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

Chapter Fourteen

Rhett Butler was walking with Scarlett up the pathway to Hamilton House. They had been out for supper that night. Tonight, he was going to tell her he was married. A quick silver feeling came over him. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that Miranda had made him take her home before the buggy wheel broke. They hadn't had to get married. He hadn't had to marry anyone, and he still had his place in society. When he had been returned in time he had been confused and wondered how the circumstances had changed, but he had never been able to figure it out.

Miranda had married Blake Shelton. Unfortunately, he had died in the war. She had come to Rhett during the war and asked him to let her invest with him. He had. Mainly because he felt bad about ruining her in his earlier life. She had quite a lot of money. He had wondered where she had gotten it all, but he didn't ask. It really wasn't any of his business, so he didn't ask. She had made quite a bit of money. After the war was over, she had married another man, Brendon McLoughlin. Rhett hoped she was happy. She really deserved to be happy.

Those were the only memories Rhett had of Miranda. He had no memories of his sons. His memories of his second life were the same except for the absence of those three people.

Rhett was nervous. He thought Scarlett loved him. She acted like she did, but one never knew for sure until the other person said it. He didn't want her to use his love against him. He knew she was still a user. If she didn't love him. He would just walk away. He would move up North, far away from her. He wasn't going through all that again. Loving her and her not loving him. 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. 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."

"I'm glad you think so. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes. Yes."

"It has taken me a long time to find the perfect woman, but finally I have."

"How soon do you want to get married?"

"Tomorrow."

"No. How about in a month? That will give me time to arrange with Reverend Graham for him to perform the ceremony. I hope the church is available a month from now. We will have a reception here. I don't have very many people I would like to invite."

"You don't want to get married by a priest?"

"Why would I want to get married by a priest?"

"Because you are Catholic."

"No, I'm not. I'm Baptist. Why would you think I was Catholic?"

"Because you are Irish."

"I am half Irish true. I was raised in the Catholic church, but I became Baptist with my marriage to Charlie."

"Alright. I would not say I was any religion. I was raised in the Episcopal Church, though."

"You can attend the Baptist church with me."

"Occasionally."

Scarlett smiled and said, "More than occasionally. It is for the children's sake. Now kiss me again."

After a few passionate kisses, Scarlett said, "Come to supper tomorrow night?"

"Alright. Five thirty."

"Yes."

"Let me go win some money over the poker table so I can afford to buy you an engagement ring."

"This may be my third marriage, but it will be my first engagement ring."

Rhett started to say something about the huge diamond he gave her last time but stopped himself in time. He was going to have to guard his tongue very closely in the next couple of years. He said, "I'm already a better husband than the other two and we aren't even married yet."

Scarlett laughed and said, "Good night, my love."

Scarlett told PittyPat she was back, but she didn't tell the older woman about her marrying Rhett. She wanted to tell her children first. She would over breakfast the next day. As she walked upstairs after talking to PittyPat she was smiling so big. Finally, something wonderful had happened in her life.

Scarlett truly loved Rhett, but once she was married to him, she would never have to worry about money again. Her, Wade, and Ella's future was bright. Scarlett wondered how Rhett had known she was half Irish. She knew she hadn't mentioned it to him. She wasn't ashamed of being Irish, but she rarely talked about it. She thought, 'He does that all the time. He knows things about me he couldn't know. I will think about it tomorrow.'

That night Scarlett dreamed about having a child with Rhett. Strange to her, it was a girl who looked just like her, but with blue eyes. The next morning, she smiled as she thought about her dream. Strange things always seem to happen in dreams.

Rhett on the other hand dreamed about him educating Scarlett on the pleasure of the flesh. He would not allow her to act like a lady in their bed. When he woke up, he smiled when he remembered his dream. Yes, this time they were going to have fun in their marital bed.

Rhett would have to talk to Scarlett about having children. He wanted at least one, maybe two. He would also talk to her about preventatives.

As Rhett was shaving, he smiled. He would take her to meet his mother. No, better, he would invite his mother and family to the wedding. In fact, Rhett wrote to his mother that very morning informing her of his upcoming nuptials.

As Scarlett sat at the dining room table with her children and PittyPat, she was waiting for the right moment to tell everyone her good news. Wade said, "Are we going to Tara before the harvest?"

"Not this year. I don't have time."

"Why not?"

"Rhett and I are getting married."

Wade and PittyPat looked shocked. Ella just kept eating because she didn't know what 'getting married' meant. Scarlett started smiling. She said, "He asked me last night. It will be four Saturdays from now if I can get everything arranged."

Wade said, "What will I call him?"

"You can ask him tonight. He is coming to supper. Which reminds me I need to tell Cookie there will be one more for dinner."

PittyPat said, "You will continue to live here, won't you?"

"I don't know. I will have to ask Rhett about that also. Eat up children. I am going to go talk to Cookie right now then I am going to go talk with Mr. Graham. No, I will tell Melly, then go talk with Reverend Graham.

Scarlett went out the back door and through the hedges. She knocked on Melly's back door. The cook let her in. She knew the way to the dining room.

Melly looked surprised when Scarlett entered the room. India scowled. Scarlett wondered, 'Does she ever wear any other expression.'

Scarlett ignored India. She said, "Good news."

Melly said, "What?"

"Rhett and I are getting married. Hopefully on August ninth if that date is convenient to Mr. Graham."

"I'm so happy for you."

Melly stood up and walked over to Scarlett and hugged her. Scarlett hugged her back. Scarlett said, "I am going to be so busy this next month. So many things to do to get ready. At least I have two weeks more than I did when I married Charlie."

"I will help you any way I can."

"Thanks. I must go."

Scarlett couldn't stop herself from smirking at India.

As Scarlett walked through the sanctuary of the Baptist Church, she decided she would have the ceremony at Hamilton House. The sanctuary was just too large. It took her a few minutes to get in to see the reverend, but she was happy to wait. She was over the moon with happiness. She guessed she was going to have more children, but these would be hers and Rhett's children so they would be special, not that Wade and Ella weren't special. She wasn't looking forward to enduring that foolishness again, but at least with Rhett it wouldn't be humiliating like it was with Frank and Charlie. At least, Charlie was fast. The same could not be said for Frank. She wondered if Rhett would be fast or take forever. She sighed.

Scarlett heard a male voice calling her name. She turned and said, "Yes, Reverend Graham."

"Step into my office."

Once Scarlett was seated in Billy Graham's office, she asked, "Can you perform a marriage ceremony in my home?"

Reverend Graham said, "Congratulations. Do I know the young man?"

Scarlett almost giggled with the question because Rhett was definitely not a young man. She smiled and said, "No, he isn't a member of the congregation."

"What day do you want me to perform the ceremony? I can't do it on a Sunday."

"Saturday, August the ninth."

"Let me look at my calendar."

Billy got out a bound book that Scarlett could see was a calendar. She waited while he turned the page. He said, "Yes. What time?"

"One o'clock."

"What is your address?"

"527 Third Street."

"There is a fee of five dollars."

"That is fine. My fiancé will be happy to pay that. Do you need it now?"

"No, you can pay me after the ceremony. I will be bringing my wife also."

"Of course. You are certainly welcome to stay for the reception." Scarlett stood up and said, "Thank you. See you then."

"No, I will see both of you on Sunday."

With a tight smile, Scarlett said, "Of course, Reverend."

As Scarlett got in her buggy, she decided that Rhett would have to go to church with her at least until the wedding ceremony. She didn't want Mr. Graham to refuse to perform the service.

Scarlett stopped at the dress shop and ordered a new dress to be her wedding dress. She was not going to wear a veil. The dress was in the latest fashion and was in a cream color. She thought about ordering a new dress for Melly but decided against it. She could wear her best dress.

Scarlett then went to the store and got fabric to make Ella and Wade new clothes. She wondered if Mercy knew how to sew. If she didn't Scarlett would get PittyPat and Melly to help her. She got enough fabric for Beau to have new clothes also.

At the same time Rhett was visiting a jewelry store. It was Webb's Jewelry Store. Mr. Webb was a fairly honest man, although Rhett knew that if Greg could get someone to pay a little bit more than the piece was worth, he would do it.

This was the first time Rhett had been in Webb's Jewelry Store in this timeline. In fact, he had rarely walked into a jewelry store at all this timeline. He had not tried to win a woman's favor by buying her an expensive piece of jewelry. He had just used the whores and thought about Scarlett. About six months after he had been returned to this timeline, he had started dreaming about Scarlett again. They were nice dreams. They were happy together and Bonnie was still alive.

Mr. Webb said, "Can I help you, Sir?"

"Yes, my name is Rhett Butler. You will be seeing a lot of me. I am getting married, and I need to buy my fiancé an engagement ring."

"Let me get my tray, Mr. Butler."

After Greg returned Rhett looked at all the diamond rings. There were some that would make Scarlett's greedy heart happy. Then in the case below the tray was a ring with a large emerald with a square cut. He stared at the ring. He said, "Never mind about the diamonds. Let me see that one?"

"Certainly, Mr. Butler. Ralph, come put these back in the safe."

A young boy came up and said, "Yes, Sir." He took the tray and returned it to the back.

Rhett said, "I want you to add a fairly large diamond on either side of the emerald."

"Yes, Sir."

"Then add two smaller emeralds beside the diamonds. I want the center stone to be the largest then the diamonds then the next set of emeralds, but I want all the stones to be noticeably large."

"Let me get my loose stones and you can pick out the ones you want. I will draw up a picture of what I think you want."

"Very good."

An hour later Rhett left the jewelry shop a happy man. The ring was going to be large enough for Scarlett to be happy and tasteful enough for him to be happy. When she built their house, he was going to be with her every step of the way. He was going to steer her towards tasteful this time.