasant parts of nursing at the hospital. Surprisingly to the matrons India flirted with all the soldiers, not just the handsome ones.

After John Wilkes received the letters from the matrons, he decided that he would let India stay. Maybe it was time for her to have some fun. He would just make Honey take on more and more of the duties of mistress of Twelve Oaks. John shook his head. It was just that Honey was such a nitwit.

Thus, on March the fourth when Rhett knocked on the door to the Hamilton House there were still three ladies in residences yet one of them wasn't the same lady that had been living there when he left Atlanta in December.

Scarlett had heard the knock on the front door, and she knew it was Rhett. She had made herself stay seated in the parlor. It was late yet Scarlett knew Rhett had basically come from the train station to her home. He had stopped at the hotel and left his trunks there, but he had not loitered in his hotel room.

Finally, when Rhett walked through the door, Scarlett stood up and smiled at him. Although it wasn't proper to display physical affection in public, she did hug him. She said, "I'm so glad you are back. Come sit down. I," Scarlett looked at India and said, "We have so much to tell you."

Pork put the box of books on the floor next to the tea table while Rhett put his presents on top of the tea table. He sat in the chair across from the sofa that Scarlett was sitting on. He said, "Do you want to tell me the news first or open your presents first?"

"Tell you the news first."

"Alright. Go ahead."

"Let me introduce you to India. You may remember her from the barbecue we met at."

"I remember her, but we first met when you were visiting your Grandpere in Charleston."

"Yes, we did."

"I remember him for his comment about slaves, cotton, and arrogance. I guess he was right."

"I certainly wished I hadn't been. I wish we were winning the war."

Scarlett said, "Yes, me too. Ashley decided over his furlough that he wasn't returning to the war. He told Melly he felt like returning to the war would be the biggest mistake he ever made."

Rhett thought, 'I get those feelings also. That is strange.'

Scarlett continued, "So Melly and Ashley are now living at Twelve Oaks. I was still at Tara for Christmas and Wade's birthday. Aunt PittyPat didn't want to stay by herself. Melly didn't want to leave the hospital without enough nurses, so India agreed to stay in Atlanta. She is living with us and working at the hospital."

"Are you a reader Miss Wilkes?"

Hesitantly India said, "Yes, I am."

India was hesitant because she didn't want to admit she was a blue stocking, yet she felt that if she admitted it, wonderful things would come her way.

"What type of authors do you like?"

"I like all types of authors. I think I will stay away from romances right now. With the recent death of my fiancé, I don't think I would enjoy them."

"You are fortunate most of the books in the box are adventure stories. Why are you still here, Scarlett? With Miss Melly living in the country, I would have thought you would have moved back to Tara."

"Silly, I can't abandon the doctors at the hospital. They needed my help so much. There is no need for me to be at Tara. Mother and Pa have everything there well in hand. After a month there I knew I was not needed there. Besides, if they need help, they have Suellen and Careen."

"Where is Wade? I have a birthday present for him."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Rhett, you know he goes to bed at seven. He is already asleep."

"No, I didn't know he went to bed at seven."

"As I have come to learn small children sleep a lot. Despite the fact he takes an afternoon nap, he is still ready to go to bed at seven. Although he no longer needs to take a nap in the morning."

"What time does he wake up?"

"Between six and seven. Luckily, I have Prissy. She gets up with him. I think she too is already asleep. You can give him his present tomorrow when you come to supper," As Scarlett looked at the small, round package, she smiled and said, "Is it a ball?"

With a smile in return, Rhett said, "How did you guess? I will be happy to come to supper but I will leave Wade's present right here."

Rhett handed PittyPat a box of chocolates. He handed Scarlett a package that she knew was fabric and hairpins. He said to India, "This gift was supposed to be for Miss Melly, but I suppose you can make yourself a new dress with the material instead."

"Thank you, Mr. Butler. That is far too kind of you."

"Not at all. Who else am I going to give the material to? Scarlett would be so jealous if I gave the fabric to another woman besides you or Miss Melly."

With a scowl, Scarlett said, "Horse feathers! I would not be jealous."

Rhett just smiled his knowing smile but didn't challenge her statement. Instead, he said, "Do say you will take the fabric," In a coaxing voice, Rhett added, "There are hairpins in the package."

"You might as well accept, India. He will not quit until he gets you to accept the gift."

"Then yes, of course, I will take the fabric."

After India opened the package, she saw that there was indeed fabric, thread, straight pins, sewing pins, and last but not least hairpins inside it. When she looked up, it was clear to see that there were tears in India's eyes. With emotion in her voice, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Butler. I haven't seen such pretty material in a very long time. Not since my mother passed away."

The material was light blue with a very pretty design in it. It was material for a young girl not a matron. India couldn't quit smiling.

Scarlett's material was blue also. It had several different shades of blue stripes on it. It was lovely. There was also some more material for Scarlett to make Wade some new clothes. Rhett would give her the blue hat tomorrow night.