Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty

One afternoon in late September, a deserter arrived at Tara. Scarlett had been sitting with Careen on the porch shucking peas. Peas were not Scarlett's favorite vegetable, but she would eat them. As soon as the women had seen the man, they knew what he was. Scarlett jumped up and said, "Go find Rhett." When Careen didn't move, Scarlett shouted, "Now! Find Rhett!"

Careen was running through the house to the barn while screaming Rhett's name. Rhett was not in the barn. He had been walking in the trees in front of the house. He had heard the man ride up. He had heard Scarlett shouting although he couldn't make out the words.

Rhett had started running towards Scarlett's voice. When he entered the clearing, he took in the entire scene in an instant. He had instantly shot the man before he had even gotten off his horse.

Rhett had known he was going to have to kill the deserter to get rid of him the minute he had seen him. Sitting on his horse, he was quite an easy target for a marksman like Rhett. One shot and the man was dead with a bullet in his head.

Rhett had shot the man in the head just to raise the level of difficulty. He did always like to challenge himself.

After firing the shot Rhett ran over and grabbed the horse's bit. Scarlett was screaming. Finally, Rhett said, "Hush, Baby. You are frightening the horse. Come here. I can't let go of the horse. We need the horse."

Scarlett ran over to Rhett, and he put his free arm around her. He held her close. When he thought she was calm enough, he said, "He attacked you and I had to kill him to protect you."

"But.."

"Everyone will know it is a blatant lie, but it will give them something to claim to believe. We were going to have to kill him. He would not leave until he had taken everything of value we had. Remember we have to be cold, and we have to be strong in order to survive. Remember what I said not everyone is going to make it, but we are."

Scarlett didn't know if the we Rhett was referring to was her and him, or her entire family. She didn't ask because she didn't want to know what he had really meant. She would think about what he said about them having to be cold and having to be strong instead.

The thought that passed through Rhett's head was, 'Now we can take my buggy also.'

Rhett was holding Scarlett and she was getting herself together. Everyone was suddenly in the clearing. Everyone looked at the body. Rhett told his lie. Scarlett nodded her head.

Rhett and Scarlett knew that nobody believed them, but they also knew that nobody cared when Melly, the person with the tenderest heart in the group said, "Let's be sure and go through his pockets before we bury him. He might have money on him."

There indeed had been money and gold pieces on the man. The group checked his saddle bags and there had been more valuables there. There had even been some food. There was the Yankee uniform that look like it would fit either Ashley or Rhett. They might be able to use it as a disguise. Especially the closer they got to New Orleans. All in all, it was an incredibly good haul for the Tara inhabitants.

The men buried the deserter in the garden. That was where the dirt was the softest. After the dirt was filled in the women put the plants back where they had been. The inhabitants of Tara were being super cautious because they didn't want the Yankees coming after them. Although there was nothing left on the man's body that could be used to identify him. The men had, in fact, even stripped him of his underwear. They later burned the underwear in the fire pit where the pigs were cooked when the O'Haras gave a barbecue. That would not happen again for a long time, if ever.

Nobody lost a minute of sleep over the deserter's death. It is hard to feel sympathy for a man that has come to take the last of what one has.

At supper that night, Rhett noticed that there was tomato and cucumber salad on the table. Rhett looked back and forth between Suellen and Careen and said, "This is very good."

The salad was good but not nearly as good as Naomi's, but Rhett had learned long ago how a compliment could go a long way to getting people to like him.

Gerald said, "With another horse we can bring your buggy, Rhett."

"Indeed, we can. There will be room to bring more stuff but only what we must have."

Careen said, "Pillows and blankets. I assume we are going to be sleeping on the ground."

"You assumed correctly. We will bring pillows and blankets because they weigh so little and they are so greatly needed.

All the women smiled.

One afternoon Gerald said to Rhett, "Meet me behind the barn."

"Alright."

When the two men met back there, Gerald picked up the jug and said, "We are almost out. We need at least two more jugs for the trip."

"Three would be better."

"We can ride over to Mimosa. I think they have a still."

"Let's go this afternoon."

"Fine but we need an excuse to tell Ellen."

"We are going into Jonesboro to see what we can find out about Sherman."

"Perfect."

After dinner Gerald and Rhett got into his buggy and rode over to Mimosa. On the way Gerald said, "You know we still have to go into Jonesboro to find out about Sherman."

"Yes. It is going to be a long afternoon."

"You don't know the half of it. Old Miss Fontaine scares all the women in the county and half of the men."

"This is going to be interesting."

It was not as interesting as Rhett had thought it would be. Rhett would admit that he was spoiled as far as women were concerned. Almost all women found him appealing. He was used to being worshipped and adored. Old Miss took one look at Rhett and said, "What do you want?"

"I am …"

"I know who you are. Everyone in the county knows who you are. You are Scarlett's pretty husband."

Rhett didn't like being called pretty but he didn't react. Instead, he said, "I am Scarlett's husband, yes."

"Did you make a small fortune running the blockade?"

Rhett ignored the question and said, "Miss Fontaine."

"It is Mrs. Fontaine. Everyone calls me Old Miss to differentiate me from my daughter-in-law who is Young Miss. I don't know what they are going to call my granddaughters-in-law since they will both be Mrs. Fontaine also. Anyway, what brings you to Mimosa."

"We would like to buy three jugs of moonshine."

"I will sell you two because I don't have any more jugs."

Gerald said, "We can bring our empty jug back."

"Fine. It will be five dollars, two of those piglets, and two of those chickens."

"Five dollars, one piglet and one chicken."

"No, I need two of each so I can breed them. A male and a female."

Rhett looked at Gerald and Gerald said, "She is the only game in town."

"We only have one rooster. We need it to breed with the chickens."

"Then no deal."

"Alright. I will bring them over tomorrow plus the empty jug."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

As the men got in the buggy, Rhett said, "First time I have been out negotiated."

"As I said she is the only game in town."

"I will get Scarlett to come with me tomorrow so Mama won't get suspicious."

"Good luck in getting Scarlett to come with you. Old Miss scares the bejesus out of her. Your best bet would be to get Ashley to go with you."

On the ride to Jonesboro, Rhett thought, 'Life is strange. I am calling Ellen O'Hara mama and I am probably older than she is.'

When the men got to Jonesboro, they went to the feed store. The men at the feed store didn't know anything for sure except that Atlanta had fallen. The rumor was that Sherman was waiting for further orders. Rhett bought a compass and then they left.

When the men returned, Ellen smiled. She knew where they had gone. She knew that Gerald had a nip or two every now and then. She could smell it on his breath but if she tolerated him drinking then it would be four or five nips. Rhett should probably slow down his alcohol consumption also but that wasn't her problem.

Gerald had been right. Scarlett absolutely refused to go with Rhett to Mimosa. Scarlett didn't say so to Rhett but a big strike against her ever-marrying Tony was his grandmother. She didn't want to be related to that harridan.

The next day Gerald had poured what was left in the jug into a mason jar that was used for canning. He was going to store it behind the barn also. On the way over to Mimosa, Ashley said, "You and Mr. O'Hara could have invited me to have a nip or two."

"I didn't think you would drink moonshine."

"Why because I am a gentleman? I haven't been a gentleman since I refused to return to my troops."

"I don't think I have ever truly been a gentleman. I just play the part."

"Like Mr. O'Hara."

"Actually, I think my father-in-law plays the part better than I do."

Both men laughed.

When the men got out of the wagon, Old Miss came out of the house with two jugs. Rhett got the crate out of the back of the wagon. Both the chickens and both the piglets were in the crate. Rhett said, "You can have the piglets and the chickens but not the crate."

"I need the crate."

"With a smile Rhett said, "That wasn't part of our deal."

Old Miss frowned at him. Rhett just continued standing there with a smug smile on his face. Old Miss had gotten the better end of the bargain but at least Rhett had gotten some of his own back. Rhett complacently handed the old woman a five-dollar gold piece which she quickly took.

Finally, Old Miss handed the jugs to Rhett and took the one Ashley had in his hand. She hollered out, "Sally, come get this jug and fill it up."

Soon Sally was taking the jug away. While they waited, Old Miss said to Ashley, "I didn't think you had it in you to defy everyone and not return to your troops. You always struck me as such a namby-pamby. Someone without a backbone but I guess you proved me wrong. I wish Alex and Tony would get smart and just abandon the cause."

The rest of the conversation was more of the same. Fortunately, Old Miss never said anything unkind about Scarlett. Rhett would never tolerate anyone saying anything unkind about Scarlett. She wasn't perfect but she was perfect for him. Furthermore, she was his wife and that alone meant he had to defend her.

Soon the men got their last jug, and they were heading back to Tara. Rhett had mixed feelings about Ashley. They had so much in common. Primarily their love of reading. They could talk on so many subjects. Yet there was something about the man that Rhett didn't like.

Rhett had pondered this question of why he disliked Wilkes many times and the only thing Rhett could attribute his dislike to, was the fact that the man had wanted Scarlett for his wife. Rhett had smiled when he had thought that. If he disliked every man who wanted Scarlett, he would dislike most of the male population. But they would get along well enough. They had to. They were going to be together the rest of their lives.

Ashley had mixed feelings about Rhett also. On the surface they should have been the best of friends. They had so much in common not the least being their love of reading books especially ancient old tomes. Yet he didn't like Rhett and he didn't know why either. He finally decided that he didn't like Rhett because he was Scarlett's husband. That Scarlett had turned him down but had married this barely received scoundrel. Ashley guessed he could no longer throw stones in that regard. It didn't matter now. Yet Ashley knew he was more of a gentleman than Rhett Butler would ever dream about being. Nonetheless, they would get along well enough. They had to. They were going to be together the rest of their lives.