Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Percy, Beth, Rosemary, Robert, Mabel, and Daphne went to Middleton Acres. While they were there, they had distributed the slaves' food allotments. As Beth and Daphne were distributing the slaves' monthly food allotments none of them looked at the white women. They were very submissive and acted so grateful, but every time she had looked at the slaves when they weren't expecting her to be looking at them, she had seen the hatred in their faces. It made her so uncomfortable, and it scared her.

Daphne tried not to be alone with any of the slaves no matter how nice and docile they seemed to be. She knew they weren't nice or docile. It did bring her comfort that both Robert and his father carried a gun with them everywhere they went on the plantation. She was also glad that Robert locked the door to their room every night.

Percy had started carrying a gun and locking his bedroom door ever since The Nat Turner Slave Rebellion. He knew that if the slaves decided to revolt a handgun would not stop the revolt because he would only be able to stop six of them with his brand-new Colt Navy model. He just hoped nobody was ready to die. He knew that the fear of dying and the fear of reprisals to their fellow slaves was what kept the slaves in check.

Daphne was certainly glad when they loaded up into the carriage and returned to her parents' home. Her parents didn't own anybody. They paid their servants a salary.

After Daphne's return to Charleston, she went to visit with Scarlett. She was sure her friend was bored with being confined to her house for the last two months with at least one more month to go. The friends chatted for a while until Scarlett said, "Rhett is trying to find some place to hire us a nursemaid."

"You are going to hire someone instead of using one of your slaves."

"At first, Rhett was going to buy someone because he wanted our nursemaid to belong to us, but then he didn't want the responsibility of owning a slave. Now he is going to hire an Irish girl. He has to find an employment agency."

"What responsibility is there to owning a slave?"

"You have to be sure they have clothes, food, and some place to sleep."

"Don't you have to do that with your servants?"

"Yes, but I really think it is because if the nursemaid doesn't work out, he can fire her and hire another one. It is much harder to sell a slave and buy another one."

"I will ask Mummy which employment agency she uses when I get back home."

"Thank you. What do you think of Middleton Acres?"

"It is grand and ornate."

"Yes, it is."

"That is a very pretty shade of blue."

"It was dyed with indigo from the plantation. It grows wild there. You should get a new dress and get it dyed with the plant."

"I just might. Scarlett, do you really think it is alright for one human being to own another human being?

Scarlett had a puzzled look on her face. She said, "It is just the way it is. Whether I think it is right or wrong doesn't matter. It is for the men to make those decisions."

Daphne smiled at her friend. Nobody would ever accuse Scarlett of over thinking a situation.

The ladies chatted for another hour. They had tea and cookies. Daphne laughed when Scarlett balanced her teacup on her protruding abdomen. Scarlett said, "At least, it is good for something."

"Indeed."

Soon Daphne left and returned to her home. When she got home, she asked her mother which employment agency they used. She then sent Scarlett a note saying: We use Select Staff.

The next day Rhett went to Select Staff. He told the owner, Mara Wilson, "My name is Rhett Butler. I need a nursemaid. I would prefer someone Irish."

"I don't have any Irish on my roles."

"Do you have any nursemaids on your roles?

"Yes, what is your address? I will send one over tomorrow."

"My address is 502 Mulmar St., but my wife and I will interview the candidates and we will choose who will be my daughter's nursemaid."

"That isn't the way we do it."

"Then I will go to another employment agency."

"Fine, I will send three candidates over to your house tomorrow afternoon."

"No, it must be in the morning. My wife is usually resting in the afternoon."

"Very well, Sir. Ten o'clock?"

"That is good."

The next morning both Rhett and Scarlett were in the formal parlor when all three candidates showed up at the townhouse at ten. Rhett had sighed and said, "I can only interview one of you at a time." He had pointed at one of the women and said, "I will interview you first. Follow me into the parlor."

When Scarlett saw the candidate she said, "She is too young. She doesn't look a day over fifteen. We need someone with experience."

"All the candidates are about the same age."

"Send them all back and get someone older. Someone in her fifties."

"No, I don't want anyone that old. She might die on us. Her nursemaid dying would traumatize our daughter too much. I will tell Miss Wilson I want someone in her late twenties."

"Very well."

Rhett said to the young woman standing there, "Go back to the employment agency and tell Miss Wilson to send over three more candidates tomorrow morning at ten. They should be in their late twenties or early thirties."

"Yes, Mr. Butler."

After the women left Scarlett said, "Would you go get me a piece of cake?"

"No, but I will ring for a servant."

"Thank you."

When Scarlett was informed there was no cake left, she started pouting. The maid, Jocelyn, said, "But Jemina did make some sugar cookies."

With a sigh Scarlett said, "Bring me two of those."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rhett said, "I wish I could take you sailing."

"I do too. We always have fun on the water."

"Our anniversary is in a couple of weeks."

"Yes, August the tenth. We can't do anything."

"We could have supper in our room and then fool around."

"I'm alright with supper in our room, but I will have to let you know about being intimate. If it was tonight, I would say sure, but I don't know how I will feel in two weeks. And to think I have a least another month of this."

"It will soon be over."

"And I will never forget to insert the iron sulfate again."

Rhett laughed. He told Scarlett about the book he was reading. While she had been in her confinement, he had gone to the bookstore and bought her several more dime novels. He had realized it was the perfect excuse for going to the bookstore. He still had not been able to find much information about ether. Neither its use in surgery nor in labor, but he kept looking.

The next morning there were three more candidates at the townhouse at ten in the morning. The first candidate was named Sabrina Duncan. She looked to be in her late twenties and had experience as a nursemaid. She was looking for another job because her charge, a boy, had outgrown the need for a full-time care giver. At the end of the interview Rhett told Miss Duncan, "We will let Miss Wilson know."

"Thank you, Sir. I will wait in the foyer so the three of us can share a cab back to the employment agency."

"Very good."

The second candidate, Jill Monroe, was also out of a job for the same reason as Sabrina. At the end of the interview, Rhett said, "Wait in the foyer with Miss Duncan. That way the three of you can share a cab."

"Yes, Sir."

The third candidate was called Kelly Garrett. Her story was the same as the other two candidates. After the three women were in a cab back to the employment agency, Scarlett said, "I didn't like any of them."

"You aren't going to get your mammy."

"I know. You choose."

"I didn't like any of them either. I will get Miss Wilson to send some more over tomorrow. Is ten good?"

"Any time is good. I'm not going anywhere. Rhett, we need to hire a wet nurse also."

"A wet nurse?"

"A woman to nurse our baby." When Scarlett saw Rhett start to open his mouth, she said, "Ladies don't nurse their own children."

"I will talk to my mother."

Rhett found his mother in the family parlor. Beth greeted him by saying, "Who were those women?"

"Women we are interviewing to become our baby's nursemaid."

"Why don't you just get one of those young girls who are at Middleton Acres to be your baby's nursemaid?"

"I want to be the boss of my child's nursemaid."

"Would you buy your own?"

With a sheepish grin, Rhett said, "No, I just couldn't buy another human being. I don't think slavery is right."

"I know your father doesn't despite the fact he owns over five hundred slaves. He is always trying to figure a way to manage the plantation without using slave labor."

"If he did, would he free his slaves."

"That is another quandary he has. He has almost half a million dollars tied up in the value of his work force."

"Half a million dollars?!"

"A male slave is valued at two thousand dollars, females one thousand, and children at five hundred dollars."

"He could sell them and get his money out of the situation."

"No, he won't do that. He feels he treats his slaves humanely and he would have no idea how the slaves next owners would treat them."

"I guess that is a dilemma all slave owners have."

"Not all. Some owners have no conscience to be disturbed by owning another human being or feel the need to treat their slaves kindly."

"I will start thinking about how father can run Middleton Acres without slave labor. If I think of a solution, then Father can worry about his financial loss. Anyway, back to the subject I came to see you about. Scarlett mentioned that we need a wet nurse. She, of course, knows nobody who can help her in Charleston. Do you know where we can hire a wet nurse?"

"I might. Instead of hiring a wet nurse and a nurse maid, just make the wet nurse take care of your child. For a child's first year of life, that isn't hard."

"Alright, but I ask again do you know where we can hire a wet nurse?"

"I just might. Let me call on her this afternoon to see when she will be willing to give up her baby's wet nurse."

"Thanks, Mother."

"Sure. Sure."

Beth knew of a woman who was from the North. She was very vocal in her views on slavery. She was against it. Beth knew she had a wet nurse for her daughter Sally and Beth was sure the woman was not a slave. Beth went to call on the woman that afternoon. Beth's acquaintance's name was Gloria Bunker. Beth also knew that her child was getting close to her first birthday. She found out that Gloria's wet nurse, Faith Ford, would soon be out of a job. Beth spoke with Faith and offered her the job as her grandchild's wet nurse. Faith said, "Yes, if it was alright with Mrs. Bunker."

Gloria said, "Yes, whenever Mrs. Butler has her baby, this Mrs. Butler will send us a note. You will then move in with them for as long as they need you."

Beth said, "You will have to care for the child also. You will be the child's only nursemaid for a while."

"Very well, Ma'am."

Beth returned to the townhouse. After dinner, Beth said to Rhett, "I have arranged a wet nurse. When the baby is born, we will send for her, and she will come right over. She can care for the baby during her first six months of life probably even until her first birthday then you will have to hire a real nursemaid."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Her name is Faith Ford."

"Very good. Let me go tell Scarlett."

"Of course."

Scarlett liked this idea. If by some miracle her mother let her keep Mammy, then there would be a role for Mammy to play.