Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. This is the last chapter. I will post the epilogue tomorrow.

Chapter Sixty-Six

In the weeks that followed Suellen's wedding nothing much changed. She was now living with Sam, but she still worked at the store. She quickly figured out that as long as she was working at the store that Sam was more understanding about her not having time to do her chores. He had hired a washer woman to clean their clothes. He helped her keep their home neat and tidy. Most important, he didn't mind having supper with her parents and Careen every night. Sam, of course, gave Gerald money to cover the cost of their food but it was cheaper than them eating out every night.

Sam would come to the store at six when Suellen and Gerald were closing up. They would go upstairs and have supper then the newlyweds would walk home.

Relations with Sam were quite nice. He had no expectations of how a lady should behave therefore Suellen didn't have to behave like a lady. She marveled at the things Sam made her feel in her marital bed and she knew without a doubt no gentleman would have ever made her feel so good. Especially not that wonderful feeling that Sam made her feel time after time.

One day while Suellen was at the store she thought about Frank Kennedy. She smiled. She knew now that she had settled on Frank, simply because he had wanted her over Scarlett. Snidely she thought, 'Because he knew that Scarlett would never have given him the time of day.'

Yes, she loved Sam but part of her loving him was that he had eyes only for her. He had known she was better than him, yet he had pursued her anyway. He had dreamed the impossible dream, at least before the war it had been. Now they were so incredibly happy. The only thing that could make them happier was for them to have a child.

Bertram Rucker had come to Robert's house the very next day to look at how much space the Butlers had. After he was finished looking he told Daphne how Robert could get in touch with him. He also said, "We are going to have to work fast to get the winter vegetables in the ground in time but not to worry I will help Mr. Butler."

"Thank you."

"I'll bring over my tiller and my seed."

"What vegetables grow here in the winter? We are from South Carolina."

"Spinach, collards, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, beans, carrots, beets, radishes, and onions."

"That would be wonderful."

As soon as Robert got home, he sent a note to Bertram for him to come over. Bertram had come right over. He was over so quickly the family had not even been finished eating supper. Nonetheless, Robert went outside with Bertram to look at the back yard.

Robert came back in and finished his supper. He and Bobby went outside and started tilling the ground with the tiller Bertram had brought them.

Daphne was given the task of planting all the seeds Bertram had brought with him.

By the end of the week, the Butlers garden was planted. Now the hard part. Waiting for something to sprout.

All fall Bertram was a frequent visitor. The family found out that his wife and children were dead, and gardening was his only passion in life. He had survived the war pretty well because he had been a unionist and had never cashed in any of his greenbacks so he had all his money. He owned a general store, but it more or less ran itself. He checked on it every day, but he had two good clerks, so he didn't have to stay in the store.

Clyde had finally gotten the courage up to ask Gerald for Careen's hand in marriage. He had asked Gerald right before he and Careen had gone for their Sunday walk in the park. Therefore, he had asked her that very afternoon. The next week when Clyde had attended their Sunday dinners, everyone knew what that meant.

Scarlett let Careen make the announcement then offered to host the event in her home. Careen had surprised everyone by saying, "Thank you, no. We are going to go to the courthouse tomorrow and get married. We have an appointment for nine o'clock. Everyone is welcome to come."

Robert said, "Unfortunately, I will be at work."

Rosemary said, "I will be at work also."

"Rhett and I will be there."

Gerald said, "Your mother, your sister, and I will be there, but we will have to hurry home and open up the store."

Sam said, "I will be at work also."

Elizabeth said, "I will be happy to attend."

Daphne said, "I would like to go but we don't have any way to get there."

Rhett said, "You can ride with us. We will just have to squeeze in."

Melly said, "I too would like to attend but I also have no way to get there."

Rhett said, "I guess I will just have to make two trips."

Gerald said, "It appears I bought the buggy just in time for me to transport everyone to the courthouse."

The next morning Careen dressed in her mother's wedding dress met Clyde at the courthouse. In less than fifteen minutes Clyde and Careen were married.

Rhett walked up to Clyde and shook his hand and told him, "Congratulations. Did Careen talk to you about me loaning you the money to buy a house with?"

"Yes, and I would be grateful if you would."

"When is your next day off?"

"Sunday."

"After dinner we will go look at the houses."

"Great."

"Now go enjoy being married."

Later that night Rhett said to Scarlett, "I guess I am going to finally have to buy a carriage."

"Yes, you are."

The next day, Rhett stopped by Mr. Stone's office and got a copy of the list of inexpensive houses that were for sale. When Rhett looked at Ashley, he thought, 'He is once again that confident man from before the war.'

Rhett then went to the carriage maker and bought the finest carriage the man had on the show room floor. He didn't even care that it had brass accessories on it and was blue. He was going to tell Scarlett that he had purposely chosen that particular carriage with her in mind. She was always so romantic when he did something just to make her happy.

After Sunday dinner as everyone was leaving, Rhett said, "Come along Clyde. Let's go house hunting."

Scarlett said, "Careen and I want to go also."

Rhett smiled and said, "Come along. Go ahead and get in the carriage while I let Alvin, our driver, know we need his services.

There were only four houses on the list, and it didn't take very long for the newlyweds to choose one. It was close to the O'Hara store. Careen said, "It will make it easier while we are still having supper together."

Scarlett said, "You are going to continue cooking for the family."

"Just until Mama learns how to cook. Then I will cook for just Clyde and me. I know Suellen and Sam will continue eating supper with Mama and Pa while she is working at the store. She is claiming the with all the time she spends at the store she doesn't have time to cook supper."

"She probably doesn't."

Rhett said, "I will go see Mr. Stone tomorrow and put in an offer on the house. Once I buy the house, we will sign a contract in regard to the money I am loaning you. It is nothing personal, Clyde. I just don't trust anyone."

Scarlett said, "Except me."

"Most of the time."

Everyone laughed but everyone knew it wasn't a joke.

Within a month Clyde and Careen were in their new home. Scarlett gave them a bedroom set of furniture as her wedding present. Furniture she had ordered through Gerald's store. It was just plain, ordinary furniture but it was more than what the couple had before. Clyde had been living in a boarding house, so this was going to be an adjustment for both of them.

During that same month, Elizabeth and Gertrude did another sales trip but this time it was to Southern cities. Cities that were recovering. They managed to drum up some more business.

One of the cities that they had stopped at had been Charleston. While Elizabeth had gone with Gertrude on their sales calls, she had not visited with anyone she knew in the city. She was no longer that Elizabeth Butler and she didn't want to pretend to be. She liked the freedom she enjoyed living in Galveston and not being a lady. She did take Gertrude to her favorite restaurant for supper, though.

Neither Eulalie nor Pauline had written asking if they could move in with Elizabeth. Elizabeth decided that the women could not give up the Charleston mind set – that to live anywhere else would be a step down. She didn't care. She was glad she hadn't had to lie to her good friends. Although these days she wasn't really sure how good of friends they were. Maybe they had been more habit than anything else. The ladies had always been friends and they remained friends. At least, they would have if nothing had ever changed in their world. In truth, Elizabeth had always found the sisters a little prissy most of the time.

After Elizabeth and Gertrude's return to Galveston, Elizabeth again told everyone how much fun she had. Although on this trip they had not been as successful as they had been when they made sales calls in the North, they had lined up some new customers, nonetheless. She also talked about how nice Captain Matthews had been to her and Miss Stein, which had brought a smile to Rosemary's face.

In November, Scarlett had a big celebration for Rhett's birthday. She had two parties. One was a family celebration with the children. It was during their Sunday dinner. Nobody brought Rhett any presents. What can you buy the man who has everything?

The other celebration was a supper party. Scarlett invited all Rhett's business associates and their wives. She invited the adult members of her family to the supper party but was not surprised when only Melly said she and Ashley would be able to attend. Actually, Scarlett had been surprised that Melly and Ashley were going to attend.

Rhett had said, "Ashley needs to make contacts in the business world so he can have clients."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Ophelia and Gordon Gardner attended the supper party also. Scarlett did not have to speak to Ophelia because the woman was too busy flirting with all the men to bother with talking to her hostess.

That night when Scarlett got into bed with Rhett, he said, "Where is my birthday present?"

"Right here."

Rhett smiled his playful smile and said, "I got that last year."

"If you don't want it, I will take it back."

"Of course, I want it. I was just stating a fact."

"But this year it is going to be different. I want us to try for a little girl."

"I will be happy to do my part."

"Thank you, Dear."

"No, thank you, Dear."

Scarlett giggled. Rhett laughed. They proceeded to try to make a baby.

Kenny started consistently calling people by name. Scarlett was Mama, Mammy was Mammy, Wade was Wawa, Meg was egg, and Rhett was Dada. Every time Rhett heard his son call him Dada. He smiled. He remembered wondering if his own child calling him Dada would sound sweeter. He now knew that no it didn't sound sweeter. Maybe when his daughter called him Dada, but he was pretty sure that it wouldn't because he loved all his children so much and Wade was his son also.

By Christmas, Rhett and Scarlett knew that having another child was not going to be instantaneous, but they were having fun trying.

At the family's Christmas dinner more people brought food. Melly brought an apple pie and a buttermilk pie, Careen brought rolls, Ellen brought squash casserole, and Daphne brought fresh broccoli and cauliflower from their garden. Nobody brought yams.

As Rhett looked at the people at the table, he thought, 'We have come a long way since we made that trek across the South.'

There was Robert who enjoyed running a brewery. He enjoyed it enough that he had created another flavor of beer. He had named it The Smuggler. Rhett supposed he was successful enough. Robert had bought a buggy, two new horses, and their clothes were newer.

There was Rosemary. A woman making her way in the world and helping other women as she did. Butler Maritime Shipping was going to be successful thanks to those three ladies' hard work. Rhett smiled as he watched his sister flirt with Captain Chisholm, the man she didn't even know that she liked. Maybe someday she would marry again but he didn't think it would be any time soon. Rhett smiled when he thought about Rosemary inviting all her employees to Christmas dinner supposedly so they wouldn't be alone on Christmas day. They were her family too in a way.

Rhett looked at Miss Stine and Mrs. Toklas. The women had certainly been a blessing to Butler Maritime Shipping. Not to take anything away from Rosemary but he wasn't sure the company would have become the success it had become without those two women's devotion.

There was Ashley and Melanie. Two of the most proper people in Georgia but they both had done what they had to do to survive and flourish. Rhett had heard that next spring Ashley thought he would be ready to take the law exam. Mr. Stone had already told Ashley that he could join him as an associate.

There were Careen and Suellen. Both very proper ladies when they had started that trek. Not anymore but they were both surviving. No that wasn't right they were both flourishing along with their husbands.

There was Ellen and Gerald. Scarlett had been right her mother was a survivor. Like everyone else Ellen and Gerald had survived and flourished. Gerald had even started paying Suellen for her services at the store.

There was his mother. The woman who probably had changed the most. One time Rhett had asked her how she was doing without her husband. She had said, "I miss him, of course, but I'm having too much excitement and fun to dwell on my loss very long."

Rhett smiled as he watched his mother flirt with Captain Matthews and the man was definitely flirting back.

There was Wade and Kenny. His sons. His wonderful sons. He had never thought he could love anyone as much as he loved his sons.

Lastly there was Scarlett. A woman strong beyond measure. A woman probably too damn loyal. A woman who unquestioningly trusted the people she loved. A woman who was giving him another child even though she never wanted to be with child again. A woman that he was extremely lucky to have married no matter what she asked of him.