Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Merry Christmas.

In her review newreader2022 asked if my Christmas present to y'all would be showing you Rhett's reaction to learning that Scarlett had taken Kenny. Alas no. Tomorrow. A Boxer Day present.

Chapter Fourteen

When Wade came back from taking Gerry and Kenny to the privy, he said to his mother, "It will be three days until we get to Denver. Another two days to get to San Francisco."

"How long will we have in Denver?"

"Maybe two hours."

"Not enough time to really get away from the train station."

"Ella and I can get some more food."

"It is going to be expensive being that close to the station."

"Yes, but I don't think we have any other choice."

"No, we don't. There can't be any delays."

"Then it is settled. When we get to Denver, you and Ella will go get us some more food."

Kenny said, "Can Wade get me and Gerry another candy stick?"

Gerry said, "One each."

Scarlett said, "Kenny, you say Gerry and me, not me and Gerry. I don't know, Dear. It depends on how much candy sticks cost. We can't be frivolous with our money right now."

Kenny said, "What does frivolous mean?"

"Thoughtless. We don't have a lot of money therefore we can't just throw it away."

This was a strange concept for Kenny. Daddy always had lots of money. In truth, it was a strange concept for Gerry. Although Mama a lot of times wouldn't buy him something, she never said it was because they didn't have the money. The little boys looked at each other.

Scarlett continued, "If we have enough money, I will have Wade and Ella buy you each a candy stick."

Kenny and Gerry both said, "Alright."

"And?"

Gerry said, "Thank you."

Kenny quickly said, "Thank you."

Kenny thought, 'This being a well-behaved young man was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but I can tell it makes Mama happy for me to behaved well so I will keep doing it.'

That evening when Gerry and Kenny were getting into the bunk, Scarlett handed Gerry his quilt. It was green, blue, and brown. When Kenny saw the quilt, he said, "I need my quilt."

Scarlett said, "Your quilt?"

"Yes, the quilt you made for me before I was born."

Scarlett had known Rhett had taken Bonnie's quilt. She had assumed he had seen it in the formal parlor somehow and had stolen it away along with her son's body. She had not had time to think about anything but escaping Boston.

Scarlett was surprised Rhett had given the quilt to his son simply because it had been Bonnie's quilt. Scarlett had been planning on using Bonnie's quilt for the new baby. She had been hoping Rhett seeing the new baby in the quilt would cause him to love the new baby. She guessed Rhett had loved the new baby anyway. He had loved Kenny enough to let the baby have Bonnie's quilt. Scarlett slowly said, "Was it yellow, red, and blue?"

Kenny nodded his head. He said, "And purple on the back. You don't remember?"

"Of course, I remember. It has lots of flowers on it."

As Scarlett stood there by the bunk, she had a moment of not knowing what to say or do. She was sure this was going to be the first of many of those moments. She decided she would tell the twins the truth once she got everyone on the ship. Once they were out to sea and she didn't have to worry about Kenny, or Gerry for that matter, running away. The twins would be stuck on the ship.

Scarlett said to Kenny, "Your quilt is still at your townhouse. I should have taken the time to go by and get it. When I telegraph Daddy to let him know we are alright I will tell him to bring your quilt with him."

"I need it to go to sleep."

"We don't have it, so you are going to have to sleep without it."

"I have never slept without it.

Kenny started crying. Amid his tears he said, "We have to go get it."

"We can't go get it. You have to wait for Daddy to bring it."

"No!"

Ella said, "Mama can make you and Gerry matching quilts."

"No. I want mine."

Gerry said, "The quilts will be matching like you and me."

"Alright. I still want Daddy to bring my quilt when he comes."

"I will let him know."

Ella said, "Now lay down so I can tell you two a story."

Gerry hugged Kenny. Gerry put the quilt over both of them. Kenny soon stopped crying. As Ella told the story soon both boys were asleep.

After Scarlett had made Gerry a quilt, she had made one for Wade and Ella. They didn't need theirs to sleep with, so the quilts were packed away in their trunks.

Once the boys were asleep, Scarlett said, "This is going to be tough."

Scarlett over the years had found Wade a great sounding board. It was kind of like she was talking to Melly once again.

Wade had always been old for his age. Scarlett had often wondered if she could have changed that. She usually decided no. Wade had lived through the war years, the year and a half of starvation, her marriage to Frank, and her marriage to Rhett. Now in her time of need she was glad he was such a mature young man.

Scarlett and Wade were used to not worrying about Ella overhearing them, so they often spoke freely when she was in the room. They spoke freely because Ella was usually in a world of her own.

Wade said, "The hardest part is going to be not knowing what will trigger an outburst."

"I know. And not just with Kenny. Gerry is going to have a lot of questions also.

Wade said, "More importantly they are both going to want to know how this came about."

"You're right. I can't tell them the truth."

Ella said, "Just tell them that you and Uncle Rhett decided to split up. He took one twin, and you took the other."

Scarlett stared at her daughter. It was plain, it was simple, it was something a five-year-old could easily get his mind around. Continuing with the thought, Scarlett said, "Because we never thought to see each other again we figured the boys would never know the truth. That is why we told the twin we had that the other parent was dead."

Wade said, "Once you saw Kenny all your love burst forth and you couldn't live without him."

"Rhett wanted to be with both his boys also, therefore we are going to try to make our marriage work."

Ella said, "Your story needs work, but we can work on it each night after the twins go to sleep."

Scarlett stared at Ella. Maybe she wasn't stupid. Maybe she just had a different way of looking at the world.

When Rhett returned to his townhouse, he was very drunk. In a lucid moment, he thought, 'This was how I was when I got Kenny. I guess this is the way I will be now that I have lost Kenny. First, I lost Bonnie, now I have lost Kenny. I am going to die from a broken heart.'

The next morning Lt. Columbo was up early. After breakfast with his wife, he got in his buggy and went to Westside Park. He talked to a lot of women who were nursemaids. He said to each and every one of them, "Where you at the park yesterday morning?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Did you see a well-dressed woman …."

"No, Sir."

Frank sighed. He said, "Did you see two little boys who looked alike?"

"No, Sir."

"Did you see an altercation between two women…?"

"No, Sir."

"Did you see anything?"

"Just my charge."

Frank sighed. As he walked toward the Kimpton Marlowe House. He was frustrated. Poor people never told anybody anything. They were afraid of getting in trouble.

The first person Frank spoke to at the hotel was the front desk clerk, Craig Billings.

Frank said, "I am Lt. Columbo, and I am investigating the disappearance of a five-year old little boy."

Craig gave the lieutenant his full attention. Nobody wanted the hotel to get a bad reputation. The hotel was renowned for discretion, luxury, and poshness. Staying at the hotel was an experience in itself. The owner was trying to make them the premiere hotel in Cambridge if not in the Boston area. Therefore, nobody on the staff wanted any of the other guests to become aware that there was a police investigation. Everything would be handled with the most prudence to ensure that the police left the facility as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the policeman was not in uniform. The news that there was a policeman in the lobby would be all over the hotel in an hour. Half the clientele would have checked out by the next day. The owner had found that the easiest way to avoid any problems and get rid of the police as quickly as possible was to give them anything they wanted.

Craig said, "What would the little boy's name be?"

"Kenny Butler. Is Mrs. Butler still here?"

"No, sir. She checked out yesterday which was strange. She had said she would be staying at the hotel until she bought her house. Then I heard she and her family were going to Europe."

That statement answered a lot of questions for Frank. Mrs. Butler hadn't known of Kenny's existence. Once she had taken the boy away from Mr. Butler, she knew she had to get away from the man. Frank agreed. He knew Mr. Butler was rich and powerful and he assumed so did Mrs. Butler. He said, "Can you describe the family?"

"Certainly. Mrs. Butler and her three children. Two boys and a girl."

"How old were the boys?"

"The older boy was probably seventeen and the younger boy was four or five."

"Was there just one younger boy?"

Craig looked at Frank. Finally, Craig said, "Now that you mention it yesterday as they were leaving there were two little boys. I didn't look at either little boy to be honest. I was checking Mrs. Butler out. She is a very striking woman, and she demanded my full attention. She was claiming I gave her back the wrong change."

"Had you?"

"Of course not."

Frank was thinking that the desk clerk had thought Mrs. Butler would be in too big of a hurry to count her change and he tried to steal from her.

Frank guessed Mrs. Butler hadn't been in that big of a hurry. He said, "Is there anyone else I can speak to about the Butlers?"

"Yes, the concierge booked her travel arrangements."

"Thank you. Let me go talk to him."

"Yes, sir. His name is Josh Franklin, and he has a small office over there by the fountain."

"Thank you."

Frank walked across the lobby. He was even more convinced that Mrs. Scarlett Butler took her son, Kenny. After all, she already had the other twin. Frank didn't know how it had happened, but it was not an amiable separation between Mr. and Mrs. Butler. Frank was quite sure that Mrs. Butler didn't know Mr. Butler had her son, Kenny. Frank was equally sure that Mr. Butler didn't know that Mrs. Butler had his son. Frank realized he didn't know what the other twin's name was and he didn't need to know. With a smile on his face, Frank decided this was someone else's problem. He wished he knew how it all had happened, but he knew he would never find out.

One thing Frank knew Mrs. Butler had reason to believe was that confronting Mr. Butler was not a wise choice. He paused for a minute and wondered why Mrs. Butler had been scared of her husband. He would never know. He felt sure she had good reason to be.

Fifteen minutes later, Frank was getting in his buggy. The concierge had confirmed everything that Frank had learned and suspected. Frank, with a big smile on his face, was about to give Mr. arrogant bastard Butler the unwelcome news. His wife had run off with his son. They were on a ship to Dublin right now. It was no longer a police matter. His wife hadn't done anything legally wrong.