Hello, dear readers!

Thank you so much for all your feedback and kind words, they mean a lot to me.

Thank you Designer Cat for pointing out my mistakes! Indeed, it was funny with the ship:) And why did I think that the "stern" is in the front:) I'm a bad sailor:))

I want to say a few words about Ellen and how I see her here. Her attitude towards Rhett, albeit a strange man, who is in love with her daughter. She's already spoken to Melanie, who's been extremely positive about Captain Butler, she's welcoming him into her home and he's there for Scarlett in her difficult time. Ellen can thank him for that.

And, she herself had a strong love affair in her youth with her cousin, who was clearly a "tough guy." Probably played cards and went to bars, especially since he died in a drunken brawl. Maybe Ellen was a kind of "rebel" in her youth, maybe Scarlett took after her. And actually, remember Solange Robillard:)

Anyway, I don't think Ellen will be prejudiced against Rhett, rather with interest. But their dialogue and meeting is something I've always wanted to read, especially since they're almost the same age:)

Mrs Butler is not easy at all either, loves trickery:)

Well, nevertheless, it's only my imagination:)

Enjoy reading:)

I own nothing in regard to GWTW.

Chapter 13

The ladies stood on the shore, waiting for the ship to dock. Mrs Butler looked at her son with pride and a soft smile, Ellen and even Carreen looked at the unfamiliar man with interest, and Scarlett with surprise and confusion. There was no way she had expected to meet him here, and even in the company of her mother. "Though, I must admit, even from a sea voyage this obnoxious man returns spectacularly," she thought to herself, clenching her fingers tensely.

"And how does he always manage to look so attractive?" Scarlett asked herself, glancing occasionally in Rhett's direction.

He did look spectacular, in light grey trousers, a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a light grey waistcoat. She also noticed that his hair was slightly dishevelled in the wind, a few strands falling over his forehead, and that his face had a slight stubble.

Scarlett thought frantically about how to behave around him in front of her mother. Yes, Mrs Butler knew she and Rhett were friends, but her mother might not approve such communication. In the end, as she watched him walk ashore and head toward them with a polite smile, she decided to behave as usual. There was no point in deceiving Ellen, and Rhett deserved a good introduction, since he'd been very supportive of her these months.

Rhett came up to them, smiling, bowed slightly, and said, "Good evening, ladies," and then, turning to his mother, added, "Mother, what a surprise to see you here! But a pleasant surprise," he added, grinning, and Scarlett caught his quick glance at her.

"Rhett, son, this is indeed a surprise," Mrs Butler replied and greeted her son with a light kiss on the cheek. Then she continued, "we were taking a walk, let me introduce you to Mrs Ellen O'Hara and her daughters, Miss Carreen O'Hara and Mrs Scarlett Hamilton," Rhett bowed to each lady in turn, smiling politely. Stopping his gaze on Scarlett, he decided to wait to see if she would give him a hint on how to behave in front of her mother.

But then Ellen intervened. She had been watching Rhett immediately and had managed to catch a few of his glances towards her daughter. So she said, "Captain Butler, haven't you met Scarlett? I heard from Mrs Wilkes that you visit their home in Atlanta," she said half-questioningly and looked intently into his black eyes.

"Yes, Mother," Scarlett entered the conversation, "Me and Re... I mean Captain Butler, we know each other, yes. He used to visit us in Atlanta... It's just... Mm-hmm... I was a little surprised to see him here, in such an unusual setting," Scarlett finished her speech, feeling herself blush and mentally asking Rhett to say something. She wasn't good at lying, especially to her mother.

There was an awkward pause during which all but Carreen seemed to be preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Scarlett felt awkward, Rhett stood wondering how to answer gallantly, Mrs Butler was smiling for some reason, and Ellen looked once more at her eldest daughter, then at the handsome and tall man and decided to break the silence.

"Well," she began, "I understand you Scarlett, I would have been excited at such an unexpected meeting too," Ellen looked at Mrs Butler for some reason, and thought for a second how 'unexpected' this meeting was for her.

"So, Captain Butler, it has been a pleasure to meet you, we would offer you to keep us company, but," she looked at him again and smiled softly, "but, you must be anxious to rest after such a serious journey."

Rhett smiled politely at her and Ellen continued, "We'd love to meet you and you, Mrs Butler, if you get the chance. We're still in town for a couple of days, Saturday morning is our train," Ellen finished her speech and took a breath.

Rhett smiled politely back at her and expressed his willingness to accompany them for a walk whenever it suited them. He, too, was staying in town, "for a couple of days," as he put it.

Mrs Butler was enthusiastic about the future meeting and said she would expect a note from them.

Then, Ellen and her daughters decided to go to Eulalie's house; it was time for them to go back.

Rhett thought of a carriage and helped the ladies to sit down, Scarlett was the last one and he felt an electric current go through him as he touched her hand. He had missed her so much and this unexpected meeting seemed unreal.

Her small hand lingered in his a little longer than was etiquette and he only said quietly, "It was good to see you, Mrs Hamilton."

Scarlett looked up at him and smiled faintly.

As soon as the carriage left, Rhett looked at his mother, smirked slightly and asked, "Mother, what was that about? You knew when I was coming, didn't you? I left a note for you at the hotel. I thought you'd come in on your own if you had the chance, but an encounter like this... I didn't expect that from you," he finished, and looked at her curiously.

"What's so surprising about it, Darling? It just happened to coincide, our walk with Mrs O'Hara and her lovely daughters and your arrival..."

"Mother..." he began in a warning tone.

Mrs Butler frowned a little, then smiled and admitted to him, "All right, Rhett, yes, the meeting didn't turn out to be entirely coincidental. That's true. But you were happy to see her, weren't you? Look at you son, if you could see your eyes, you'd see that sparkle in them..." spoke Mrs Butler and stroked her son's shoulder affectionately.

Rhett was silent, thoughtful, and she continued, "Scarlett is a very nice girl, Darling, and she spoke well of you. She said you two are friends. Is that right?"

Rhett nodded and smiled slightly.

"Why don't you start courting her, Rhett? Yes, she's a widow, there's a time frame, but even that has changed because of the war. A lot of things have changed..."

"Mother," Rhett answered her seriously, "I can hardly be more than a friend to Scarlett right now..."

"Why, Rhett?" she asked in surprise.

And he told her all the events of that bitter July, while they waited for the carriage, strolling along.

When Rhett had finished his story, Mrs Butler looked at him sadly and said, "Poor child. I'm so sorry she's lost people so close to her, Darling, but," here she took a breath and continued, "but that doesn't mean there's no future for you with her, Rhett. If you care so much about this girl, you need to give her a hint about it."

Rhett smiled fondly, "Scarlett won't take the hint, Mother."

"Then tell her straight, Rhett. Who's better off with your games and secrets?" she insisted.

"Mother, it's not a game. Scarlett is not a game." He answered her seriously.

"Then do something, Rhett," said Mrs Butler, and added with a smile, "I want to see my eldest son happy! And in fact, I want grandchildren."

Rhett grinned, but remained silent. It was still early, too early, to say anything to Scarlett.

The next day at breakfast at Aunt Eulalie's mansion, Ellen told her sister that they had had a good walk with Mrs Butler yesterday, and that they had met her eldest son returning from a voyage. "He is engaged in breaking the blockade, Eulalie, as his mother told me," Ellen was saying.

Scarlett and Carreen were also sitting at the table and Scarlett listened intently to the conversation between the two sisters, forgetting both her breakfast and her tea, which was getting cold.

Eulalie frowned and said sharply, "Don't talk to me about that man, Ellen! He is a disgrace to his family!"

Scarlett shuddered and clutched the spoon tightly in her hands with which she was stirring the tea. It hurt her to hear such things about Rhett.

Ellen, on the other hand, was calm. She remembered what she'd told Melanie about Captain Butler; she knew he had an uneasy relationship with the community in his hometown because of an ancient history that was full of whitespace and innuendo. "Basically," she thought to herself, "the young man was just banished... He's just gone... Like Philip once did."

"Eulalie, won't you accept your best friend's son at your place?" asked Ellen calmly.

"Of course I won't! He's not welcome even in his parents' home, so I have every right to do so!" replied Eulalie angrily.

Scarlett felt bitter for Rhett again and thought about what her mother would say.

Ellen O'Hara had been a role model for her daughters, a model of modesty and refinement in Clayton County and next to her husband. But in a seaside town so similar to the town of her youth, and with the people she blamed for the death of a man dear to her heart, she was suddenly awakened to the courage and desperation of the fifteen-year-old Ellen Robillard.

With her brown eyes flashing, she said loudly, "You and Pauline have never been very discerning! And believed all the gossip that society in every town is so fond of making up, Eulalie!" Ellen paused to catch her breath, and Scarlett stared at her mother. She had never seen her so furious.

"Mother," Scarlett called softly, but Ellen continued with a determined glint in her eyes, "Well, Scarlett, write to Mrs Butler and tell her we'll meet them in the park by the convent, you remember, where there was a pond. We walked there a couple of days ago. Carreen just wanted to walk there again and go into the convent to pray. Yes, my Dear?" Ellen turned to her youngest daughter, who only nodded with a faint smile."I think 5:00 p.m. would be good for everyone, especially if Wade can come with us," she finished her request.

Scarlett only nodded to Ellen and was surprised at this outburst of anger from her always so calm and refined mother.

Eulalie blushed and looked at her sister with indignation, but Ellen endured the intense look and finished her tea quietly.

"Let's see this Captain Butler and his attitude towards my daughter..." thought Ellen to herself and recalled the events of her youth. The old wound in her soul had healed, but, like any wound to bad weather, it began to ache at the recollection.

In the evening, as she dressed for the walk, Ellen thought about her daughters. She had seen her youngest daughter suffer, she was still a child and her tender heart had been wounded. She herself had suffered such a shock at a young age and had seriously considered entering a convent. Now she had no regrets about her life. Yes, her husband had not given her passion, but he had given her love, almost adoration, respect and had given her three marvellous daughters.

So, she did not seriously consider her youngest daughter's wish for a convent.

But, prayer helped her.

Scarlett was different, she was living her pain in a different way. Not by praying, but by immersing herself in her work, in caring for her son, in her work at the hospital. Ellen remembered Melanie telling her how detached Scarlett was. And then how Captain Butler had been able to break down that wall in her soul. She should thank him for that.

"Scarlett is young," Ellen thought, "and she loves differently. I can't compare her to Carreen. And, I haven't seen that gentleman, Mr Thompson with her..." But Ellen saw Captain Butler and his looks at her. And how her daughter blushed when she spoke of him. Perhaps she did not yet realize it herself, but Captain Butler had already taken his place in her heart, and now much depended on him.

Rhett walked in circles near the entrance to the park by the convent, waiting for the carriage. His mother stood still. It was already fifteen past six.

"If they can't come, mother?" he asked with sadness in his voice. For some reason, it seemed to him that Mrs O'Hara might not approve of him, since he had not been welcome in her own sister's house. Maybe they'd changed their minds about coming after talking to her.

"Rhett, they'll come, don't worry. Women always take longer to get ready, and besides, it's so hard to catch a carriage nowadays...Ah, here's the carriage, they're almost here," finished Mrs Butler with a smile.

Rhett hurried to help the ladies out. First he helped Carreen, then Ellen, then he took little Wade, who always enjoyed playing with him, in his arms, and then, lovering the little boy to the ground carefully, he held out his hand to Scarlett.

"It's good to see you, Mrs Hamilton," he said to her quietly and she found nothing to say in reply but an affectionate smile. For some reason in this town, in an environment unfamiliar to her, she was more embarrassed by him.

After a greeting and getting an apology from Ellen for being late, as "our little gentleman was barely awake by the proper time," they went into the convent grounds, to the pond.

After an easy walk, Carreen quietly told her mother that she would like to go to the convent to pray, and Ellen decided to go with her, apologizing to Mrs Butler and Rhett. They nodded understandingly, and went to see the birds, with Scarlett and Wade.

One of the birds, it looks like it was a wild goose, suddenly hissed at them softly and Wade pursed his lips and was about to cry. Scarlett smiled and took him in her arms, "Come on Wade, it's only a bird, it won't hurt," she said softly. Then Scarlett looked at Mrs Butler and said, "He's at that age now, he's afraid of everything..."

Mrs Butler smiled affectionately and suddenly began to say, "Well, Darling, you never know what or who might frighten a baby. I remember Rhett was a very brave boy..."

Rhett grinned and Scarlett could hardly contain her laughter, he looked so proud, but Mrs Butler continued, "yes, he was very brave, but one day, at my parents' estate..."

"Mother," he interrupted her in a warning tone and continued, smiling embarrassedly, "hardly Scarlett is interested."

"Of course I'm interested, Captain Butler," she said with a sly smile and asked, "please, go on, Mrs Butler."

Mrs Butler smiled and continued, " One day, Rhett was about four, we came to visit my parents' estate. In the morning, after breakfast, Rhett decided to go for a walk near the house by himself, he wouldn't listen to me. But I watched him through the window anyway."

She paused, noticing with what interest the young girl was listening to stories about her eldest son. Mrs Butler smiled at this and continued, "I was distracted for just a minute when my husband called me and immediately I heard Rhett crying. Turns out, the big rooster had somehow got out of the pen and was walking around the main house. That's where it met Rhett. Of course, he was very frightened, though everything was all right that time. But he was still upset for a long time that day," Mrs Butler finished her story. Scarlett looked at the "fearless Captain Butler" with a playful smile, and he, seeing her smiling in a way she hadn't smiled in a long time, seemed happy at the thought.

"Well mother, thank you," he said with deliberate sternness, "now I can't escape ridicule."

Mrs Butler just smiled slyly and said to Scarlett, "Darling, let me walk Wade for a while, I've forgotten what it's like to walk with a baby like that."

Scarlett smiled, lowered Wade and Mrs Butler gently took his little hand and they quietly walked forward.

Rhett and Scarlett were left alone.

Scarlett not knowing what else to say decided to make a joke, "So you're afraid of a rooster, Captain Butler?" she asked and giggled.

Rhett lightly frowned, then suddenly smiled at her affectionately, "Well, yes, Mrs Hamilton, it's not my favourite bird. I prefer to see it only on the table, as a main dish," he finished with a chuckle.

Scarlett smiled at his joke and said, "Rhett, how rude! Poor bird!"

"You finally called me by my first name," he said suddenly quietly, "hearing 'Captain Butler' from you is so unfamiliar, Scarlett."

She flinched at the way he called her by her first name. It was gentle, and for some reason she remembered Roy calling her the same...Gently.

He saw her hesitation and asked, "What's the matter, Darling?"

"Nothing, Rhett," she replied quietly, then changed the subject, "how was your trip?"

He realized she remembered something or someone, but decided not to question her.

"Thank you Scarlett," he answered her politely, "it went well, but I will be selling my ships soon. It's getting unsafe and I'm responsible for my crew," he finished in a serious tone.

Scarlett only nodded.

They walked in silence, Scarlett appreciated it, sometimes it was nice to just be quiet with Rhett.

Ellen left the convent, came up to them and told her eldest daughter that Carreen had decided to speak to the Mother Superior alone, and then she noticed Wade, who seemed to be looking for her with his eyes, and Scarlett hurried over to him and Mrs Butler. Ellen stayed with Rhett.

"Captain Butler," Ellen addressed him politely but seriously, "what are your intentions for my daughter?"

He looked at her in surprise and tried to smile politely as she continued, "You are said to be an excellent poker player. Maybe so, but in the case of my daughter, your eyes and gestures give you away," she smiled softly and added, "but not for Scarlett, of course. For some reason, my daughter can't see the obvious..."

She looked at him questioningly and he looked away.

"Mrs O'Hara, I'm a good friend to her, we like to talk. Sometimes we fight," here he chuckled, "used to fight more often. But, now, after the mid-summer events, she can hardly see me as more than a friend..."

"I don't think you've even given her a chance to see anything..."

"Mrs O'Hara," he began quietly, but she interrupted him.

"Captain Butler, I am very grateful that you and Miss Melly are by her side in Atlanta and helping her through such a difficult time for her. She is young and she will get through this, I believe. As a mother, I feel that that gentleman has not fully occupied her heart, that perhaps there is place there... Feelings will turn into memories, wounds will heal... But, I advise you, not long "play friend", and tell her everything frankly after some time. And in general, be honest with her. After all, she is honest with you. You know, it's so easy to realize if she's lying, I've noticed it from her childhood," Ellen finished affectionately, and waved her eldest daughter's hand.

Rhett stood silent and considered Ellen's words. One thing he realized for sure, she wasn't against him, didn't see him only as an outcast.

He smiled politely at her and replied, "Thank you for the advice, Mrs O'Hara."

Ellen nodded and they headed over to Mrs Butler and Scarlett.

Wade was already tired of walking and wanted to be in the arms.

"Let me take him, Mrs Hamilton," Rhett said politely and Scarlett thanked him with a smile. Her son was already heavy enough, and he always enjoyed sitting in Rhett's arms.

When the walk came to an end and Rhett was getting them into the carriage, Scarlett was the last to get in. He gave her his hand and whispered softly, "I'll see you in Atlanta, Scarlett," then, kissing her hand quickly, he stepped away from the carriage.