Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Four

Rhett and Scarlett got into his buggy. She had her hands placed primly in her lap like a lady should. Rhett smiled at her and said, "I love it when you pretend to be a lady, but I love it even more when you don't."

"Rhett Butler, I am a lady, and I always will be."

"Of course, Dear."

"See that you don't forget it."

With a smile, Rhett said, "Of course not, Dear."

Rhett looked at Scarlett and thought, 'She is so beautiful when she is annoyed at me. Well, when she is mad at anyone actually."

Scarlett said, "Rhett, I am so proud of you. This last month was hard on everyone but probably hardest on you because you weren't rescuing any of your relatives. We could have ridden the train to some place close to the Yankee controlled area them bought a buggy. We could have ridden that buggy into New Orleans. Instead, you walked five hundred miles to get this motley group of people to New Orleans. Thank you."

"I did it for you because I knew you would not leave your loved ones behind."

"No, I couldn't."

"You know how you can thank me."

"I just did. I said thank you."

"I was thinking of a more physical demonstration of your gratitude. I did walk five hundred miles, slept on the ground, fore gone relations for a month, drank moonshine and ate assorted badly prepared foods. So, I think I deserve more than just a simple thank you. Some over the top physical reward."

"I will let you continue sleeping next to me and give you a child."

"I need something right now."

"You aren't going to get it. Shut up and be happy with what you are getting."

Rhett burst out laughing. Finally, he said, "I guess I will have to be. It's not like I could force you to do it."

"No, you can't."

By that time Rhett and Scarlett were at the Western Union office. The telegram to Honey was short. It said: Arrived in New Orleans STOP Ashley.

To Rhett's parents the telegram was longer. It said: Arrived in New Orleans STOP We are fine STOP We will be here until the end of the war STOP When I get a permanent address will let you know. STOP

Scarlett sent the same telegram to India that Rhett had sent to his parents.

After those telegrams were sent Scarlett said, "Can I send Cathy a telegram letting her, Pork, and Dilcey know we made it to New Orleans?"

"Yes, but this is the last one."

"Alright."

The telegram to Cathy was: Arrived in New Orleans STOP Tell Pork STOP Scarlett.

Rhett sent one last telegram. It was to his attorney in London where most of his money was kept. Most of his monies were invested in very safe projects like US government bonds. He just needed Mr. Jacob Marley to let him know what his bank balance was. Mr. Marley was a shy, thin, small man that Rhett had chosen because he thought he could intimidate him. Rhett had been correct. Rhett had told Mr. Marley, "If a penny of my money comes up missing, I will take it out of your hide."

Mr. Marley had been so frightened by Rhett that he had not even corrected him that in England the correct term was not penny but pence.

Later that afternoon, Rhett had gone to Orson's attorney, Tom Selleck, to get a listing of houses that were available to rent. He decided that he and Scarlett would go look at them tomorrow. He wasn't taking everyone with him. Just he and Scarlett were going to make the decision on which house they rented. After all, he was the one paying for it.

The next morning over breakfast, Rhett said, "Scarlett and I are going house hunting this morning."

Ellen said, "Alright, Dear. Let's hope you find something nice."

With Ellen's words none of the O'Haras asked to go along. Both Ashley and Melly chose to not ask to go along because they could not contribute anything to the rental fees, so they had no say in the matter. Ashley knew he had to keep as much money as he could until the end of the war and they got settled. He said, "Mr. Wells, I would like to find a job. Do you know anyone who needs a law clerk?"

"I am sure a lot of the lawyers need law clerks considering most of the young men are still away fighting the war."

Rhett said, "That is a strange thought. If we would have won would the Yankees have given us New Orleans back."

"It would have been one of the things negotiated at the peace talks."

"Of course. Ashley when Scarlett and I go to tell Mr. Selleck which one of the houses we want to rent I will ask him if he knows of any lawyers who need a clerk."

"Thank you."

As Rhett and Scarlett got in the buggy, she said, "How many rooms do we need?"

"One for us, one for your parents, one for the Wilkes, there is no point in getting a room for Beau Melly would never let him sleep that far away from her."

"True. Mama told me that Melly can never get with child again. It almost killed her this time. She almost couldn't get the baby out."

"How awful to die while trying to give birth to a child."

"It happens to one in three women."

"Really?!"

"Really."

"Is that why you don't want to have children?"

"No, I am just uncomfortable being pregnant, I don't like getting large and appearing fat even if I am not actually getting fat, and labor and delivery is extremely painful."

"Oh."

"But it is a consequence of the activity we both like so very much so I suppose we will have a lot of children."

"I will talk to other men and see if there is a way for me to not get you with child. I have never been concerned about the issue before."

Scarlett ignored Rhett's last sentence. She never like to think about Rhett being intimate with anyone but her. Although she knew he had been. After all he had been a mature man when they had gotten married. "Thank you, Rhett."

"Although that activity I want you to participate in can't get you with child." At Scarlett's confused expression, he continued, "If you do it all the way."

"All the way? All the way! Where would your seed go?"

"I guess in your stomach."

"In my stomach? In my stomach! Are you expecting me to swallow that… that…. that…."

"I guess you don't want to do that."

"I don't want to do any of it."

"But it makes me so incredibly happy. I do it for you."

"Stop talking about it, Rhett. When are we going to get to the first house?"

"It is right here."

"We never decided how many rooms we needed."

"At least five. Your best friend and her husband, your parents, your sisters, your son, and your husband and you."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"I'm still working on that thank you gesture."

"Help me out of the buggy."

"Of course, your highness."

After Scarlett was on the ground, she said, "Why did you call me your highness?"

"Because sometimes you act like everyone is here to serve you."

Scarlett turned and stomped up the stairs outside the home. The house ended up not being big enough. Although it had the required number of bedrooms the whole house was small. With there being twelve people in the house, they needed a larger home. They finally found one that they thought was perfect. It was a house in the Creole townhouse style. The rooms were much larger and airier.

Rhett and Scarlett went to see Mr. Selleck and signed all the papers. The lawyer said, "You can move in as soon as the leaser signs the papers."

"Let us know. We are staying with Mr. Welles."

"I will send a runner over as soon as I know something."

"That will be great. My friend Ashley Wilkes is looking for a job as a law clerk. He has no experience, but he did graduate from …"

"Yale."

Tom said, "I could use a law clerk/secretary. Tell him to come see me tomorrow. My last clerk quit and moved out West."

"Perfect."

"Thank you."

When Rhett and Scarlett got into their buggy, he said, "Let's go to the bank and open a checking account."

"I have never had a checking account before. Well, to be honest I have never had a bank account. Banks can't be trusted."

"Don't trust the bank. Trust me."

"Alright, Dear."

After the couple had opened up a checking account and signed the signature cards, they left the bank. It was a bit surreal to Rhett to see Scarlett's signature under his on the signature card. It was like he truly realized he was a married man. He discounted his marriage to Caroline for she had never been his wife except in name only.

The next day Rhett had heard from Mr. Marley. Rhett was very well off financially. He had a little bit less than one and a half million dollars in his London account. He had almost a thousand dollars in his trunk. He wired his solicitor to transfer a thousand dollars into his New Orleans bank account.

Within a week, Ashley had a job as a law clerk and Gerald had a job working as a clerk in a general store. They both knew they needed to make some money. They had both accepted that they were no longer members of the planter class. They both knew there was no such thing as the planter class anymore. At least not in the South.

The group had moved into the rental house within the week. The house was furnished. The move did not take a lot of time. What took the most amount of time was assigning rooms. Rhett and Scarlett got the largest bedroom. Wade got the room next door to Scarlett and Rhett. It was a large room but that was fine. It was also going to be the playroom. Mammy would sleep in the servant's quarters. It would be no different than when Scarlett was at Hamilton House because she was the one that would get up in the middle of the night if the boy cried out. These days Wade usually slept through the night.

Strangely to Scarlett as soon as she announced which one of the rooms was going to be hers and Rhett's room her parents chose the room furthest away from them. She didn't dwell on it too terribly long though. Soon everyone had chosen a room. Because there were six bedrooms in the house Suellen and Careen were each going to get their own room. It would be the first time they had not shared a room.

With Elise's help Scarlett had hired a staff. Nobody in the household had ever hired anyone. Everyone had always had slaves to take care of the household chores. Scarlett hired a skeleton staff. They were not going to entertain. There were enough people in the household to do most of the chores. Although nobody said it, all the women knew they were no longer ladies.

Scarlett had hired a housekeeper, a butler, a couple of footmen, a cook, a scullery maid, a washer woman, and a couple of household maids to keep the house neat and tidy. There was not a girl to serve them their food. The cook, Mrs. Cloud, put all the food into serving bowls and the women carried them into the dining room. One of the women would carry the plates, knives, and forks to the table. After the meal, one of the men went and got a tray to carry the dirty dishes to the kitchen. The women carried the serving bowls back to the kitchen.

All the people in the household were learning to be much more self-sufficient. Rhett could have afforded to hire a lot more staff, but he wanted the O'Haras and the Wilkeses to start living their new life. Their new lifestyle where they were no longer living a pampered and opulent life.