Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Three

As Scarlett watch the men walk by, she thought, 'Destroy a girl's conceit then make a new friend. That sorry jackass. Wait! Was that man that has been staring at me all day in the library? Did he hear what Ashley said to me? God's nightgown! I would die of embarrassment if he had. Fortunately, I will never see him again. Mother would never receive him in the house. It will be embarrassing enough having to face Ashley at every social event. I will just ignore him. I thought he was so good and honorable. He isn't good or honorable. Good riddance. Unbelievable he thinks Melly is prettier than I am. The man must be blind. I can't believe Ashley thought I was fast. Fast! I just won't think about all the other ugly things he said to me right now. All that noise is getting annoying. I need to find out what is going on."

Scarlett came out from under the stairwell. She heard four women talking. She got back under the stairwell so they wouldn't see her. She recognized three of the four voices. There was her dear sister, Suellen, India, Honey, and a fourth woman's voice.

India said, "Scarlett certainly made a fool out of herself chasing every man at the barbecue."

Scarlett thought, 'Were we at the same barbecue? I remember being surrounded by a flock of men wanting my attention."

Suellen said, "She even chased after Mr. Kennedy. She knows he is calling on me."

Scarlett thought, 'That old maid in britches and I do mean old.'

Honey said, "She even chased after Charlie, and everyone knows Charlie and I are promised."

Scarlett thought, 'Does that puppy dog Charlie Hamilton know you are promised. I can't get rid of that man.'

The woman she didn't recognized said, "Scarlett can't help it if men are naturally attracted to her. She is so pretty and vivacious. Any man would want to be with her."

India said, "Melly, you are just too kind."

Scarlett thought, 'That woman is Melanie Hamilton. How dare that goody two shoes defend me although she was right about me being pretty and vivacious. Certainly, prettier than her. Ashley Wilkes is an idiot. I hope he burns in Halifax.'

Scarlett heard them walking away. Once she couldn't hear them talking anymore, she came out from under the stairwell. She started walking up the stairs. She didn't care what was going on. She had to get away from all these happy people until she recovered herself. Charles Hamilton came up behind her. He said, "Miss O'Hara, have you heard the news."

"What news?"

"Mr. Lincoln has called for seventy-five thousand volunteers."

"So?"

"It means there is going to be war."

"War! Can't you men think of anything of importance?"

Scarlett ran to the window. She saw everyone hugging. She saw Ashley kissing his ugly cousin. She heard Charlie speaking and she turned to him. She said, "What did you say?"

"Miss O'Hara, will you miss me while I am gone?"

"I will cry in my pillow every night."

"Miss O'Hara, will you wait for me."

Scarlett had a brilliant idea at that moment. She would marry Charles Hamilton. He was handsome, well-to-do, he adored her, he thought she was prettier than anyone else, she was sure, and most important he would let her boss him around. And she would be living in Atlanta and wouldn't have to see Ashley at every social event. Ashley and his wife. That would be the best part.

Scarlett said, "I wouldn't want to wait."

"What?! Oh, Miss O'Hara, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

"Miss O'Hara, Scarlett, you have made me the happiest man in the world. Let me go find your father."

Charlie's words had lifted up Scarlett's self-confidence. Just because Ashley couldn't see how wonderful she was didn't mean she wasn't wonderful. The man had actually said he wanted a blue stocking for a wife. How ridiculous can one get.

Rhett got Frank to leave the barbecue soon after Rhett heard the news about Lincoln asking for volunteers. He had to hurry to Charleston. He had to get his ships loaded and get out to sea.

Ever since Rhett had learned South Carolina had seceded from the union he had been buying up cotton. He had been storing it in a warehouse in Lancashire, England. He was going to make a lot of money on this damn war. The longer it lasted the more money he would make. He had known that the North could not let the South leave the union. If Lincoln allowed that then every time there was a disagreement amongst the states, one of the states would leave the union.

As Rhett rode back to Jonesboro, he thought about Scarlett O'Hara. He had noticed her as soon as she walked into the main house. He had watched her the entire time he could see her. He knew that she knew that he was watching her. It had amazed him that his constant staring at her had not flustered her. Actually, instead of flustering her, she had taken it as her due.

Rhett thought about what Mr. Wilkes had said about the young lady. That she was far too dense, vain, self-centered, and selfish to accept defeat gracefully. He liked all those traits. Not the dense part but the rest of it. He also liked the fact that she was determined to have her own way. She was also extremely sexually attractive to Rhett. Judging by the number of men caught in her snare, probably to all men.

Rhett was amazed at Mr. Wilkes' brutality in the library, but Rhett was appreciative that Mr. Wilkes had been. The man had cleared the way for Rhett to make the woman his mistress. With her being earthy, it probably would not be that hard. He also thought about what Mr. Wilkes had said about marrying Scarlett. That was not a problem. Rhett was not planning on getting married and if Scarlett became more trouble than she was worth he would just walk off and leave her.

Rhett laughed when he thought, 'Not that it matters. You are never going to see her again.'

With the announcement that the Confederacy was going to war a lot of people went home, but a lot of people stayed at the Wilkeses. The men wanted to talk about the war while the ladies didn't want to go home to their chores.

About mid-afternoon, Ellen joined the group at the Wilkeses. She had a tedious morning going over the books with Mr. Wilkerson. It was over now, and she could sit down and visit with the other ladies. She found out that war had been declared and that Mr. O'Hara had given his permission for Scarlett to marry Charles Hamilton.

The news about Scarlett marrying Charlie was more distressing to Ellen than the news that the South was going to war. The war would be over in six months, but Scarlett would be married to Charlie for the rest of her life. He seemed like a nice enough boy, but he was too effeminate in Ellen's opinion. Scarlett needed a strong man, or she would run rough shod over him. Although Ellen was happy Scarlett was not marrying that over educated, stuffed shirt Ashley Wilkes. One good thing about Charlie, he did come from a good, rich family though.

Ellen found Scarlett with Charlie on the porch. Ellen wondered why Scarlett was marrying the boy. She obviously was bored by whatever he was talking about. Ellen said, "Scarlett, I want to talk to you."

"Mother, have you heard the news?"

"That is what I want to talk to you about."

"Alright."

"Will you excuse us, Charlie?"

"Of course, Mrs. O'Hara."

After Charlie had left the porch, Ellen sat down where the boy had been sitting. She said, "Scarlett, how can you agree to marry him? You barely know him."

"He is a great catch."

"I say again, you barely know him."

"We will get to know each other after we get married."

"You can wait until after the war is over to marry him."

"No, we are going to marry right away."

"Do you love him?"

"Pa said love comes after marriage for a woman."

Ellen sighed. She didn't know why her daughter was doing this, but she knew there was no talking her out of the idea. It would probably be alright. Charlie was a lawyer so Scarlett would be well provided for. She sighed again. She said, "When do you want to get married?"

"In two weeks if it can be arranged."

"You can just get married by a judge for now then have the priest perform a nuptial mass once Charlie converts to Catholicism."

"No, we will be married by the Baptist minister at Charlie's church. I will become a Baptist after I marry Charlie. We can have the reception at Tara afterwards. That way all Charlie's friends and relatives in Atlanta can attend and our friends can just attend the reception."

"It sounds like you have it all planned out."

"We have been talking about it for the last couple of hours."

"Where are you going to live?"

"At Tara until Charlie gets back from the war. I will then move to Atlanta, of course."

"Alright. I will start arranging the reception tomorrow for two weeks from today."

While Ellen and Scarlett were talking on the porch, Charlie had run into Ashley and Melanie. Charlie said, "Scarlett O'Hara has agreed to become my wife. We will be getting married in two weeks at the First Baptist Church."

Ashley blanched. Scarlett is going to marry Charlie again. He thought she had only done that to stay in his life. Maybe she cared more for Charlie than he ever knew.

Melly said, "That is fast."

"We want to get married before I go off to war."

Ashley said, "We should move up our wedding date also. There is no need to wait until fall. We will not be able to have the grand wedding we would want so there is no reason to wait."

"Alright, Ashley."

Charlie said, "We could both get married at the same time. That would be more convenient for all of our friends. They wouldn't have to go to the church twice."

Melly said, "Fabulous idea. Yes, let us do it."

Ashley said, "I don't know if that is a good idea. Scarlett will want to have all the attention focused on her."

Charlie said, "I will go talk to her about it right now."

Charlie returned to the porch. Ashley was not worried about him and Scarlett getting married at the same time. Scarlett would never share her special moment with another woman. Instead, Ashley tried to think of a way to keep Charlie and Scarlett from getting married.

When Charlie returned to the porch, he found Scarlett there with Tony Fontaine. She was laughing at something Tony had said. Charlie walked on the porch and said, "Scarlett, did you tell Tony the good news?"

With an annoyed expression on her face, Scarlett said, "No, I didn't."

"Scarlett has agreed to become my wife. You will have to find someone else to court now."

Charlie was not very assertive around women who he fancied, but he was very assertive around everyone else. Those people did not intimidate him.

Tony stood up and said, "Sorry, I didn't know."

Soon the man was off the porch. Scarlett was even more displeased now. She said, "You didn't have to run him off."

"I didn't run him off. I just told him you were no longer available. True?"

Scarlett avoided Charlie's question by telling him, "I told Mother of our plans."

"What did she say?"

"She said she would plan the reception at Tara for two weeks from today."

"Perfect. Melly and Ashley are going to get married at the same time we are."

"What?!"

"It just makes sense. Melly and I have the same friends and relatives. And the same minister also."

"No! I will not get married at the same time as another woman. My wedding is all about me."

Charlie, being a lawyer, was always thinking about compromises. As he had walked back to the porch, he had known that Ashley was right. No woman would allow another woman to share her special day except Melly. Melly was a very reasonable woman. He said, "How about we have our ceremony first then right afterwards Melly and Ashley can have their ceremony?"

Scarlett scowled. Charlie had solved her stated objection but not her real objection. Her objection of not wanting Ashley at her wedding. Right at that moment she couldn't think of any way to object without looking like an unreasonable, spoiled brat. She smiled her prettiest smile and said, "You are so smart. That is a perfect solution. They can have their reception at your home in Atlanta while we have ours at Tara."