Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Eight
On June fifteenth Scarlett and her children boarded the train to Boston. They would settle in Cambridge to make it easy for Wade to get to Harvard.
Once the family had arrived at the Boston Station, they had taken a cab to The Kimpton Marlowe House in the center of Cambridge. Scarlett had gotten a three-bedroom suite for them. Ella and Gerry shared a room while Scarlett and Wade each had a room of their own. They had not brought any servants with them.
The second day the family was in Cambridge, twelve-year-old Ella and five-year-old Gerry went to the park that was two blocks from the hotel. Scarlett was assured by the front desk that it was a safe walk. Scarlett had given Ella instructions that she and Gerry were to return to the hotel after an hour and a half no matter what. Ella had a wristwatch that Scarlett had given her on her twelfth birthday. It had been an expensive gift for a twelve-year-old, but Ella had always taken care of her possessions, so Scarlett gave it to her. Ella had been so happy. She had always wanted a wristwatch.
Scarlett liked giving her children special presents for their birthdays and Christmas. She didn't shower them with gifts but made sure there was always one special present on these occasions.
That night at dinner Gerry and Kenny told their parent, "I have met my twin. He looks just like me."
Each parent said, "Where did you meet your twin?"
"At the park."
"How nice for you."
Both parents dismissed the five-year-old story as the fantasy of a young child.
Scarlett asked Ella, "Does this other boy looked like Gerry?"
"I guess. They are both short and have black hair."
Scarlett had sighed and smiled. The girl was still a silly little twit. However, Scarlett now loved the child very much. If Ella wasn't very bright, it was probably Scarlett's fault for drinking all that brandy while she was carrying the child. She also felt shame for having wished Ella dead instead of Bonnie. Regret and shame made her love Ella so much.
Ella had not been concerned about who Gerry was playing with because there had been a lot of girls her age to play with.
The next day both Gerry and Kenny were anxious to go to the park to see their twin. Both Scarlett and Rhett smiled indulgently at their son.
Neither boy referred to the other little boy by his name. They just called the other boy – my twin. This went on for several more days. After a week of this, Rhett smiled at his son and said, "I will have to go with you to see your twin."
"That would be great, Daddy."
The next day Rhett and Kenny arrived at the park around nine-thirty. Kenny said, "He isn't here yet. He will be here any minute. We usually arrive at the same time."
After an hour, Kenny said, "I guess he isn't coming today."
"I guess not, Son. Let's go home."
"Will you come tomorrow and meet him?"
"Not tomorrow. I have a business meeting."
"You always have business meetings."
"I do have a lot of them, but Daddy has to make money doesn't he."
When Rhett settled in the Boston area, he began only doing legal business deals. The profits were not as great, but he no longer could take the chance of going to prison. It could happen for the flimsiest reasons. He had heard from Mr. Powe that Belle had been arrested for passing counterfeit fives. They had found the plates in her barn.
Mr. Powe had let Rhett know because the lawyer wanted to know what Rhett wanted to do with the business. Rhett told Mr. Powe to sell his half. The lawyer had not been able to find a buyer because the saloon and brothel had quickly fallen into financial uncertainty. Although Moses, the bartender, had tried to manage the business, he had not been very good at it.
It was when Rhett had heard about Belle's fate that he had remembered the money and the plates he had in his desk back at the mansion. Along with his sapphire jewelry and bearer bonds. Rhett had smiled and thought, 'Scarlett is a lot smarter than she used to be. Those items are long gone, and the money is in Scarlett's bank account. No, hidden somewhere in her home.' Rhett knew Scarlett had somehow framed Belle. Despite his financial loss, Rhett was proud of her.
The sour expression on Kenny's face reminded Rhett of Scarlett. He had certainly seen that expression often enough when he had lived with her.
Kenny replied to his father's comment about making money by saying, "I guess."
"Let's stop and get some ice cream at that creamery around the corner from our home."
Kenny's big smile assured Rhett the boy would not be sad the rest of the day.
Rhett thought Kenny's twin was make believe. Something the boy had dreamed up. He would humor his son as much as possible. His son. Such a priceless thing. He had thought Bonnie had been priceless, but he thought Kenny was even more so. Especially considering the child came back from the dead.
Lately Kenny had been talking about Rhett getting him a brother to play with. Rhett had told the boy, "I can't get you a brother, because your mother is in heaven."
Kenny had gotten very sad. He had said, "I don't have a mother and I don't get to have a brother either. This isn't fair."
Although Rhett had tried to convince Kenny that it was alright that he didn't have a mother or a brother. Rhett had failed. Kenny wanted a mother and a brother.
Kenny's solution was that Rhett marry another woman then Kenny could have a mother and they could make him a brother.
Rhett had told the boy, "No, I loved your mother too much to ever marry again."
"I wish she hadn't died."
"I wish she hadn't either, Son."
When Rhett had celebrated Kenny's fifth birthday, it had been a joyous time, but also a sad time. Bonnie had never made this milestone because of his lack of judgment. Scarlett had crossed his mind, which wasn't unusual. Every time he looked into Kenny's eyes he thought of her, but he did not dwell on her. Just like his life in Charleston, she was something best forgotten. Maybe she was best forgotten, but he didn't seemed to be able to forget Scarlett O'Hara.
As Rhett watched Kenny eating his ice cream with such joy, he had thought, 'To be five again when a bowl of ice cream cured all one's disappointments. Rhett wished a dish of ice cream would help him get over his disappointment about his marriage and his life.
The next day while Rhett was going to his business meeting, Scarlett had taken her son to the park for her to meet his twin. The day before Gerry had been unhappy that he had not been allowed to go to the park. Instead, he and Ella had gone with their mother to look at houses. Wade had been allowed to stay at the hotel alone. Gerry was mad that he hadn't been allowed to stay at the hotel too. They had looked at a townhouse that was three blocks from the park. Gerry had said, "If we lived here, I would get to continue playing with my twin."
Scarlett had been tired of Gerry talking about his twin and she just wanted him to shut up about it. She didn't snap at the boy, but instead said, "I will go with you tomorrow to meet your twin. I will meet his mother and you two will be able to have play dates together."
Scarlett decided not to tell the boy that what he was saying was impossible, but she would humor him instead. She would let natural consequences prove to him that he was wrong about having a twin.
She had thought it odd that Gerry thought he had a twin. Nobody had ever said a word to Gerry about his twin dying because Scarlett didn't want the little boy to feel guilty about living.
Later in the day after Gerry had gotten up from his nap, Scarlett had taken the children to the creamery she had seen near the townhouse they had looked at that morning. She would probably buy the townhouse, but she was still thinking about it. The cost of the townhouse was putting her off although its location was perfect.
After the family had gotten seated at a table at the creamery, a waitress came to their table. She stared at Gerry and said, "Today is your lucky day. You are getting ice cream twice today."
Gerry said, "I haven't had any ice cream today."
"You weren't in here this morning?"
"No."
"There was a little boy in here this morning that looked just like you. He was with his dad."
"That was my twin."
"Oh. What can I get you?"
When Scarlett thought about the waitress' comments, she decided that Gerry's playmate must look very similar to Gerry. Which made sense, why else would Gerry think he had a twin if the other boy didn't resemble him.
Scarlett sat there at the park watching Gerry and Ella play. With some regret she thought about all the opportunities she had missed with her children. She had been too young with Wade, too busy with Ella, and too immature with Bonnie. With sorrow she now knew she could never get those moments back. She had been able to atone with Wade and Ella, but she would never have that chance with Bonnie.
Scarlett smiled when she thought about how frustrated Wade had been that she would not let him travel on the train alone. Yet he had accepted the coddling because he knew that his mother was scared she was going to lose another child. Scarlett smiled sadly as she thought, 'It certainly was a turnaround from how I had behaved before Bonnie's death. At the time my children really had been an inconvenience to me. At that time all my children were, was one more responsibility.' Scarlett remembered that she, Ella, and Gerry had ridden the train to Boston and returned with him when he came home for the summer. They had ridden the train to Boston with him in the fall and returned to Atlanta without him. It had been much more convenient for them to spend Christmas in Boston. A lot more fun too.
Gerry came running over to her with another little boy. As Scarlett watched the two little boys running to her, her mind was screaming, 'This is impossible. He is dead.'
Both boys had green shirts on which made them look even more alike. Inanely Scarlett had thought, 'Green is Gerry's favorite color. I bet his twin's favorite color is green also.'
Scarlett stood up and looked at the other little boy who looked just like Gerry. She said to the little boy, "What is your name?"
The little boy smiled, and Scarlett saw her smile and her dimples. She had no more doubts. This little boy was her son. He said, "Kenny."
"Kenny what?"
"My full name is Kennesaw Rhett Butler."
With those words, Scarlett got light-headed, but she held on to consciousness. It would upset Gerry too much if she fainted.
From what seemed a long way away Scarlett heard Gerry say, "My middle name is Rhett also."
After Scarlett got her bearings back, she thought, 'That rat bastard. That God damn son of a bitch stole my child away from me and let me believe he was dead.' She smiled at her son and hugged him tight, maybe a little too tight, but Kenny didn't complain. Then she hugged the twins together. They didn't mind being squished together.
This was a miracle. A miracle Scarlett had found her son she thought was dead.
There was no doubt in Scarlett's mind that her son was not dead, and that Rhett had stolen one of her children away from her once again. At least, now she knew what Rhett had done with the body.
In that instant, Scarlett knew what she was going to do. She just hoped she had enough time to get away with it.
Scarlett said, "Let's go home, Boys. Ella! we are going home!"
Ella came running to her mother. Even though they had only been at the park for less than ten minutes, Ella didn't complain. Her mother could be scary when she yelled at a person. Her mother never yelled at her anymore, but Ella still vividly remembered when she did.
Scarlett said out loud although she didn't think anyone was paying any attention to them, "I am not feeling well. We need to go home. Come along, Kenny, Gerry, Ella."
Kenny was happy to go along with the pretty woman and his twin. He wanted to spend as much time with his twin as possible.