Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

FanFic must have crashed this morning. I couldn't even get to the site.

Chapter Forty-Four

For the next week, Rhett was a busy man. He was so busy he did not have time to come back to the hotel to escort Scarlett to dinner. She had talked to the front desk clerk, Travis Kelce, about different restaurants in the area. He told her about a few of them and if the restaurant was on Box Street she would try it, but if she had to take a turn she did not. If she never got off of Box Street, she knew she could find her way back to the hotel. When Travis offered to escort her to some of the restaurants, she politely, but firmly told him no. She didn't like mad Rhett, therefore she never wanted to see him again. Sarcastic and mocking Rhett was bad enough.

After a week, Scarlett said, "Do you think Tommy is alright?"

"Yes, Tommy is fine."

"How do you know?"

"He has Mammy, Faith, my parents, and my sister to look after him."

"But none of them will look after him like we will."

"No, they won't, but we are not going to just be Tommy's parents for the next eighteen years. We are going to enjoy life also."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, let's enjoy life."

Scarlett dropped her dressing gown and was gratified to see Rhett get that look. The look that indicated that all he wanted in that moment was to be one with her.

The night came that Rhett and Scarlett were going to the Vanderbilts for supper. When they got there Mrs. Vanderbilt had redecorated the mansion. As they were standing in the foyer with the other guest waiting to be shown to the parlor, he said, "This is even uglier than the last décor."

"I like it."

"We are never getting anything like this."

Scarlett ignored Rhett for the next few minutes. Finally, she said, "I get a say in the décor of our home."

"Yes, you do, but so do I. Especially since I am going to be paying for it."

Just then the footman arrived to escort the group to the parlor where everyone was having appetizers. Soon Scarlett was looking at the other women's dresses. She clutched Rhett's arm and said, "That woman's dress was featured in An Artist's Dream."

"What?"

"It is a fashion magazine that features all the latest fashion trends."

"That's nice."

The couple joined some of the other groups and engaged them in conversation. When it came time to find their place cards, Rhett once again helped Scarlett find hers. She was pleased that it said: Scarlett Butler. Rhett said, "I made sure to tell Mr. Vanderbilt my wife's first name."

"Thank you, Rhett."

For once Rhett was telling the truth. He had made a point of telling Cornelius his wife's name. Rhett had smiled and with all his charm said, "By the way, my wife's first name is Scarlett. It would make my night more pleasant if Scarlett Butler was on her place card."

Cornelius had smiled like one hen pecked husband to another (which neither one of them were.) He said, "Of course, Mr. Butler consider it done."

When the ladies left the men to their whiskey and cigars, the topic of conversation in the parlor was about the exciting new book that was going to be released the next day. It was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. The ladies were talking about how exciting it was. Some had even read it in the magazine The National Era which had serialized it. It was so exciting because the magazine had not even published the last chapter yet.

One woman said, "I was on pins and needles when Eliza made her escape."

"Or what about when little Eva almost drowns, but Tom saved her."

"I cried when I read about poor Eva dying."

"It was so horrible Mr. St. Claire dying outside that tavern."

"Probably he was killed by a man who had too much to drink. Some men can't hold their liquor."

The more the women talked about the book the more Scarlett wanted to read it. It sounded as exciting as one of her dime novels. She said, "What was the name again?"

One woman said with a strange twist to her lips, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

The woman was a diehard abolitionist. It would do this Southern belle good to know the truth about the system she was perpetuating.

On the way to the hotel, Scarlett said, "There is a book I want to buy. It is not one of those dime novels you hate. It is a real book."

"What is the name of it?"

"Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is an adventure story. All the women were talking about it."

Rhett reached in his pocket and gave his wife a five-dollar coin piece. He said, "That is for your dinner tomorrow and the book. If it is more than that you can't buy it."

"Of course, Rhett."

The next day when Scarlett got to the bookstore there was a long line. The line was so long it was out the door. She said to one of the women standing in line, "What are you waiting for?"

"I am waiting to get to buy a copy of that amazing book Uncle Tom's Cabin."

"I am here for that reason also. I guess I will just get in line."

Scarlett and the woman chatted for a few minutes. After thirty minutes, Scarlett was at the front of the line. The clerk asked her, "Do you want both volumes?"

"How much are they?"

"Two dollars each." The clerk heard Scarlett's accent, but he wasn't going to discourage a sale therefore he didn't say anything about it not being the best book for her."

Scarlett said, "I will take both volumes."

Scarlett handed the man the five-dollar coin piece that Rhett had given her. As she walked out of the store, she looked at the dollar bill in her hand. She hoped it was enough to buy enough food to fill her up. She went to the deli and found she had enough money to buy half of a sandwich and a piece of fruit. It would have to be enough to hold her until supper. The main thing was she couldn't snap at Rhett. He didn't take well to being snapped at.

Scarlett started reading the book. That is when she found the book was about a slave named Tom. At first, she considered not finishing the book, but she couldn't waste Rhett's money that way. She had spent four dollars on the books, therefore the least she could do was try to read the book. By the time she had finished the first chapter she was hooked. It was a very exciting story.

Scarlett did manage not to snap at Rhett that evening. Although, she did hurry him out the door for supper that evening. All she said was, "I'm hungry."

After Scarlett had eaten most of her entrée, Rhett said, "Do I have any change from the five dollars I gave you?"

Without looking at Rhett, Scarlett said, "No, it was two books instead of just one."

"How much were they?"

"Two dollars each."

"You spent four dollars on books?"

Defensively Scarlett said, "Yes."

"Judging by the way you are inhaling your supper; I am going to assume you didn't have enough money for dinner."

Sheepishly Scarlett said, "I just had enough money for half of a sandwich and a piece of fruit. I really wanted the books. It is very good so far, but I was surprised to learn that Tom is a slave."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett and said, "You aren't in trouble. I never failed to be amazed by your ingenuity."

"What does that mean?"

"Ingenuity means cleverness or creativity." As Scarlett continued to stare at Rhett, he added, "You got what you wanted and didn't disobey me."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, I did."

"It is the ingenuity that is going to allow us to keep Mammy until Tommy is one year old."

"Yes, it is."

After ten days in New York, the Butlers were returning to Charleston. Scarlett had been reading the book off and on for the last three days. When she got to the part where Tom was whipped to death, she slammed the book shut and said to Rhett, "This book is just abolitionist propaganda. The character Simon Legree is cruel. He is just a made-up character. Nobody could be that cruel. He whipped his slave to death trying to break his spirit. No, owner would kill his own slave. Rhett, he bought a slave just to have relations with her. No gentleman would do that."

"Let me have both volumes. I will read it. I will tell you if it is just abolitionist propaganda or if it is possible a man could behave that way."

"Yes, yes. You read it. I can't finish it. Poor Tom dies. I don't want to know anymore."

A week later after Rhett had finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, he held up the book and said to Scarlett, "It is both. It is abolitionist propaganda and unfortunately, there are men who are as cruel and morally bankrupt as Simon Legree. Although, fortunately for mankind they are few and far between. Neither my father nor Robert would ever treat a slave that way. The worst part, my love, is all the Northerners are now going to see all slave owners as Simon Legrees."

"Daphne asked me if I thought it was right for a person to own another person. At the time I told her I didn't know because I had never thought about it before. I am beginning to belief that it isn't."

"I know I don't believe in one person owning another person. That is why I couldn't buy a slave to be Tommy's nursemaid."

"Do you pay Faith or does your father?"

"I do. I think Father would free all his slaves if he could figure a way to get cheap labor."

"Why can't he just pay them?"

"He would have a cash flow problem. He doesn't have the needed amount of money until he sells his crop. He needs to think of something because I'm afraid soon it will be illegal to own a slave."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Then we won't."

After Rhett and Scarlett's return from New York, they found out that Rosemary had a gentleman caller. To Rhett he seemed to be a likeable young man. Scarlett had volunteered to sit in the front parlor with Rosemary when Harrison came to call. After all, they couldn't be alone. Beth had let Scarlett chaperon Rosemary a few times because she was just tired of listening to other people talk. It was more of that yak, yak, yak. Not all the time because she still wanted to monitor her daughter's relationship with the young man.

When Scarlett was chaperoning Rosemary and Harrison, Rhett would often join them. Rhett did not feel the need to remain silent. He would often engage Harrison in conversation. One thing the men had discovered was they both were well read. They were also the same age. As it turned out Rhett and Harrison had known each other when they were growing up. They had not been friends exactly, but they had known who each other was. They talked about books they had read and people they both knew.

One night after Rosemary had seen Harrison to the door, she had found Rhett in the family parlor. She said, "Rhett, I would like the man that is calling on me to spend more time talking to me than to you. Just shut up."

With those words, Rosemary had left the family parlor. Once the young girl had left, there was an uncomfortable silence in the room. At last, Scarlett said, "She does have a point. You do have a tendency to monopolize Mr. Ford's attention."

Rhett said, "I find him an interesting and fascinating man."

"So does Rosemary. Let him become your brother-in-law before you steal his attention away from your sister."

"I just won't sit in the parlor with them anymore."

For the rest of the evening Rhett did something neither Percy, Beth, nor Scarlett had ever seen him do. He pouted. After about fifteen minutes, Percy and Beth had to leave before they started laughing at Rhett. Scarlett didn't out and out laugh at Rhett, but she was amused by his actions the rest of the night.

When Rhett and Scarlett got in the bed, he rolled over and didn't make advances towards her. She said, "Are we not going to be intimate?"

"I'm not in the mood."

"Are you going to tell me a story?"

"Why? So, you can laugh at me about that also."

Scarlett scooted over next to Rhett and put her arms around him. She didn't reply because she would not be able to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Although Scarlett did occasionally chaperon Rosemary and Harrison, Rhett never joined her in the parlor again.