Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Eight

When Rhett and Scarlett got to her old bedroom, Prissy was busily packing Scarlett's clothes away. Scarlett set Wade on the floor. He could play with the set of blocks she kept in her room for him. Scarlett said, "Did you pack my yellow shawl?"

"No ma'am. It is right over there. You love that shawl so much that I thought you would want to keep it with you even if you don't need it."

"You are right. Rhett, in Wade's room is a small carpet bag. Would you start putting Wade's clothes in it while I talk to Prissy. I guess you need to ask Gordon if Dr. Harper has a box, we can use to take Wade's toys to the hotel."

"Of course, Baby. Come on, Son."

"Don't forget to get the fabric that I have saved for his new clothes. He will have to have new clothes soon. Although they will still be dresses because he is not the least bit inclined to use the privy."

"He will when he is ready."

"How do you know?"

"I know all."

With those words Rhett left the room, Scarlett just smiled at her arrogant husband. She then turned to Prissy. Scarlett said, "After I return to Tara, India has said you can stay with her and be her maid. But while I am still in Atlanta you will stay with me. You will go to the hotel with me. Rhett says it is too dangerous for a slave to be walking around in that part of town, therefore until you return to living with the Harpers your friend and you will have to stop meeting."

"What! No, Miss Scarlett, I'm not meeting anyone."

"Prissy, I know you are. I followed you one night. I know he has been coming over here to see you. I don't care about that. I care about you and your friend being safe. Don't despair, Prissy, by the middle of August I will be at Tara, and you will be back here. At the most a month, just until Rhett is ready to leave Atlanta."

"Yes ma'am."

"Is he coming over tonight?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then you can tell him tonight. Prissy this is for his safety as much as it is for yours."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now let's get all this clothing packed. How can I have this much clothing?"

Prissy laughed and said, "Because Captain Butler keeps buying you more and more fabric."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, he does."

"You have also been very creative with getting the most dresses out of the fabric."

"That I have. No matter what, we are taking it all."

"Yes ma'am."

"Pack my newest dresses on top."

"Yes ma'am."

By the time it was dinner time, all Scarlett's, Wade's, and Prissy's clothes were packed. Prissy's clothes would remain at the Harper residence until the young girl moved with them to the hotel. After they had finished eating dinner, Rhett said to Scarlett, "Go ahead and have Prissy lay Wade down for his nap. You and I are going to take our luggage and try to get a larger suite at the hotel. We will come back this afternoon."

"Of course, Dear. Come along, Wade, it is time for your nap."

Wade said, "No! No Nap!"

Scarlett just picked Wade up. He would complain but he would not fight her. Once he was in the bed he would go to sleep. Prissy just had to keep him in the bed and not let him play.

Scarlett went upstairs to look for Prissy. She had been in Wade's room waiting for Scarlett to bring him to his room for a nap. When Scarlett laid the boy down on his bed, he said, "No, Mama."

Scarlett sat down on the bed and took Wade's shoes off. She smiled at him and said, "Little boys your age need a nap. Don't be mean to Prissy."

"I won't, Mama."

Scarlett said the same thing to Wade every day. As she looked at him, her heart swelled with pride. She was so proud of Wade. He was only two and a half and he was already clearly saying a lot of words. Admittedly, he only knew simple words, but she was still proud of him. Of course, she was proud of him just for being.

Scarlett stood up and said to Prissy, "While Wade is napping, Rhett and I are going to the hotel to get a larger suite. We will be back for supper. Once Wade goes to bed, we will go back to the hotel. Be sure and tell India when you are leaving the house, so she knows to listen for Wade. I will tell her what is going on."

"Yes ma'am."

Rhett had already gotten them a larger suite that morning but he needed an excuse to get Scarlett over to the hotel so they could have relations again that afternoon. He just couldn't wait until this evening. He was surprised he had waited this long. Rhett had a lot of sexual energy that he had managed to keep tapped down these last few months but with the knowledge that Scarlett was his wife all that desire had sprang to the surface full force. He was as eager as he had been in his early twenties. During that period, he had a sexual partner almost every night. A few times it was a consensual agreement between both parties but most of the time it was just a business arrangement. At the time he had like the business arrangement better because it was much cleaner. Now that he had Scarlett, he was glad he had all those other women to practice on and that he could last a lot longer now. Although that certainly hadn't been true last night.

Rhett's previous intimate life was a paradox to him. He really wished he and Scarlett had been each other's only partner but if those experienced women hadn't taught him how to please a woman, he wouldn't know how to please Scarlett. Furthermore, he wouldn't even know that he could bring Scarlett great pleasure.

It was then that Rhett thought of something that made him feel really good about his sexual relationship with Scarlett. She was the first woman he had not worn a condom with. She was the first woman it had been skin to skin. That made him feel wonderful. Of course, he would never tell Scarlett that.

When Rhett and Scarlett stopped on the way to the hotel at a general store. He said, "I need to arrange a delivery of food to the Harper's home.

"Why? Dr. Harper doesn't act like he needs money."

"Maybe he doesn't but I will pay for my own wedding celebration."

Scarlett saw in that moment how proud Rhett truly was. It made her marvel at the fact he allowed her to see him in a vulnerable position when he asked her to marry him.

The general store Scarlett and Rhett stopped at was called Davis's General Store. They spent almost an hour in the store looking at everything Mr. Davis had to sell. There weren't any other customers so Rhett taking so long was not an inconvenience to Mr. Davis. There weren't that many choices, but Rhett wanted this meal to be perfect therefore he spent a long time looking over all of the choices. At one point, Scarlett said, "Get a couple of cucumbers and a couple of tomatoes. Naomi can make a cucumber and tomato salad."

"Alright."

Rhett had also bought a trunk. When Scarlett looked at him questioningly, he said, "For Wade's clothing, toys, and all that fabric. It will just be easier."

"You are right, Dear."

"Of course, I am."

Scarlett shook her head. She might as well get used to that. She had a feeling she was going to hear it a lot.

As Rhett was paying the bill, Mr. Davis had promised to send the food over right away. There was, of course, flour, and sugar.

Mr. Davis and Rhett had been doing business since Rhett sent the first box of food to Scarlett. They had often talked about the war but that was over now. Mr. Davis had lost his oldest son and his younger son had lost part of his leg. Mr. Davis told Rhett, "The only good thing about Cyril having lost his leg is that he doesn't have to fight anymore. I shouldn't have let Cy go but he was all gung-ho about it. I like everyone else thought it would be over in six months. I didn't think those Yankees would fight this long to keep us."

Rhett and Scarlett's next stop was the telegraph office. Rhett laughed and said, "With all the excitement of this morning, I forgot to inform my parents that I was married. I guess we need to tell your parents also."

"Yes, we must even though I didn't get permission."

"It is too late. We have already consummated our marriage."

"No, we haven't."

"Yes, we have. We did it last night. Twice."

"But.."

"All we did today was take care of the legal paperwork."

Scarlett smiled and said, "I guess that's right."

"Did you tell your parents about me?"

With an amused smile, Rhett said, "I did not."

"I bet they are going to be very surprised."

"Not as surprised as one would think."

"Huh?"

"I believe that your Aunt Eulalie has friends that live in Atlanta who were happy to tell her what her niece was up to."

"Why would they do that?"

"A lot of reasons. I am a great catch. I swore never to marry again. You are the first proper lady I have ever had a long-term relationship with. And last but not least I think people find us a very interesting couple."

"Why do you think that?"

"You are interesting all by yourself and I am interesting all by myself, therefore put us together and we are an extremely interesting couple."

Scarlett laughed. She said, "How does my aunt knowing all about us mean your parents are not going to be surprised by our marriage?"

"Don't you think your Aunt Eulalie has told my mother every little detail that she knows about our relationship including that you and Miss India are living with Dr. Harper?'

Sourly Scarlett said, "Yes."

"Remember sweetheart what you told me a long time ago why you always have to behave yourself. Because women loved to gossip about you. Young and old."

"True."

"My mother would have told my father everything."

"Are your parents that close?"

Rhett paused to think about Scarlett's question. Finally, he slowly said, "I believe they love each other but not the way we love each other. There is no passion in their love. Their love is more the way you and Miss Melly love each other. My parents are close friends just like you and Miss Melly. Their marriage was arranged. My mother's good social standing and my father's money."

"I'm glad it worked out for them."

"Yes, the closest they came to a marital crisis was when I almost refused to marry Caroline. I know my mother would have sided with my father after he had disowned me but I still think she would have harbored anger at her husband for disowning her son."

"I'm certainly glad you married Caroline for we would never have met if you hadn't."

"No, we wouldn't have. Who knows where I would have wound up."

"Wherever it was you would have been successful."

"Thank you, Dear."

"When will I meet your family?"

"I don't really know. With us leaving the Confederacy, I don't know when we will come back."

"What do you mean? We will come back as soon as the war is over."

"I don't know about that, Baby. The people of the South are going to be poor for a long time. Most everyone in the South lost everything. And there will be all those former slaves."

"Oh, that's awful."

"And if we have small children that is even more reason to stay away because children need a lot of healthy foods to grow up big and strong." When Rhett saw the sad expression on Scarlett's face. He said, "I'm sorry for making you sad, Baby. Just forget all about it. This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives."

"Yes, it is. Let's go get another suite."