Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty

After Scarlett found Mercy in the nursery, she said, "Are you ready to go? Is everything packed up?"

"Yes, Mrs. Kennedy, I mean Mrs. Butler. Everything is packed. I am ready to return to Hamilton House."

"No, Mercy, we will be staying at the National Hotel."

"We are going to live in a hotel."

"Yes, Mr. Butler gets a monthly rate, so it is cheaper. We are going house hunting soon. If we don't find one, we like we will just build us a house. A house as big as I want."

"That sounds nice, Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett smiled and said, "It is."

After the group was settled in the cab, Scarlett said, "Mercy, would you be able to travel with us."

"Yes, where are we traveling to?"

"Europe. We will probably sail out of Charleston. Rhett's mother lives there."

"Europe?! Oh ma'am. I have never even left Georgia. No, I have never left Atlanta."

"What did you do before the war?"

"I belonged to Mr. Campbell. I was a nursemaid to his children." With sadness in her voice, Mercy said, "Mrs. Campbell died in childbirth."

"How horrible."

"Yes, it was. His youngest child had just turned two when the war started. Mr. Dennis had started talking about sending me to his plantation to work out in the fields."

Scarlett looked at the small, young woman in front of her and said, "That would have been awful."

Scarlett in that moment realized something she had never truly known how horrible a slave's life was. They had absolutely no rights. Scarlett said, "Do you have any children of your own?"

"No, I was lucky that way. I never got with child."

"I wish I was." While looking at Wade and Ella, Scarlett continued, "Although I would not take any amount of money for my children. They are the best part of my life. Them and now Rhett. We will talk about it later."

"Yes, Ma'am."

When the group got to the National, Scarlett asked the doorman to get her a porter for the children's trunk. When Mercy picked up her carpet bag, Scarlett said, "Just give it to the porter."

Rhett had gotten them a three-bedroom suite. He was not there when Scarlett returned, but she had not expected him to be. Mercy was uncomfortable with the porter carrying her carpet bag. She had never had anyone wait on her before. She was usually the one waiting on other people. In truth, it had been so long since anyone had waited on Scarlett that she was a little uncomfortable with people waiting on her. But she would get used to it.

Scarlett could not believe how much her life had changed in less than six months, but that was the way everything had always happened in her life. The afternoon that the war started, and Ashley had rejected her was the beginning of major changes in her life. Marrying Charlie, him dying, and her becoming a mother were major changes in her life after that nothing was ever the same again. As she thought about it, her relationship with Frank was much the same; a quick marriage, her getting with child right away, and his unexpected death. Once again nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Scarlett stopped her musings and realized that the pattern was the same with Rhett. A quick marriage and him getting her with child right away. She had to make sure nothing happened to Rhett. She would make sure he didn't do anything dangerous. She didn't know how she would do it. She had never thought someone as weak willed as Frank would disobey her and be a member of the Klan. She also had never thought Frank would have been brave enough to go on a raid on Shantytown.

Scarlett decided that keeping Rhett alive was going to be hard. He was not weak-willed, and she already knew she could not browbeat him into doing anything. Her only hope was that he was too smart to do anything stupid that would get him killed.

Soon Rhett was back from checking on his investments and he took the family to supper in the restaurant in the hotel. As they were leaving, he said, "Mercy, what do you want for dinner?"

"Macaroni and cheese."

"Certainly."

"And, Mr. Butler, can I have a roll?

Rhett smiled and said, "Of course, you can."

Once seated in the dining room, Scarlett got the children grilled cheese sandwiches. She got a ham sandwich, and Rhett got a tuna fish sandwich. They were served with raw vegetables. Over dinner, Rhett said, "All my investments are doing well."

Scarlett told Rhett about her conversation with Melanie. At the end of it she said, "He will get fired and we will have to get him another job."

"We are not rescuing Mr. Wilkes. You are not responsible for him. Let him move to New York."

Scarlett stared at Rhett. She had never told him about her conversation with Ashley in her mother's office. If she did, she would have to tell him the entire story, including how she had tricked him into working for her. The most embarrassing part was that she gave him half of one of her sawmills. Half! She said, "What are you talking about?"

Rhett realized he had said too much. He, in fact, never should have known that information. He had gotten the romanticized version out of Miss Melly when he had tricked her into helping him get Scarlett to sell her sawmills to Ashley. He had figured out the truth, knowing Scarlett as well as he did. He knew that she had just refused to let her true love move away from her. Even if it was the best thing for him. In New York he could have been his own man.

Rhett was thinking fast. He said, "A lot of people moved to the North where there were more opportunities. At the end of the war Mr. Wilkes hadn't had any job skills, therefore I just figured he would take a chance in the North. He may even have friends in the North who can give him a helping hand."

"He does have friends up there, but he has friends down here too. I don't want Melly to have to move to the North. She would be like a bird out of water."

"The phrase is a duck out of water."

"That makes more sense."

"I agree with you. Living in the North would not be good for Mrs. Wilkes. When he gets fired, I will see what is available at the bank. Tell Mrs. Wilkes to tell him not to sell his part."

"Melly would never tell her husband what to do."

Rhett smiled and said, "What about you?"

"I will be telling you what to do all the time."

Rhett smiled and changed the subject.

As the family was walking up the stairs, Scarlett said, "Mercy said she would be happy to travel with us."

Rhett whined, "Did you asked Mammy if she would return to you? Suellen could have Mercy."

"Rhett, we might get Mammy if Suellen stops having baby after baby, but as long as she keeps getting with child, we won't get her."

"So, the only way we are going to get Mammy is if your sister doesn't want her anymore."

"Need her. Suellen will always want Mammy to live with her, just as I do."

Rhett whined again when he said, "It's just not fair. We need her more."

"Honestly, Rhett we don't need her more. Besides with your wealth we can hire two or three nursemaids. Suellen can't even afford to hire one. Mammy just works for room and board."

Happily, Rhett said, "If we offer her a large wage, maybe she will come live with us."

By this time the family was exiting the stairs on their floor, Scarlett turned to Rhett and said, "What is with you? You have only met Mammy one time. How can you have such strong feelings about her?"

"Let me open the door."

After everyone was in the common room, Scarlett continued to stare at Rhett. He ignored Scarlett and said, "Mercy, here is your dinner. You may go into your room and eat it. When you are finished you can put Ella down for a nap. We will keep them entertained until you get back."

"Thank you, Mr. Butler."

Mercy took the plate and the fork and left the room. Scarlett said, "Rhett, I am going to need an answer. How can you have such strong feelings for Mammy when you have only met her once?"

Wade said, "That is easy, Mama. Mammy is the best. Everyone knows she is the best."

Rhett said, "Yes, everyone knows she is the best."

Scarlett stared at Rhett while he ignored her. Finally, she said, "You aren't going to answer me?"

"No, I don't think so. You wouldn't understand."

With those words Scarlett got mad. It was the condescension in the words, like she was stupid. She got up and left the room. Rhett did not follow her but stayed in the common room with the children. That made her even madder that he was not going to atone for his words and his actions.

Rhett was not going to atone for his words or his actions because he couldn't explain to her why he wanted Mammy to come and be a nursemaid to his children. She really was the best. He couldn't explain to her how he knew she was the best.

Later in the day after Ella woke up from her nap, Rhett convinced Scarlett to take the children to a park that was nearby to let them run around. Rhett said, "I will be going out tonight to check on some business deals I have brewing."

"Why can't you meet these men in the daytime?"

"Because these men are not the most law-abiding citizens."

"Rhett, don't associate with those kinds of men. It is too dangerous."

"It is not dangerous. I have been doing it for years and nothing has happened to me."

"I don't want the first time something happens to you be the time you get killed."

"I'm not going to get killed. I am an extremely cautious, careful man."

"Rhett…"

"No, you will not be telling me how to conduct my business. Over the next couple of days, I will get us invitations to social events. Maybe even a ball or two."

"As you wish."

"When is the rest of your clothing going to get here?"

"The dress maker said she would mail them by the end of the week. I will have to get Mrs. Krause to make any alterations that are needed."

"Who?"

"Eugenia Krause. She owns Krause's dress shop over on Central Ave."

"I suppose I will have to go with you and set-up an account."

With a happy smile, Scarlett said, "Thank you, Dear. And Mrs. Stokes' hat shop on Main Street."

"Of course, Dear. Anywhere else?"

"The cobbler, George Jones. His shop is next to Mrs. Stokes."

"Isn't that convenient?"

"Yes, it is. He makes leather purses."

"Does he make leather wallets?"

"I don't know. We can find out though."

"For now, I am going to give you an allowance of two and a half dollars a week. That should be plenty for all your needs. Mainly that will be for cab fare. I will be buying all of your food, and you will not have a household to run so you really don't need that much money."

"I will set you up an account at the store."

Rhett burst out laughing. He said, "Did you pay for the items you took from the store before?"

"Of course."

"Full price?"

Scarlett flashed Rhett a big smile and said, "No, I only paid what I paid for them."

"You will give me the same discount. At least until you sell the store."

"The day is getting closer and closer."

Rhett burst out laughing. He said, "Wade, you and Ella go run around the park. Your mother and I are going to sit on that bench over there."

Rhett and Scarlett spent the next hour watching the children play. He also spent the next hour teasing and annoying her. Yet, when she would be ready to scream, she would look at his face and see all his love showing there and just smile back at him.