Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Four

Scarlett thought about what she had done in regard to the stores. She had left Hugh in charge of the first store and promoted Phil to be manager of the second store. Scarlett would never know why but she had hired a woman, Alexis Colby, to be a clerk at the first store a couple of years earlier. With Phil being promoted she promoted Alexis to be the assistant manager. It soon became clear that Alexis had what it took to be a good manager. Scarlett did not fire Hugh but instead raised Alexis' salary. Scarlett told Alexis, 'Manage the store but don't let Hugh know.' Within three months everyone but Hugh knew who the real manager of the store was. Before Scarlett's world had collapsed, she would have either demoted Hugh or fired him. She didn't do either one because he was the Elsings only means of support. Even though neither Fanny nor Mrs. Elsing spoke to her she just couldn't let them starve. Of course, Hugh's pay raises were miniscule compared to Alexis' pay raises.

That worked out so well that Scarlett had promoted Krystie Carrington a clerk at the other store to assistant manager. Scarlett had made Krystie the same offer she had made Alexis. Once again everyone knew who the real manager of the store was. Both women got the money if not the title. Krystie and Alexis both would rather have the money than the title. They also knew because they were women, they would never be given the actual role, even if their boss was a woman also. They also both knew the only reason they were getting the money was because their boss was a woman. They both were widows and had children to support. A title doesn't pay the bills. Like Alexis Krystie's pay raises were much more significant than Phil's.

A year after Melly had died, Scarlett bought the sawmills back. By then she had figured out that Rhett had given Melly the money to buy her out. That was strange because Rhett never took advantage of the fact, she no longer had the responsibilities of the sawmills. Maybe by then it was enough to separate her from Ashley. To make sure she and Ashley never had any more intimate moments. She would never know. She would have to talk to the man Rhett had become by then and he didn't exist yet. She hoped that man never came into being.

Scarlett had gotten the sawmills back into a profitable business once again then sold them ironically enough to Jacob Poole. She liked to think that if she hadn't been in so much pain from the miscarriage and the fall down the stairs, she would have seen Rhett's actions for the lie that they were. Since she was such a silly little child then, probably not.

Scarlett had used her influence and got Ashley a job as a Teller at her bank. She had inherited Rhett's share of First Atlantic Bank. It wasn't as dignified as being a manager of a sawmill, but Ashley could handle it. He kept it until he died four years later. At the time Scarlett was surprised he had lasted that long. She guessed his love for Beau kept him going, at least for a little while.

When Melly visited that afternoon, Scarlett truly looked at the woman. She looked like she was underweight. Her hat had seen better days, and her dress was not only thread bare, but it had been mended. She had been so obtuse back then. She had been so concerned about all the wrong things. Not the least being whether Ashley still loved her. She smiled to herself when she thought, 'Quite the bitter pill to swallow when I realized he had never loved me at all.'

Scarlett said, "What time did I tell you that Wade's party is going to be?"

"You said three-thirty."

"On his birthday?"

Melly had looked confused at Scarlett, but she had said, "Yes."

"I don't know why but this child has made me so ditzy. I'm not sure what I have told anyone."

Melly continued to look at Scarlett with confusion because this was the first she had heard about Scarlett being ditzy. She said, "That happens."

"Melly, I am so bored. Would you bring me a book to read tomorrow?"

With a shocked look on her face, Melanie said, "Sure. How about Emma?"

"That is fine."

Scarlett had not liked the book the first time she had read it, but she might like it better now. The first time she had read it was right after she and India had cleaned out the little house on Ivy Street. Scarlett had packed up all Melly's books. She was going to take them to the Catholic church. That night she had not been able to sleep. All she could think about was the truths she had learned the night Melly died and she didn't want to think about that.

Scarlett had started reading Emma. All the characters had kept her mind absorbed. She took the box of books to Tara. For the first time in her life, she had no hope in her future or confidence she could do anything to fix her life. She had wanted to escape her reality because there was nothing she could do to change her circumstances. By the end of her time at Tara, she had read a dozen of the books. That is when she became a reader.

When Scarlett and the children had returned from Tara, there were a lot of periodicals that Rhett had subscribed to. In her optimism that Rhett was going to return to her, she never tried to get the subscriptions stopped. After his death, she never wanted to break any of the connections she had to her husband, therefore she still subscribed to those periodicals.

Supper was nice. Scarlett talked with Wade and Ella. When Rhett was talking nicely, she interacted with him. When he was making snide comments, she just ignored him. Much the same way she had during the first timeline. What shocked her was how many snide comments he was making. He must have been making them, in the first timeline but she couldn't remember him doing it. Well not as many as he was making. Sadly, she thought, 'He really hadn't been any more important to me except to pay the bills and keep the nightmares away. I really was so self-absorbed.'

That night Rhett came home earlier than normal. Of course, he didn't say anything about his evening's activities. Scarlett without looking at him, had said, "Cards not going your way?"

Surprising to Scarlett, Rhett had replied, "No, they weren't. I decided to come home and see if I could get lucky some other way."

Scarlett had looked up from her magazine and smiled. She said, "It is a strong possibility."

Rhett gave her that look that had always perplexed her their first time together. He looked like he was expecting something, that he was wanting something. In her maturity she had finally figured out that he was looking for a positive response or positive action from her. Therefore, Scarlett reached over and turned the covers back on his side of the bed.

Rhett had not said anything. He had not reacted in any way. He had just continued taking off his clothes. When he didn't put his nightshirt on, she smiled as much of a sensuous smile as she could master. Now, she could manage quite the sensuous smile.

After the children had moved out of the mansion and Scarlett had gone through menopause, she had developed a relationship with one of her vice-presidents, Colin Firth. He had been a man in his thirties. He was hard-working, attractive, and funny. One night he had brought some papers over for her to look at. While they had been looking at the papers, he had leaned forward and kissed her. She hadn't been kissed by a man in so long that it felt really good to be kissed. It felt really good for a man to find her a sexual creature.

When Scarlett kissed him back, Colin continued kissing her. He had been a very talented man. She had been a lonely woman craving physical contact. She had let things go a lot further than she ever would have even with her husbands. After she felt that magical feeling, she and Colin began having an affair. They continued their work relationship and started a romantic relationship, sort of. In truth, it was only a physical relationship.

After a couple of years, Colin decided that Scarlett was never going to give him her heart and marry him. He found another job and another love interest. Afterwards, Scarlett missed Colin's talented hands much more than she missed his work or his personality. She also knew he had been more interested in her bank balance than her personality.

That night when Rhett reached his hand between them to caress Scarlett's private parts, she willingly spread her legs for him. Once again, Rhett did not hold himself back. She enjoyed herself very much including reaching her satisfaction a couple of times. She had called Rhett's name every time she had reached her satisfaction. She remembered what Rhett had said that night in the dining room about her thinking he was Ashley. She had not known what he had meant at the time, and it had bothered her. Bothered her enough to remember him saying it.

Scarlett had known what Rhett had meant after she had started her physical relationship with Colin. She had often imagined she was with Rhett instead of Colin especially when she had reached her satisfaction. She knew she had often called out Rhett's name in those moments.

The first time Scarlett had reached her satisfaction, Colin had explained to her what that feeling was. At the time she had been amazed that she could feel that feeling many times. She also understood why men wanted to engage in that activity all the time.

When Rhett and Scarlett were finished, he held her tight. He said, "Was that nice too?"

"That was much better than nice. We will have to do that again."

"Of course."

"Tomorrow night before we run out of time."

"Huh?"

"After the baby is born, we won't be able to have relations for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Six weeks."

"Then maybe I should wake you up in the morning to do it again."

"I would like to do it again."

Rhett rolled over bringing Scarlett with him. He lit his cigar.

Scarlett said, "You need to quit smoking. You are going to be a father soon and she will need someone to watch over her."

"She?"

"I just think it is going to be a girl."

"You are right. I will have to start taking care of myself, so I live a long time. I certainly can't count on you to take care of my child. You don't even take care of the ones you have now."

Rhett's comment hurt especially after what they had just done. Scarlett said, "Maybe now that I have access to lots of money, I'll think about being a better mother."

"Don't inconvenience yourself."

"Alright. I won't."

Rhett and Scarlett were both quiet. His words had hurt but instead of responding with ugly words back at him she was wondering why he had said what he had said. That is until Rhett started his stories, then she listened trying to find a clue to understand her husband better. Soon she was asleep.

The next afternoon while Melly was visiting, a few of the Scallawag wives had dropped by to visit with Scarlett. She didn't remember most of their names, so she had to listen closely to find out who was who.

Scarlett had always enjoyed visiting with the Scallawag wives, and she would freely admit that they were low-class and stupid. They were fun though. They told such delightful stories. Admittedly most of their stories could not be told in polite company, but that just made them that much funnier.