Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fifty-Five

The next night over supper, Rhett asked his father, "How is the saloon business going?"

Rhett had a very good idea how the business was at The Smuggler's Cove. When he went out to play cards in the evenings that is the saloon he frequented. Therefore, he knew business was good.

"Good enough. The man I hired to be the night manager is quite good." Marshall looked at Elizabeth and said, "We have enough saved to think about moving out."

"Where are you going to move to?"

"A rental house over on Avenue S."

"Let me purchase a house and you can pay me back."

"Let me think about it."

"Robert, how is the brewery business?"

"Good. Really good. I will take you up on your offer."

"We will start looking after the first of the year."

Marshall said, "I will go along to look at what there is available."

"Alright, Father."

After supper was over as the family was leaving the table, Scarlett said, "Are you going out?"

"Not tonight."

"Let's go for a walk."

"Alright."

"Let me go get my yellow shawl."

"It makes me happy that you still have that shawl."

"And the hats you gave me too. But I can no longer fit into the dresses because I gained an inch from carrying Kenny."

"He was worth it."

Sourly Scarlett said, "Yes, but I wish the inch was on your waist not mine."

Rhett laughed. After he and Scarlett had walked for a short while, he said, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"That is a lot of money you are going to have tied up in real estate."

"Yes, but we have to get them out of the house. I'm tired of living with my parents."

"I'm tired of them offering their opinion on everything. It is just as bad with my parents."

"I hadn't noticed."

"That's because they only do it when I go visit them at the store."

"Then stop visiting them."

"No, I want to give them a chance to play with their grandsons. I'm surprised your parents aren't more interactive with the boys. Actually, with any of their grandchildren."

"I'm not. My parents weren't interactive with us until we got to be five and could carry on a conversation. And that was over the dining room table."

"Now that you mention it they do spend a lot of time talking to the children when we are eating."

"You know it isn't proper to show your children love and interact with them."

"You are certainly not that way with the boys. In fact, I think if Mammy thought she could get away with it she would ban you from the nursery."

"Or at least limit my visits to one a day."

They both laughed.

Scarlett smiled and said, "She has complained to me that you are always in the way."

"What did you say?"

"I told her she was going to have to get used to you being in the nursery. You were involved with Wade so it is natural that you would be even more involved with your own child."

"That is true. Do you think Wade is going to ever call me anything but Dada?"

"When he switches to Dad."

"Probably."

The couple were back at their home by that time. Rhett kissed Scarlett. He said, "I am so happy we have a full staff."

"Why?"

"We now have someone to pick up after you every day."

Scarlett smiled and replied, "Your money well spent."

"Indeed. Let's go inside and go upstairs."

"To the nursery or to our bedroom."

"The nursery then our bedroom. We won't get to stay long. It is almost time for his feeding."

Scarlett shook her head and thought, 'What a silly man.'

Rhett and Scarlett did stop by to see Kenny, but Alice had already taken him away. The rest of the nursery inhabitants were sleeping with the mammys nowhere to be seen. Once the children were asleep, the mammys could retire to their rooms. The couple retired to their bedroom. They were going to read books then go to sleep. So far it seemed that the sulphate of iron was doing its job for Scarlett once again knew she was not with child.

Christmas was a wonderful time for everyone. Everyone exchanged small presents. That was all most people could afford to give. There were apples, oranges, and pecans for everyone to eat and enjoy.

Sam, Clyde, and Gertrude all accepted the invitation to dinner. Scarlett had two dining rooms. A large one with a table that twenty people could sit at. The room's original purpose was to be used when the Butlers hosted supper parties. There was a much smaller room with a table that could only seat eight at most. The smaller table she was going to use when it finally became just her immediate family. Maybe in the spring they would get to start using it.

Over Christmas dinner, Scarlett found out that Rosemary's new employee was a woman also. Scarlett said, "Why would you hire a woman?"

"Her husband had been a sailor, so she was already familiar with maritime words. She is a widow with two children to support. And probably most important, she was willing to work for me. A lot of men aren't willing to work for a woman."

"That is awful."

"In addition to all those reasons, she is Miss Stein's friend."

Gertrude said, "Friend may be stretching it a little bit. Her name is Alice Toklas. We live in the same boarding house. I often watch her children while she goes to the store, two little girls. That was how I knew she would be happy to receive a better job. She was working at a dressmaker's shop. She was only paid by the number of pieces she sewed together."

"So far, she is working out quite well."

Rhett said, "I guess I am the only man employed by Butler Maritime Shipping."

Scarlett said, "Do you not employ those captains and their crews?"

"Yes, we do, my dear. Melly, this is incredibly good apple pie."

"Thank you, Rhett. I would like to take credit for it, but my cook made it."

"You have a good cook."

Ashley said, "She does very well with desserts, breads, and vegetables, but she is often lacking in regard to the meat dish. Unlike your cook who prepares everything superbly."

Rhett thought, 'If you paid your cook the same as I pay Mrs. Cloud, you would have a good cook also."

Scarlett said, "Thank you, Ashley. I will pass your compliments on to Mrs. Cloud."

Clyde said, "I certainly hope sixty-six is better than sixty-five."

Rhett said, "Indeed, Mr. Johnson, I am sure we all feel that way."

Ashley said, "Did anyone tell you about our leaving Clayton County?"

"No, Ashley, the only person I talked to was Mr. Williams. It didn't take me long to figure out that being in Georgia so soon after the war was over was not a good thing. So, I got my money and got on the train to Atlanta and then on to Galveston. I still can't believe that all of you are here in Galveston also."

Ashley said, "It is kind of unbelievable."

Inwardly Ashley sighed a sigh of relief. He was not ashamed that he had not gone back to his troops because he knew that he had needed to be in Clayton County in August and September. He knew that the only reason Melly and Beau were alive was because Mrs. O'Hara and their Mammy helped bring his son into the world. Then their trek to New Orleans.

While looking at Scarlett, Rhett said, "Some things are just meant to be."

Scarlett said, "True like you and me, like Melly and me, and like Ashley and Melly."

Gerald said, "Like Ellen and me."

Elizabeth said, "Like Marshall and me."

Rosemary said, "Like Luther and me."

After Rosemary quit speaking, everyone turned to look at Robert and Daphne. The couple just looked back at everyone else. Finally, Robert said, "What?" He then smiled and said, "Like Daphne and me."

Everyone laughed. The conversation turned to more neutral topics. The recovery of the economy of the South. How long they were going to be under martial law? How long before the men get the right to vote back. The same topics that were always discussed at any social gathering. Surprising the only topic that was never discussed over the Butler's dining room table was the war.

January rolled around and the Butler men went out and looked at houses. It was a depressing experience for all three men. It made them truly realize how far they had fallen, and that Robert and Marshall would probably never be back where they were before the war started. Therefore, they went and had a beer at The Smuggler's Cove. They all three also had Pirates' Beer.

As the men were drinking their beers, Rhett said, "This is good beer."

"Thanks. It was Mr. Clemmer's recipe. It tasted good to me, so I just kept using it."

"He let you have his recipe."

"Yes, I really don't think Mr. Clemmer liked making beer at all. At one point he said, 'If I ever even see another beer, it will be too soon."

"Interesting. Did he say what he was going to do in Colorado?"

"No, he didn't say."

The men drank a couple of more beers then, they got up to leave. Rhett said, "I will get a listing from my lawyer, and we can go look at which houses are for sale."

"Alright."

Once the men were in the buggy, Marshall said, "Maybe I will rethink living over the saloon."

Both his sons laughed because they knew he would never talk their mother into living over a saloon. They didn't know how he had talked her into being a saloon owner's wife. They certainly weren't going to ask him about it, though.

Marshall had told Elizabeth, "I am not trained to do anything but run a plantation and be a gentleman. If I don't find a way to make money fast, we will starved to death or have to live off Rhett's charity the rest of our lives."

"What about running the shipping line?"

"Elizabeth, you know I am a lousy salesman."

Elizabeth had smiled and said, "Yes, you are. Let's do it."

Elizabeth had some pride also and she didn't want to take Rhett's money the rest of their lives either. She also wanted to be the mistress of her own home. That was what she had been most of her married life.

That night after supper, Rosemary said, "Rhett may I speak with you privately?"

"Of course. We will go in my office."

After Rhett and Rosemary were settled in his office, he said, "Is this about the business?"

"No, we are building a steady list of customers who are using our ships. I don't want to move out with Mother and Father. Will you let me stay?"

"Why do you want to stay?"

"Because you have all the luxuries of this time."

"And?"

"I don't want to go back to being Mother and Father's little girl. That is what happened when I moved in with them after Luther went to join his troops, It was alright because as soon as Luther had returned, we would have gone back to his plantation. Right after Luther's death it was nice that nobody expected anything from me. Now, I am learning to stand on my own two feet. I refuse to take a step backwards."

"I can't promise anything but let me talk to Scarlett. If she says no, then it is no. I am not going to live with a mad Scarlett."

"You make her mad all the time."

"Yes, but I can also coax her back into a good mood again."

Later that night when Rhett and Scarlett were getting ready for bed, he said, "Rosemary doesn't want to live with our parents anymore. She wants to stay with us."

"Why?"

"For all the luxuries we own."

"And?"

"For all our good food."

"And?"

"She doesn't want to go back to being our parents' little girl. She likes standing on her own two feet and she wants to continue doing it."

"Alright but you have to clear it with Mammy."

"What?"

"Mammy is going to have to watch another child. That might be too much for her."

"It won't be. Mammy can do it."

"I know she can do it, but will she want to do it. I don't want her to get mad and decide to go live with Mama and Pa."

"She is not going to do that."

"She is already annoyed at you for constantly being in the nursery. She might decide this is the final straw. She might pack up her bags and decide to move in with my mother and father."

"I will get her approval tomorrow. I would not want my sons to be without a Mammy."

"Thank you, Rhett."

"Can we play?"

"Yes, we can."

And they did.