Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fifty-Three

Ten minutes later as Rhett, Scarlett, Wade, and Ella were riding away from Hamilton House, Rhett said, "I guess you were serious about leaving the south."

"Yes, I was. They made me mad with their self-important, pompous attitude. Didn't they hear the Confederacy lost the war? We have nothing to be proud and conceited about anymore." Scarlett dimpled up at Rhett and continued, "Didn't they hear we don't have our slaves and our cotton anymore?"

"But we still have our arrogance."

"True. Honey, I don't want to get married until the tenth. That is our anniversary and also it is when Careen and Will are coming up."

"We will wait. I don't want to mess anything up either."

"Thank you for being willing to wait."

"You're welcome. I want to get her back also. What about your aunts?"

"After we left the other day, Will asked them if they had train fare to get to the wedding. They said no. He said I guess you aren't going then."

The couple burst out laughing.

"Where do you want to have our celebratory dinner?"

"At the Hamilton House. I will go back over tomorrow and calm the waters. Everyone will pretend that nothing happened. I still want Wade to have a relationship with Melly."

"As long as it doesn't cost you anything."

"True."

Rhett and Scarlett were quiet for a few minutes. Finally, he said, "I will get you another room."

Scarlett sighed, "For Bonnie's sake, it is what is best. I don't want to do it, but we must."

"I very much want to do it, but nonetheless we will wait."

"You know what I meant."

Rhett smiled at her and said, "Yes, I did. We don't have to worry about what night we conceived her. We did it every night on our honeymoon."

"Until you stormed off."

"I won't be storming off this time. Although I would like to point out we had already done it that night and we did it the next night after my return."

"True. Why did you?"

Although Rhett knew what she was referring to he said, "Why did I do what?"

"Why did you storm off?"

Rhett sighed.

Scarlett smiled and said, "I would not draw any conclusions from that sigh."

"No, but I thought I could read minds and that I was omnipotent at the time." Scarlett stared at Rhett in confusion. He smiled, "Remember I told you I thought I could read minds, especially yours. At the time I thought I never made mistakes. Was I ever wrong about that?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, you were. What did you think I was sighing about?"

"I thought you were sighing because I wasn't Wilkes."

"Maybe you can read minds. At least mine. Yes, that was what I was thinking about."

Rhett smiled and said, "But my running off didn't make the situation better. Furthermore, I was the one with unreasonable expectations. I knew you thought you loved Wilkes and the only thing I had ever told you I wanted from you was your body. So, my expecting you to forget about Wilkes in two weeks was unreasonable."

"Wow! I never thought you would admit all that."

"I have had ten years to contemplate all my mistakes. I should have made a joke about it instead of storming off, but as usual I lost control of my temper. Running away didn't solve anything. My running away has never solved anything."

"I can't believe you are admitting all this."

"A friend of mine has pointed out running away is one of my less than admirable habits."

"Who? Besides Belle you don't have any friends."

"I have you as a friend."

"Well, I didn't tell you."

"All right. This sounds ridiculous, but it came to me in a dream."

"In a dream?!" Scarlett burst out laughing. Finally, she said, "You are right. That is ridiculous."

Rhett pretended to be a little defensive because he needed Scarlett to stop digging into that subject. He said, "It doesn't matter how I found out the truth just that I did. Now let's stop talking about it. In March of seventy-one after you get your monthly, we will have to be celibate again for the same reason we can't be intimate now."

With an amused, indulgent smile on Scarlett's face, she said, "All right. I will let you change the subject. Assuming I'm not already with child."

"Assuming that."

Melanie, Ashley, and Pittypat were in a sea of confusion at Hamilton House. All three people had spoken to each other about what had happened in the parlor, and nobody had a clue as to how that had all gone down. India had voiced her opinion that it was just Scarlett behaving like an ill-tempered, no account, piece of white trash.

Although both Melanie and PittyPat had scolded India for calling Scarlett white trash there was no conviction in their words. Furthermore, India was not the least bit repentant.

As Melanie was unpacking, she thought about Scarlett's statement about her wanting to have another child so badly she had risked her life and disregarded Beau. Sadly, she had tried to talk Ashley into taking that risk as Scarlett said disregarding anyone else's needs. Beau needed a mother. Ashley needed a keeper. She had no one to take that responsibility off her back. Not now that Scarlett had outgrown her crush on Ashley. Aunt PittyPat wouldn't accept that task nor would Uncle Henry. Uncle Henry would not give Ashley a job. Maybe she could get India to shoulder some of the responsibility of Ashley. Probably not. The woman was living in the past as much as Ashley was.

Melly wondered how Scarlett had known that Ashley was not making enough to support his family. He had not gotten fired at the bank, but it was plain to see he wasn't going to be promoted past Head Teller. Scarlett had been right. It hadn't been enough to support his family.

When Rhett returned to pick up Prissy and get Scarlett's trunk, nobody gave him any trouble. Nobody, but Peter, talked to him. Although Rhett knew that PittyPat knew he was in the house, she did not come out of the parlor to greet him. He decided that PittyPat decided that he was not deserving of that courtesy. It was fine with Rhett to not have to talk to PittyPat or anyone else who was a member of the Atlanta gentry.

Despite the gentry not knowing of his humbling himself last time, he did. Whenever he saw one of them, he would be reminded of his deplorable behavior.

The next day, Scarlett arrived at Hamilton House in the morning. She behaved like nothing had happened. Everyone else behaved the same way. Ashley was not there because he was looking for a job. The purpose of the visit was to smooth things over, and so Wade could visit with his relatives. He would let PittyPat and Melly hug him, but after that he was right back to his mother's side. At the end of the visit when Scarlett got up to leave, she suggested Wade spend the afternoon with his Aunt Melly. He said, "No." And it wasn't a quiet, shy no it was a loud, bold no. When Scarlett had heard Wade assert himself, she thought, 'Amazing what a little bit of love can do. No, a lot of love.'

Scarlett had tried to have Wade visit with his Hamilton relatives a couple of days later, but once again the results were the same. Finally, Melly said, "We will just keep trying. We are all strangers to him right now."

"Yes. We will try again when I get back from my honeymoon." Shockingly to Scarlett, she saw Melanie's mouth tighten in disapproval. Scarlett decided that Melly had never approved of Rhett. She had just been too mousy to say anything. Or too scared. Which made Scarlett laugh. She thought, 'Now that I am not helping Ashley, Melly doesn't have to be nice to me.'

Later that evening Melanie thought about the changes in Scarlett ever since she had married Mr. Kennedy. Well, before that. She had taken Wade with her into Atlanta while she was trying to find three hundred dollars. Always before she had acted like Wade was nothing more than an inconvenience, so it had surprised Melanie that Scarlett had taken the boy with her. She had not been embarrassed that she married Frank Kennedy for his money. She had not come to see them except for that one visit before Mr. O'Hara died. Melanie still didn't understand the purpose of that visit except to talk to Suellen about something, which probably had not gone well considering the hostility between the sisters. At that visit she had barely given Ashley the time of day. The strangest part to Melanie was that Scarlett had not even tried to talk Ashley out of going to New York City. In fact, she had almost encouraged it by giving him train fare. Her steadfast refusal to give Ashley a job had shocked Melanie. Now, Scarlett's out-and-out criticism of both her and Ashley was beyond Melanie's comprehension. All will be good; they would make up after Scarlett got back from her honeymoon. Although Scarlett will have completely ruined herself by marrying Captain Butler, they would have to continue to receive Scarlett because the only way they would get any contact with Wade was through Scarlett.

On April the ninth, Scarlett signed the papers to sell her mills. When she and Rhett walked out of Mr. Powe's office, she had laughed out loud she was so happy. As Rhett helped her into the buggy, he said, "Why did you use Mr. Powe?"

"He will keep his opinion to himself."

"It was nice of you to ask about the baby."

"It is nice it was a boy. Most men want a boy except my crazy husband."

"I want a son."

"No, you don't. You want all daughters."

Rhett grinned and said, "Yes, I do."

"And I am going to give you one."

"Then a son."

"Then a son. What shall we call him?"

"Rhett, Jr."

"Absolutely not."

"Then what?"

With Rhett trusting that Clarence was correct, and their next child was a girl was able to say, "Gerald for your father."

"Pa's name was Gerald Patrick."

"Sounds great."

Every night Rhett escorted Scarlett to her suite. Every night it was hard not to join her in her bed, especially since he knew she wouldn't say no. He made himself be strong. Scarlett had been right. If they had relations before April the tenth, then he could get her with another child. Admittedly, he would love that child, but he wanted Bonnie back.

As Rhett walked back to his suite after saying good night to Scarlett. He thought to himself, 'I wish I knew more about how babies were made.' He smiled and corrected himself. He thought, 'I wish I knew more about how babies were made inside the woman's body.'

Scarlett and Rhett visited Cookie on April ninth after signing the papers selling the sawmills. They went over the choices Scarlett had already made and with a laugh, Rhett said, "I would like yams served."

"Why do you do things like that?"

"I like yams."

"And?"

"I like to aggravate people."

"Now there is the truth."

"I do like yams."

"Just hush, Rhett."

"Of course, Dear."

"Give Cookie some money, Sweetheart."

"Of course."

Rhett gave Cookie some money to buy all the food.

Rhett and Scarlett went into the main part of the house and found PittyPat, Melanie, India, and even Ashley in the parlor. After the greetings were over, Scarlett said, "You all are invited to witness Rhett and I getting married at the courthouse tomorrow morning at ten. If you can't make that then please do join us for dinner in the dining room."

Melanie said, "Of course, Dear." She looked at the other people in the room and added, "We will be happy to enjoy dinner with you. Do you need me to tell Cookie anything?"

"No, Rhett and I have already taken care of everything. We will be having a chocolate cake. Rhett loves chocolate."

"I hate chocolate, but you love it, so all is well."

"Do you want to go tell Cookie to make a yellow cake instead?"

"Yes, I would."

As the couple turned to leave the parlor, Scarlett said over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow."