Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: This story is dedicated to fandoueen 86. She suggested part of the story. There was another person who suggested parts of the story, but I failed to write that person's name down and I can't find the PM.

Rhett is twenty-two years old, and Scarlett is sixteen. The civil war is eleven years off. Rhett is not an angry, bitter man.

Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter One

August 1849

Scarlett O'Hara Butler was lying in a hotel bed next to a man that she barely knew. It was incredibly early in the morning. She had never been a person who woke up early, but once she had woken up that morning, she couldn't go back to sleep. Too much had happened in the last month for her to go back to sleep.

Scarlett guessed that she should feel lucky Rhett married her, but she had not been ready to get married. Get married to anyone, but Ashley at least. She had been enjoying being the belle of five counties. Now she was going to be living in Charleston. Except for her relatives she didn't know anyone in the city. She guessed her husband and mother-in-law would introduce her to other people. She wondered if the other women would hate her like they did in Clayton County. Maybe they won't since she was now a married woman. How had this happened?

Scarlett thought back over the last month. She had been visiting her aunts. She had stayed with Aunt Pauline. She had been there a month. The afternoon the event happened was supposed to be her last afternoon in the city. She had been scheduled to leave Charleston the very next day. She had been looking forward to returning to Tara. She had been missing Ashley and all her other beaus.

Scarlett had gotten a lot of male attention at all the soirees, dances, and social events, she had attended. She had seen her now husband across the room. She had thought him handsome, but she had not liked the way the man was looking at her. It had made her feel uncomfortable. He had walked across the ballroom and asked her to dance. She had promise to dance with another man, but she quickly went out on the dance floor with this man. She was glad she had. The man was a wonderful dancer.

He said, "My name is Rhett Butler."

Scarlett smiled as she remembered the way he had said his name. He had said it like she should be impressed by just his name alone. At the time she had not known the significance of being Rhett Butler, but she now knew that her husband had been the most eligible bachelor in Charleston. He was the heir apparent to the Butler fortune. He had a great social position. He was a Mulberry on his paternal grandmother's side and a Kennesaw on his mother's side. Although there were some questions about Rhett's paternal grandfather's past, Rhett's father had been a pillar of the community his entire life. Despite the fact that Rhett had been expelled from West Point, he had still been a great catch.

Rhett and Scarlett had spent the rest of the evening together. He had been so funny and entertaining. She had liked his comments about the other guests. They had not danced again because a girl was only supposed to dance one dance with any man. Rhett had told all the other men to go away. Scarlett had not cared.

Scarlett had been planning on leaving Charleston within two days. She had not planned on returning. She had been planning on returning to Clayton County. She had been planning on Ashley having missed her so much he would ask her to marry him, so she would never leave him again. That was why she had agreed to spend a month with her aunts. She had been hoping that old saying – Absence makes the heart grow fonder – was true. Ashley and her being together was not to be. She didn't know if she would ever return to Clayton County. It didn't matter she and Ashley would never be together because she was married to another man. She guessed she would return to her home, but she would never live there again.

At the end of the evening, Rhett had asked her, "Would you like to go on a buggy ride with me tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yes."

"I will be around at two. Who are you staying with?"

"With my aunt, Pauline Chalamet."

"I know where your aunt lives. My mother is her good friend."

"Is your mother's name Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

"Of course, Elizabeth Butler. You don't look like her."

"True. Although I have her nose and her ears."

"I look more like my father than my mother."

Rhett laughed and said, "So do I."

"It looks like my Aunt Pauline is ready to leave. I will see you tomorrow."

"Let me walk you to your carriage."

At the carriage, Rhett borrowed a line from Romeo and Juliet. He was sure the fair maiden would not recognize the line. He said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight until it be tomorrow afternoon."

Just as Rhett had hoped Scarlett had been impressed by his words. She said, "Oh, Rhett."

The next afternoon, Pauline got sick and was unable to chaperon Scarlett on her buggy ride with Rhett. Much to Scarlett's regret, she let Rhett talk her into going ahead and going with him. They had been having a wonderful time until the buggy wheel broke.

Rhett decided that he and Scarlett could ride the horse back into town. He unharnessed the horse from the buggy. The reins were very long, but he thought he could guide the horse that way. He tied several knots in the reins to make them shorter. He lifted Scarlett up and sat her on the back of the horse. He was happy that she didn't squawk about having to hike up her skirt so she could sit astride the horse. He did note that she had beautiful calves. He figured the rest of her legs were beautiful also, but he couldn't see them because of her skirt. He gave her the reins to hold while he got on the horse's back behind her.

Rhett could not get himself on the horse. He had even tried stepping off of the buggy onto the horse, but every time he did the horse would move away just enough where Rhett couldn't get his leg across the horse's back. Furthermore, there was nothing for him to grab hold of to give him the leverage he needed to hoist himself on the horse. The mane and the horse's neck were just too far away, especially with Scarlett's body in the way. After trying this several times, Rhett's frustration was great. He shouted out, "What the God damn hell."

Scarlett forcefully said, "Mr. Butler, control yourself."

"Please forgive my boorish behavior."

"Of course."

"Come on and get down. We will have to think of something else."

As Rhett was helping Scarlett off the horse, she dropped the reins. Almost as soon as Scarlett was on the ground, the horse decided to take off. Rhett had lunged for the reins, but they were long gone. All Rhett got was a mouth full of dirt for his troubles. Scarlett said, "Oh, Rhett, I'm so sorry."

"Come along, my dear. We shall walk back to town."

When Rhett and Scarlett got to Pauline's house, Eulalie had been about to leave. Eulalie had brought chicken soup for her sister to help her get well. One look at her niece and Eulalie had said to Rhett, "You have compromised my niece. You will have to marry her."

Eulalie had done it for two reasons. It was the proper thing to do and Scarlett marrying Rhett Butler would be a great match especially for a girl that was half Irish.

"No, Aunt Eulalie. Nothing happened. The buggy wheel broke, and we had to walk back to town."

"It is after dark."

"It was a long walk."

"You should never have gone on a buggy ride alone."

"I know, but I did. Nothing happened."

"You must marry him."

"I will not marry him. I don't love him. I don't hardly know him. I will not marry him."

"I'm sending a telegram to your mother right now. She will be on the first train tomorrow morning."

"I'm going home tomorrow morning."

"This will be all over the South in a matter of days. You will never get a decent offer. Everyone will think of you as a loose woman."

"How will everyone find out? If nobody says anything." Scarlett turned to Rhett and said, "You won't say anything will you?"

"I certainly won't. I don't want to get married any more than you do."

Eulalie said, "I am going to Western Union right now."

Scarlett stomped her foot and said, "No, Aunt Eulalie. Just go home and don't say anything to anyone."

"I have to do my duty."

After Eulalie had walked off the porch. Scarlett said, "Damn!"

"A lady wouldn't speak that way, Miss O'Hara."

As Scarlett turned to go into the house, she said, "Go to Halifax, Rhett."

As Scarlett entered the house, she heard Rhett's laughter behind her.

Later that night, Scarlett got a telegram from her mother. It said: Your father will be on the train to Charleston tomorrow morning. STOP He should be there within eighteen hours. STOP Prepare yourself to get married. STOP

Gerald did arrive in Charleston within forty-eight hours. Scarlett tried to explain to her father that it was just a broken buggy wheel. He replied, "You will get married nonetheless."

"No, I won't."

"I can marry you to Mr. Butler with or without your permission."

"He doesn't want to get married either."

"I am sure that he will end up marrying you or he will be ruined socially."

A week later, Rhett had shown up at Pauline's door asking to see Scarlett. When she entered the parlor, both Gerald and Pauline remained in the room. Scarlett scowled at them, but neither person made a move to leave the room. Rhett ignored the by-standers and looked only at Scarlett. He held her hands and said, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes."

"Let me see your left hand."

Scarlett gave Rhett her hand and he slipped a ruby on her hand. She shrieked and said, "You remembered. Thank you."

"Yes, I remembered that your favorite color is red."

"Unfortunately, I don't look good in it."

"But fortunately, you look good in every other color."

"Except black."

"Then I will have to stay alive, so you don't have to wear black."

"Please, do."

Rhett bent down and kissed Scarlett.

"Tomorrow afternoon around two I will come get you and we will pick out our wedding rings."

"Thank you."

Once it was official Ellen, Careen, Suellen, and Mammy were on the train to Charleston. Besides choosing their wedding rings, the couple didn't get very much say in the matter. Rhett didn't care. Scarlett was steamrolled by Elizabeth and Ellen.

A month later Rhett and Scarlett had stood in front of the Episcopal minister and said vows that neither person meant. Scarlett had wanted to cry. Now she and Ashley would never be married even if he had even wanted to be married to her. She would never know. She was bound to a stranger.

Scarlett thought about her childhood. Until she was five years old, she was an only child. Her parents had lost two baby boys between her and Suellen. Everyone had always treated her like she was royalty. They had treated Suellen like she was royalty also. She and Suellen were both extremely special to their parents. The sisters had never been close. Suellen had taken Scarlett's parents' attention away from her. Yet even at five she could not mistake how happy her parents were with their second daughter. Then there was Careen. Everyone had rejoiced at another healthy baby. There had been another baby boy who had not survived to his first birthday.

Gerald and Ellen wondered, 'Were their sons doomed to die.' They would never find out. They had an heir and a couple of spares. They didn't want anymore. There had been no more O'Hara babies.

Scarlett might someday find out that Rhett had allowed himself to be pushed into marriage with her because she was the most fascinating girl, no strike that, woman he had ever met. He had wanted her physically with every ounce of his being upon first seeing her. When she had cursed him, when she was frustrated had sealed his fate. In truth, her not wanting to marry him had been erotic to him. All the girls had always wanted him. They had all been throwing themselves at him. When he had tried to kiss a young woman not a one of them had ever said no. At least half of them had allowed him to caress their breasts. A few of them had even let him caress their behinds.

Rhett smiled. He had found the only woman who didn't want him. He knew he could win her love. Once he had won her love, she would no longer be a challenge to him. He would then find another challenge.