Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Three

Scarlett and Rhett gave Gerald some Irish whiskey, Ellen some perfume and candy, and her sisters a new dress each. Careen's dress was blue and had been dyed at the plantation. The dress fit Careen almost perfectly.

Suellen's dress was a pretty yellow color. The dress truly was pretty. What Scarlett had done to annoy Suellen was used her measurements when she was fourteen. Suellen was fourteen, after all. That was true, but Suellen had not developed as quickly as her older sister, therefore the bodice was too big for Suellen. While Careen was able to wear her dress the next day Suellen was not.

Although Ellen had taught Suellen how to sew, she didn't have the skill she needed to alter her dress. She wasn't very good at altering or mending. She wasn't good at it because she thought it was beneath her. Even though her mother was sitting right beside her doing the exact same thing. Suellen didn't say a word to anyone about her bodice being too big although Careen had noticed when Suellen had tried the dress on. She would not give Scarlett the satisfaction of knowing that she had once again managed to give Suellen a gift she couldn't use. At least, not right away. She would have to wait to get the dress altered until they got home and her mother and her could take it to the seamstress in Atlanta. It would probably be a month before she got to wear her new dress. If not longer.

While Ellen and Rhett were extremely formal with each other, Gerald was happy to embrace his son-in-law. Although a religious man, Gerald too thought it was ridiculous that a woman had to suffer through labor and delivery because of something another woman had done. He didn't say anything to Ellen about it, but he was glad Rhett had found a way to relieve his daughter's suffering.

Rhett and Scarlett had been talking about visiting New York in March to celebrate Scarlett's birthday, and for Rhett to check his investments. He had heard about some new businesses that needed investors. He wasn't sure about the new businesses because the ones he had been offered an opportunity to invest in were riskier than he usually dealt with. However, he was strongly considering it because he wasn't amassing enough money fast enough. So far, he only had ten thousand dollars. He was also going to see if he could invest more with Mr. Vanderbilt.

Scarlett made sure that Mammy knew she and Rhett were going to New York in March before the O'Haras returned to Tara. She had been talking to Faith about New York City and all the things there were to do in the city.

When Mammy heard Scarlett talking to Faith, she said to Scarlett, "Are you going to take Tommy with you when you travel to New York?"

"Probably not. Rhett wants to travel alone."

"So, you are going to leave your son alone?"

Scarlett was hoping her plan was going to be successful. She said, "Don't be silly, Mammy. Of course, we aren't leaving Tommy alone. He will have Faith. What could go wrong? We are only going to be gone for a week, ten days at most. That is if we don't get snowed in but how likely is that in March?"

"No! I will stay. You and Mr. Rhett can take me back to Tara when you get back from New York."

"Yes, we could do that if you insist on staying, but you are going to have to tell Mother."

"Of course. Of course."

After three weeks, the O'Haras were returning to Tara. They had to get the fields ready for planting of the cotton. When the O'Haras boarded the train to return to Tara on January fifth, Mammy was not with them. When Ellen understood that Scarlett and Rhett were not taking their son with them to New York, she wholeheartedly agreed with Mammy. The nursemaid had to stay. She agreed Scarlett could just bring Mammy to Tara when she got back from New York.

Scarlett hadn't said anything to Rhett about Mammy staying. She hadn't wanted to get his hopes up until it had come true. Rhett asked her, "How did you convince your mother to let you keep Mammy?"

"I told Mammy we were going to leave Tommy here in Charleston with only Faith to take care of him. She was horrified. I truly think that she thinks that she is the only one who can protect Tommy from something bad happening to him."

With a grin, Rhett said, "I assume you did nothing to dissuade her from that idea."

"Not only did I not try to talk her out of that idea, but I also encouraged her to believe that she was the only person standing between Tommy and a horrible fate."

Rhett burst out laughing. When he sobered, he said, "Do you think there is any way we can keep her until Tommy is a year old?"

"I am going to work on keeping her until Tommy is eighteen."

Rhett started laughing again.

One thing Rhett now knew about his wife was that she would use anything and everything to obtain her goal. She would not let morals get in the way. That thought did not appall him. No, instead he was proud of her behaving that way.

Percy, Beth, Rosemary, and Robert were going to Middleton Acres the next day to get the fields ready and take care of the slaves. Beth and Rosemary would pass out the monthly food allotments and the slaves' new clothes for the year. Daphne wasn't feeling well enough to travel because she was suffering from morning sickness.

Scarlett was excited that her friend was with child. She was happy that the cousins were going to be close in age.

Daphne was happy also. She wanted her children to have cousins to play with also. Although she had cousins to play with her cousins had not come over very often. For most of her life it had been Mummy, Dad, and her. Even more so since they had immigrated to America.

Daphne and Robert came to supper at least once a week, but usually two times a week. The conversation was lively and entertaining. When they discussed political issues, Scarlett now freely offered her opinion as did Beth. Beth had started reading the newspapers also. Percy read the Charleston Gazette first, then Rhett, then Scarlett, then Beth, and last Rosemary. Rosemary had not asked permission to read the Gazette. She had just picked it up after her mother had laid it down and started reading it.

Beth had stared at her daughter for a long time. Rosemary for her part ignored her mother. At long last, Beth said, "Feel free to ask any questions you might have. There is no harm in asking questions."

Beth had smiled at Scarlett when she had added the last part.

Rhett and Scarlett read the New York Times every day while Percy and Beth only read it occasionally. Once Rosemary's mother didn't object to her reading the Gazette, she started reading the Times also although not every day.

When the Butlers received an invitation to the St Cecilia Ball, Beth said to Percy, "This doesn't mean that our social status hasn't dropped down a few rungs. It means we are still in the top one hundred."

"Or they may have sent the invitation knowing we would not be able to attend because we are in mourning."

"That is true. We will have to wait until next year to see if we are still in the top one hundred."

"We will be. You haven't done anything improper that they know about."

Beth giggled and said, "If they knew everything we do in the bedroom, they would be appalled."

"And jealous too."

"Let's go take a nap."

"Certainly."

On February fourteenth Rhett and Scarlett went out to supper to celebrate the day even though they should have still been in mourning for Rhett's grandmother. They had not even worn black. Scarlett had worn her red and pink dress and Rhett had worn a charcoal-colored suit with a red cravat and waist coat. They went to Peninsula Grill. Rhett had a rack of lamb and Scarlett a pan-fried chicken breast. They had a Bordeaux with their meal. Then strawberry cake for dessert because it was pink.

Harrison had sent a box of chocolates to the townhouse for Rosemary. His note said: I know that you cannot receive me yet because you are still in mourning, but I wanted you to have a box of chocolates to celebrate the day, nonetheless.

Robert got Daphne some flowers to mark the occasion.

Percy and Beth just had a really good time in their marital bed. Of course, they usually had a good time in their bed. They usually had relations every night because they had wasted so much time already and because Percy knew even if Beth did not that there would come a day that they couldn't have a good time. Therefore, he did not want to waste any opportunity.

Warren bought Felicia a box of chocolates which she appreciated, but there was no nocturnal activity. Warren was just too tired for all that. Warren was a man in his mid-fifties who was about twenty pounds overweight who drank and smoked far too much.

For the next several weeks the Charleston gentry were gossiping about Scarlett and Rhett being out of their home before their mourning time was over. They also discussed how Scarlett's family had come to visit for Christmas. That had certainly not been proper of the couple. They talked about the couple leaving their son behind when they went to New Orleans for Rhett to conduct business. Scarlett shouldn't have gone on the business trip. Proper women didn't travel for business. Finally, the gossips talked about the couple's forced marriage. When the gossips grew tired of talking about Rhett and Scarlett, they moved on to talking about all the outrageous things Beth had done in the last year including changing her name. The brightness of her dresses was a subject that appalled them all. Women her age were supposed to wear muted colors.

Scarlett and Rhett boarded the train to New York on March fifteenth. The two days before she had spent more time getting their food together for the trip than she did on assuring Tommy was properly taken care of while they were gone. She hadn't needed to. Rhett had been in the nursery driving Mammy and Faith insane with making sure that Tommy would be taken care of properly while the little boy's parents were away. Rhett told both the women that he and Scarlett would be staying at the Box House Hotel if they needed to get in touch with them.

The train trip was much the same as their other trips. About three hours into the trip, Rhett had wanted something to eat. Scarlett didn't understand the mechanics behind it, but it seemed traveling made Rhett hungry. Rhett said, "I contacted Mr. Vanderbilt to let him know I would be in New York. I asked him if we could set up a meeting. He replied that we could and sent me a date and time. He also mentioned that he was having a supper party, and we would be on the guest list. He sent me a date and time for that also."

"Nice. I have a new dress that your mother got me to replace the one I had to dye black."

"I like that one."

"I brought my green cape also in case it is chilly in the evening."

"It will be chilly in the evening. I brought my overcoat."

"We should look at a bookstore to see if they have any books that might be interesting to read that aren't available in Charleston."

"That is a good idea. We are staying at the Box House again. I think there is a bookstore down the street from it."

"There is. The deli is in the same block. Will we have time to go back to Barnum's American Museum?"

"Yes, but just one day. I have several businessmen I am meeting with to discuss their business ventures."

"Alright."

"And several men I would like to make sales calls on."

"Alright."

"I am going to try to do all that in the morning, so we can see some more of the landmarks for New York City."

"Have you been to Niagara Falls?"

"No, the only traveling I have done was for business."

"Alright. It would be nice to see someday."

"After I am a millionaire, we can travel."

"Thank you, Dear."

Scarlett smiled at Rhett, and he smiled back.

Rhett and Scarlett had a good time in New York. They went to Barnum's American Museum. Although they had only one day, they made the most of it. They watched some of the shows and once again visited the freak show. Scarlett wanted to see the Beluga whales again. She said, "I thought I was not remembering correctly how large they were, but if anything, they are larger than I remembered."

"True. I'm sorry we can't come back tomorrow."

"No, it is alright. You must make sales calls, talk to Mr. Vanderbilt, and talk to those other men about their ventures."