Dear readers! :)

As promised, I'm posting a new chapter!

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that the next year will be kind to us and bring only good events.

Thank you so much for your comments, for your messages and just for reading what I write. A year ago I could not even think that I would write something and someone would read it. Thank you for welcoming me and my stories here so warmly.

Enjoy reading!:)

Chapter 9.

Scarlett looked out of the window and watched the carriage in which Rhett Butler, who had just angered her once more and then playfully apologized, was leaving for New York and then to South Carolina.

"I have to see my family in Charleston, Scarlett," he'd told her the other day when he'd returned from a walking with Wade. He had become a frequent visitor to her home, walking with her and the children around town, taking over the horseback rides with her son and teaching him to play chess. He even managed to charm the ever-suspicious Amy, although she still looked at him strangely and often grumbled about him coming unannounced.

Every two or three days, Captain Butler came to the door of their little house in the morning with a box of sweets or some delicious pastries from the bakery or a new toy for Wade, and it would all start again.

Scarlett looked up at the grey February sky, it was the end of winter, and smiled. Her relationships with her new "friend" was not easy!

The way they communicated to each other shocked her and especially her reactions to his words! It seemed that this obnoxious man could bring out the worst and most hidden traits in her and she showed herself "in all her glory"! She would never have behaved like this with John, with whom she was more gentle and less stubborn, but with this rascal! And he seemed to know where to push, and best of all, he enjoyed it. She seemed to amuse him, he joked and had fun, and he called all her angry reactions "adorable"!

One day, during an argument, she even threw her bonnet at him in anger, and he laughed so loudly, then he picked it up from the floor, shook off the dust and handed it to her with a slight bow, saying, "You're a wonder, Scarlett! Especially when you're angry!"

Oh, she would have broken off communication with that obnoxious man long ago, but here was the problem, she was so interested with him! His endless stories, his jokes, their walks, even his help with Wade - it was so important for her, because she had no close friends or relatives here. He helped her not to feel alone, and for that one thing she was grateful to him.

"A month," she whispered softly, stepping away from the window and adjusting the collar of her black dress, "He said he'd be gone for a month," she thought, sighing sadly and going into the nursery.

Rhett had spent two weeks in Charleston and was already starting to pack his bags to go back to the North to Saratoga Springs. The few days on the train from New York to Charleston had flown by as he smiled back on the past months, although he'd missed her and the children as soon as he'd left their house on the outskirts of town. He'd even thought Scarlett had looked sad when he'd told her he had to go away for a month, but she'd shrugged her shoulders, then quickly turned away and just said, "You have to, Rhett. This is your family."

"You and the children are my family," wished he could answer her, but just remained silent, knowing she was right. His mother must have been worried that he'd gone and almost disappeared, and there was business in the South that required his presence.

Yes, this trip was really going well. Mrs Butler's happy eyes, her warm embrace, his younger brother's jokes and their conversations, even with Rosemary he had reconciled, although she had not given up her hope that he would interested in her friend Anne Hampton. Rhett hardly noticed the young girl, although he once accompanied her and Rosemary on a walk along the waterfront.

That day he walked beside his sister and her friend, occasionally nodding to acquaintances, but his eyes kept returning to the blue of the water. He was enjoying the warm sunlight, the evergreen trees, and dreaming of bringing her and the children here, to the warmth, for the weather in March in Charleston and in Saratoga was rather different. It was more pleasant for him to wear a jacket than a heavy woollen coat.

But as the days passed, thoughts of her took up more and more of his time. Every evening he would sit in his study, smoke a cigar, look out the window and wonder, "How is she? Did she smile today? How's Wade? Hadn't he forgotten the difference between a bishop and a rook? And little Ella? What else has she learnt?" He had to get back...

That morning, as Rhett finished his coffee alone in the parlour and was about to go and get his train tickets, Ross suddenly came over to him. As if in response to his questioning look, he looked at his brother intently and started the conversation with a slight smile, "Rhett, admit it, you're not just simple going to the North so soon. There is a reason and you're hiding something, I've known you since you were a child and..."

Rhett put on his china cup on the table and said calmly, "Stop it, Ross."

"You'd better admit it now, I'll find out anyway! Or I'll follow you like I did when you were six years old, when you wanted to run away from home on a trip and I went with you!"

Rhett grinned, "I was eight and you were five and you didn't 'follow me', you ran and tried to stop me and kept whining that I was going to drown at sea on that boat..."

"And you would have drowned, you fool! It's a good thing mother noticed our absence then... By the way, she's quite observant now too, Rhett..."

Rhett quickly looked up at his brother and raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Ross?"

"Well, our beloved mother is very nervous and suspects that you've been seeing a woman in the North. It's gotten to the point where she's almost praying you don't marry a Yankee..."

"She's not a Yankee," Rhett interrupted irritably, and saw Ross almost jump up on the spot, as he had done as a child, and exclaim, "Yes, I knew it! Knew it!"

"Shut up!"

"Who is she?! Tell me, brother!"

"Ross..."

"Come on Rhett, tell me."

Rhett looked irritably at his brother, who seemed little changed from his childhood, and decided it would be quicker to partially satisfy his curiosity.

"There's a lovely lady in Saratoga Springs, that I visit from time to time... She's a good friend of mine..." Rhett started to explain, but Ross interrupted him, "Friend? Are you making fun of me?"

"Okay, Ross, not just 'friend'... I like this woman..."

"So get married, what are you waiting for?" he asked his brother cheerfully.

Rhett frowned, realizing that marriage was only in his dreams for now...

"She's a widow, it's not that easy... Besides, her children..."

Ross chuckled and asked, "Hey, Captain Butler, how old is this madam?" but when he saw his brother frown, he added, "Okay, Rhett, sorry..."

"Ross, she's a young girl, widowed for the first time at the start of the war and for the second time - six months ago... The children are very little, the son is almost five and the daughter is not even a year old..." Rhett told him, not noticing the softening of his features and the kind glow in his eyes.

Ross was attentive and happy for his brother, who was looking for his mysterious lost woman last year, so he said, "How did you meet her?"

Rhett was silent for a moment, then said, "I knew her husband. He died last autumn."

Ross looked sadly at his brother, shook his head, but then said, "I want to go with you this time, you can introduce me to your..."

"That's out of the question, Ross," Rhett said sternly, getting up from the table.

"Why is that? I'll go with you, mother will be relieved that you're not alone and that I'll come back and tell her some news, I won't be bored here in Charleston, and you..."

"And I don't need a nanny, Ross," Rhett finished and was about to walk past him when Ross added slyly, "and you know Miss Hampton's invited to dinner tonight."

Rhett froze and quickly looked at his brother, "Why didn't I know that, Ross?"

Ross chuckled and replied with feigned indifference, "Rosemary has asked for a 'surprise' dinner and Mother, fearing you will go back to the North, has not given up hope that some young miss will capture your heart... But," Ross paused, smiled broadly and added, "the truth is that Captain Butler's heart is already captured."

Rhett stood on the threshold of the parlour, adjusting the cufflinks on his sleeves, wondering how he could avoid this young lady's insistent attentions without breaking relations with his sister or upsetting his mother. He could have left in the tomorrow morning, but this dinner... "Damn it," he muttered, looking up at his brother.

"Ross, you're going to help me with dinner, aren't you?"

"Yes," he replied simply, noticing his brother's smile and adding conspiratorially, "if you take me to Saratoga with you."

Rhett shook his head and Ross added, "Although, you know, I had plans for tonight..."

"Ross," he heard his brother's warning voice.

"So you'll buy me a ticket?" he asked him again, looking with a simple-minded look.

Rhett suddenly smiled and said, "That's blackmail, just like when I was a child..."

"Yes..."

"Ross, we..."

"I had a good teacher, brother..."

Rhett grinned again and said, "Okay, you win, Ross, but just this once! I'll take you, we'll tell our mother you're going to see the horses and the races. You'll meet Scarlett..."

"What a pretty name," he interrupted, smiling contentedly.

"Don't change the subject, Ross. You'll meet her and then you'll go back to Charleston!"

"Good, I'm glad you asked me to keep you company!"

"As if I had a choice," Rhett muttered, adding louder, "at dinner Miss Hampton is all yours. Quid pro quo."

"No problem, Rhett," he replied, grinning.

At dinner, Ross was charming, constantly complimenting the ladies, keeping the conversation going, often answering questions to which his older brother only nodded. Rhett was quietly angry with Rosemary again, but he didn't want to argue with her and upset their mother. "Besides, Rosemary will calm down when she meets Scarlett... If that happens, of course," Rhett thought to himself, concentrating on his plate.

As soon as Miss Hampton had left, the four of them gathered in the parlour and Rhett shocked his mother with the news.

"When are you leaving, son? Tomorrow? With Ross?" Mrs Butler repeated the questions. When Miss Eleanor heard they were going to Saratoga Springs, she sighed sadly and said she would like to go too, as it would be good for her health. "Mother," Rhett addressed her affectionately, "I'll take you to the springs, but it's cold now, you see, it's the second half of March, and it's just beginning of a warm weather there."

Mrs Butler nodded and asked them not to stay too long, but Rosemary was silent and offended on her brothers.

On the way to New York, Rhett could hardly sit still in his compartment, it seemed to him that the train was too slow, that it would take forever to get to her, and that it would be quicker to go by feet.

Ross didn't seem to notice his brother's excitement, quietly reading a newspaper or dozing, but his eyes frequently caught Rhett's pensive gaze out the window and he smiled quietly, covering himself with the newspaper.

And now, a few days later, as he got off at a familiar station, Rhett finally felt a little calmer. The night train from New York had arrived early in the morning. The weather was chilly, but spring had arrived in this northern city. The snow had melted, the first leaves were appearing on the trees, and the morning sun was already warming the collar of his coat.

He and his brother checked into a familiar hotel in the city centre, and Rhett immediately began changing and tidying up.

"Are you really going to see her without a note? An invitation? Rhett, where are your manners?" wondered Ross as he sat on the couch and yawned. He had planned to take a nap after a night on the train.

"Scarlett knows I love surprise visits," he said, smoothing his hair in front of the mirror and adding with a grin, "Besides, she's beautiful when she's angry."

Ross just shook his head and wished his brother luck as he watched the door close behind him.

Standing in front of the familiar door, Rhett thought the time was perfect, because Wade was free after breakfast and little Ella was still awake. He loved holding this baby girl, watching her features change, admiring her eyes and catching the smiles she gave him regularly.

Rhett smiled, remembering that she used to stain his jacket with the same regularity, amusing him and embarrassing Scarlett.

But he loved the way she would take Ella from his arms, hand her to the nanny, and help him take off his jacket.

The timid touch of her small hands on his shoulders sent strong pulses through his body, bringing back memories of dancing with her in the Bazaar, holding her tighter than etiquette allowed, or of their last hot kiss at the "Rough and Ready" road.

Rhett knocked impatiently on the wooden door. He hadn't seen her for almost a month and God, he missed her so madly. He smiled, imagining her surprised look, and decided he'd let himself kiss her hand again, maybe even give her a little hug in greeting.

But the door was opened by Amy, who said in a quick voice, "Ah, it's you, Captain Butler. Good morning."

She reached to help him take off his light coat and he joked as he handed it to her, "Is Mrs Carter expecting anyone special?"

"We're expecting a doctor, Captain Butler," he heard a stern voice and quickly raised his eyes to the cook.

"What is it, Amy?" he said gravely.

"Mr Wade is ill. He's had a high fever for the third day, and a cough came on during the last night, and Mrs Carter has been waiting for the doctor since this morning..."

Rhett did not listen to the end of the answer, but walked quickly up the stairs. The door to the nursery was open, but only Mary's voice could be heard.

Rhett looked at the ajar door across the hall, her bedroom door, and opened it gently.

She was sitting with her back to the door, holding a wet towel to the little boy's forehead.

Without hesitation, Rhett entered the room quickly, then, in a few steps silently covered the distance between them, put his hand on her shoulder.

Scarlett flinched and turned sharply, surprised to see him.

"Hello," Rhett said softly, noticing her pallor and worried gaze.

She just nodded at him.

"You're here," she thought, removing the damp towel from the boy's forehead. "I've missed you so much," he thought as he sat down beside her.

"Wade is ill," she said in a low whisper, without looking at him. She wet the towel again and wrung it out gently.

Rhett remained silent as she continued, "High fever for the third day now, sometimes it goes away... But a cough came on during the night and I called the doctor in the morning. A good friend of John's, a former colleague at the hospital..." she interrupted her whispering and then he saw her put the towel back on her son's forehead and added, "I'm afraid of pneumonia."

Rhett sighed, but said only softly, "It's going to be okay, Scarlett. I'm here, I'm with you," and she felt his palm on her shoulder.

Scarlett didn't turn around, just nodded briefly, and a few minutes later the doctor, she'd been waiting for, came into the bedroom.

He greeted her and Rhett, listened to all her complaints, spoken in a calm and clear voice, then gently examined the sleepy boy, praising her for doing the right thing and reassuring that it wasn't pneumonia.

He put the necessary glass bottles on the bedside table, asked quietly about Ella and, promising he would come tomorrow, left, shaking her hand lightly and nodding to the tall man standing by the window.

Rhett had barely had time to approach her before Mary came into the room and whispered something in her ear. Scarlett nodded and motioned for Rhett to leave the room.

It was only in the corridor that she seemed to realize he was back after a month's absence, and looking into his eyes she said, "Hello again, Rhett... It seems a bad time for visit. But I'm glad to see you..."

"Me too, Scarlett. Everything's going to be all right, just like the doctor said. Now, let's go downstairs while Ella sleeps," he replied in that deep voice she missed so much.

They went downstairs to the dining room, which adjoined the small kitchen.

"Mrs Carter," Scarlett heard the cook's voice and raised her head to look at her questioningly.

Amy gave Rhett another strange look, but only asked, "Will you be having lunch, ma'am?" and then asked Rhett politely, "And you, sir?"

Scarlett was about to say she wouldn't, but the guest needed to be fed or offered coffee when she heard a stern male voice behind her, "Yes please Amy, Mrs Carter and I will have lunch."

Scarlett turned sharply to see him smile and say, "I'm very hungry, Scarlett."

"Yes, but I'm..." she began to say.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked suddenly with concern in his voice.

Scarlett looked at him confused, then at Amy, who nodded satisfactorily and muttered quietly, "Miss Scarlett, you haven't had a proper meal from yesterday morning, just tea."

Scarlett frowned, but Amy nodded again to Rhett and said that everything would be ready in ten minutes.

Scarlett looked at them, but she didn't have the energy to argue. Now that her fear of the pneumonia had subsided, now that her son was under the doctor's control, now that Rhett had arrived (oh, she didn't understand why, but knowing that there was a man living near them who was good to her and the children gave her a sense of peace, at least partially), it was now that her inner resilience began to melt away by the minute.

Rhett smiled at her once more, sat on the chair near the dining table and began to tell one story to distract her from anxious thoughts. She came thoughtfully to the window in the room, trying to nod at Rhett's stories, but she could barely hear them.

Scarlett stared out of the window at the blue sky, clenching her fingers nervously. She heard him joking about something from his childhood and she even grinned at his words and tried to laugh, but after a moment she quickly covered her face with her hands and Rhett saw her shoulders shake with the sobs she was trying to hide.

He didn't know how it happened, but he quickly got up from his chair, walked over to her, turned her around and hugged tightly, feeling her against his chest and his shirt getting wet.

"Scarlett... My girl... Brave girl... What's wrong with you?" Rhett whispered affectionate words to her, not understanding why she was crying so bitterly, stroking her back and even touching her hair a few times with his lips.

As he held her in his arms, in which she was so trustingly drowning, Rhett himself was drowning in a flood of emotions, from tenderness to arousal. He was afraid to think how many years, months and days had passed since their last embrace... He remembered comforting her the night Atlanta fell... promising he'd bring her home and then almost losing her forever.

Now, as he held her close, he could feel the trembling in his palms and the frantic rhythm of his heart, which she would surely notice if she calmed down. But Scarlett cried and cried, as if to release her hidden pain.

She didn't remember the moment she let him hold her, but it was what her body and soul demanded. He gave her such a deep sense of calm in his arms, as if she had experienced it before. He was calm and exciting at the same time, she was drowning in the scent of his cigars, and his arms were as strong and secure as her late husband's. He seemed to be whispering something to her, but she could not hear his words over her sobs, which she tried to muffle, only making them louder.

As much as Rhett liked to hold her in his arms forever, the voice of reason told him to take a more appropriate position, for the cook might enter the room at any moment.

The last thing he wanted was for Scarlett to be gossiped. He remembered how their dance in the Bazaar had got the whole town talking about them, and he didn't want that to happen again. He didn't want to let gossip and glances into their little cozy world.

It was easier in the North, the servants gossiped less, they had their own families and worries, and the society was more loyal. Still, he didn't want to get her into trouble.

"Scarlett," he called softly, feeling her begin to calm down.

She was silent, just sobbing, and then he pulled away gently, reaching into his pocket with one hand and continuing to hold her with the other. Rhett took out a clean, white handkerchief and carefully, gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, hearing a soft "Thank you".

He couldn't see her eyes, she avoided his gaze, but he said, "Let's sit here," pointing to the armchairs by the window, near the coffee table where they often sat, talking, drinking coffee and playing chess at Christmas.

He put his arm around her tiny waist and gently sat her down in the armchair. Scarlett kept avoiding his gaze, not realizing how she had let her emotions get the better of her and lost control of herself. Carefully wiping her eyes with his handkerchief, she remained silent, wishing he would just forget this moment of weakness. But when she heard his worried voice and the phrases, "What's wrong with you, Scarlett? Tell me... We're friends, I'll help you," she sighed, looked at his face and met his black eyes.

He waited in silence, knowing he didn't want to push her, but it was so important to him that she trusted him as she once had... He knew he wouldn't let himself lose her trust again, if he ever found it.

"To tell or not to tell... To tell or not to tell..." the thought bounced around in her head. She wanted to at least share her fear with someone, knowing that she could go crazy with worry. Rhett was here, close by and could be trusted, since John trusted him...

She sighed heavily again and began to speak in a quiet voice, with her hands on the table, fumbling with the fabric of the handkerchief.

"Ever since John saved me, us... He's always been there for me. Always. And my biggest fear was to be alone again, like when he found me," she paused, noticing the way he frowned slightly, but continued, "We even fought with him once, you know? He wanted to send me to his parents in another town, but I didn't want to leave him. He was my rock, you know?"

Rhett just nodded curtly, and she continued, choosing her words carefully, "I have a fear, Rhett... And I hate myself for that weakness... I fear not for myself... For Wade, and now for Ella. I mean, they don't have anyone but me, you know? And if anything happens to me..."

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Scarlett," he interrupted her sharply in a hoarse voice, and she looked at him in surprise, but continued, "You can't know the future, Rhett. Nobody can," she replied earnestly, adding suddenly, "And I don't know my past either, damn it! I can't remember a thing, Rhett! It drives me crazy, sometimes! I can't even remember the date of my son's birth! What kind of a mother am I?"

Rhett remembered her telling him that when they'd done the paperwork after the wedding, John had adopted Wade, giving him his surname, and they'd taken his approximate date of birth based on his appearance, height and weight. So Wade Hampton's date of birth changed from 12 January to 10 May.

Remembering all this, he suddenly reached out his hand, placed it on her hands and said quietly, "You're a good mother, Scarlett, I can see how hard you're trying. Trying for two... but you're not alone... For example, there's me. I'm your friend, aren't I? I'm here to help you whenever you ask. You don't even have to ask, Scarlett, just say..."

She felt his warm hand on hers and didn't know what to say.

When Scarlett met his eyes and saw some expectation in them again, she felt embarrassed and nodded, but Rhett continued without removing his warm palm, "In fact, just think, Scarlett, when you remember, Wade will have two birthdays and demand presents twice a year," he finished with a playful smile, trying to make a joke.

She giggled nervously in response, and eventually gently released her hands from under his palm. His sense of humour often made her angry, but more often it made her laugh, and this time it gave her some peace.

Amy came into the room with a tray, placed everything neatly on the large dining table and left quietly, happy that the young woman would finally eat.

"Let's go to eat, Scarlett," he said quietly, watching as she carefully wiped the corners of her eyes with his handkerchief again. As he made his way to the table, he heard a soft, "Thank you, Rhett," and smiled, realizing that she trusted him and that they had become a little closer.