Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Seventeen

Later that night as Scarlett walked Rhett to the door, he said, "I hope my being in Atlanta is part of the reason you want to stay."

"Yes, for all your gifts."

"I am wounded by your words."

Scarlett giggled. Rhett smiled. He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. A few minutes later she whispered, "I did miss you."

"That is nice. I like that. Miss PittyPat's secret admirer will be dropping off a box of groceries some time tomorrow."

"You don't have to do that. I am willing to share what we have."

"But I am not willing to eat so little."

"Alright. Tomorrow."

Rhett kissed Scarlett in a passionate kiss. He then opened the door and left the house without saying another word. He wanted her so badly. So very badly. He would not go use a whore. He would take care of his need himself while he fantasized about Scarlett.

The next day as India and Scarlett were walking to the hospital, Scarlett said, "I am going to tell you a secret. Since you are living with me, you will find out anyway. I like to read. I like to read adventures and that new genre science fiction, but I would prefer nobody knew especially Rhett."

"Of course, Scarlett I won't say a word. You have been so kind to me. Maybe the kindest person to me since my mother died. You have made it possible for me to stay in Atlanta."

"You may not be as fun as living with Melly, but you are fun also."

"That is high praise. I would never think for a minute that I would be as close to you as Melanie."

"But you and I have become awfully close."

"Thanks, Scarlett."

Scarlett had been telling the truth. Now that India was able to behave like a belle and not the mistress of Twelve Oaks, she had become a lot of fun.

The next day, Rhett telegraphed his two contacts in Washington. One was a newspaper reporter and the other worked in the war office. He thought the employee of the war office would be able to tell him if Luther was a prisoner of war. Rhett was trying to keep his mind blank about Luther's possible fate.

That afternoon a box of food was once again delivered to Hamilton House. This time the box contained a couple of chickens. They weren't the same chickens Rhett had to clean up after, but he would enjoy eating them, nonetheless. Rhett had made sure the grocery box had a bag of pinto beans and a bag of potatoes. He had found that one can eat pinto beans and potatoes frequently and not get tired of them.

Of course, Scarlett had invited Henry Hamilton to supper. Rhett didn't care. He thought he was winning points with the old man by feeding him. Rhett knew he needed all the good will he could get. That was why, while being perfectly happy to argue his point of view about the war, he never made fun of the matrons cherished beliefs in the Confederacy. Although it had been awfully hard at times. He couldn't wait until he and Scarlett could leave the South.

The conversation over supper was not about the war or about the shortages. Rhett talked about his time in Europe. Scarlett and India talked about their duties at the hospital. Although they touched on the wounded they didn't go into a lot of detail. What did surprise everyone at the table was how happily and how often India talked about Dr. Yerkes Harper.

The people at the table found out from India that Dr. Harper was a man in his forties who had lived in Atlanta for the last twenty years. He was a widower and he missed his wife very much. She had been dead for over three years. They had not been fortunate to have any children. What he missed most about her was having someone to talk about the latest books with. India said, "With Scarlett's permission, I lent Dr. Harper a few of her books," India turned to Rhett and said, "So, your gift is just giving and giving."

"That is nice to hear."

Rhett thought it was strange that India had called them Scarlett's books when Scarlett hadn't read a single one, but he pushed it from his mind.

Rhett had not brought the blue hat with him that night because he didn't want Henry Hamilton seeing it. Rhett was sure that neither PittyPat nor India would say a word about Scarlett getting a blue hat from him. Last night Scarlett had told him about how they had managed to get Mr. Wilkes to allow India to stay in Atlanta which Rhett knew had been all Scarlett's idea.

Rhett's third night in Atlanta, he knocked on the door of the Hamilton House. When Uncle Peter admitted Rhett, Rhett had a hat box in his hand. When Scarlett saw him, she gave him a pleased but confused smile. She said, "What is that?"

"A birthday present. It is another hat. Although you do look lovely in your green hat, it is time that you wore another one every now and then."

"Thank you, Rhett. Let me see it."

Rhett placed the hat box on the tea table and stepped back. He said, "Go ahead and open it."

Scarlett lifted the lid off the box and pushed aside the tissue paper. Scarlett gasped when she saw the hat. She turned to Rhett and said, "You certainly have good taste in hats. I thought my green hat the most beautiful hat in the world but now I am not sure," As she lifted the hat out of the box, she continued, "This is an incredibly beautiful hat also."

"Straight from Paris."

"Paris?! I have to see what I look like in it."

Scarlett hurried out into the hallway to look at herself in the mirror that was hanging there. She tied the ribbons in a bow under her chin. After looking at herself, Scarlett turned to Rhett and said, "Thank you, Rhett. It is beautiful."

"You make the hat beautiful."

Scarlett smiled and blushed. She then said, "How you do go on."

Everyone just stood in the hallway with Rhett and Scarlett staring at each other. Finally with a smile, India said, "Shall we return to the parlor?"

Rhett and Scarlett both said, "Yes" at the same time.

Scarlett reluctantly took the hat off and put it back in the box. As Scarlett was doing that India thought, 'The girls of Clayton County were lucky that Scarlett never tried to steal anyone's man away or nobody would have had a suitor but Scarlett. I guess I am lucky that Scarlett doesn't want anyone but Mr. Butler, although I know a lot of the soldiers at the hospital are always trying to catch her eye. I will never say a word about it to Mr. Butler. I don't think he would be happy with Scarlett flirting with other men.'

The rest of the evening the conversation was very general. India and Rhett discussed the book India was reading at that time. Its title was Five Weeks in a Balloon. Scarlett wanted to join in the discussion, but she bit her lip and kept her mouth shut. Every time Rhett looked at Scarlett she smiled or looked down at the garment she was sewing. It was a dress from some of the material that Rhett had brought for Wade a few months ago.

Scarlett had told Rhett that she was saving most of the material to make Wade clothing after he had grown a little bit more. She had said, "I know he is just going to keep growing and growing."

"You certainly don't want him to stop growing. He would be an extremely small man."

Scarlett had laughed and said, "Of course, I don't. Also, once he is completely potty trained then I will let him wear pants."

The next night when Rhett came to call after Scarlett had walked Rhett to the door, he said, "I have to write my sister an extremely difficult letter. I found out today that her husband is dead."

"How did you find out before Rosemary?"

"She knew her husband was missing but not anymore information. I have a friend who works for the War Department in Washington. I contacted him hoping he would tell me that Luther was a prisoner of war but that unfortunately wasn't true. After a squirmish outside of Washington, there were two hundred and three dead Confederate soldiers that the Union buried. They have a list of about forty-three names, but they had no way to get in touch with their loved ones therefore their relatives were never notified. They kept the list and hoped that someone would contact them which I did. My friend telegraphed me back this morning. I have been struggling with how to write that letter."

"How did they get his name?"

With a sad smile, Rhett said, "Before he left to join his troops, Rosemary had embroidered his name onto all of his clothing just for this reason."

"At least she will know for sure. Tell her straight out then you can give an explanation. I remember when I was informed about Charlie, I practically had to read the entire letter before they told me. At first one truly doesn't care about the details. She will later but not at first. She will just be filled with unbearable pain. There is no way to make it not hurt."

"Thanks."

"Where do you go every evening when you leave me?"

"To play cards at the Satin Slipper."

"Do you win?"

"Although I often win, there is not a lot of money in the pot for me to take home."

"Why do you do it?"

"I find it fun. Now give me a kiss. I will write the letter and you can read it tomorrow night to make sure there isn't anything I need to change. I have never had to write one of these letters before."

"I will be glad to help you."

Rhett kissed Scarlett several times and pulled her to him. He knew that she was scandalized by being able to feel his erection, but he didn't care. Although, maybe she wasn't as scandalized as he had thought she would be. She didn't pull away at all. In fact, she looked rather pleased with herself. Of course, the blush on her cheeks and her rapid breathing pleased him quite a bit too.

The next night after Scarlett had read the letter, she said, "It is fine."

"I will mail it to my mother and let her tell Rosemary."

"No! Don't put that burden on your mother. Unless you correspond with your sister regularly, she is going to know what is in the letter before she opens it. Even at the young age of sixteen I knew what was in the letter from General Hampton."

"I suppose."

PittyPat and India had quietly listened to the conversation between Scarlett and Rhett. Scarlett had already told them that Rhett's brother-in-law was dead and the responsibility to inform his sister had fallen to him. Nobody envied him the task.

With Rhett's words PittyPat had started telling everyone in the room about the latest gossip. It was about Ashley. PittyPat said, "Dolly said that no decent house in Atlanta would ever receive Ashley after he abandoned the Confederate army."

Scarlett said, "He did it to keep his family safe."

"That is what I told Dolly, but she didn't think that was a worthy reason."

The conversation moved on to the war and the shortages. They quickly started talking about other topics because the war and the shortages were just too depressing.

On Rhett's way to the hotel, he mailed his letter to Rosemary. He had followed Scarlett's advice and addressed it to Rosemary. He could hardly do anything else since she was watching him the entire time, he was addressing the envelope. He felt great sadness as he walked to the hotel. He knew that the news would ruin Rosemary's life.