Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty

After the family got back from sailing Scarlett allowed Rhett to see her tan lines and as always it was an erotic sight to him. He and she had a lovely time in their bed. As they were lying there afterwards, she said, "If it is a boy, I would like to name him after my father and if it is a girl, I would like to name her Ella for my mother."

"No. I'm not really crazy about either of those names. What about what my father suggested?"

"I like Thomas but not Alexander. I like Grace, but not Temperance."

"How about Thomas Gerald and Grace Ellen?"

"I will go with Thomas Rhett and Grace Katie. We will save Gerald and Ellen for our next baby."

"Katie?"

"That is my first name."

"That's right. I remember now. When we said our vows you said, 'I, Katie Scarlett."

"I don't remember your middle name."

"Kennesaw."

"Your mother's maiden name?"

"Yes."

"I like Kennesaw as a boy's name."

"I don't know. If Mother continues being a fun person to be around, we might name our second son Kennesaw."

"Alright."

Rhett got out of the bed. Scarlett watched her naked husband striding across the room. She thought once again, 'He does have a fine body.'

Rhett took a jewelry box out of the chest of drawers. He turned and said, "I paid for this with my own money. It is a thank you gift."

"For the baby."

"No, I will buy you something after she is born. This is for saving my life."

"I didn't save your life."

"Yes, you did. Do you think anyone else would have stormed into a brothel just to get her husband? I'm pretty sure no other lady on the face of the earth would have done that."

"Your mother might have."

Rhett smiled. He said, "Now she would. Before the change she might have, but that would have been because it would be highly improper for a gentleman to spend the night in one of those establishments. If you hadn't come to get me there wouldn't have been anyone to take care of me."

"Maybe one of those women who….."

"No, they wouldn't have. They are not kindhearted people. Everything you did in New Orleans, on the train, and the month after we got back was amazing. Open it." Scarlett opened the box. It was a cameo broach. She didn't say anything. She just stared at it. Rhett said, "I know it isn't your usual style, but I thought it was pretty. I would have bought it sooner, but I was waiting for one of my dividend checks from Mr. Vanderbilt."

"It reminds me of my mother. I like that. I will wear it next time you take me out to supper. No, I will wear it while I am at Tara."

"Not instead, Sweetheart, too. You can wear it when I take you to supper and you can wear it while we are at Tara."

Scarlett was not suffering from morning sickness as much as she had in the beginning therefore, she was at breakfast the day after the sailing trip. That day over breakfast, Beth said, "Scarlett, is nine forty-five good for you to leave for the dress shop. Rosemary, you need to pick out your fabric for your bathing suit. I will pick something out for you, Robert."

Although Robert would have liked to pick out his fabric also, twenty-two years of blindly obeying his mother kicked in and he said, "Thank you, Mother."

Scarlett said, "Yes."

On the way over to the dress shop, Beth said, "There won't be anything cute or stylish."

Scarlett said, "Yes, ma'am."

Nonetheless, Scarlett had still hoped for something cute and stylish. As she looked at the maternity patterns, she saw that all the dresses were ugly. And she said so.

Beth said, "Atrocious aren't they."'

"Yes. They look like a huge tent."

The clerk had gotten offended by their conversation, but neither woman apologized.

Beth said, "Let's look at some patterns for dresses with a higher waist. Once you go into your confinement, it won't matter if your dresses don't quite fit right. If we must, we can figure something out to protect your modesty."

"I like that plan."

All three of the Butler women flipped through the pattern books. Beth and Rosemary would show Scarlett patterns they liked. A couple Scarlett liked, but most she didn't. Nonetheless she found five styles that she was willing to wear. She had four of the dresses made in bright colors, but the fifth one was white. Scarlett said, "I'm going to get that one dyed with the indigo."

Beth said, "Great idea. I think I will get a new dress also and have it dyed blue also. Rosemary?"

"Yes, I would like that."

When Beth saw the scowl on Scarlett's face she smiled and said, "How much indigo the girls put in the water affects how dark the blue is. All our dresses will be blue, but they will be three different shades of blue. I promise Rosemary and I will not wear our blue dresses on the day you are wearing yours."

Crossly Scarlett said, "I want my dress to be a dark blue."

"Very well, Dear."

It wouldn't matter so much, but soon I will only have five dresses I can fit into."

"I know, Dear. Liz, Scarlett needs a maternity corset also."

"Yes, Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett said, "A maternity corset?"

"It is a corset that has laces on the side for you to loosen up. It provides a much better fit than just not tightening up a regular corset."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Liz, please, put a rush on the green dress. Scarlett and Rhett are leaving town to visit her family. She needs at least one dress that is comfortable to wear while she is on the train. She also needs a couple of maternity nightgowns. Scarlett, did you want to pick out the style?"

"Yes. Mrs. Claiborne, I would like them to be plain nightgowns with short sleeves. Do you have any patterns like that?

"Yes, I will get the patterns for you to look at in a minute. Mrs. Butler. I will get the maternity corset made before the end of the week also.

Beth said, "Thank you, Liz. I will need you to make Rosemary a bathing suit. Go pick out the fabric, Dear. I need you to make a bathing suit for my son."

"Do you want me to use the same measurements I used for your husband's bathing suit."

"Yes, but make the fabric white with blue stripes around it. I will just give Robert the one you made for Percy." Liz gave Beth a puzzled look. Beth smiled and said, "Percy didn't like the red stripes."

"Very well, Ma'am."

Liz went to get the patterns for Scarlett to look at.

Rosemary returned with a bolt of fabric that was yellow with big flowers on it. To Beth it was ugly, but she couldn't mistake the hopeful expression on her daughter's face. She mostly thought it was ugly because of how bright the fabric was, but she pushed down all that stick in the mud thinking and said, "Good choice."

By that time Liz had returned and she handed Scarlett three patterns. While Scarlett was looking at the patterns, Beth said, "Liz, go ahead and take Rosemary's measurements. I think she has grown since the last time she got a new dress. She will need a big floppy hat also. She can't get sun on her face either. Scarlett, you will need to get your measurements taken also. It is not just your waistline that changes when you are with child."

Scarlett stared at Beth trying to understand what she meant, then it snapped in her head. Her bust line had gotten bigger. Rhett had even commented on it.

Scarlett looked at the patterns and handed one to Liz. She said, "This one will do. I would like two of them. Let me find some fabric."

Scarlett came back with a bolt of red fabric. Beth said, "I didn't think you looked good in red."

"I don't, but I can wear red in my bedroom. No matter what color I wear Rhett still thinks I look attractive."

Beth smiled at the smug expression on her daughter-in-law's face.

After the measurements were taken, Beth said, "Shall we go girls?"

All three of the Butler women left the dress shop and returned to the townhouse for dinner.

On April first Rhett and Scarlett had boarded the train to Atlanta at seven in the morning. It would be a twelve-hour trip. Fortunately, she had gotten over the morning sickness.

Yesterday, Scarlett had picked up the green dress. She had waited while the seamstress had made some minor changes. Her maternity corset had been ready to pick-up also. It would be nice not to have to wear a tight corset, but in order to fit into her regular dress Rhett had to tighten the corset up as tight as he could get it. In fact, she had to let the seams out in a couple of her dresses, and they had been her larger dresses.

Although the trip was only going to be twelve hours, Scarlett still got them a lot of food, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, some eggs, some cookies, and a couple of breakfast rolls. She knew she was bringing too much food, but she hated to be hungry. What's more she was cranky when she got hungry. She was already cranky because her dress was too tight. She hadn't worn the green dress because she had wanted to save it for Melanie's wedding. At least, Rhett was his amusing self which made her feel better. He was still looking at her like he thought she was still attractive, also. Around ten-thirty Rhett said, "Let me have one of those chicken salad sandwiches."

"Rhett, it is only ten-thirty. No, we don't eat dinner until twelve."

"I am looking at my lovely wife, but I am hearing words spoken by my mother when I was a child. Really, Scarlett, Father finally got Mother to start enjoying life. We don't need another rule enforcer."

"I am not a rule enforcer."

"Yes, you are. You told me no then stated the rule as to why I couldn't do it."

"It is not a rule. It is just what we do."

"I am hungry now. Give me a sandwich."

Scarlett reached into the box and grabbed one of the sandwiches. She shoved it at him and said, "Here."

"Thank you. You want a bite?"

Scarlett wanted to say no, but the sandwich looked so good she said, "Yes."

After a bite Scarlett got out another sandwich and started eating it. She smiled at Rhett and said, "Rules are made to be broken."

Rhett roared with laughter. He said, "Indeed."

The couple got off the train in Atlanta. They were spending the night in Atlanta because it would be after dark by the time they arrived in Jonesboro. The only light available on roads out to the plantations was moon light. Traveling at night was only for the brave at heart. Not only could the horse step in a hole, but there was a possibility of them being robbed and possibly killed. Although Scarlett was anxious to see her family, she also wasn't taking any chances with their lives.

There were just the two of them. Scarlett used a maid when she and Rhett were at the townhouse. He didn't want to incur the expense of paying for another person to travel with them, therefore when they traveled if she needed help dressing, he was more than happy to perform the service.

Rhett had not known how to be a lady's maid at first, but Scarlett had happily given him instructions starting the day after their wedding, then again on their honeymoon. Although his father had been paying for their trip to Myrtle Beach, Rhett had wanted it to be just the two of them. These days getting Scarlett dressed was old hat to Rhett. Therefore, the couple had not brought Scarlett's maid Simone with them. Besides, Scarlett knew that she could get one of the slave girls at Tara to help her get dressed if she needed help.