Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Just to clarify This is ten years after the end of the book. Rhett is fifty-five, Scarlett is thirty-eight, Patrick was in his late thirties when he died, and Charlotte is thirty.

Chapter Six

Charlotte had not believed her luck. Five years ago, an attractive man with money had come into the upscale brothel she was working at. He had seen her and told her he wanted to use her services. Charlotte had not been offended that was how most men requested that she go upstairs with them. She had looked at him and had liked what she saw. He was a man in his forties, with a trim figure, black hair, dark brown eyes, swarthy skin with a mustache. She had always liked men with mustaches. He was a sight to behold. She had liked his Southern accent. She had found out later it was a South Carolinian accent. It didn't make any difference to her, but it was very important to Rhett that she knew he was from Charleston. That she knew that he was a Butler from Charleston. Charlotte had been enough of a paid actress to pretend to be impressed with this knowledge although she didn't understand the importance of being a Butler from Charleston and she really hadn't been impressed.

When Charlotte and the man had gotten to her room at first all the man had wanted to do was lie on the bed.

Finally, Charlotte had said, "What do you want me to do?"

"Just lie here and talk to me."

Rhett and Charlotte had talked for a long time. They had not even taken off their clothes. He had asked about her past. When she told him the story that she usually told her clients. He had laughed and said, "Now tell me the real story."

For whatever reason, Charlotte had told him the truth. After she was finished, Rhett had said, "I want you to pretend to be my Scarlett."

"Your Scarlett?"

"My wife."

Charlotte had thought that the man's wife was dead. A long time later she found out that wasn't true. Right then she had been willing to be anyone this man wanted her to be. He after all was the client. She would give him his money's worth. She certainly hadn't wanted him to complain to the madame about her in anyway. The madame was already unhappy with her.

Charlotte had said, "I will be happy to be your Scarlett." She had thought the man had meant just for their session that night.

After a while Rhett had said, "You will have to come live with me."

It had been a big decision for Charlotte. She had not known this man from Adam. She could tell he was rich, and she had thought it was rather poignant that the man was trying to replace his dead wife until he got used to her being dead. She had accepted. To only have to service one man would be wonderful. She had thought he must really love his wife, which she had found out was true. She had also thought he must be a nice man to love his dead wife that much which she had found out was definitely not true. Although the longer she had lived with him the nicer he had gotten to be. These days he rarely mocked her or made fun of her. Although he still called her Scarlett or my pet, Charlotte had sensed she was no longer playing a part. She was now just his companion. His companion until he died. He really didn't want to die alone.

The other reason Charlotte had accepted Rhett's offer was because she had known that the madame was about to let her go. She was getting too old for this trade. Ironically, she sensed that it had been her age that had drawn Rhett to her.

Yes, Charlotte had been happy to live with the man. She had been happy to be his Scarlett. For the most part she had no regrets. Rhett never told her what he was doing. He would just come and go as he pleased. One year after she had started living with him, he had been gone for an entire week. She had been worried he wasn't coming back. She had calmed herself by telling herself that if he wasn't coming back, he would have fired the staff. When he had returned the only thing, he told her was, "I went to Boston. I won't be going again. Let's go to Europe."

Charlotte had replied, "Of course. How long will we be gone?"

"Three or four months. Just pack everything you own."

"Of course, Rhett."

Charlotte never questioned Rhett about his activities, but she had known that the worst thing she could do right then was ask him why he had gone to Boston.

Two weeks later Rhett and Charlotte had set sail for London. That had been the first time she had ever been on a boat. In fact, it had been the first time she had ever left New York. She had seen and done things on that trip that made putting up with Rhett so much easier.

Rhett had been in an awfully bad mood the two weeks before they had left New York. He had made a lot of hurtful comments to her. He had been extremely drunk most of the time. He had been so drunk that he had been slurring his words. Although a lot of times she had not understood what he had said she never asked him to repeat it. Charlotte had learned that when Rhett was drunk, he lost all restraint. Those remarks had almost been vicious. They weren't comments actually directed towards her but instead directed towards the nonexistent Scarlett. He had started most of those comments by saying in an extremely mocking tone, 'My Pet….' He was constantly talking about someone called the little gentleman and those comments were even more vicious.

Despite the words not being truly directed at Charlotte, they had hurt her feelings, nonetheless. She, of course, had not said anything to Rhett about his comments or had even let him see that the comments hurt. She had decided that the real Scarlett had never let her hurt show either.

Rhett was fun and entertaining most of the time. They had traveled to Europe, Boston, Chicago, and even Niagara Falls. While they had been at the falls Rhett had said, "I wanted to take her here. I wanted to take her so many places, but she couldn't leave the little gentleman."

Charlotte had said, "She would have had fun if she had ever gone."

"I think so too."

Nothing more was said about Scarlett the rest of the day.

Charlotte had met the most delightful people through Rhett. She had gotten to go to the most fabulous places. She had gotten to go to the opera, but she hadn't liked it because the performances were always in a foreign language, but she enjoyed seeing all the fabulously dressed women and men, especially their beautiful jewelry. She had gotten to eat the most wonderful food. She had gotten to live in an amazing house with a full staff of servants. She, a poor girl from the east end, was rubbing shoulders with the wealthiest people in New York. People who took all this luxury for granted. She never would take it for granted no matter how long she lived with Rhett.

At first Charlotte had been afraid Rhett would grow tired of her or he would want someone younger. Amazingly he hadn't. She thought he liked her growing old because it fit his fantasy of him and the real Scarlett growing old together.

The first year had been rough because Rhett had been training Charlotte on how to behave like a lady. If she spoke inaccurately or didn't behave appropriately, he would harshly speak to her and tell her what she had done wrong. The worst was when he was trying to get her to speak with a Georgian accent. She had never even heard a Georgian accent. Eventually, he settled for her just not speaking with a New York accent.

Charlotte had considered leaving him several times but what had stopped her was that she had nowhere else to go. She knew she would not be welcomed back at the brothel. She was too old, although when she had first started living with Rhett, she had only been twenty-five.

At first Charlotte had thought Rhett wasn't quite right in the head. She finally realized that he knew that she wasn't Scarlett, and he knew that she was just a woman pretending to be Scarlett. In her sixth month of living with him, he had said, "I just don't want to be alone. I have been alone most of my life. The only time I haven't been alone is when I had her and Bonnie."

Charlotte at the time hadn't known who Bonnie was for certain but she had thought she was the girl in the painting. She had kept any emotion off her face when she said, "I don't have anyone else either."

Rhett had smiled and said, "Then we should work until I die."

"Hopefully, you won't die any time soon."

"Sooner than I would like."

Charlotte had been quiet after that.

During their second month together, Rhett had said with a smile, "Scarlett would not know how to open a book except her ledgers, of course. She did have an amazing brain for adding numbers up. Nonetheless, you will need to read books. I cannot spend all my time entertaining you."

"I don't know how to read."

"Then I will have to teach you."

That had not been easy either, but Charlotte had always wanted to read so she persevered and despite Rhett's lousy style of teaching she soon learned to read. He then taught her to write. And finally, he taught her how to add up numbers.

The worst part of Rhett's corrections was that he had never called her by her name. He had most of the time called her My Pet but occasionally he would call her Scarlett. After one of these harsh corrections, Charlotte certainly understood why the real Scarlett had left him.

Rhett had bought her the most stylish and beautiful clothing. They were the latest Paris fashion. They had been more flamboyant than her personal taste, but she had been wise enough to know that the real Scarlett had flamboyant taste. He had bought her the most beautiful jewelry. The jewelry too had been more flamboyant than her personal taste, but she had always acted so excited when he gave her a gift. She had happily worn the clothes and the jewelry.

During their first March together, Rhett had given Charlotte a gift and had said, "Happy Birthday." She had figured out that it was the real Scarlett's birthday. The gift had been a gold shawl. After she had opened the gift and thanked him for it. He had spitefully said, "I will not be happy if you give this shawl to the little gentleman also."

Charlotte had thought that was a very strange statement. She, of course, knew of the little gentleman by then but the strange part to her was that she didn't even know who the little gentleman was therefore there was no way she could give the gift to him. Besides, why would she give a man a shawl. Yet, as normal, she did not ask any questions. She had just said, "Certainly not, Rhett."

She was happy to pretend to be Scarlett. That was the best part, all she had to do was pretend to be Scarlett. She didn't even have to have relations with him. All she had to do was lie next to him in the night. One time she had told him she loved him when they were in the dark together. He had kissed her and snuggled up with her. The man was a good kisser. He had said, "I love you too, Scarlett." The next day he had bought her a lovely emerald ring. She told him about every ten days, but he never bought her another piece of jewelry in response to her telling him she loved him. He had bought her jewelry but as far as Charlotte could figure out there was no rhyme or reason to his buying the jewelry. She had finally decided that he would buy the jewelry on a whim. For some reason it had reminded him of Scarlett therefore he had bought it. Charlotte wore it to make him happy.