Dear Readers, Hello! :)

So, I promised a chapter over the weekend, well, it's already Saturday. Yes, I must be a "wrong writer", who doesn't know how to keep the suspense, but you know, I like to share :)

And anyway, I felt inspiration on my fingertips today and it's so wonderful feeling...

Thank you for all your reviews and kind words, they inspire me!

So the new chapter is here, let's have a little peek into the life of our newlyweds (a little hot, yes ;)

For inspiration, the link is here, I don't know if anyone looks at these pictures, but I like to find them:)

https/polinka22malinka/774237166521958400/my-inspiration-for-the-chapter-18-of-the-story?source=share

Enjoy reading!:)

Chapter 18.

Scarlett's first morning as Mrs Butler began early. She awoke to the unusual sensation of being held in a tight embrace. For a moment, still half asleep, she thought she was in Saratoga, that it was her late husband holding her, but when she opened her eyes she realized that she was not in the North at all, but thousands of miles away, and was being held by another man, whose embrace was at once tender and strong.

Remembering what Rhett had been like last night, Scarlett felt a mixture of tenderness and a kind of suppressed passion from him, his every movement was so reverent yet so bright. He didn't just run his palm over her, he left a trail of fire behind her, he didn't just kiss her, he made her knees tremble.

Remembering all that had happened between them last night, Scarlett blushed as she realized she was responding to his touch more vividly than she had imagined, and where she had sighed in pleasure before, there was a moan that seemed to spur him on.

As she felt the goosebumps on her naked skin reappear, she tried to quickly push those memories and thoughts out of her mind. "I'll think about it later when I don't have that varmint breathing down my back," she thought, giggling as Rhett breathed on her and she suddenly felt, that it was ticklish.

"Good morning," she heard a husky, sleepy voice behind her back and realized that her giggling had apparently woken him up.

"Good morning," she replied quietly, deciding that she needed to get out of his arms somehow, find her nightgown and tidy up, because her hair needed combing at the very least.

She gently tried to move his warm palm, but Rhett just pulled her closer, whispering, "Don't run, Scarlett..."

She understood this wasn't going to be easy and quickly murmured, "I'm not running away, Rhett... Just my hair... And I need to find my nightgown and..."

"You're beautiful," she heard him whisper again, and then felt his hot breath on her neck and it was ticklish again.

"Rhett, you're breathing..." she mutterred, giggling.

"A valuable observation, Mrs Butler. Means I'm still alive," he joked.

She giggled again and only replied, "No, I'm just tickled by your breath..."

"Hmm..." he murmured and Scarlett felt him lightly, barely touching her as he ran his fingertips over her skin.

"That's not fair, stop tickling me," she said laughing, trying to wrap herself in the blanket.

But, it didn't help her much and his nimble fingers seemed to find her everywhere.

"Rhett, please," she said, gasping with laughter, and finally he stopped, smiled, lay back on the pillow and called to her, still tangled in the blankets, "Mrs Butler, lie down here... Come to me, Scarlett..."

"You're an incorrigible varmint," she mumbled, trying to brush her hair back, but lying on his chest anyway, trying to calm herself.

"Now do you understand why I want to repaint these walls?" she said suddenly, changing the subject.

"No, I don't understand," he replied calmly, smiling.

"It's like waking up in a swamp..."

Rhett laughed, but then added, "And I feel like we woke up in a forest. And look, Scarlett, the sunlight is hitting the wall and the colour is getting really beautiful... Like your eyes," he told her quietly.

She looked at the wall, where the rays were already hitting one of the paintings and her dressing table, but decided not to give up.

"Don't even try to buy me with cheap flattery, Rhett Butler! We'll come to this question in January anyway!"

He just smiled and replied, "I promised you, Scarlett, that everything would be just the way you wanted it, but right now I'm admiring the view..."

She smiled contentedly but suddenly looked at the clock and muttered, "Children..."

Rhett looked at her a little worriedly, but said calmly, "They are with Mary and they are probably just waking up. Let's get dressed and have breakfast together."

Scarlett nodded, realizing that their routine was about to change with the arrival of the new family member.

The children were quieter than usual that morning. Baby Ella was smiling at Rhett, barely eating her porridge, and he finally interrupted his breakfast to pick her up and help her.

"Rhett," Scarlett said sternly, "you'll get your clothes dirty. Ella can hold a spoon by herself, it's just that she's cranky today and you not have to spoil her."

He just smiled at his wife and said, "Let us have some fun, Honey. I want to help my daughter."

Scarlett flinched at these words and Rhett looked at her questioningly. He had long thought of Ella as his daughter, and she had even tried to call him "Daddy" a few times, but the nanny had corrected the little girl, explaining that it was "Uncle". He hadn't been able to object then, but he could now.

"Uncle Rhett," came Wade's timid voice, and Rhett quickly turned his attention to him.

"Yes, Wade?" he addressed the boy gently. He would have called him son, but he had to ask his permission. The boy would soon be six.

"Will you live with us now? Mummy told me..."

Scarlett looked at her son nervously. She had spoken to him the night before the wedding and she was embarrassed trying to explain, not sure if she had done a good job. They had arrived late last evening from the reception and the children were asleep already. So the time for questions came at breakfast.

"Yes, Wade, that's right. I married your mother yesterday," he explained calmly to the boy.

Wade smiled, but Rhett could see that something was bothering little boy, but he just took a bite of his toast with jam and began to chew thoughtfully.

Scarlett looked at her son, at Rhett who was holding Ella in his arms as she offered him a spoonful of porridge, but he was still looking at Wade.

"Christmas is only six days away," she decided to change the subject and poured herself a hot coffee.

Rhett nodded and smiled at her but Wade asked again, turning to Scarlett.

"Mummy, what about the Christmas tree?"

She looked at her son in confusion and mentally scolded herself. With all the worries about the wedding and the recent move, she had completely forgotten about the tree and the decorations...

"Of course, Wade. Let's finish breakfast and get for it together!" they heard Rhett's calm voice.

The boy smiled happily and quickly finished his toast, excusing himself from the table to get dressed.

Scarlett finished her coffee in silence and said thoughtfully, "We could ask the stable boy to bring the tree and..."

Rhett just shook his head negatively, handed little Ella to Mary and brushed the crumbs off his trousers. "Let us have some fun with Wade, Scarlett. It's a father and son thing, Honey."

Scarlett smiled at him and nodded, glad the governess wasn't coming until after Christmas. "I'll have to tell Rhett how the children spend their days," she thought.

As they returned in the carriage with the Christmas tree they had just bought, Rhett noticed that the cheerful Wade was brooding again, and only he was about to ask the reason when he heard the answer to his unspoken question.

"Dad and I went buying a Christmas tree for Mummy once... She doesn't believe I remember, but I do," Wade said stubbornly.

Rhett looked at the boy lovingly and asked, "What's bothering you, Wade? Can you tell me..."

The boy adjusted his jacket and asked shyly, "You called Ella a "daughter" today. But her daddy was my daddy. Is that how it works?"

Rhett remembered for a moment that Wade forgot his real father wasn't John. He'd been so little when Dr Carter had saved them, and his memory must have bounded that act, his care and love for them with the image of his father in his head.

Rhett replied quietly, "Yes, Wade, it happens... I love your mother and you very much, and since your father isn't around any more, I want to help your mother to look after you and Ella. And, of course, take care of her too."

Wade smiled slightly and said, "Daddy used to say that when Mummy was angry, just buy her a sweet and she'd soften up."

Rhett grinned and replied, "I think I'll remember your advice..."

Here he paused and was about to ask a question, but Wade beat him to it again, "Uncle Rhett... What are you going to call me?"

Rhett smiled, adjusted his scarf and said, "I wanted to ask you, Wade... I'd really like to call you "son". Would you let me?"

He saw the boy smile and nod, but suddenly the smile was gone.

"Wade?"

"But I'm used to calling you "Uncle Rhett". Would you want me to call you "Daddy" too? I don't know..."

Rhett stroked the boy's hair affectionately and interrupted him softly, "Call me what you're used to, son."

Wade nodded, then asked, looking at the small spruce branch in his hands, "Did you ever go for Christmas tree with your father, Uncle Rhett?"

Rhett grinned, imagining his ever-strict father picking out the tree and then getting his hands dirty on the resinous branches, but only said, "No, son, there was no such tradition when I was a boy."

"Tradition?" the boy asked, hearing an unfamiliar word.

"Yes, it means an action that happens all the time, like the tradition of baking a cake for your birthday," Rhett explained.

"Oh, so next year we'll go for Christmas tree together again and that'll be a tradition, yes?"

Rhett nodded and added, "We can bring Ella..."

"No," the boy interrupted, "let it be a man's tradition, for father and son, okay, Uncle Rhett?"

Rhett smiled, nodded and said, "Okay, son. We'll think of something else for Ella and us."

In three days, Scarlett stood irritably at the wooden kitchen table, dipping her hands into the soft, sticky dough. Her slightly dishevelled bundle, the pink house dress and white apron she'd managed to put on when she'd fallen into the trap of her son, who'd angelically asked her to bake cookies with him and, when she'd agreed with a sigh, had suddenly gone for a riding walk with Ross, who'd dropped in for a visit. So she was alone in the kitchen, Mary was upstairs with Ella and Rhett nowhere to be found. After lunch he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left, saying he had an urgent meeting. His business meetings and occasional evening poker games of a few hours (he told her about them himself) bothered Scarlett a little, but having been married to John and used to trusting relationships, she didn't imagine otherwise, although her intuition told her Rhett wouldn't be so easy. But now he had her trust, and Scarlett preferred to ask rather than speculate.

Thoughtful, she continued to knead the dough with her hands, adding flour lightly. A light dusting of flour hung in the air, the wind blew outside the window and the kitchen was warm from the cast-iron stove.

Suddenly Scarlett felt familiar hands around her waist and sighed fearfully, barely speaking, "Rhett..."

"Honey," she heard his soft voice close to her ear, "I didn't know you liked to cook so much," he continued without removing his warm palms from her waist or trying to turn her around.

"It was all Wade, he made it up and went for a walk with your brother," she murmured, adding in a resentful tone, "and you've scared me, always sneaking up, like a cat..."

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," he said almost in a whisper and she felt his warm lips touch her neck. She shuddered and muttered, trying to distract herself, "I'll put a bell on you so you don't sneak up on me..."

She felt him smile, but at the same moment his lips touched her cheek and she felt him trace a trail of kisses from her cheek to her neck again, then she felt his hot breath against her ear and he whispered, "Let me help you..."

She didn't have time to say anything before felt his palms descend on hers and together they began to sink gently into the soft dough.

At the same time he reached for her other cheek and began to leave a trial of wet kisses there too, lower and lower, down her neck to the neckline of her homemade dress. Rhett pressed himself against her, she felt his strong figure from behind and his hands continued to slowly knead the dough, although it seemed to Scarlett that he was more stroking her hands.

"Scarlett," she heard him whisper hotly into her ear and his breath made her knees shake.

"Rhett, you're going to get dirty," she whispered weakly, but she heard him say, "Never mind," and closed her eyes, feeling him kiss all the exposed areas of her skin over and over again as her bundle unravelled, some of the bobby pins falling to the floor, and he was already burrowing into her hair, whispering, "I love the way you smell..."

Scarlett could barely whisper a reply, she was already losing the edge of reality, dissolving into his breath, his kisses, his whispers and the touch of his hands. Rhett squeezed her palms tighter and she heard him whisper, "You're driving me crazy..."

He kissed her behind her ear and when he felt her shiver in his arms he stopped and just stood behind her, not moving. Scarlett could feel his heavy breathing mingled with hers. The silence in the kitchen enveloped them, the dough forgotten.

"If we were alone in the house," he whispered hoarsely, and Scarlett blushed, realizing that not only would it have happened here in the kitchen, because she was hardly able to refuse him, feeling so helpless in his arms, but that just last morning he had gently pushed their "boundaries" again.

She blushed even more when she remembered how they'd been awake in the bedroom at dawn, Rhett muffled her moans with his kisses, occasionally pulling away from her lips to whisper her name.

What surprised her was not even that it had happened in the morning (though she suspected it was somehow scandalous and unusual), but that she had succumbed so easily to his touches when, through her sleep, she felt his strong hands caressing her, seemingly everywhere, and then a hot mist and his lips. She didn't even seem to open her eyes, caught between dream and reality. It was so sinful and yet so beautiful... She didn't know if they conformed to any social norms, she didn't remember such conversations with her mother or another old relative. And with John her experience was brief, pleasant, she just trusted him.

But with Rhett... She didn't just trust, she dissolved, deciding that even if something was outside the norms, who cared... "It's just the two of us in our bedroom," she thought, pressing herself against him.

But it seemed that the boundaries of the bedroom were expanding too, and Scarlett thought about it with fear and intense curiosity.

They heard the door slam and she whispered, "Ross and Wade are back," finally managing to turn carefully, remove her hands from the dough and grab a linen towel.

She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't dare look him in the eye.

Finally, unable to bear it, she held the towel out to him, he caught her hands and called softly, "Scarlett?

She looked up at him timidly and saw a hot but worried look in his eyes...

"I want..."

"Rhett, not now," she cut him off quickly, afraid of conversations that might make her cheeks flush. Better to discuss such things in the darkness of the bedroom, when she could feel his breath behind her.

Rhett nodded, and she noticed that he was wearing only a white shirt and home-made trousers...

"Have you had time to change?" she asked absently, hearing that Ross and Wade had apparently gone upstairs.

"Yes, I got back, the house was quiet, I thought you were all upstairs, but I only found Ella and Mary. I quickly changed and went to find my wife..." he finished with a smile, kissing her lightly on the nose.

Scarlett smiled, fixed her hair, Rhett found all the hairpins and she started rolling out the dough.

"Did you go to a meeting?" she asked in between, while he stared thoughtfully out of the window.

"Yes, Darling," he replied unexpectedly affectionately, and Scarlett lifted her eyes to his.

"Is something wrong, Rhett?"

He smiled, then moved closer to her and touched her chin gently.

"Welcome home, Scarlett," he said, suddenly serious,but his smile was still on his face.

She looked at him questioningly and he explained, "I've met the lawyer, we've done the paperwork. I bought this house for us."

Her hands froze and all she said was, "Oh..."

"Unexpected?" he asked quietly.

"Yes... Very..." she mumbled, trying to understand how she felt. She didn't have a home yet. Or rather, she had one somewhere, but she didn't remember it. But she liked the idea to have their own home to make themselves comfortable, a home that would be special and loved by their family.

"Are you excited?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm... I'm surprised... I didn't have a home... I mean, I had one, but I don't remember it..."

He remembered bitterly how she had wanted to go home that night of the fall of Atlanta. He remembered the ruins of her beloved Tara. He'd known he'd have to take her there one day... But now he just wanted to give her a home. Her home.

They were still silent, she continued to roll out the dough and then suddenly said, "Thank you, Rhett..."

"I'll help you with the corset, Scarlett," Rhett said obligingly as they were going to Mrs Butler's mansion for Christmas dinner a few days later.

She nodded, then asked curiously, "How did you learn to lace a corset?"

He chuckled and simply said, "A friend taught me."

Scarlett didn't like that answer and muttered, "I hope you're not meeting to this friend now."

"Did you say something, Mrs Butler?" his joking voice came from behind him.

"Nothing," she said quickly, changing the subject, "I'm glad your mother decided to have a family dinner for Christmas."

Rhett looked at her in surprise, then finished with the corset and turned her towards him, "I thought you'd be nervous, Scarlett..."

"Why? I like your mother and it's fun to gossip and joke with Ross... And you're nice too," she finished playfully, reaching for her Christmas dress. She had chosen a red velvet dress, and Rhett couldn't take his eyes off her as she tried it on yesterday.

Rhett grinned and then added sternly, "Rosemary hasn't apologized to you yet..."

"It doesn't matter, Rhett. I told you, for some reason I find it easier to be friends with men. Women look at me strangely, the younger ones anyway. And Rosemary was no exception. Even at our wedding, I think all the young ladies looked at me with envy, although they smiled at my face..."

"And why do you think that is?" he asked, helping her to fasten the buttons at her back.

"Well, they say I married the most enviable bachelor in Charleston," she replied with a chuckle.

Rhett smiled, but then added seriously, "You know, Rosemary has a hard time accepting new people, but I think she'll accept you."

Scarlett just shrugged. She decided to just ignore his sister and that was that. She wasn't going to give up her husband, his mother and Ross just because of Rosemary's suspicious looks. "After all," she thought to herself, "there's probably one disgruntled person in every family... A lousy sheep," Scarlett chuckled and, with a nod to Rhett, walked over to the dressing table to fix her hair.

Mrs Butler welcomed them, and after dinner they found themselves in the cozy parlour, which smelt of spruce, vanilla and the very scent that gave Scarlett comfort and peace. She always felt that way around Mrs Butler and couldn't explain it to herself, except that her mother must have been the same... "I wonder if my parents are still alive. After all, no one is looking for me..." she thought for a moment, but tried to distract herself by handing Ella the little doll they had taken with them. But in fact the little girl was more than interested in walking by hand with Rhett or Ross, looking at the room and the Christmas tree. Wade kept up with them too, telling Ross and Mrs Butler how he and Rhett had gone buying for the tree the other day.

Scarlett noticed the piano and for some reason decided to walk over to it.

"Do you play, Scarlett?" asked Mrs Butler, noticing her daughter-in-law running her hand thoughtfully over the keys.

"I don't know..." she said quickly and added, lifting her eyes to hers, "I'm sorry, Mrs Butler, I meant I don't remember..."

Miss Eleanor smiled sympathetically and suddenly said in a louder voice, "Rosemary, daughter, come here, please."

Rosemary put the book she was looking at on the table, adjusted the sleeves of her lilac dress and reluctantly walked over to the musical instrument.

"Mother?"

"Daughter, sit down with Scarlett and play something... Maybe her hands will remember and we'll all enjoy listening..."

Rosemary looked in disbelief, but Scarlett was curious to try, because John had often told her that her hands remembered everything.

They nodded slightly at each other, sat down on a soft bench and began to pick out melodies. From time to time Rosemary showed Scarlett something, and once she even took her hand carefully.

Rhett and Ross were with the children by the Christmas tree, Ella was in her stepfather's arms, yawning occasionally and looking at sweets in brightly coloured wrappers. Wade and Ross sat on the other side, with a small chessboard between them.

Rhett watched his wife and his thoughts drifting back to the warm summer evenings during the war when they'd sat in Pittie's parlour and Scarlett had played on the piano to entertain the neighbours and guests, and he'd glanced at her so often, but she hadn't noticed.

"You've really played before," Rosemary said affirmatively, closing the music book.

Scarlett smiled at her and nodded, "I guess so..." and was about to approach Rhett when she heard an incredulous voice say, "You really don't remember anything?"

She looked Rosemary in the eye and replied, "Nothing," and then added, "Thanks for playing, Rosemary."

That evening they played more charades and even a blindman's buff. Scarlett laughed at how clumsily Ross tried to catch someone blindfolded and how cleverly Rhett did it like a predator.

"How dangerous you are, Captain Butler," she managed to whisper as they took a little break.

Rhett just smiled his predatory smile and her heart trembled at that moment. Scarlett felt that it was in that moment, in the parlour of his mother's house she had truly fallen in love with him, and that it would never change.

Mrs Butler was watching them, with Ella dozing in her arms. It had been a long time since she had been so quietly happy to see her children happy, especially her eldest son. Rosemary's aloofness bothered her a little, but her daughter had taken a long time to accept new people.

As she stroked the curls of the little girl she was happy to call her granddaughter, Mrs Butler only prayed that her eldest son would really open up to his wife. Really let her into his life. Unfortunately she couldn't do it herself. He loved her as a mother, but he didn't trust her. Miss Eleanor knew that was because of an old story that couldn't be fixed now. But with Scarlett, she believed her son would learn to believe and trust people.

In the evening, after coming home and putting the sleepy children to beds, Scarlett, dressed in her nightgown, came out of the adjoining room that served as their bathroom and saw Rhett standing thoughtfully by the window with a cigar.

Inhaling her favourite aroma, she went quickly to her husband, embraced him from behind and said softly, "Thank you, Rhett... You gave me a family."