Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Eight

As Rhett walked along, he pondered his situation. As promised, he had gone to see an attorney. The man's name was Will Truman. Mr. Truman had explained what he needed to do to establish residency in the state of Georgia. That part had been fairly simple. He just needed to buy a house and spend at least one hundred and eighty-three days in the state. The best part was that they didn't have to be consecutive days.

That had sounded almost too simple to Rhett. He had said, "If I do all that I can file for divorce from my wife here in Atlanta.

"Yes. What are your grounds to divorce your wife?"

Rhett was surprised and confused. He said, "What do you mean?"

"You can't just divorce your wife. You have to have a justification or grounds."

"What are the grounds for divorce?"

"Adultery, bigamy, desertion, mentally unstable at the time of the marriage, impotency at the time of the marriage, force or fraud in obtaining the marriage, mental or physical abuse, addicted to alcohol, mental illness."

"I supposed I would have to get someone to testify if I claim any of these grounds."

"Yes, sir."

Rhett had no grounds to divorce Miranda. She hadn't done anything wrong. Just like Scarlett in the first timeline. She hadn't done anything legally wrong.

"What if I can convince her to accept a divorce?"

"No. You must have grounds. Maybe you could convince her to give you grounds for divorce."

"Like she deserted me."

"Yes."

Rhett stood up and said, "Thank you for your time. How much do I owe you?"

Will stood up also and said, "Ten dollars. I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Mr. Butler."

"Me too."

The men shook hands and Rhett walked out of the office. After paying Eric, Rhett left the office. Once he was on the street, he decided to walk back to his hotel. He was depressed. Miranda had grounds to divorce him; adultery, abandonment, addicted to alcohol. Although he wasn't drinking as much since meeting Scarlett in this timeline.

Will thought about his client. He sadly smiled. He didn't know why, but the man had desperately wanted a divorce. Will thought, 'Too bad his wife hadn't done anything wrong.'

That Sunday afternoon after dinner with the Hamiltons and the Wilkes, Rhett walked back to his hotel. He had pondered his situation for the last month, and he could not think of a solution. He would just continue pondering it. He just hoped Scarlett didn't learn he was married.

The next day Scarlett went out to visit Ashley at his mill. After she had checked over the books and she was about to start her spiel about him going out and selling, he said, "Scarlett, what is Mr. Butler doing in Atlanta?"

"He is helping the governor restore normalcy to the city."

"Scarlett, Governor Bullock is a Republican."

"I know."

"Everyone who holds a public office is a Republican, Yankee, or a Scallawag. Do you know what a Scallawag is?"

"Yes, I do. It is a Southerner who is working with Republicans and Yankees."

"They do it for personal profit. So, your suitor is not helping Governor Bullock for any noble reasons, but to line his pockets."

"Rhett is making money. I'm sure he isn't doing anything illegal. Stop talking about Rhett and go out there and sell lumber."

For the next two months, Rhett and Scarlett's courtship was pretty straight forward. She was always giving him shy smiles. Rhett gave Scarlett a gold shawl and she politely said, "This is much too personal for this stage of our relationship. You have to take it back."

Scarlett sadly shoved the box at Rhett. Rhett smiled his beguiling smile and said, "Just keep it until we are at that stage in our relationship."

"We might never get to that stage of our relationship."

"I don't know about you, but I'm never going away unless you run me off."

Scarlett smiled so big at Rhett and said, "I will keep it."

"Thank you."

Finally, one night after the couple had been out for supper. As they were walking to the front door, he said, "Let's sit on the swing."

Scarlett was thinking, 'He is going to ask me to marry him. I hope so.'

Rhett took both of Scarlett's hands into his hands. Partly to hold her hands, but to prevent her from hitting him. He had decided to tell her of his marital status before she found out from someone else. He said, "Scarlett, I have something to tell you."

"Yes."

"I love you and…."

"I love you, too."

Scarlett jerked her hands out of Rhett's hands and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her to him and enjoyed the moment of her loving him. She hadn't looked smug at all. She had just looked happy. She said, "This is so wonderful. You are such an amazing man."

Before Scarlett could say any more Rhett said, "I'm married."

Scarlett jumped up and shouted, "How dare you call on me when you are not a free man. How dare you shame me in this way? Everyone knows I have been seeing you. How will I face all those people once everyone finds out?"

"Nobody is going to find out."

"Everyone is going to find out. This is the South."

"Scarlett, let me explain."

"No, go away and never darken my door again."

"Wait. Wait. If I get a divorce, would you let me call on you."

Horrified Scarlett said, "No! Never!"

With that Scarlett ran into the house and slammed the door. She ran up the stairs and hurried into her room. She threw herself down on the bed and bawled. After she was finished crying, she sat up. She went to the water basin and washed her face.

Scarlett was extremely sad. She had finally met an amazing, handsome, rich man with all his body parts. A man who loved her. Unfortunately, he was married. The only way they could be together would be for his wife to die. She had already spent enough time waiting for another woman to die. Never again.

Scarlett thought, 'One more cruel joke fate has played on me.'

Sadness descended on Scarlett. Once again, she had no one but her amazing children.

Scarlett had been morose and lethargic for the next month. She had told Peter, "I will no longer be letting Mr. Butler call on me. Please, don't admit him to the house."

Rhett had called a couple of times, but each time Peter gravely informed Rhett that he was no longer welcome in the home.

Rhett had gone to her store. When Scarlett saw him, she said, "Go! Please leave my store. You are not welcome. I have the right to refuse to sell you items."

"Scarlett, let me explain."

Quietly Scarlett had said, "Are you married?"

"Yes, but…"

"There is nothing else for us to discuss. Goodbye. Hugh, I will be in my office. Please, make sure Mr. Butler leaves the store."

As Rhett left the store, he thought it was strange that Scarlett had carried a torch for Mr. Wilkes for twelve years but wouldn't give him the time of day now. He guessed the difference was that nobody but him had known about their relationship. Also, she was a lot more proper than she had been in their first timeline. He hadn't been around to corrupt her.

Scarlett was right. This was the South soon everyone would know about their relationship. The only positive thing she had going for her in this situation was that she could honestly claim she hadn't known he was married. He had deceived her when he had asked her for coffee without informing her that he was married.

Rhett had a passing thought that Miranda would hear about his activities and divorce him. He dismissed it entirely. She was too proper of a lady to divorce him. Furthermore, if she did it would probably ruin her despite the fact that he was a womanizer who abandoned her on numerous occasions. Rhett then laughed. Even if Miranda was willing to divorce him, she couldn't as long as she continued to live in Charleston. He knew she would never willingly leave Charleston again. He also knew there wasn't enough money he could give her to her to desert him.

Scarlett hadn't told anyone about Rhett being married. She was just too ashamed and devastated. She was also embarrassed by how much she missed him. Although she wasn't surprised by how much she missed him. She had thought him perfect. Except for his teasing and mocking.

When anyone asked Scarlett why she stopped letting Mr. Butler call on her. She said, "I really didn't like him that much." Which everyone knew was a lie. She had been so happy the entire time she had been seeing Rhett.

A week later, to Scarlett's mortification, she received a letter from her aunt Eulalie. She had written, "My friend Dolly says you have a gentleman caller named Rhett Butler. Do you not know he is a married man?"

When Scarlett read those words, she blushed crimson. Everyone knew! Well, maybe now everyone because India hadn't said anything to Scarlett about Rhett being married, but enough people knew for Scarlett to feel shame and anger.

Scarlett wrote her aunt and told her that she had been seeing Rhett but as soon as she found out he was a married man she had stopped seeing him. The skunk had asked her for supper, and she had believed that meant he was single. As soon as she found out his marital status, she had stopped receiving him. She begged her aunt not to tell anyone of the foolish thing she had done. She was so ashamed to have behaved so badly.

Aunt Eulalie had written back that her secret was safe with her. She only knew because her friend Dolly Parton had written to her telling Eulalie what her niece was doing. Dolly had shared that Scarlett was seeing a man named Rhett Butler. Dolly didn't even know Rhett was married.

Eulalie knew Rhett and she knew he was married, but probably nobody else in Atlanta would know. Eulalie also explained that she and Dolly had been friends for years. They had gone to Finishing School together. Eulalie wrote, "Nobody else needs to know."

Scarlett smiled and prayed that it would be true but doubted it. This was the South after all. She would have been right. The gossip that Rhett Butler was openly calling on a young lady in Atlanta was making the rounds in Charleston.

Eulalie had never liked her friend Elizabeth's son because he was rude and mocking, especially to her and her sister. Eulalie and Pauline started telling everyone that Rhett Butler was calling on a young lady in Atlanta. They were doing damage control for Scarlett, but they had not been able to resist telling facts that made Rhett Butler look bad. They told everyone that the girl's name was Meredith Baxter, but she needed to be protected. They were declaring to anyone who would listen that the naïve child had not known the Rhett was married. She had been dazzled by his good looks, charm, and money. It had worked. Whenever the gossip was repeated it was: Rhett Butler had the gall to openly call on a young lady in Atlanta, but don't blame the young lady, she was just a victim. She didn't know he was married.

In truth, none of the gossips cared what the young lady's name was. In fact, as the gossip was retold and retold nobody could even remember what the girl's name was. Everyone just wanted to get the dirt on Rhett Butler. He had been such a sarcastic, mocking, rude jerk to everyone that everyone wanted him to get his come ups.