Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

My pediatrician when I was growing up was a woman. Her name was Ella Zuschalg. She was born in 1915. As a child I never realized what an amazing accomplishment it was that she was a doctor. I just remember her as a lovely and gracious woman.

Hopefully FanFic will get their email notification system fix soon.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

After Percy and Beth got back from their run, Rhett said to Rosemary, "Scarlett and I are leaving day after tomorrow. If you want me to go with you, then you are going to have to make it fast."

"Alright."

For the next two days, Rosemary talked about everything, but her going to college. She told them she had asked Doug to stop calling on her and why. She told them about the book she was reading. She talked about the birthday party the family had for Grace and how much fun everyone had especially Grace. On the last night, Rhett said, "Father, Rosemary wants to talk to you about going to college."

Beth said, "No!"

Percy looked at his wife and with a smile said, "I see Elizabeth has raised her proper head. Come along Rosemary, we will talk in my office." When Rhett moved to follow behind, Percy turned to him and said, "If she can't convince me by herself, she doesn't deserve to go to college. Run along and play some poker."

Rhett turned to Scarlett and said, "I have to go my father told me to."

"I know that is the only reason you are going."

Rhett bent down and kiss Scarlett's cheek. She whispered, "Be careful."

Beth and Scarlett watched Rhett leave the room. Beth stared at the doorway. Scarlett said, "She really wants to do this."

"But why?"

"She wants to be a doctor. That's why she let Doug continue calling on her for so long, she liked his stories."

"She should find a good man and get married."

"She fancies herself still in love with Mr. Ford."

Beth sighed. She said, "In a lot of ways I had it easier than most young women. My father chose Percy to be my husband. I didn't know how good of a catch he was until something broke in me that December night."

"I'm glad whatever broke in you, broke. You are a lot more fun to be around now."

Beth laughed and said, "That book is a lot more fun, than I was then."

"Let her go."

"Percy will make the decision."

"But she needs your support also."

"I will give it to her."

Percy and Rosemary were sitting in his office. He said, "Why do you want to go to college?"

"I don't know."

"Rosemary, don't get all nervous on me. Just tell me."

Rosemary took a deep breath. She said, "After I told Doug to stop calling on me, I thought I am going to miss his stories. That is when I realized I had only let him continue calling on me because of his stories. He was polite and nice, but that wasn't why I was letting him call on me. I decided to do volunteer work at the hospital. Then I thought, 'I can be a doctor. I'm smart enough, but I would have to go to college first.' Rhett told me that University of Charleston was accepting women so then I decided to do it."

"Very well. The men and the women don't take classes together."

"I know."

"And they probably have female teachers." Rosemary looked at her father with a puzzled expression on her face. Percy said, "Mr. Ford no longer works for the University of Charleston."

"Oh, I know that. Marion keeps me informed of his movements." With that statement Rosemary blushed to her roots. She decided to go on, "I don't ask her, but I don't stop her from telling me."

Percy thought, 'And probably ask a lot of questions.' He said, "Where is he?"

"He is in Columbia. He is teaching at USC."

"Then yes. You can start next semester. Go down there tomorrow. Get Rhett to take you. Now let's go tell your mother the good news."

After Percy and Rosemary walked back into the parlor, he said, "I gave her permission to take classes at the University of Charleston Annex."

Beth stood up and said, "Congratulations. You will do great."

Scarlett stood up and said, "Congratulations."

Rosemary said, "Do you know Rhett's plans for tomorrow?"

"I think he has some plans in the afternoon."

"Father asked me to ask him to go with me to the University of Charleston Annex."

"I'm sure he will be happy to."

The next day Rosemary became enrolled at the University of Charleston Annex. The day after that Rhett and Scarlett sailed out of Charleston Harbor. Both Tommy and Grace were crying when they found out their parents were going to be gone for a week. Surprisingly, it was Scarlett that said, "This is just the way it is. You have Grandmother, Grandfather, and Aunt Rosemary to take care of you."

Tommy said, "And Aggie."

"Yes, and Aggie. We will be back in a week. That is seven days. Can you count to seven?"

"Yes, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7."

"Good job, but get Grandmother to help you mark the days off. I want you to be a big boy and a big girl for everyone."

"Yes, Mama."

"Now give Daddy and me big hugs. They must last a week."

It was the end of November and Gerald O'Hara was sitting on his back porch. They had a good harvest. They had made some money. Not as much as they could have because of a costly mistake by Brent. What infuriated Gerald about the issue was that he had told the boy not to do it, but the boy did it anyway. All Brent had said afterwards was, "I never thought that would happen."

That was the problem Brent never thought things through. He thought then he acted. Gerald had no doubt the Stuart had urged Brent to do it. Gerald knew this because Brent's brother had been visiting just the day before.

Brent had all the slaves empty their cotton bags into the wagon. Brent had made no provisions to cover up the cotton. The cotton was light and every time a wind blew a lot of cotton floated out the wagon and down the road. Now that all the picking was done, Gerald would have the field hands look for cotton, but most of it was probably at Twelve Oaks by now at best or at the Macintoshes at worst.

Gerald knew he could not leave Tara to Careen. If the boy would not listen to Gerald's sage advice he certainly wasn't going to listen to Ellen or Careen. He was going to do something he never dreamed he would do. He was going to sell Tara. He would ask John Wilkes if he wanted it first. It would be good since their lands bordered each other. He would sell the land, the houses, the cabins, and the slaves. He would go talk to John tomorrow. Maybe he would get to see his grandson. Suellen never brought the child to Tara. George was over three years old, and he and Ellen had only seen him a couple of times. At least they saw Scarlett and her children once a year. In truth, he and Ellen had probably spent more hours with Tommy and Grace than they had with George.

That night Gerald said to Ellen, "I am going to sell Tara."

"What?"

"Not only is the boy an idiot he is also irresponsible. I told him not to have the slaves put their cotton in the wagon. I told him it would blow away."

"What did he do?"

"Put the cotton in the wagon and let it blow away."

"Who are you going to sell it to?"

"John Wilkes. He will give me a good price for it."

"When are you going to do this?"

"Tomorrow. I will sell all the slaves, but Mammy, Prissy, Dilcey, and Pork."

"And Flynn."

"Who?"

"Dilcey and Pork's son."

"That's right. I keep forgetting they even have a son."

Ellen smiled. She said, "Where are we moving to?"

"Your choice. Savannah or Charleston."

"I know you would prefer Savanah, but I would like to be close to Scarlett."

"I would like to be close to Scarlett also. And Tommy and Grace."

"And Rhett?"

"He is a good husband to Scarlett. She would push around anyone weak willed."

"True. She does seem happy with him."

"Yes. I am glad I forced her to marry him."

"I am now. I wasn't very happy with her being three hundred miles away."

"Now she will be down the street and Suellen will be three hundred miles away."

"Suellen might as well be three hundred miles away now as much as we get to see her."

"What is going on with her? I would have thought she would be over here every week basking in our love and admiration."

"I think she is very unhappy with her choices." Gerald looked questioningly at Ellen. Ellen sighed and said, "I think she thought it would be great once Scarlett was no longer around. It ended up being worse because she had to start doing all the things that Scarlett used to do. I think she thought she would have endless callers and she didn't. I don't know why."

"Scarlett is fun. Suellen isn't fun. Like her always tattle telling on me."

"She tattled on the other children in the county, too."

Gerald smiled and said, "She is serious all the time. She has never known how to be silly and carefree."

"No, she hasn't. Let me go on. She thought being married and being the mistress of Twelve Oaks would be divine, but it ended up being a lot of work. She is happy with her son, although I don't know why she never brings him over. And finally, as she will see it, she lost Mammy to Careen. True Careen needed help, but the real reason Mammy came back was to be with me."

"We will have to pray that she finds some happiness in her life."

"Yes, we must. What are you going to do if John doesn't buy it?"

"Offer it to the MacIntoshes."

"They can't afford it."

"We have no idea what the MacIntoshes can afford until we ask them."

"John would be so mad if he refuses to buy and then you sell it to the MacIntoshes."

"True, but I will be three hundred miles away."

Ellen laughed and Gerald joined her.

The next day Gerald rode over to Twelve Oaks and had a drink with John Wilkes. After the two men visited for a while, Gerald said, "I'm getting out of the cotton business. I am not a young man and I have to get Ellen settled before I die. I do not have a son to inherit Tara. We are going to move to Charleston to be near her sisters and my daughter, Katie Scarlett. I am selling Tara. The land, the buildings, and the slaves. At last count I have two hundred slaves. I will sell it to you for two hundred thousand dollars. That is what the slaves are worth alone."

John Wilkes was shocked. That was a very good offer. He said, "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what about grandsons?"

"I can't see into the future. As far as I know neither one of them might want to manage a plantation."

John thought, 'Just like Ashley doesn't want to manage a plantation.' John dismissed the thought and took the offer. It was an extremely good offer. He stuck out his hand and said, "I will take it."

John would have to mortgage Twelve Oaks to get the money, but he would get it back in the next several years with the extra acreage of Tara.

Gerald O'Hara stood up and said, "Get your attorney to draw up the papers and I will get my attorney to look them over. We will sign them as soon as we can. Just don't disturb the graveyard. You will be buying all the slaves, but Mammy, Pork, Dilcey, and Prissy." And Flynn.

"Of course. Of course. Thank you for this kind offer."

Gerald asked to see George and was told no because it was the boy's nap time. He was disappointed, but Suellen would not let George's nap be disturb for any reason.

Gerald returned to Tara. He found Ellen and told her, "John accepted my offer. Let's start packing."

"Oh Gerry, twenty-six years of memories."

"I know. Go ask Careen what she wants to do. Go with us to Charleston or go with Brent to Fair Hill."

"Gerry, her place is with her husband."

"I would agree, if it weren't for the fact Brent will not ever be able to support her. It will be Jim supporting her and Gerry. They would always be poor relations. Besides, there are too many people at Fair Hill already. Every time I go over there to play cards, I am happy for the long silent ride home."

"Yes, you are right. I will go talk to her now. After I find out her decision, I will telegraph Scarlett. Hopefully, she will be willing to put us up until we can find a place. If not, we can stay with my sisters. They have moved in together after their husbands died last summer in the epidemic. Gabriella and her husband have been dead for two years."

"What about Timothee?"

"He is still alive for now."

"That is good."

"Let me go talk to Careen."