Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Robert, Daphne, Alex, and Kenny were joining Percy, Beth, and Rosemary for supper. Actually, just Robert and Daphne were joining the adults for the meal. Alex and Kenny had joined Tommy and Grace in the nursery for supper with the nurse maids' supervision.

The conversation in the dining room was pleasant. The adults all marveled at the fact that nobody had lost their lives. Percy said, "We aren't out of the woods yet. There is still Grace, Rhett, Beth, Daphne, Robert, and me."

Rosemary said, "Should I tell Doug about how we treated those of us that got sick?"

The other adults looked at each other and finally Beth gently said, "No, Dear."

"Do you think it is because it is against the law or…." Here Rosemary paused. Everyone could tell she was struggling to get the next sentence out.

Percy took pity on his daughter and said, "No, he would not follow their advice despite their success. Furthermore, he would report us to the authorities."

Quietly Rosemary said, "He wouldn't follow their advice because they are beneath him."

Rosemary had made a statement not asked a question. Nonetheless, Percy answered her by saying, "Yes, but I don't think any other young man would feel differently."

There was an uncomfortable silence that followed until Robert said, "Father, you and Mother better get out to sea before this disease gets you."

"Indeed. We are shipping off day after tomorrow."

Beth said, "Let's hope Agnes doesn't get it. We would have to go through that rigmarole again with Rhett looking for the perfect nursemaid."

Daphne said, "I hope nothing happens to Joyce, our nurse maid. I would be lost without her."

"As would Rhett and Scarlett, if something happened to Agnes."

Rosemary was quiet for the rest of the meal. She agreed with her family, Doug would not use the knowledge to help people. He like, so many people, would not believe that a slave could have a better way. She thought that was incredibly sad. Sad that pride and arrogance would cost so many people their lives. She looked at her mother and was proud of her.

Rosemary interrupted the conversation to say, "Mother, I don't know how you did it and I don't want to know but thank you for getting the needed information that saved my life. Thank you for not letting pride and arrogance get in the way of seeking the truth."

Robert and Daphne both said at the same time, "Yes, thank you, Mother."

Beth blushed. Then she said with proper modesty, "It was nothing."

Nobody argued with Beth. Everyone could tell she was embarrassed with the praise. In Beth's mind she had just been doing what she had to do to save her family.

That night as Rhett and Scarlett were eating supper in their room, she said, "I started my monthly."

"Today?"

"Yes."

"You were late?"

"Yes. I am in a lot of pain. Could you get me some laudanum?"

"Sure. Give me a minute to go get it."

After Rhett got back, he gave Scarlett a spoonful of laudanum. After she had swallowed it, he said, "Are you hurting worse than usual?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because although you complain about the pain, you don't ask for laudanum."

"I am hurting, but I don't know if it is more than usual or if I am so weak it feels worse. You know because I have no reserves."

"What about morning sickness?"

Scarlett struggled to sit up and finally said, "Get me in a seated position." After that was accomplished, she said, "Honey, sit down on the bed. I'm already tired of looking up at you. I don't know. I have been throwing up for the last few days. Was I late or am I losing the baby? I don't know. If I am suffering from a miscarriage that means, there was something wrong with the baby. We will just keep trying. Grace is not going to be our last child."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Rhett, you always do this. Go down the road of doom and gloom in regard to us having more children. Which is strange to me because in every other matter, you are ultra confident."

"It is because in other matters I have control of the situation."

"You have more control in this matter than all those others combined."

Rhett flashed her a smile and said, "Everything has always come easy to me, but not this. I want more children so very much."

"Maybe it is time you were brought down a peg or two. We are doing all we can do."

"What if we missed our window? What if there is something wrong with you now?"

"There is nothing wrong with me. Stop worrying about this issue. All your worrying isn't doing any good."

"I guess not."

"Put the food tray out in the hall then lay me back down so I can go back to sleep."

Rhett laid Scarlett down, and he laid down beside her. He waited until he was sure she was asleep before he left. He went down to the parlor and visited with his family.

The next morning, Rhett was awakened by Scarlett. She said, "What do you mean everything else came easy to you? Are you saying I was easy? I can assure you I was not easy."

After Rhett blinked the sleep from his eyes he smiled at Scarlett. He said, "Winning your love was not easy, but getting you to the altar was thanks to a broken buggy wheel."

"Did you do that on purpose? Run the buggy into the rut so the wheel would break and thus I would have to marry you?'

"Sweetheart, I know my plans and schemes do usually have many steps, but even I could not have predicted what would have happened when I took you on the buggy ride. It was just divine intervention."

"Alright. I have to lay back down. All that exhausted me."

"What I should have said was everything, but you has always come easy for me."

"That's better."

Fortunately, Scarlett couldn't see Rhett's face. He hadn't laughed, but he did smile really big. Scarlett was so vain."

A week later everyone was back on their feet. None of the Butlers or their staff succumbed to the disease, but there was always next summer.

By the first of October, it appeared that the epidemic was over. In the Charleston Gazette the number of six hundred and seventy-nine was printed as the official loss of life. Everyone was stunned at how high the number was. In fact, they were so stunned they questioned the accuracy of the number.

Scarlett received a letter from her Aunt Pauline. Pauline informed her that both her Uncle Clem and her Uncle Claude had died in the epidemic. In case she didn't know Gabriella and her husband Jeff had died two summers ago in the epidemic of fifty-six. Timothee was still alive and living on the plantation. He was busy raising rice. At the end of the note Pauline had written … 'If Eulalie and I come to call, will you receive us.'

Scarlett smiled sadly knowing she was going to regret it, but she wrote back … 'I will be happy to receive you.'

After Scarlett told Rhett he said, "You are going to regret that."

"I know."

Rhett smiled.

Percy and Beth were on a cargo run. They had left the townhouse a week ago and were due back any day.

Doug and Rosemary were sitting on the settee. Scarlett was chaperoning them. Rosemary said, "My father freed his slaves."

Doug said, "What?!"

"My father freed his slaves. It was after that book Uncle Tom's Cabin came out. It had such an effect on him that he could no longer be a slave owner. So, he freed them."

"He shouldn't have done that. Wasn't that illegal?"

"No, it was completely legal."

"When was that?"

"Four years ago, in fifty-four. They are all dead except sixty of them. Most of them died from disease in fifty-six."

"What happened to the others?"

"Father sent them North. They weren't safe here."

"What your father did was wrong. They are a sub-life form."

"No, it was the right thing to do. They are humans just like you or me."

"No, they aren't. Your father was wrong to help slaves escape to the North.

"If a slave came to you and said, 'I have a cure for yellow fever.' What would you do?"

"I would tell him that he wasn't smart enough to have come up with the cure for yellow fever. If a white man can't do it, then a n*****r isn't going to figure it out."

"Don't use that word in my presence."

"Excuse me for my lack of control."

"Therefore, you wouldn't even listen to him."

"Why bother? It would be like asking one of your nephews for the cure for yellow fever. In fact, I think your nephews would be more able to do it than…."

Rosemary stood up and said, "Don't use that word again. You are wrong. You should at least listen. It is time for you to leave Doug and don't come back."

"Are you going to stop seeing me over some… some.. "

"Don't say it! It is funny, Doug, what some people will stop calling on another person over. I had a guy stop calling on me over some vomit. Let me walk you to the door."

Rhett had just returned from playing poker. He had been standing in the doorway listening to the conversation. He said, "Come along, Doug, let me show you to the door."

In a daze Doug walked to the front door, he stopped and turned around. He said, "Rosemary, this is ridiculous. I have been calling on you for five years and this is the first thing we have disagreed about."

"No, it is not the first time. It is the first time that you have uttered words I cannot tolerate."

"You are breaking up with me over a bunch of…"

"Rhett! Get him out of here."

"Benson, open the door."

"Yes, Mr. Rhett."

In no time at all Douglas Ross was standing on the stoop wondering what had just happened. He didn't think he would ever understand it, but one thing he knew was he was no longer calling on Rosemary Butler. He wasn't sure he wanted to anymore. She acted like the slaves were equal to the white people. He wondered where she would have gotten that crazy idea. Doug knew where. If her father was crazy enough to free his slaves and send some of them up North, he probably thought the slaves were equals to the whites.

Inside the townhouse, Scarlett said, "Are you sure? You're no spring chicken."

"I don't have to marry. Father is going to leave me some money."

Rhett said, "True."

Scarlett said, "Did you read Uncle Tom's Cabin?"

With a slow smile, Rosemary said, "Yes, I did."

"Who gave it to you?"

With a bigger smile, Rosemary said, "Nobody. I got it out of your room one time when you two were on one of your first cargo runs. I finished it before you got back."

Rhett smiled and said, "You are too smart for your own good."

"I'm going to find a medical school to admit me."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. I am going to volunteer my time at the hospital to see what I can learn."

"Do Mother and Father know about this?"

"No, I just decided to do that."

Scarlett said, "You know it isn't proper for a woman to be a doctor."

"Nor is it proper for her to be a blue stocking. I think instead of volunteering my time at the hospital, I will go to college."

"Rosemary! A blue stocking!"

"Scarlett, I remember you telling Mother that you would be proud to be called a blue stocking."

"When did I ever say that? I would never say that!"

"Don't you remember? Mother was lecturing you about not offering your opinion on a political discussion, and you said you hadn't offered an opinion, but you had asked a question. And Mother asked you if you wanted people to think you were a blue stocking. And you replied you would be proud to be considered a blue stocking. Don't you remember?"

Scarlett stared at Rosemary and finally remembered the incident. She said, "I remember, but I only said that to get Mother's goat."

"Scarlett, you may not know it, but you are a blue stocking. You read the newspapers, you read books that aren't considered women's books, and you ask a thousand questions. There is nothing wrong with being a blue stocking, especially when your husband approves. What does it matter now if you aren't good marriage material? You are already married."

Rhett said, "I like my wife being a blue stocking." Then Rhett smiled his sexy smile. He continued, "Rosemary, if you want to go to college the University of Charleston has opened an annex for women. Check it out. I support you in this decision."

"Thank you, Rhett."

"Shall we all retire? It has been a stressful last hour."

Rosemary moved to the stairs. She said, "When I talk to Father will you go with me?"

"Yes, but I won't do your talking for you."

"Of course not. Thank you."