Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Eighty-Six

The third week of September, the Mona Lisa sailed into Charleston. Everyone was happy to see Percy and Beth. Scarlett paid Percy for his cargo then went out and arranged to get the goods off his ship. She had the merchandise sold before she had gotten home. She had no trouble selling the goods now for whatever price she wanted. She had even started paying the captains one hundred and fifty dollars a boat load. Mainly because Rhett had told her to, but he had explained, "It is getting extremely hard to get through the blockade. We must make it worth the captain's time and energy. Not to mention the time and energy of the crew."

Rhett tried not to go into a lot of detail about how hard and dangerous it was to get through the blockade because he didn't want Scarlett to worry. Nonetheless, she knew how much more dangerous it was getting to be to get back to Charleston.

On Percy and Beth's first night at the townhouse, when they sat down to supper, Harrison was sitting there also. Scarlett had always allowed the tutors to eat with the family. Simply because they were too smart to have anything in common with the servants. Although she did make it clear they were not part of the family.

After Percy and Beth were seated, Scarlett explained, "I needed a tutor for Tommy and Grace. I could teach them the basics, but my education isn't good enough to teach Tommy. Rhett wants Grace to be taught like a boy. Therefore, I needed a knowledgeable man to tutor them. I sent a note to the employment agency and who should they send over but Harrison Ford. I already knew he was smart even if he occasionally did some ludicrous things. Consequently, I hired him with Rosemary's permission, of course."

Rosemary said, "We have patched up our relationship and he is calling on me again."

Percy said, "Calling on you? I imagine you spend every evening together."

"Scarlett is always with us."

"Does Scarlett sleep in the same room with you?"

"Father!"

"Percy!"

Percy stood up and said, "Go ahead and eat. Scarlett, would you save us some food? Mr. Ford and I need to have a long discussion. Come along, young man."

Harrison stood up and followed Percy out of the room while giving Rosemary a desperate look.

After the men had left the conversation in the dining room was stilted to say the least. Beth talked about her time in Plymouth, Robert, and his family, and what kind of homes there were in the town. Scarlett talked about her children, the captains, the shipping line, and the brokers. Rosemary talked about everything going on at the hospital.

Percy had taken Harrison to the Blue Parrot. He had quizzed the younger man about everything. He had asked, "What are your feelings about the war?"

"I think it is a great and noble thing we do."

"I think it is a damn stupid thing we did. We should have waited until Lincoln did something. We should have figured out a way to get cheap labor without enslaving a race of people."

Harrison was uncomfortable. He had never heard anyone speak that radically. Everyone else acted like owning another human being was their right. He said, "Yes, sir."

"Did Rosemary tell you I freed my slaves?"

"No, sir."

"What do you think about that?"

"I don't know. I have never heard of someone doing something like that."

"Think about it while I get us another whiskey."

Harrison knocked back his whiskey. He needed some Dutch courage. When Percy returned, Harrison had gotten his thoughts together. He said, "According to the people of South Carolina, slaves are property. Therefore, in the simplest opinion, what you do with your property is your business." Harrison held up his hands when Percy started to talk. He continued, "But that is not really what you are asking me. I think you are actually asking me if I think a man should own another man. I don't know. I have never owned a slave." With a self-abasing smile Harrison added, "My family was never that rich to own slaves. My mother and sister had to do most of the chores around the house except for the washing and the cooking. Although they had to help with washing the dishes, pots, and pans. Also, with hanging out the laundry. I had to harness and unharness the horses, feed them, and muck out the stalls. I guess I would have to ask the plantation owners how much profit is enough. I would also wonder if there was some way to industrialize the growing and harvesting of cotton."

"There probably could be if people were willing to give money to the solution. And to your other questions, I don't know how much is enough money. I think the biggest problem is nobody is looking for a solution because the system we have is working just fine."

"Fine for the men in charge."

"Exactly. I let them go because I no longer wanted to be part of slavery. It cost me at least half a million dollars. I have been able to make most of that up through wise investments and running the blockade."

Harrison knocked back his drink that Percy had brought to him. He said, "Mr. Butler, I am going to be a poor schoolteacher the rest of my life, but I love doing it. Rosemary has told me she wants to be a doctor; thus, I want that for her also. I am willing to face the scornful comments about my masculinity in order that she can fulfill her dream."

"If you hadn't abandoned her, I don't think she would have ever decided to pursue the endeavor of being a doctor."

"Then that is the good of our separation. I want her to be happy."

"Alright. Let's go to the townhouse and eat our supper. Let me think about it. For now, I am saying maybe."

"Thank you, sir."

Once Percy and Harrison were seated in the dining room, Beth entered the room and said, "Well?"

"I said I would think about it."

"I know what that means. Welcome to the family, Harrison."

"Beth!'

"If it had been one of the boys you might have been a ferocious lion, but for Rosemary you have always been a pussy cat."

Beth smiled and Percy smiled back.

Rosemary came running into the room. She said, "Really, Daddy? Really?"

"I don't know. Ask your mother. She seems to think she knows me better than I know myself." With a pause Percy continued, "And she would be right. Next time Rhett and I are both in Charleston at the same time you and Harrison can go down to the courthouse."

"Thank you. Thank you."

Scarlett was watching from the doorway. It was nice to see her sister-in-law so incredibly happy.

Two days later Percy and Beth were gone. A week later, Rhett was back. He was excited when he heard the news. He also made it clear to Harrison that he wanted Grace educated like a boy. Scarlett herself didn't think Grace needed all that education, but on this point Rhett had been adamant. Therefore, she tried to make it happen to make him happy.

Jude had started scooching across the ground. It was pretty amazing. He was smiling, laughing, sitting up, sleeping through the night, eating table food, and getting up on all fours. These days Scarlett had reduced Jude back to nursing only three times a day. Once when he woke up in the morning, once before his nap, and once before he went to bed for the night. Scarlett was happy he was getting to be so independent. It was nice not to have her life revolving around Jude's schedule. That was what she told herself anyway.

The three days Rhett was in town, he carried Jude everywhere. He spent a lot of time with his children. In fact, Harrison had to tell Rhett that he was interfering with his children's studies. Although Harrison allowed Rhett to go on the nature walks with them.

Rhett had been as happy as Scarlett that Harrison and Rosemary were engaged to be married. Rhett showed discretion and avoided spending time in the parlor with Harrison after supper. They did talk a lot over supper about the war and politic. At first, Harrison was surprised that Rosemary and Scarlett were so vocal about their opinions about the war and what was going on in Washington. The ladies didn't talk a lot about what was going on in Richmond, but neither did the men.

On Rhett's first night in town, he went to the saloon to play poker and find out what was going on in Charleston in regard to the Union troops. Charleston was a key harbor, and everything was being done to keep it open. It was even more important since Savannah harbor was under Union control.

While Rhett was in Charleston, he and Scarlett walked around the downstairs. She said, "Rhett, she is taking everything. The furniture, the lamps, the rugs, and the decorations. I am surprised she hasn't taken the dining room table."

"Give her time. She will get that on board the ship, also." Scarlet scowled. Rhett sighed, "Honey, I can't tell her not to take it. In her mind it is her furniture."

"But you bought it from your father."

"I agreed to my mother taking any furniture she wanted."

"Well, she is. She is taking anything that isn't nailed down."

"Go buy more furniture. Redecorate."

"No, I won't redecorate. You wouldn't like it. I will buy something for us to sit on, but that is all. At least, she has left everything that was in your office. I need the desk, chairs, file cabinets to conduct business."

"That is because that was Father's furniture. I guess my furniture, too."

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Sure. Let's go this afternoon while Jude is sleeping."

Scarlett just smiled at her husband. He was such a silly father.

Rhett and Scarlett went to a few furniture stores in town. There wasn't very much to choose from. The owner, Boris Wolff, showed them what he had. He said, "I have not received anything new since the war started. I used to buy my furniture from a company up North, but they can no longer ship it to me."

Rhett said, "I see."

Scarlett said, "How much is everything?"

"The chairs are ten and the sofa is twenty."

"Fine. We will take the sofa and the two chairs. How much is the rug?"

"Five dollars."

"We will take it too."

Rhett said, "Do you have another chair?"

"Yes, Sir."

"We will take that too. Can you deliver."

"Of course. What is your address?"

"502 Mulmar."

"Very good. There is no charge for delivery. Do you want these lamps? If you buy them, I will not have any more stock."

"Sure. How much?"

"Five dollars."

Rhett counted out the money in Confederate dollars and Mr. Wolff seemed happy.

On the way back to the house, Scarlett said, "What do you think he is going to do to earn a living?"

"Drag a couple of more chairs and a sofa from the warehouse and run his sham again."

"What?"

"He gets people to buy furniture by telling them it is the last he has, and he is giving them a good deal. He is probably buying it off of people desperate for money to live off of."

"Rhett, is everyone taking advantage of everyone else."

"Not everyone. Just the opportunistic people."

Scarlett whispered, "Like us."

"Yes, like us. We didn't create the situation, but we certainly are taking advantage of the system."

"If we went back in a week, Mr. Wolff would have a whole new set of furniture."

"A week! Try tomorrow."

"I guess so. That's just wrong."

"If you think it is wrong, let's just start giving away the loads."

Scarlett stared at Rhett in shock. She hissed, "We aren't going to do that. You and the other captains risk your life every time you enter or leave Charleston Harbor. You should be compensated for the danger you are putting yourself in. And I should have to be compensated for having to live without my husband."

Rhett pulled the buggy over. He put his arms around Scarlett and said, "I love your attitude. I'm going to buy you a tiara."

"No, not yet. After the war is over, everyone is going to be dirt poor. Who am I kidding? Everyone is dirt poor now. Nonetheless, after the war is over, we can make a killing buying up jewelry cheap."

Rhett burst out laughing. He finally said, "Have you been thinking about this matter?"

Embarrassedly Scarlett said, "Yes."

"Which proves you are as big of an opportunist as I am. We are so alike. Kiss me before someone sees us."

Scarlett threw her arms around his neck and said, "Who cares if someone sees us? We are married after all."

Rhett did thoroughly kiss Scarlett until he said, "We have to go back to the townhouse."

"I hope we can sneak in without the children seeing us."

"They should be with Harrison."

"Let's hope so."

Scarlett and Rhett giggled. It spoke to how selfish and self-centered both of them were that they could ignore other people's suffering so that they could profit from the war.

They managed to avoid their children and their servants and had a lovely time in their bed that afternoon.

All too soon Rhett was once again leaving Charleston.