Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fifteen

When Scarlett greeted Rhett that evening, he said, "Your ring won't be ready for a couple of days. I am having one made just for you."

"Once I get it, I will have to have it sized. You should have asked me what my ring size was?"

Rhett started to tell her he knew what her ring size was then remembered he shouldn't know that yet. He said, "Tell me now."

"I wear a size six."

Rhett looked at Scarlett's hand and said, "When did you stop wearing your wedding band?"

"When I started wearing color again.

Let us go to supper. Come along Wade, Ella, Aunt PittyPat. Rhett, you can sit where you usually sit."

After everyone was seated, Wade said, "What are me and Ella supposed to call you?"

Scarlett said, "Wade, you put yourself last. It is Ella and I."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rhett said, "Dad."

PittyPat said, "But he called Frank Uncle Frank."

"I'm not his uncle. I am going to have the role of father in the household therefore, I will be called Dad."

PittyPat was not sure she was going to like Scarlett being married to Captain Butler. He was a little terrifying. She blurted out, "Are you going to live here?"

"No, we will live at the National until we find a house." Rhett turned to Scarlett and said, "If we can't find a house, we both like, we can build one."

"You are alright with us continuing to live in Atlanta?"

"It is where you want to live isn't it?"

"Yes, my businesses are here plus it is close to my family plantation."

With a questioning look on his face, Rhett said, "Tara, right?"

"Yes, Tara."

"You will have to take me down to see it someday."

Wade said, "Mama says we aren't going to get to go this month because of your wedding. She has too much to do before the wedding to be able to spend a week down there. We always go down right before the harvest."

Scarlett said, "It is like a sea of white when all the boles start bursting open."

Rhett said in a conspiratorial way to Wade, "Let me see if I can arrange a day trip. Surely, she can take one day off from planning the wedding and reception."

Scarlett said, "We can go on Sunday. Not this Sunday, but next Sunday. Reverend Graham will be looking for you this Sunday."

"What?"

"I will explain later."

"Alright."

Wade said, "Thank you, Captain Butler."

"You can start calling me dad."

Wade looked quickly at his mother, and she nodded her head. She said, "Now is as good a time as any."

Later Scarlett explained to Rhett that they had to been seen in church at least until the wedding or Reverend Graham might refuse to marry them.

Rhett said, "I will do it, but I am not going every Sunday no matter what."

"Of course, Dear."

The next morning over breakfast, Scarlett said, "I will continue to help you financially, Aunt PittyPat. I know you don't have anyone else to help you." Although she could care less about what her first husband would want, she added, "It would have been what Charlie would want."

It also made Scarlett look better in the community. She had a feeling she and Rhett were going to do questionable things, like openly associating with Republicans and Yankees.

A relieved PittyPat said, "Yes, it would. Dear, are you sure about Wade calling Captain Butler dad."

"Yes, that is what Rhett wants, so that is the way it will be."

There was no more conversation. When Scarlett had finished eating, she said, "Wade, you and Ella go upstairs to Mercy. I am going to write to my sisters about my upcoming wedding. I will inform Suellen of our impending visit at the same time. I guess I will need to inform my aunts. I need to make sure Rhett has informed his mother first. Then I will go to the store."

Scarlett stopped by Henry's office on her way home. She said, "I have some business, but first the good news. Rhett and I are getting married."

"You haven't known each other that long. How long has it been? Three months?"

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but we can get to know each other once we are married. We will not be living at Hamilton House, but I will continue to give Aunt PittyPat some money to live on."

"Thank you, Dear. I think I will move in with her to cut our expenses."

"That is a smart move. I want to sell my sawmills. Both of them."

"Why? I thought you were making a lot of money from them."

"They are a lot of work and with my marriage to Rhett, I won't have to work that hard."

"Does Ashley want to sell his part?"

"I don't know. I will ask him tomorrow when I go out to check the books. I want a thousand dollars, but I will accept anything over seven hundred and fifty dollars."

"That is a lot of money, but before we tell anyone let's find out what exactly will be for sale."

"True. I will send you a note once I talk to Ashley."

"I should be able to afford a new dress for Sarah Jane. Just in time for the wedding."

"She will be thrilled. I won't tell her about your plans to move in with her. I will let you deliver that news."

"You might as well let her remain blissfully ignorant for a little while longer."

Scarlett laughed and stood up and said, "The wedding is on August ninth at one in the parlor of Hamilton House. We aren't sending out invitations."

Henry stood up also and said, "I will be there."

That night after supper, Rhett came to call. After Wade and Ella were sent to bed, he and Scarlett moved to the front porch. As soon as they were seated, she asked, "Have you informed your mother?"

"I sent her a letter yesterday."

"Then I can write my aunts."

"I invited her to the wedding. Hopefully, she will come. I asked her to extend the invitation to my brother and sister. Hopefully, they won't come."

"Why? Don't you like them?"

"No, I do not. They are hopeless bores. As are their spouses. Probably their children too."

"Oh, how sad."

"My mother is a bore also, but I would like her to be at my wedding."

"I invited my sisters, but I am sure neither one will attend. Careen, she is a nun with her convent being in Charleston, so I think the trip will be too far. Suellen won't come because she hates me."

"Any particular reason?"

"Not really, except I was extremely popular with the men, and she wasn't.

"Did she have any gentleman callers?"

"None."

Rhett had wondered if Scarlett would admit that she had married her sister's fiancé. He guessed she wasn't going to. Probably because it showed her ruthless personality. Of course, she didn't know that he loved that ruthless personality.

Scarlett went to visit Ashley the next morning. After she had entered the office, she said, "Good news. Rhett and I are getting married."

"That is what Melly said last night. I am going to sell my part of my sawmills. I went to see Uncle Henry about it yesterday."

"What?"

"With my marriage to Rhett I won't have to work. He is rich. I will probably keep the store though."

"If you sell your half of this mill, we won't ever get to see each other."

"True, except at church and family events."

"We … we … won't have any….."

"Oh, Ashley, you were right the day the war started. We are too different to live happily together."

"Scarlett, have you fallen out of love with me."

"I have known I didn't love you for a while now. Ashley, I never loved you. You were someone I made up in my fourteen-year-old heart. I know what real love is now."

"You love Rhett Butler?!"

"Yes, and he loves me. That is why we are getting married."

"Do you want to sell your half of this sawmill?"

"No, no. What else am I trained to do?"

"Nothing, I guess. Goodbye."

Scarlett stopped by Henry's office on her way home and told him that Ashley did not want to sell his part of the sawmill.

On Saturday when Rhett picked Scarlett up, he gave her the engagement ring. She loved it. Although she did say, "The diamond is supposed to be the biggest stone."

"Aw but isn't this prettier."

Scarlett giggled and said, "Yes."

"Sweetheart, one thing you are going to learn is that I am not always completely proper."

"As long as you are proper enough to continue being received."

"I don't do things just because I am supposed to."

"Alright."

"There is something I want to discuss with you."

"Yes."

"I want children."

"I don't want any more, but that doesn't have anything to do with whether they come or not."

"Here I am going to tell you something improper. I know of a way to make your chances of getting with child less likely…"

While blushing Scarlett said, "We aren't supposed to talk about that."

"But we will."

"There is a way to…." Here Scarlett rolled her hand to indicate what she was talking about.

Rhett said, "They are called preventatives, but none of them is one hundred percent. They just make it harder to conceive a child."

"Harder, but not impossible."

"No, not impossible. After we have a child, I will practice this technique, but there will always be the chance of you getting with child again. If it happens, I will be happy."

"I will not. I don't do well when I am with child, and I hate to be in my confinement."

"I will take you to Europe. A woman doesn't have to go into confinement in Europe."

"If I am in Europe, who will deliver my baby."

"A doctor over there. Medical care is far more advanced in Europe. They might even have something for the pain."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Then I will go to Europe with you."

That Saturday Rhett took Scarlett to a Republican event. After the event, he said, "Don't tell anyone where we went tonight. The good people of Atlanta would be alarmed that we are associating with Republicans and Yankees."

Scarlett had laughed and said, "That would be impossible for me. I am quite the chatterbox, but luckily, I don't spend much time with proper ladies. I have been running my businesses. Speaking of which I put my part of the sawmill up for sale."

"How much do you want for them?"

"A thousand dollars, but I will take anything over seven hundred and fifty dollars."

"I might know of someone who would like to buy them. I will mention it to him."

"Thanks Rhett."

Later that night while playing poker at The Blue Moon, Rhett saw his acquaintance, Lorne Greene. After the hand was over, Rhett told everyone that he was done for the night. He picked up his money and joined Lorne at the bar. Rhett said, "Are you still interested in buying a thriving business?"

"Yes, what's you got."

"I know a woman selling one and a half sawmills. She owns one completely out right and the other one she has a partner."

"She is selling sawmills. What a foolish woman."

"True. And all she wants for them is one thousand dollars. You would make that investment back in six months if not sooner."

"Give me all the information."

"Of course. The sawmills are owned by Scarlett Kennedy. One is on Decatur Road just past Shantytown and the other is on Buckingham Rd just past Brown St. Ride out there and look at them. If you are interested, contact Henry Hamilton. His office is at sixteen hundred and thirty-two Peach Grove Lane."

"Alright, Mr. Butler. Thanks for the tip."

Church that Sunday was as boring as Rhett thought it was going to be. Scarlett had made a point of introducing him to the Reverend. Rhett decided that after he and Scarlett were married, he would convince her to try different churches then not settle on any of them. He had a lot of corrupting to do to get her to truly enjoy herself in the world they lived in. Although admittedly she had never put up a fuss about attending Republican and Yankee events. Probably because they got to dance at those events. She did love to dance.