Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Sixteen

Percy didn't tell his wife that what she had done had been wrong. Elizabeth thought she was in the right, therefore nothing he said would make a difference, especially not with her mother sitting there supporting her decision. Rhett and Elizabeth's relationship had never been warm and loving. In truth, Elizabeth's relationship with anyone had never been warm and loving.

One time during Percy and Elizabeth's first year of marriage while in the parlor, he had said, "Did you have someone special?"

"No, I didn't allow myself to get emotionally involved with any of my callers because Father would make the decision of who I was going to marry."

Percy had stared at her. Finally, he said, "Don't you think your father would have taken your feelings into consideration when he married you to someone."

"No, Father with his wisdom chose the best candidate to be my husband. You are wealthy and have good social standing."

Just to be spiteful, Percy said, "No, he chose the man that could pay off his gambling debts. He wasn't the least bit concerned about my social standing. All he cared about was that I could bail him out. How does it feel to be the sacrificial lamb."

Without any emotion, Elizabeth had replied, "He did what was best for the family."

"No, my wife, he did what was best for himself."

Elizabeth had not replied. She had picked up the baby shirt she was sewing on. After a few minutes, she had said, "Shall we discuss names?"

Percy had stared at his wife. He wondered, 'Does she have any passion in her at all or is she just duty and doing what is right?' He now knew she had no passion in her at all. If Elizabeth had been a little bit warmer, he could have fallen in love with her, but she wasn't and she never would be.

Elizabeth had suggested Kennesaw as their son's first name. Percy had said no. He had suggested Rhett. It was his father's real last name. Thomas Rhett had changed his name to Alexander Thomas Butler to escape the law. He had been successful.

The atmosphere in the parlor was uncomfortable for everyone except Elizabeth and Mabel. The two women talked about what the plans were for the St. Cecilia Ball in January. As Percy sat there and listened to his wife and his mother-in-law, he knew that both women had put the incident with Scarlett completely out of their minds. The only reason Elizabeth cared about Scarlett's behavior was so her daughter-in-law would not shame her with her actions. He was proud that his son had stood up for his wife and had defended her actions. He was also proud that Rhett had firmly told his mother to never correct Scarlett again.

Percy smiled as he remembered how proud his father was the day, he had received his first invitation to the St. Cecilia Ball. Invitations only went out to the hundred most important families in Charleston which was just about all the people who were members of the gentry. Percy thought the ball was just one more way to exclude people. If Rhett and Scarlett ever moved out, they would not get one because Scarlett had not been born in Charleston.

After about five minutes, Robert said, "I'm going to read in my room."

As Robert was leaving the room, Percy said, "Rosemary, you go on and go to bed."

"Yes, sir."

Rosemary didn't argue with her father or tell him her bedtime wasn't for another hour. She was happy to leave the room. As she walked up the stairs, she was proud of Scarlett for standing up for herself. Rosemary wondered if her father would let her do that. She already knew her mother would not, but if her father intervened there wouldn't be anything her mother could do about it. She thought her mother was a cold, uncaring, rigid woman. Her mother was always telling her what she had done wrong. Her mother had never paid her a compliment.

Rhett had taken the stairs two at a time. When he opened the door to his room, he saw Scarlett sitting on the bed with her back to the door. When she heard the door open, she turned to look at him. He was glad there weren't any tears on her face. No, there was just extreme anger. Scarlett stood up and said, "Your mother spoke to me like I was a child. Like I don't know what proper behavior is. I know how to behave properly. I still don't think I did anything wrong. The nation is on the brink of war. I think that is a little bit more serious than decorous behavior."

"I agree and I don't think you did anything wrong."

"I wouldn't have done it if we had been in public, but since it was just family, I didn't think anyone would mind."

"Nobody minded except an antiquated dinosaur."

Scarlett giggled. She said, "Well, I might do it in public if my fun-loving, free spirit takes control."

Rhett sat down on the bed and pulled Scarlett onto his lap. He wrapped her up in his arms. He hugged her. He said, "Do you have any more questions?"

"No."

"Do you want to move out?"

"And let her win?! No! You are saving so much money with us living here. Not just the household expenses, but everything we buy while we are out and about."

Rhett roared with laughter. He said, "I certainly like that attitude. Tomorrow when you see her just act like nothing happened. By the way I told my mother to never correct your behavior again. If I think your behavior needs to be corrected, I will do it."

"Thank you, Rhett."

The next morning at breakfast, everyone pretended that nothing had happened. The only thing that happened that was unusual was when Rhett said, "Scarlett I have to go out this morning, so go ahead and get The New York Times off the table in the foyer and start reading it."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Elizabeth did not react at all. She had already washed her hands of Rhett and Scarlett. She knew someday they would do something outrageous that would shame her. She just hoped her mother was already dead so her mother would not have to endure the shame also. Nobody would ever know how inappropriate and badly she had behaved when her father had told her she was marrying Percy Butler. Elizabeth had been letting Percy call on her despite the fact she would never marry him. She had been letting him call on her because her father had made her. She had been sure her father would not lower himself and allow the son of a pirate into their family. After he had told her she was marrying Percy, she had screamed at her father that she would do no such thing. She had told him that she would never lower her standards and marry that half pirate man.

John had simply said, "Yes, you will my daughter. If you do not, all our property will be seized by a man that I owe a lot of money to."

"We can sell my jewelry and mother's."

"You don't have enough jewelry. I owe the man almost a thousand dollars."

"How did you get so far in debt?"

"I am not as good of a poker player as I thought. The man kept extending me credit, but now he wants his money. Percy has agreed to pay off my gambling debts."

"I will do this, but you will promise me you will never sit down at the poker table again. After all, you don't have another daughter to sacrifice to pay off your debts."

"Of course, of course. Thank you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth got up and left the room. As John watched his daughter leave the room, he hoped she never found out that the man he had owed all that money to was Percy Butler himself.

Percy had wanted to marry Elizabeth. At the time he had thought she would come to love him, but it wasn't to be. He knew he would have to have some leverage to get her to the altar. When he had seen John Kennesaw playing poker one night, his plan came together. It had been a lot easier than Percy had thought to get the man hopelessly in debt to him. John was a bad poker player. His face showed what he was thinking or feeling. He also believed that a turn of good luck was right around the corner for him. Furthermore, no matter how bad his cards were, he never folded.

A month later, Elizabeth and Percy had been married. He had bought her a town house because he wasn't living with her parents. He had bought her new clothes. He had let her decorate the townhouse herself. He had bought a couple of more slaves to cook and clean. She had been living an incredibly good life. When they had received an invitation to the St. Cecilia Ball the first year of their marriage, she knew her social status had still been intact. She decided to make the best of her life.

Scarlett got mail from her mother about once a month. She always faithfully wrote her back. She only told her mother the good parts of her life. She never ran out of things to write about because there were a lot of good things in her life. In that month's letter, Ellen wrote that Ashley had gotten engaged. The Wilkeses had thrown another barbecue to announce Ashley's engagement. He was marrying his cousin, Julia Franklin, from the other side of the family, a second cousin actually.

As Rhett and Scarlett were getting ready for bed, she said, "Ashley has gotten engaged."

"Who to?"

"I don't remember her name. It isn't Melanie. It is his second cousin from the other side of the family."

"Alright."

"Mother also said Pa had hired a new overseer, Jonas somebody. Do you have an overseer at Middleton Acres?"

"Yes." Rhett smiled and said, "I have no idea what his name is."

"I bet even Rosemary knows that."

"True."

Scarlett told Rhett some more about the county folks, then took off her red wrapper and got into the bed. He noticed that she was naked, which was a wonderful thing. He enjoyed looking at her body, but it also meant her monthly was over. They could play again.

The next week, Scarlett got a letter from Cathy Calvert. She and Cathy exchanged letters, but not on a regular basis.

Cathy wrote: I know your mother told you about Ashley getting engaged, but I also know she didn't tell you all the background information. About a month ago, Tony Fontaine was in Atlanta visiting with Charlie Hamilton. It seems that they had met at the barbecue and struck up a friendship. So much so that Tony has been visiting Charlie about once a month. Every time Tony went into Atlanta to get supplies. They would go have dinner together. Tony told me that Charlie and he are interested in the same things. Last month Charlie told Tony that his sister Melanie was engaged to Matthew Perry. Matthew Perry owns a bookstore. They are not related. Charlie said he really liked Matty as he liked to be called. He was really funny. Charlie also told Tony that Ashley had been coming to Atlanta about once a month trying to get back in Melanie's good graces since the barbecue. Melanie had told their butler not to let Ashley in the house. She would meet him on the front porch, but all she would say to Ashley was: 'Once a cheater, always a cheater.' The Wilkeses threw a barbecue to celebrate Ashley's engagement. His fiancé's name is Julia Franklin. She is ugly and fat. She was from Lovejoy. I guess no one in Clayton County would marry him. Or any of the neighboring counties.

Cathy went on to share other news. When Scarlett finished the letter, she went in search of Rhett with a big smile on her face.