Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Sixty-One

Rhett found Scarlett in the parlor. He watched her before she knew he was in the room. How could he still desire her so much after almost two years of marriage, but he did. He said, "We are going to have a supper party tomorrow night to celebrate Rosemary making money last month."

"Rosemary made a profit?"

"Yes, it was just ten cents, but it was a profit."

"That is amazing. She should be so proud."

"Yes, she should. Most businesses don't make a profit in their first year."

"Congratulations, Sweetheart. I know you had your doubts about putting Rosemary in charge of the shipping company."

"Yes, I did but after we visited the wharf together and she told me all about the ships. I knew then that she really did know about ships and sailing. We actually started talking about Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Send out the invitations."

Who are we inviting?"

"Your family, my family, Rosemary's employees and her captains, and I guess your sisters' gentlemen callers."

"Tomorrow night, I hope everyone can come."

"Nobody on the invitation list would dream of turning down a free meal especially one cook by Mrs. Cloud. She is a good cook."

"Let me send the invitations right now." Scarlett stood up and walked to the door. She stopped at the door and turned to say, "I will be busy for the next thirty minutes. Find some way to amuse yourself."

Rhett smiled and said, "I will count the seconds until you return."

Within thirty minutes, the footmen had been dispatched to deliver the invitations. Scarlett even sent Miss Stein and Mrs. Toklas an invitation. On Mrs. Toklas's invitation she had added 'and children' to the To: part of the invitation. All Scarlett wrote as to why was: you will get told tomorrow night. Scarlett didn't know who Rosemary's captains were, so Rosemary would have to personally deliver the invitations.

Everyone who had received an invitation was planning on attending the meal. Rhett had been right. Nobody would turn down an invitation to a meal prepared by Mrs. Cloud. Suellen and Careen had gotten their father to take invitations that very night to Clyde and Sam. Gerald had been alright with it. He would like his daughters to get married and have families of their own. Mainly because he wanted more grandchildren.

The next morning when Rosemary got to the boarding house, Gertrude and Alice were crazy with excitement. They had talked while waiting for Rosemary and both of them hoped the reason they were celebrating was because they had made a profit, but they would not assume so. Nonetheless, their hope was taking them to that conclusion time after time.

The ladies were waiting on the porch as they did every morning. When they saw Rosemary, she had a big smile on her face. Gertrude was so excited that in a very unladylike manner she hollered at Rosemary, "What is the news?"

"You know what the news is. We made a profit." By this time, she was on the porch. The women hugged each other. All three of them. They knew what they had accomplished had been against impossible odds. Rosemary continued, "We will have to work even harder so as to not lose the momentum we have."

"Of course."

"Let's go to work."

The trio walked to the office and got down to work. After about an hour Rosemary stood up and said, "I have to go ask Captain Matthews and Captain Chisholm to supper tonight."

It did not go unnoticed by Alice and Gertrude that Rosemary had checked her hair and her face before she left the office. They knew even if Rosemary hadn't admitted it to herself that she was sweet on Willis Chisholm. Gertrude had watched them have quite a few long conversations on the ship when they were sailing to and from the North. Also, whenever they were sailing they always took Captain Chisholm's ship. Rosemary said it was because Captain Matthews didn't like women on his ship which Gertrude knew was true, but she also thought there was more to it than just Mr. Matthews dislike of them being on his ship.

Both of the women liked Rosemary and hoped she found love again but they were also concerned that if she remarried, she would stop running Butler Maritime Shipping. They both knew that if a man took over, they would both be fired. After all it had happen to Gertrude once, why wouldn't it happen again. Therefore, they were happy to let Rosemary stay ignorant of her feelings. They also knew that Mr. Chisholm would never say anything forward to Rosemary after all she was his boss.

While Rosemary was out inviting her captains to the celebration, Mrs. Cloud was at the market trying to find enough food to buy for the party. Admittedly it wasn't as hard as it had been when the family had first moved into the rental house, but it still wasn't a sure thing that she was going to be able to find enough food. Normally she would send one of the scullery maids to do the shopping but since this was a celebration, she had come herself. Here she was trying to find food for twenty-five people. It was true, six of those people were children with one being a baby but none the less at least half of the rest were men. She also had to get enough food to feed the staff also. No easy task. Fortunately, Mrs. Butler understood the difficulty that Mrs. Cloud faced. Every morning after Mrs. Butler came downstairs, she came to the kitchen and the women discussed possible options for supper and dinner the next day.

In the end Mrs. Cloud was able to find enough meat for her to serve Mrs. Butler's first choice roast beef. She had been lucky enough to find enough shrimp to fix shrimp salad. The vegetables would be mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, and squash. There would be rolls. Dessert would be yellow cake with chocolate icing. There was going to be champagne but Mr. Butler was going to handle that. In passing Mrs. Cloud wondered what they were celebrating. Maybe she would find out. If not her world was not going to be affected.

Sam and Clyde had come to the general store to escort Careen and Suellen to the party. Gerald and Ellen would be walking with them as well. Because Gerald did not close the store until six supper would not be served until six-thirty to give him and Suellen time to get cleaned up. Everyone else needed the extra time as well.

After everyone was seated at the table Rhett stood up and said, "Rosemary has accomplished a major first. Butler Maritime Shipping made a profit. We still have a long way to go before we can say this is a solvent business, but this is a big start. Well done, Rosemary."

Rosemary stood up and said, "Thank you, Rhett, but it was a team effort. I couldn't have done it without my captains and my assistants."

Scarlett stood up to pull the cord to signal the kitchen to start serving the food. As she walked to the cord, she said, "Now let's eat, drink, and celebrate. But not too much, you all have to go to work tomorrow."

Everyone laughed. A good time was had by everyone. Rhett, Marshall, and Elizabeth noticed the special attention that Mr. Chisholm had paid Rosemary, but the young woman had not. She had just enjoyed talking with him.

When the O'Hara family got back to their store, Sam said, "Mr. O'Hara may I speak to you privately?"

"Yes, of course. You all go on inside. Good night, Clyde."

After everyone else had left Sam said, "I don't know how to do this exactly. I have never done this before."

"Just ask me, boy."

"Can I have Suellen's hand in marriage?"

"Yes, but she has to continue working at the store until she gets with child."

"Thank you, Sir. Of course."

Sam walked away grinning ear to ear. He was halfway home before he realized he had forgotten to ask Suellen to marry him. He started to turn around then decided he would ask her on Sunday during their afternoon walk.

Sunday came and Sam arrived at the O'Hara's front door with flowers in his hand. When Suellen arrived in the parlor, he was so nervous he thrusted the flowers out at her and said, "Here."

"Thank you, Sam."

Sam had an entire speech prepared. He had rehearsed it several times. Yet there in the O'Hara's parlor he would have made Charles Hamilton look suave and sophisticated. He blurted out, "I love you. You are so much more than I deserve. Will you marry me?"

There in the parlor in front of her parents and her sister, Suellen said, "I love you, too. Yes."

Sam hugged her then he stepped back and said, "No, no, I had this all planned out so it would be so romantic."

Gerald said, "Boy, don't look a gift horse in the mouth she said yes."

"She did, didn't she."

"Remember what I said she has to continue working at the store until she gets with child."

"Pa!"

"Are you disagreeing Missy?"

"No, sir."

Suellen was thinking, 'Let me get married first then I will work on getting out of working at the store. Of course, maybe I can just work part time. I have to do what I can to keep the store solvent.'

The next Sunday Suellen brought Sam to Sunday dinner. When Scarlett gave her sister a questioning look, Suellen said, "We will explain over dinner."

"Alright."

Once everyone was seated, Gerald stood up and said, "Sam and Suellen are going to be married."

The room exploded when everyone started speaking at once.

"When?"

"When did he ask you?"

"Congratulations."

"I just knew it."

Finally, Gerald said, "Hush. They don't know when yet. It happened last Sunday. Everyone will be informed."

Scarlett said, "You can have the ceremony here if you wish."

Suellen said, "Thank you, Scarlett. I think we will."

Everyone at the table knew that was code for Scarlett volunteering to pay for the wedding. Suellen would just have to be careful that Scarlett didn't take over the entire thing. She wanted her wedding very low-keyed.

Rhett said, "Sweetheart, maybe something like we did after our wedding."

Scarlett felt like Rhett was telling her something which she didn't understand but because she trusted Rhett she said, "Of course."

Scarlett would get Rhett to explain it to her later.

Scarlett said, "Mr. White, since you will soon be family you must start attending our weekly family dinners on Sunday."

"Of course, Mrs. Butler."

Later that night Rhett said, "Remember Mr. White is not a gentleman."

"I guess Suellen is not a lady either."

"Therefore, you need to keep it low keyed. Maybe not anything more than our Sunday dinner."

"It will be more than that. There will be at least a cake."

"You know what I am saying."

"Yes, keep it very simple."

"Exactly. Come to bed. I'm feeling romantic."

"Go get the sponge and lead while I finish brushing out my hair." When Rhett came back from the water closet, Scarlett said, "I don't want to curse us, but Kenny is seven months old today."

Rhett smiled at her and said, "Yes, now stop talking about it and finish brushing your hair."

After Butler Maritime Shipping's profitable month Rosemary wanted to stay in the office and make sure everything continued to run perfectly. Gertrude would not let her. Gertrude said, "You have to come with me on sales calls. If you aren't there, I will be giving people discounts left and right."

Rosemary smiled. She knew that wasn't true but why take any chances. Also, why mess with success? They had also heard that Simmons Shipping was about to go under, so they wanted to be there to pick up all their customers. Therefore, they had to make even more sales calls now.

The ladies that worked at Butler Maritime Shipping were terribly busy the last weeks of June, but nobody complained.