Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Three

When it was time for dinner, everyone went to the dining room. Rhett was there and Scarlett couldn't help noticing the whiskey glass in his hand. She came up to him and kissed his cheek. She said, "Did you have a good morning?"

Rhett curtly said, "Yes, I did."

Scarlett didn't ask any more questions. She watched as Rhett lifted Ella up and sat her in a chair that had pillows on it.

As Scarlett watched Ella struggling with using a spoon, she got up and moved the child's chair closer to her own. Every time Ella ate with her hand Scarlett didn't yell at her to not eat with her hands. She just put the spoon back in Ella's hand. When the child used her hand to put food on her spoon, Scarlett didn't say a word. She smiled at the child with a bemused smile.

When Scarlett looked at Rhett he had an extremely disbelieving expression on his face, but he didn't comment on her actions. Wade's face had a confused expression.

The conversation over dinner was on general subjects until Wade said, "Mother, have you invited Aunt Melly and Beau to my birthday party?"

"I believe so. These days I think I would forget my head if it wasn't tied on. I will ask Melly next time I see her."

Rhett with a puzzled expression said, "She will be coming over this afternoon."

"That's right. I forgot."

Now with a suspicious expression, Rhett said, "How could you have forgotten? She comes over every afternoon to visit."

"Like I said I seemed to be forgetting everything." With a smile at Wade, Scarlett turned to Rhett and said, "Have you bought all Wade's presents?"

"I have bought everything we talked about." And with a smile at Wade, Rhett added, "And maybe a few more."

Scarlett had wondered how she could have forgotten all Melly's visits while she had been in her confinement. Probably because at the time she had taken other people's kindnesses for granted especially Melly's.

After that the rest of dinner was an awkward affair. Scarlett was trying to remember if they had been this awkward in the first timeline, but she couldn't remember anything. She also knew that even if things had been awkward, she would have ignored it. At the time she hadn't cared about anyone or anything but herself.

This was what Scarlett had wanted for so long, but it was more difficult to fix her relationship with Rhett than she had thought it would be. It had been so long ago. There were so many things she didn't remember. That was assuming she had been aware of them in the first place.

Scarlett decided that it had been awkward for a while. After all, things wouldn't change that significantly this quickly.

Towards the end of the meal, Scarlett said, "Are you going out this afternoon?"

Rhett stared at Scarlett for a long time like she didn't have the right to ask him where he was going or what he was doing. Which she did because he was her husband. She stared right back. Finally, she said, "Well?"

"No."

"I would like to talk to you after dinner then."

"Fine. I will meet you in our office after we finish eating."

"Why not the family parlor instead? It will be a lot more comfortable."

Scarlett had wanted the family parlor so the atmosphere would be more warm and friendly. She knew now that things had already been bad between the two of them even before the 'no baby incident.' That had just been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Rhett again looked at her extremely suspiciously. Finally, he said, "Of course, My Pet."

As Scarlett walked away, she thought, 'What in the hell did I think all his mean acts were about? Calling me a mule, taking Wade to New Orleans, Caveat Emporium, and him calling me My Pet and those are just the ones I remember. I ignored them and him because I was finally having fun after the war years. Also, because he was letting me spend his money with abandon. I know now they were his way of getting my attention. What an ass.'

Fifteen minutes later when Rhett and Scarlett were settled in the family parlor, she said, "Normally I would handle this myself but because I am in my confinement, I will need your help."

"Go on."

"I need to ask you something first."

"Alright."

"Can I use your money to support Tara and my aunts?""

Scarlett looked at Rhett. Surprising to her he was showing her his emotions in his face. There was no doubt in her mind that he was extremely mistrustful of her actions. She wondered, 'Is that where their relationship was at? Rhett questioning everything she said or did. She couldn't remember but she would assume so.'

Rhett cautiously said, "Yes, you can. I told you that when we were in New Orleans. I told you that you could use my money for anything, but to support your businesses."

"Yes, you did but I wanted to make sure you hadn't changed your mind for some reason." She did not remember him saying that, but that didn't matter. She was going to accept it as true. She continued, "If I can use your money to help support Tara and my ungrateful aunts then I no longer need to own the sawmills therefore, I would like to sell my sawmills to Jacob Poole. He has been asking to buy them for a while now. I would like to keep the store for Ella's sake. At least, until it gets to be too much trouble."

In that moment, despite all of Rhett's enormous skill of being able to keep a poker face, he showed his astonishment. Scarlett decided that certainly had surprised him. Surprised him enough for him to show it.

Rhett said mockingly, "What about the little gentleman?"

"It is about time he was on his own. It is sink or swim time."

"I thought you thought he was a great manager of your sawmill."

"No, I have never said that. I have said that he is too good and noble to be a good businessman which may be true." Scarlett realized she must have said that a lot if she remembered it so clearly after all these years. Who had she been trying to convince? Rhett or herself. She quickly shook those thoughts off. Rhett was looking at her questioningly. She said, "Why Ashley is not a good businessman doesn't matter. The bottom line is that he isn't one for whatever reason, and I am tired of carrying him. I'm tired of carrying Melly too. I have been doing it since she got with child. She was no help to us when we were struggling to survive at Tara."

"I'm sure Miss Melly did more than you think she did."

Scarlett didn't respond to Rhett's comment. She didn't know what Rhett really thought about Melly judging by his words on the night the woman had died, but she knew most of his positive comments about Melly had been to irritate her. She just went on like he hadn't spoken. She said, "Neither was Ashley. I should have let them move to New York."

"Yes, you should have. If you had followed my advice, then you wouldn't be in this situation."

"What are you talking about? What advice? What situation?"

"The advice to not hire Mr. Wilkes which actually wasn't advice but one of the conditions for me to give you the loan. Then you reneged on our agreement. The situation of having an incompetent manager. A manager who is so bad that you are being forced to sell your pride and joy."

"I am proud of my accomplishment with the sawmills, but they are no longer worth the time and effort I have to put into them to keep them successful no matter who my managers are. I am selling my sawmills because I don't have to work anymore. I have you and all your money."

"Indeed, you have taken full advantage of having access to my checkbook.

With a smile, Scarlett said, "As you have taken full advantage to having access to my body."

Rhett grinned back and said, "Indeed I have. What do you want me to do?"

"Go see Mr. Poole. I don't know where he lives but his lawyer is Billy Tipton on 7th Street."

"How much do you want?"

"A thousand dollars."

"How much will you accept?"

Scarlett smiled at Rhett and said, "Eight hundred and fifty."

Rhett smiled. He said, "I will get you at least that."

Nervously Scarlett said, "There is another matter."

"Yes?"

"Hum. Well."

"What?!"

"I could go into labor at any minute therefore, I need to know where you are going so, I can send one of the footmen to get you." Rhett stared at her for a long time. Finally, Scarlett said, "This isn't about me knowing where you are going. It is about you being able to be contacted. If I don't have this information the entire event might be over before you get back."

"Very well. I will tell Pork my destination when I leave the house."

Scarlett stood up and said, "Thank you, Rhett. That would be wonderful. Thank you again for your help with the sawmills."

Scarlett started to walk out of the room before she blew her victory by acting smug or triumphant about it. She had to keep Rhett thinking he had won. She had known Rhett would never tell her where he was going. That would make him feel like he was accounting for his movements, which wouldn't be unheard of for a husband to let his wife know his movements. Because she now knew he had not been accountable to anyone for many years she knew it would make him feel like a child. She didn't need to know where he was going to be able to send someone for him. She had gone into labor with Bonnie in the early morning. She just wanted to know where he was going.

Scarlett wanted to sell the sawmills because she wanted to rid herself of the incompetent Ashley. The sawmills would never be the money makers they could be with Ashley managing one. She also now felt guilty about using convict labor. Just as she now felt guilty about having lived a very good life on the forced labor of others. After her world was utterly destroyed in seventy-three, she had developed compassion for other people.

Scarlett also wanted to distance herself from Ashley as much as possible. Rhett was extremely jealous of the man and all she felt for the man was pity and contempt. To maintain the relationship with the Wilkeses she had to stay away from Ashley. Otherwise, she would say something mocking and cruel. She knew how to make mocking and cruel comments. She had learned from the master, Rhett Butler.

As Rhett watched Scarlett leave the family parlor, he had a confused look on his face, which was understandable. Scarlett was not behaving like herself.

As Scarlett walked up the stairs she thought about her accomplishment with the store. The store was what she had used to start her financial empire. Six months after Rhett's death, she had opened another store despite the panic going on. In honor of Rhett, she had changed the name of the stores to The Emporium. True, Rhett had left her all his money and she would never have to work again, but she had needed something to fill her days and building her empire had definitely filled her days. She had enjoyed the challenge of running a business. The only casualty had been her relationship with her children. They had spent more time with their nursemaids than they had with her. About the only time she saw them was a supper every night.

Scarlett had always thought she would have time later to form a relationship with them. When she finally had time, they did not. Or they didn't want any more of a relationship with her than they had.