Scarlett is determined to go to Atlanta to get money for Tara. What will she have to do to get this money...Scarlett didn't want to think about it now.

She made Mammy make her a dress from her mother's drapes, she couldn't go to Atlanta in the old and darned clothes she had. Her elated mood was also passed on to other residents of Tara. Melly, Suellen, and Carreen circled her, admiring her outfit and only Ashley was sullen.

He tried to talk to Scarlett about her trip, but she didn't want to listen to anything. He hadn't been able to help her before, now was not the time to change her mind. But despite the fact that he was silent, his heavy gaze told her that he knew about her despair and about the desperate measures she was willing to take to get this money.

The next day, Scarlett said goodbye to everyone and Pork drove her to the station. In the afternoon, she was already on the platform in Atlanta. It was lively enough, but she saw Uncle Peter waiting for her. She managed to send Aunt Pitty a telegram saying that she was coming to her in Atlanta and now she would not have to walk to her aunt's house.

Aunt Pittypat greeted Scarlett joyfully. She hugged her for a long time and told her how glad she was that Scarlett had finally arrived and could live with her because she was so scared to live in her house alone. Scarlett did not say that she had no plans to stay with her more than necessary, but now was not the time.

They sat down to lunch, Scarlett wanted to know all the latest gossip. She was literally buried in a Container and didn't know what was going on in the city.

"Oh dear, so much has happened here," Aunt Pitty exclaimed. "Captain Butler is going to be hanged...I know that he courted you during the war..."
"What?" Scarlett couldn't believe what she had heard. Rhett was alive, he had returned from the war... Rhett was going to be hanged, she had a twinge in her chest. "What happened?"

"Oh, I forgot that the news gets to Tara too late." Her eyes were feverishly bright, she was glad that she could be the first to tell Scarlett all the details. "He returned to the city about a month ago. In fine clothes and on horseback, as if the war had not affected him. When everyone else is forced to survive… And a few weeks later, someone killed a black man and the Yankees arrested him and threatened to hang him.…Dr. Meade says it's the right thing for them to do. But Captain Butler was always so sweet, always bringing gifts. Even last week he came. He brought me a partridge as a gift and asked about you..."

Her temples were pounding. Rhett was in jail, about to be hanged. She couldn't believe it, couldn't imagine him in a noose. She was terrified. But she didn't understand why she was so worried about him, he left her and joined the army... and then the thought came that she might ask Rhett for money.

Scarlett tossed and turned in bed all night and couldn't sleep. After talking to Aunt Pitty, she decided to visit Rhett in prison the next day.
But what would she tell him? Just ask him for money? And if he refuses her. Maybe she should have tried to convince him that she loved him and tried to marry him to herself. He courted her all through the war, he said he loved her... but was it true? To marry Rhett, she had to make him believe that she had forgotten Ashley and fallen in love with him.

A chill ran through her skin when she thought that she would have to get married for money. Then she would be better than his whore Watling. She laughed softly when she remembered the time on the porch when Rhett had asked her to be his mistress. Now she was ready to offer him almost the same thing for three hundred dollars.
She couldn't think about it anymore, her head was splitting, she would think about it tomorrow morning. She needed to get some sleep, she had to look good in front of Rhett.

Scarlett had to wake up early to get dressed on her own. At first, she wanted to ask someone to help her, but she realized in time that then Aunt Pitty would find out where she was going, and she didn't want that. When she finally finished dressing, which took her too long, Scarlett looked critically at herself in the mirror.

She was too thin, and even the dress couldn't hide it. Her face was too pale, and her eyes no longer had the sparkle that was there before the war. If she had more time, she would have bought some makeup, even though she knew that the ladies never used it. A little blush would have been nice, but it didn't matter now. She was determined that she would go to Rhett and tell him the truth, ask for money and hope that he could help her... because if not... she didn't know what would happen after that, Scarlett tried not to think about it now.

She quietly went outside, she had to walk to the city center, which was quite tiring. But finally, Scarlett saw the white Town Hall building, which means that the fire station where Rhett was being held, as she found out yesterday, was on the next street. She saw the sentry in the blue uniform and shuddered, but squared her shoulders and moved straight towards him.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"Do you need anything, ma'am?" the officer politely addressed her.
"Yes, I want to see one person who has been arrested," she continued to look at him from under her eyelashes, including all her Southern beauty charm. "Okay..."

"Henry..." he shouted to someone, a tall man with a red beard, in the same blue uniform, came out the door. "Take the lady to the captain."

"Thank you very much" She smiled at him again and entered the fire station.

The man, whose name was Henry, led her to the back of the station opened the door to a small room, and went out, closing the door. Scarlett had no time to look around when the door opened again and a fat man in an unbuttoned uniform entered.

"I'm Captain Roberts, I was told that you want to see someone," he muttered with displeasure.

She forced her best smile.

"Yes, I'd like to see Captain Rhett Butler." Before she could finish, the captain interrupted her.

"Butler again? Well, there's a demand for this man," and laughed. "Are you related to him, ma'am?"

"Yes, I'm his sister." He laughed again.

"He has a lot of sisters, one already came yesterday."

Scarlett blushed, it must have been one of those girls from the brothel. They probably mistook her for the same one. A wave of anger swept over her and she was about to leave when another officer appeared at the door and stopped her.

"Wait a minute, ma'am. What's your name, I'll try to do something. He refused to see that... lady."

Scarlett stopped and exhaled.

"Thank you. Tell me what it is…Scarlett Butler," she smiled sweetly.

He nodded and he and the captain left the room. She saw a chair that stood by the fireplace and decided to sit down, this walk around the city tired her.

After a while she heard voices, the door opened and Rhett came in. Scarlett was a little shocked when she saw him. He was in rumpled clothes, unshaven, and disheveled, but with a big smile on his face. His eyes sparkled as he looked at her.

"Scarlett...my dear... sister," he walked towards her and opened his arms for a hug.

Scarlett stood up and took a smiling step towards him. When his arms wrapped around her waist, she felt a rush of heat, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Rhett, I finally saw you." She put her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. She was surprised by such a gesture. She felt his hands tighten and he pressed his lips to her cheek.

The kiss lasted longer than it should, in Scarlett's opinion, and she should have pushed this scoundrel away, who took this opportunity to hug her longer, but for some reason, she did not want to yell at him or break away from his arms at all.

"You see, dear, your brother is not just a scoundrel, but also a prisoner. You always warned me." He looked at her defiantly and smiled.

Scarlett looked at him excitedly, the officers were still there and weren't going to leave them alone. Rhett understood her concern and turned to the officers, releasing Scarlett's waist.

"Gentlemen, my sister didn't bring me a file so that I could escape, could you leave us for a while?"

The captain's face twisted.

"Not allowed"

Scarlett's heart sank, she couldn't talk to Rhett in front of these people, her face was disappointed because the officer who was standing next to her decided to help her.

"Come on, Captain, let's not embarrass the lady, she's already upset enough."

The captain looked skeptically at her and then at Rhett.

"Okay, but don't try to escape Butler." They turned around and walked out. Rhett closed the doors and then stepped towards her, pulling her into his arms.

Scarlett did not expect this and tried to free herself, but Rhett did not let her do it. She looked up and met his burning gaze. He bent over her and she understood what he wanted. In the next second, his lips descended on hers and she forgot where they were. Rhett kissed her slowly as if they had all the time in the world. Scarlett tried to resist, but after a few seconds, she gave up and went limp in his arms. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. She was hot and cold, her body trembled in his arms, instinctively her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers sank into his hair. At that moment, she heard Rhett's soft moan on her lips and Scarlett abruptly opened her eyes, pulling away.

For a second, she froze, staring at Rhett, who looked as smug as a cat that had eaten cream. Scarlett was trying to catch her breath and suddenly she hit him in the chest.

"The scoundrel! How dare you, let me go." She thought he was going to hold her, but he immediately let go of his hands and shoved them into his pants pockets.

"Well, well, Scarlett, hush, the Yankees are going to run over to find out what happened," he said laughing.

She got scared and looked at the door in fright. And then she shot an angry look at Rhett.

"Calm down Scarlett, it's going to be okay."

She exhaled, staring at him stubbornly. She was excited by the whirlwind of emotions from their kiss, but now was not the time to think about it, she would think about it later.

"What did you arrange?" she didn't calm down.

"What do you mean?" he smiled brightly with his white-toothed smile.

Oh, what a scoundrel he was, he knew exactly what she was asking. He enjoyed her awkwardness and she squirmed under his gaze.

"Come on, Scarlett, forgive such a liberty as a kiss to the prisoner. I've been having so little fun lately. They keep me in the stable next to the horses, no wonder I couldn't resist your charms." He came up again and took her hands.

She tried to read his mind, but all she saw on his face was a teasing smile. Her heart skipped a beat again when she heard those words, but she realized too quickly that he was just laughing at her.

"Oh, Rhett, stop laughing at me, I came to visit you." Her anger subsided and she smiled at him.

"It's very nice of you to come to Scarlett. How long have you been in Atlanta?" he asked curiously.

"I arrived yesterday afternoon."

"Have you been here since yesterday and this morning you are here already? Surprise flashed across his face, but she saw a genuine smile. Scarlett couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him smiling like that. Surprisingly, this realization warmed Scarlett from the inside.

"Why not, Rhett, I've been thinking about you a lot all this time," she said quite sincerely.

"Did you curse me for leaving you, or couldn't you forget our kiss? He asked with a grin, studying her reaction.

What a conceited brute he was, how dare he talk to her about it with such calmness. Scarlett felt indignant.

"Oh, Rhett, how can you? You left me there at night, fighting the Yankee, and joined an army that had already lost. What were you thinking about? She threw up her hands, glaring at him.

"First of all, I was sure that nothing would happen to you, and if you had met the Yankees, I would not envy them." he laughed again, looking at her cheerfully. "And secondly, I don't know why I did it. It's probably in our Southern blood. Can you imagine I fought barefoot in the snow near Franklin, without a coat, without food, and caught terrible dysentery! It was crazy."

Scarlett listened to him, trying to imagine how he felt there. She knew that it was hard for her to survive in Tara, and that's what she and everyone who lived with her and did, survived. And how was he? Cold and hungry, under bullets, far from home. Her heart sank and tears welled up in her eyes. She saw Rhett watching her closely, she couldn't afford to cry in front of him.

"Oh, Scarlett, don't tell me that my story touched your heart." He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. At first, she thought he was joking, but Rhett looked quite serious. "Dear, don't cry, it's already over. A girl like you, in such a beautiful dress, shouldn't cry. I have to admit that you look great in that green dress, I'm pretty tired of seeing women in rags around."

Scarlett smiled at him. This was the Rhett she knew, who always noticed the slightest details.

"Take a spin, I want to get a better look at you, you look great."

Scarlett laughed and twirled so that her skirt swayed, showing the edge of her knickers.

"Oh Rhett, you're unbelievable" She looked at him from under her eyelashes. She liked the kind of Rhett who complimented her and gave her hot looks.

"Come on, Scarlett, sit down, tell me how you live, is everything okay in Tara?" he led her to a chair.

That's it, Scarlett was afraid of this moment. They had been having such a nice conversation up to this point and Scarlett didn't know how Rhett would react if she asked him for help.

She had so much confidence this morning, and now she was ready to run without looking back, just not to answer this question. She lowered her head, unable to look at him. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but she couldn't afford to cry, not now, not in front of him.

"Scarlett? Look at me, Scarlett." He heard him approaching and knelt down in front of her. He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she looked into his eyes.

"What happened, did something happen to Tara?" he looked worried.

"Nothing has happened yet, Rhett, but it may very soon. She could be picked up very soon. It's very bad, Rhett. When I returned, I found out that mom had died, and dad had gone crazy with grief, and a few months ago he fell off his horse and died too. There's nothing left and Tara won't be here soon either. They raised taxes, and that bastard Wilkerson wants to buy this for his Emmie Slattery, because of whom Mom died." she realized that tears were flowing down her cheeks that she couldn't stop. Scarlett felt Rhett brush away tears with his fingertips.

"How much money do you need, Scarlett?"

"Three hundred dollars" She looked up, trying to figure out what he was thinking, and saw his puzzled face.

"And you wanted to ask me"

Scarlett could only nod, looking at him hopefully. He suddenly got up and started pacing the room.

"I'm afraid it's impossible Scarlett. I don't have any money here in Atlanta, and if I try to withdraw something from my accounts, the Yankees will hang me right away."

Her stomach dropped after his words. If Rhett, who always had money, couldn't help her, then no one could. He was her last hope of saving Tara, the last hope that was now shattered. Scarlett felt desperate.

She just nodded and looked down. He was silent and she didn't know what to say either. He sat down next to her again, taking her hands in his.

"Scarlett, what are you planning to do?" she looked at him. Rhett was watching her intently as if trying to see something in her face. What could she say to him? She didn't know.

"I do not know Rhett." She just shrugged her shoulders.

"Promise me one thing, Scarlett. Whatever happens, don't do anything stupid things"

She looked at him blankly. She didn't understand what he was talking about at all.

"Stupid things?" Scarlett furrowed her brows, she looked confused, and he looked worried.

"I know what women are capable of when they are desperate. Promise me that you will not leave here and go looking for someone who can give you this money in exchange for any services," he spoke and looked very serious.

Scarlett blinked, trying to figure out what he was talking about, and then realization hit her. He meant that she could sell herself for that money.… She opened her mouth in shock to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

"I'm not trying to insult you, Scarlett, I want to warn you not to do anything you'll regret later."

"Rhett, I wouldn't... I would never..." She didn't understand why she had to justify herself to him, but for some reason, she felt she had to do it.

"I hope for your discretion."

They stared at each other in silence. Scarlett didn't know what else to say, she knew Rhett couldn't help her. She decided to change the subject, there was something else that bothered Scarlet. She wiped her tears with her hand and turned to him.

"Rhett, you said the Yankees could hang you, you weren't serious, were you?"

"I was serious, they'll do it if they have enough evidence."

"Oh, Rhett!" She screamed and pressed her hand to her heart.

"Will you feel sorry for me, Scarlett?" he was openly laughing at her.

Rhett got up again and walked away from her.

"They think I have an impressive fortune and there are rumors that I have taken possession of Confederate gold."

"Is that true?"

"God, Scarlett, what are the unladylike questions? He laughed and looked at her slyly.

She realized that somehow he got the money. She just shook her head, smiling modestly.

"Rhett, be serious. Don't you have a chance to get out of here? She was really worried about him and God only knew why she was doing it.

"Nihil desperandum" is my motto

"Never give up," she replied automatically.

"Bravo Scarlett, you know Latin." He was pleasantly surprised.

Scarlett only smiled sheepishly. Despite all his attempts to distract her, she kept coming back to the fact that he might be hanged. She couldn't imagine Rhett in a noose. They can't hang him, her heart skipped a beat every time these images appeared before her eyes.

"Rhett, you'll find a way out of here, won't you? They can't hang you, you have to get out of here alive.… I do not know... I do not know what I will do if this happens..."

She didn't understand why she was telling him all this, but it was how she felt. She didn't understand where such feelings came from and was afraid that he would just laugh in her face.

She didn't know what was written on her face, but she saw how eagerly Rhett studied her and after she said these words, he knelt in front of her for the third time and took her hands in his.

His gaze burned, sending waves of heat all over her body, she did not understand why he had such an effect on her, but it seemed pleasant.

"Oh my God, Scarlett, are you... is it really true that you..."

He tightened his grip on her hands and tilted his head so that she could only see the back of his head. He showered light kisses on one or the other hand and then turned them palms up. And Scarlett froze, she saw her hands as if for the first time. They were covered with calluses, cuts, and burns. She was terrified, she wanted to pull them out of Rhett's firm grip, which she tried to do, but he wouldn't let her go.

Rhett did not move and continued to look at her hands, and then looked into her eyes. Scarlett was ashamed, ashamed that he saw this. They were not the hands of a lady, they were the hands of a woman who worked hard on the plantations.

"Rhett, please..." she tried to pull her hands free again, but like the first time, he wouldn't let her do it.

"Dear, what have you been through..." he whispered hoarsely.

He bent over her hands again and began to gently kiss every cut and every burn. She pulled one hand free and stroked his hair, it was so soft. suddenly the scene in the garden with Ashley came to her mind, he was also kissing her hands, but with Rhett, it felt different. She didn't remember that it was different, but she felt that it was.

The next thing she heard was footsteps coming from outside the door. Rhett got up and walked away from her. Scarlett wiped away her tears and stood up too.

The doors opened and the officer she had seen earlier appeared on the threshold.

"Sorry ma'am, time's up, you have to go."

Scarlett nodded and turned to Rhett. He opened his arms, expecting Scarlett to hug him again.

"Dear sister, let's say goodbye." He smiled again, but his face remained impassive.

She silently walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. He whispered in her ear.

"It's going to be okay, Scarlett, trust me. Remember what you promised me."

Rhett looked into her eyes expectantly, waiting for confirmation, and she nodded. He left a kiss on her cheek.

"Goodbye Scarlett"

"Goodbye Rhett"

Scarlett went outside and sighed, not understanding what had just happened.