Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Seventy-Eight

A week later the family was celebrating Grace's birthday. She was six. Six?! Scarlett would have thought she would have at least two more by now. Maybe Rhett was right. Something had been damaged when she had Yellow Fever. Nonetheless, she wasn't sorry she and Rhett had tried not to have a lot of children. It might be just as well. With Rhett bound and determined to get himself killed; two children were enough for her to raise alone.

At the party Percy took Beth's hand. He said, "I miss them too."

"It is hardest at these family celebrations."

"I know. You will see them again when we start running the blockade."

"I know, but it is the first time Robert has been so far away from us. I always thought he would be the one that never left home. I thought Rhett would be gone by the time he was twenty-five if not before. I thought Rosemary would get married and set up her own household. I always thought Robert would take over the running of Middleton Acres and thus we would always be living together, sort of."

"Me too, Sweetheart. Things have certainly changed in the last ten years."

"Some for the better and some not so much."

"Yet, through it all we have always had each other."

"Even when I was still Elizabeth, we always had each other. I always knew you were someone I could count on."

"Thank you, Dear."

"Why would Rhett invite his friend, Dr. Kiley to a little girl's birthday party?"

"I think he invited him to Tommy's birthday party because Dr. Kiley is shy and awkward around people except when he is talking medical jargon. I actually think it was Rosemary's idea. I noticed that as soon as Scarlett's sister arrived Dr. Kiley hasn't left her side. Maybe Rhett and Rosemary are matchmaking."

"She is a married woman."

"In name only. Besides, I feel Dr. Kiley's feelings are reciprocated. Careen hasn't stopped smiling since Dr. Kiley joined her."

"Everything in me wants to be appalled because she is a married woman, yet her husband went to Georgia and hasn't returned. At best that is irresponsible of him."

"Let them be. They won't do anything improper. Probably the only time the couple will get together is at these family events."

Beth sighed and said, "Yes, let them be. Life is too short. Especially with war right around the corner."

Everyone had a good time at the birthday party, although everyone felt the absence of Robert and his family.

Later that night, Scarlett said to Rhett, "Are you matching Dr. Kiley up with Careen?"

"Of course not. She is a married woman."

"That's good. Although I think he is a much better man than Brent."

"With any luck Brent will go off to war and do something stupid and get himself killed."

"Rhett! Don't talk that way."

"Are you trying to tell me that the thought didn't cross your mind?"

"Not exactly. I don't want him to die. I just want him to be gone from Careen and Gerry's lives."

Rhett burst out laughing. He then pulled his wife down on the bed with him. Now that Rhett had accepted they weren't going to have any more children, he was kind of happy. No more having to use preventatives."

On December twenty-first in the Charleston Mercury there was an article about how South Carolina had issued an Ordinance of Secession. Rosemary had seen the paper at the newsstand on her way home from school. So, she bought a copy.

Both Percy and Beth and Rhett and Scarlett and their children had been on cargo runs. Inez had gone with Rhett and Scarlett because she didn't get seasick at all. Rosemary had read the article. The next day was Saturday. She took the newspaper to Steven's clinic. Before he opened the doors for patients, she said, "What does this mean?"

Steven had already read the article and simply replied to Rosemary, "We are one step closer to going to war. It is in President Buchanan's hands now."

"What can he do?"

"He can do two things - nothing and wait to see what the other southern states do or like Andrew Jackson he can use military force to bring South Carolina back in the union."

"Which way do you think is best?"

"I don't know. There are so many what ifs in the situation. What if by doing nothing the diplomats can bring South Carolina back into the fold peacefully. What if by doing nothing he causes the other slave states to feel brave enough to secede also? What if the use of military force turns men away from staying in the union. What if the use of force does bring South Carolina back into the union and scares the other states into not seceding."

"What happened with President Jackson?"

"He applied military force, and a peace was negotiated. That was a much simpler matter of contention. It was over a tariff and both groups could give a little."

"Rhett says there is no room for compromise on the issue of slavery."

"There isn't. There is a reason people call it our necessary evil. It is a cruel, brutal system were a few elite men make money off of the labor of many."

"You sound like you don't approve of slavery."

With a wry smile, Steven said, "I don't." With a deep breath, he continued, "I don't tell very many people this. In fact, you are the first person I have ever told this to."

"I am honored."

"I told Careen a more sanitized version, but I feel I can tell you the entire truth. You know I am from Savannah."

"Yes."

"My father owns a plantation in Chatham County. I was my father's third son. It didn't matter. I had wanted to be a doctor my entire life. My father sent me to Harvard and then to Harvard Medical School. I lived in Boston for eight years except for the summers."

Steven was quiet for a few minutes. He finally looked at Rosemary and said, "I had a lot of my classmates ask me about slavery. As the years went by, I found it harder and harder to defend the institution. Finally, I couldn't tolerate being a part of it. After I graduated, I went home to Succulent Seeds."

Rosemary interrupted to say, "Succulent Seeds! You are kidding right?"

Steven smiled and said, "Unfortunately, no."

Steven and Rosemary started laughing. Finally, he sobered and continued, "I told my father I didn't believe in slavery and that he should free his slaves and pay them a wage instead. He said, 'Always remember that slavery is what allowed you to live a good life. Go on. Get out of my sight. I never want to see you again. You have turned into an abolitionist. Which in my father's mind was the worst thing a person could be."

"What did you do?"

"Pack my trunk and told my family goodbye. There is a lot more to than that one encounter, but my father had been right. I had turned into an abolitionist."

"Why did you stay in the South?"

Steven with a chagrined smile said, "I didn't want to live in the North. I like the South. There are just certain things that need to change."

"True."

" I moved to Charleston and set up practice here. My first couple of years I lived behind the clinic."

"You still do."

Steven laughed. He said, "Yes, I do. I don't need much room and I never entertain."

"What about your family?"

"I have never heard from any of them again."

Rosemary knew Steven didn't want her sympathy. To change the subject she said, "Let's open the door. I see at least four people out there and one of them is Mrs. Breslin."

Steven groan and said, "One day I am going to snap and tell her, 'Abigail, there is nothing wrong with you.'

Rosemary laughed and said, "No, you aren't besides she pays the bills."

Steven smiled and said, "Yes, she does. Open the door. So, I can find out what ailment Mrs. Bresling is not suffering from."

"Later I will tell you about my father freeing his slaves."

"That is a story I would like to hear."

By the time Beth, Percy, Rhett, Scarlett, and the children got back from their cargo runs. South Carolina had sent Washington D.C. a formal legal document claiming to no longer be part of the United States of America.

Christmas dinner was being served at the O'Haras. Neither Scarlett nor Beth had the time to get everything together for the meal. After Ellen volunteered to host the meal all the ladies quickly said yes, even Rosemary. Between her college classes, running the household, and helping at the clinic Rosemary didn't have much time left over especially since Beth and Scarlett were not there to help her. The Butlers did not come to the O'Haras empty handed. They brought pecan pie, buttermilk pie, and cranberry sauce. They also brought Steven with them. The only thing that was said about his presence was that – Steven doesn't have any family in the area.

Later over whiskey, Steven said, "Rosemary told me about the brave thing you did Mr. Butler. I admire you for that."

"What was that? I do so many brave things you are going to have to be more specific."

"Freeing all your slaves."

Gerald looked at Percy with shock on his face. He said, "You did what?"

"Back in the fall of fifty-two I freed my slaves. We started a co-operation system. They did the work. I owned the land. It worked well for the next two years. We had a Yellow Fever outbreak and all, but fifty-five of the slaves died. I sent the rest of them up North to live out the rest of their lives in relative safety."

"That must have cost you a small fortune."

"No, it was a large fortune."

"Why did you do it?"

"I couldn't live with myself while taking advantage of my fellow human beings."

"Slaves don't have a bad life."

"No, Mr. O'Hara, they have a terrible life."

Gerald stared at Percy and finally said, "Let us choose to disagree on this point. Let us move on."

"Very well."

Rudy, Rhett, Percy and the other captains knew there was going to be war soon, therefore they were trying to deliver any cargo they had before the outbreak of war.

Over supper at the end of January, Rhett said, "Have you heard from Robert?"

"Yes, your father and I have gotten a few letters from him. Everyone is settling into their new life."

Rosemary said, "They really aren't coming back?"

"I don't know, Dear, but for now their life is in England."

Percy said, "Maybe with time they will feel like it is safe to live in Charleston again."

Rhett said, "I have heard that Louisiana has seceded also."

"I have read that it is rumored that Texas is going to secede also."

"What slave states are still part of the union?"

"Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Delaware, Maryland, and Kentucky."

"I read that the six states that have already seceded are meeting in Montgomery to create a constitution."

Rosemary said, "I guess President Buchanan did the wrong thing by not doing anything."

Beth said, "Maybe, but we don't know what would have happened if he had done something. All the slave states might have seceded."

"True, Mother."

That night while getting ready for bed, Rhett said, "Do you like Dr. Kiley?"

"I guess. I haven't really spent that much time talking to him."

"Why?"

"This is a secret so you can't tell anyone."

"Alright."

"I think Dr. Kiley likes Careen."

"Of course, he does, and Careen likes him a lot. He is so much better than Brent. Nonetheless, she is married to Brent so nothing can happen between them."

"Except that we can arrange it so they can spend time together."

"What do you have in mind?"

"We could have a Valentine's Day supper."

"Alright. Let me talk to Mother. We will have to invite my parents and Careen, of course."

"Make it something for the children so romance is not the main focus."

"Let's invite Mr. Saade also."

"Sure. I don't know how much social life Rudy has."

"Is he calling on someone?"

"Yes, but Rudy will never marry."

"Why do you say that?"

"He is an old maid in britches. He is so particular on how his eggs are fixed nobody can do it right, but him."

Scarlett giggled and said, "That does sound like an old maid. Tell him to bring his lady friend.

"Sure. I deliberately move the objects he has on his desk, because it annoys him when things aren't just exactly the way he wants them."

Scarlett giggled and said, "How can you be partners with him?"

"Because his insane need to keep all the details straight makes him a wonderful partner. Nothing slips through the cracks with him."

"That is good."

"I am charming, and he is always taking care of the details that I have a tendency to overlook."

"Let me work on the details of the supper party."

"Why are you so enthusiastically helping me match Steven and Careen up?"

"Why not? Everyone needs a little romance, even Rosemary, but she is happy to be a martyr for love."

Rhett laughed and said, "Yes, she is."

"Now let's make a baby."

"I will do my part."

"Me too."