Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fifteen

Paul and Scarlett got in the cab and returned to her home. When he got out, he told the driver, "Wait. I won't be long."

And Paul wasn't. He kissed Scarlett and said, "Good night. I will see you in a couple of days."

"Alright."

As Scarlett entered her home, she thought, 'I have the relationship with Paul that I thought I was going to have with Rhett. When Paul is gone for weeks, I don't miss him. When we are together, we have so much fun. It is a perfect relationship.'

Scarlett ignored her thoughts of Rhett. She knew she still loved him but like Ashley he was not the man she thought he was. An image of a little boy with black hair and brown eyes flashed through Scarlett's head. She told herself, 'It doesn't matter if I would marry him. He would never marry me because he thinks so little of me.'

Paul had left Scarlett's house and headed to a brothel he knew of. He would have fun tonight.

Rhett had taken Miss Mansfield home and she had invited him in. An hour later they were both sexually satisfied but Rhett was not emotionally satisfied. He had tried to pretend that Jayne was Scarlett, but Jayne was much more endowed than Scarlett. For once larger breasts was not a good thing. In fact, it was a bad thing. Rhett wanted those smaller, perfect breasts. When he looked into Jayne's brown eyes, he could not pretend they were green eyes. He finally ended up closing his eyes and turning himself over to the sensation.

As Rhett rode to the hotel in a cab, he resolved that somehow, he would get Scarlett back.

The next day when Rhett walked through the door of the dress shop, Scarlett was not surprised. She said, "You are still not welcome here."

"Even if I want to buy a dress or a hat?"

"No, you are not welcome for any reason."

"I'm sorry. I was a jerk when I asked….."

"Hush! Don't say another word."

"Come outside and talk with me or I am going to continue with my apology."

Scarlett stormed out of the dress shop. Nobody needed to be told she had left the building. After Rhett had left the shop, Louise said to Coco, "Do you think she will take him back?"

"Hopefully but not right away."

"I agree. He is too proud and arrogant. He needs to grovel a little bit."

Thelma said, "How do we know he stopped seeing her and not the other way around?"

Coco said, "Because she was far too sad."

Edith said, "And far too happy whenever he was around."

Scarlett was half a block down the street before Rhett caught up with her. He grabbed her arm and said, "Stop. Listen to me. Let's sit on that bench." After they were seated, he earnestly said, "I am so extremely sorry that I insulted you that way. All I can say as an excuse is that I haven't been around proper people in so many years that I have forgotten my raising."

"Did you really think I would accept your offer?"

"I guess not but I wanted to be with you in an intimate way so much I had to ask."

"I don't want to be with you in an intimate way."

"I will worry about that later."

"Yes, much later like in never."

Rhett smiled. He said, "Let me start courting you again."

"No."

"Let me be your friend again."

"No."

"Let me hang around your shop and you occasionally speak to me."

Scarlett laughed. She said, "No, that would be bad for business."

"If I get down on my knees, will you accept my apology."

"Yes."

Rhett gracefully got down on his knees and said, "Please accept my apology. I will never treat you that disrespectfully again."

"Get up, silly man. I will accept your apology and I will consider letting you be my friend again."

Rhett placed his hand under Scarlett's chin. She said, "Friends don't kiss and especially not in public." Scarlett turned to walk back into the dress shop without saying another word.

Rhett shouted out, "I'm staying at Carter's."

Scarlett did nothing to acknowledge Rhett statement, but she was smiling a happy smile. The happiest smile her face had seen since he had asked her that insulting question.

As Scarlett walked into the dress shop, Coco, Edith, Louise, and Thelma were staring at her. She said, "What?"

Coco, while using her mother voice, said, "Did you take him back?"

"Not that it is any of you all's business, but I am going to let him work his way back into my good graces."

Edith said, "What about Mr. Newman?"

"I will continue to let Paul call on me also."

Thelma said, "Good. Good."

Louise said, "At least, until you get one of them to the altar."

Everyone laughed and Scarlett said, "The show is over. Everyone back to work."

Two weeks later, Scarlett sent Rhett a note asking him to go for a walk in the park with her the next afternoon.

Rhett sent a note back stating he would be there a little after noon.

That afternoon Rhett was the most charming he had ever been. He told Scarlett what he had been doing since he asked the insulting question. He asked about her life, her business, her son, and even her housemates. What he didn't ask about was her relationship with Paul. He didn't even ask her how she had met Paul.

Scarlett answered all of his questions, but she did not bring Paul up either. Afterall, she had been the belle of five counties, she knew how to juggle suitors. She was sure the principals were the same even if the suitors were fifteen years older and confirmed bachelors.

Scarlett also did not mention Rhett's date from the other night. She already knew the woman was a harlot. She just knew she was even if she was dressed properly.

At the end of the walk, Rhett said, "Can I take you to supper tomorrow night?"

"No, I am still trying to decide if I want you to be my friend again much less anything else."

"Alright. When can I see you again?"

"I will send you a note inviting you over. If you come over without me having sent you a note, then I will go back to not speaking to you."

"That seems a little harsh."

"No, it isn't. Goodbye, Rhett."

"Goodbye, Scarlett."

It was about ten days later before Scarlett sent Rhett another note asking him to go for a walk with her. The second walk was as pleasant as the first walk. Once again, Rhett was a perfect gentleman.

It was a week later that Scarlett sent Rhett another note asking him to go on another walk with her. The third walk was pleasant also. Rhett was pleasant on the walk, but he did take the chance of teasing Scarlett. She scowled a couple of times, but she also laughed a couple of times.

A week later Rhett was once again walking with Scarlett. She asked, "How long are you going to be in New York?"

"I live here now."

"Do you have a house? No, because I can still reach you at Carter's."

"No, I don't want a house right now. I find it easier to live in a well-run hotel than to have to manage the servants besides before I didn't stay in the same place for more than a week or two. A month at most."

"Why have you decided to stay in New York?"

"Silly, because you live here."

"Really?"

"Really."

Scarlett was smug for the rest of the walk but at least she didn't have a triumphant expression on her face.

That became Rhett and Scarlett's routine. Just about once a week, she would send him a note asking him to go for a walk with her.

On August thirty first, Rhett got a note asking him to come to Scarlett's house. He went right over. When he arrived, Ashley greeted him at the door. Ashley said, "Scarlett asked you over so you could keep me and Wade company. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I am a nervous wreck. Come on into the parlor and sit down. I will explain."

"Alright."

"Shut the door behind you, we still don't have a butler."

Once the men were seated in the parlor, Ashley said, "Melly is in labor."

"I didn't even know she was with child. Scarlett never said a word."

"Of course not. It's not proper to talk about that subject."

With a twist of his lips, Rhett said, "That's right."

"Isn't it silly all this properness sometimes. One isn't supposed to mention that a woman is with child but then once the baby has been born everyone is supposed to go on about it in a big way."

"Yes. I guess we just found the baby under the bed."

Both men laughed. Ashley said, "I think Scarlett asked you to come over because she knew that we would have lots of different topics to talk about. And also, because she knew you wouldn't mind Wade being in the room with us. Although, one of us has to take him to the privy every thirty minutes."

"I will be happy to help. I am glad Scarlett asked me to come over but why didn't she ask one of your friends to come over."

"Because she doesn't know any of my friends. Scarlett and I aren't the best of friends for some strange reason."

Both men laughed again. Rhett said, "Since we have time and Scarlett is otherwise occupied. Explain to me how all of this came about."

"Why not. I have no idea why she chose to marry Charlie but if I were to hazard a guess, I think it was because Charlie was rich, handsome, and she thought she could boss him around. He was rich when she accepted and he was handsome, but he was not a man that was easily bossed around."

"That must have come as quite the surprise to her."

"I don't think it completely hit home until Charlie decided I was right about taking up arms against the union and that he was going to move to New York with me."

"That must have come as quite a surprise to you."

Ashley laughed and said, "That is quite the understatement. I certainly didn't want Charlie and Scarlett coming with me to New York but there wasn't anything I could say to stop them."

"Especially since the original idea had been yours."

"Exactly. All in all, it has worked out rather well."

"What happened to your cousin?"

"He was involved in a carriage accident. He was severely injured internally. After two days he passed away."

"Scarlett must have been devastated."

"Yes, but not in the way you mean. I think she was devastated because she didn't have anyone to take care of her for the first time in her life. But with guts and determination she has built that dress shop into a gold mine. She told Melly that Mrs. Chanel had to sell her half of it because the woman was barely covering cost."

"You sound proud of her."

"I am. Scarlett would not make me a good wife, but I still think she is one hell of a woman."

"Yes, she is. Her accomplishment is amazing."

"Luckily, Mrs. Chanel is an artist with a needle and thread. She has even designed some dresses of her own that according to Scarlett are quite popular which is nice because of the exclusivity of the design."

"If Mrs. Chanel is that much of an artist, why was she barely covering cost?"

"Because she has no business sense which Scarlett has a lot of. I remember…Never mind."

Rhett really wanted to know what Mr. Wilkes was going to say but he knew the man would never tell him.

Rhett knew that subject was closed therefore he stood up and said, "Let me take Wade to the privy."

"No, I will. Help yourself to a whiskey, if you want."