Hello! How is everybody? It's still snowing here in England. I only hope that it warms up by next week as I bought a new dress to wear on my birthday and I really don't want to freeze!

Anyway… On with the chapter, and I think it's the one that you've all been waiting for!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer – I do not own anything.

Two weeks after the bazaar, Scarlett was sat in the parlour when Melly came rushing in waving a piece of paper.

"Oh Scarlett, look at this letter, from Captain Butler!" she said, smiling. Scarlett took it and looked at the strong but elegant writing, wondering what on earth he could want. She scanned the page quickly, half afraid that he'd said something about her that she didn't want Melly to know.

Mrs Wilkes,

Whilst the Confederacy needs the life blood of its men, it does not yet require the hearts blood of its women. Please accept your ring with the knowledge that it has been redeemed at ten times its value.

Rhett K Butler

P.S. I also enclose Mrs Hamilton's ring.

Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief and accepted her ring off Melly. She put it back on her finger where it felt as though it was weighing her whole hand down. Glancing at the letter again, she could practically feel the mockery rolling off the page at his last sentence. The way he'd put it, made it sound as though she didn't deserve to get her ring back. And she was an afterthought! A scowl appeared on her face.

"Oh wasn't it kind of him Scarlett?" Melanie asked sweetly, completely oblivious to her sister-in-law's frown. "He must be a true gentleman. However can I thank him? Oh, I must ask Auntie to invite him over for dinner; yes I'll ask her now." And with that, she hurried out the room before Scarlett had a chance to protest.

Was it really a good idea having Rhett Butler round for dinner? Scarlett thought not. To start with, she was sure that he had only returned their rings because he knew it would get him an invitation to the Hamilton household and that kindness and honour had nothing to do with it, not that Melanie would believe that for a second. She always only saw the good in people, and whilst this was admirable, Scarlett inwardly sighed at Melly's complete naivety when it came to people like Rhett Butler who were clearly up to no good and had ulterior motives. What they were, she wasn't quite sure, but she just knew that he was up to something.

However, that thought was pushed out of her head as Wade started crying and, laying the letter on the settee, she hurried up to the nursery.

A few days later, Scarlett made sure that Wade was fed and asleep by the time their guest arrived. She had also checked and double checked that there was no evidence of her son left downstairs, and after picking up his blanket which was draped over the settee, the house looked as though it's only occupants were three woman. She now only had to make sure that the conversation never turned towards her son, which she was fairly sure it wouldn't. Children and babies in particular were never the source of conversation with grown men whose interests lay out of the realm of how many hours a baby slept for at night or the new blanket they had become so attached to. Rhett exuded so much masculinity that Scarlett was positive that even Melanie would feel embarrassed bringing up Wade in his presence, or at least, she hoped Melly would.

Throughout dinner the next day, Rhett was on his best behaviour Scarlett noticed, complimenting the hospitality and the food. There were no snide comments or mocking jokes that Scarlett didn't understand and by the time Melanie and Aunt Pitty retired upstairs, Scarlett was exhausted trying to figure out what he was trying to achieve.

They went through to the parlour and Scarlett could finally stop biting her tongue, as she had been doing for the past hour or two.

"What do you want Rhett?" she asked bluntly.

"Why do you think I want something?" he replied casually.

"Because you're not normally so polite" Scarlett burst out, folding her arms defiantly. Rhett chuckled.

"You're quite right my dear, I simply thought it wouldn't be conducive to being invited back if I wasn't. Not after all the trouble I went through to getting invited in the first place."

"But why did you want to come?" she persisted.

"Because my pet, you amuse me in a way no other young woman has managed to do." He lounged back on the settee with a grin on his face.

"I amuse you?" Scarlett could feel her fury rising. She didn't quite know what to think about that, only that the way he said it implied that it couldn't be anything decent or acceptable.

"Immensely. What do you say to that?"

"I'd say that I have never met such a cad before in my life! I amuse you do I? Well, I hope you'll be amused when I show you the door!" she shrieked, and stomped out into the hall.

"Come now Scarlett, there's no need for such dramatics. I meant it as a compliment" he said and she ignored him, her blood boiling at his insolence.

"Would it help if I apologised?" he ventured as she reached the door.

Scarlett whirled round to face him, her eyes narrowing. "Not even if you meant it!"

Then suddenly, there was a cry from upstairs. Scarlett glanced up the stairs and then back at Rhett.

Her heart hammered in her chest.

"I…" she stammered guiltily.

"Scarlett?" shaking her head slightly to clear her mind, she squared her shoulders.

"I think you should leave Rhett" she was pleased that her voice didn't shake or display her fear.

"Is that a baby?" he asked.

"Yes, you can see yourself out?" she asked, and picked up her skirts to hurry up the stairs and escape the unwelcome situation she had found herself in. However, before she reached the third step, she felt his hand grab her wrist.

"Get off me" she whispered fiercely, trying to yank her wrist away.

"Is it your baby?" he asked, a strange expression on his face.

"Yes, now get off me" Scarlett hissed, then he suddenly let go of her and she stumbled forward. She somehow managed to get up the next two steps when she heard him speak again.

"Is it mine?"

Scarlett froze. Oh what a terribly awkward and humiliating situation to be in she lamented.

"We are not having this conversation" she whispered angrily, turning to face him. His face held an inscrutable look, but Scarlett got the feeling that he knew. Her refusal to answer and what she'd revealed at the bazaar could only really be interpreted one way and Rhett Butler might be a horrid cad and no good scoundrel, but he was not stupid. Unfortunately.

"No, not here we're not. Not with Mrs Wilkes and Miss Hamilton upstairs at any rate. Don't think I'll forget though. I'll be back soon enough." And with that, he strode to the door.

"I shall bid you a good evening Mrs Hamilton." He nodded at her and then left. As soon as the door shut, Scarlett gripped onto the bannister with shaking hands to support herself as her legs felt like they would collapse under her at any minute. Slowly, she made her way up to the nursery with the resolve not to find herself alone in Rhett Butler's company again.

Scarlett did not see Rhett Butler again for a week after he came over for dinner. Then, one day when Melanie was nursing at the hospital and Aunt Pitty was vising Mrs Meade, Scarlett found herself alone. She was in the process of writing a letter to her mother when she heard a knock at the door. Absentmindedly, she stood up, wondering if Aunt Pitty had left her shawl again and sauntered over to the door and opened it. There stood Rhett Butler.

"My dear Mrs Hamilton you're looking very well today" he said and walked past her into the house. Closing the door, Scarlett turned to glare at him.

"You can't just invite yourself in you know. Maybe I didn't want to see you" she said, annoyed.

"Well I want to see you. I do believe we have a conversation scheduled and seeing as there is no one else in, now is an opportune time, don't you think?" he said, taking off his hat and hanging it on the bannister.

"Shall we go and sit in the parlour?" he asked, and then wandered into the aforementioned room, holding the door open for Scarlett.

"You're impossible!" she huffed as she stalked in behind him. "And I do not appreciate being told what to do in my house." She sat down in one of the arm chairs and looked to where Rhett was hovering in the centre of the room.

"Well you're here now, you might as well take a seat, although I'm surprised you haven't already" she muttered, collecting her wits.

He chuckled and lowered himself into the chair next to hers. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"God's nightgown Rhett, say something!" Scarlett burst out, twisting her hands nervously in her lap. He was the one who wanted this conversation, so he was the one who was going to start it. She looked into his black eyes and wondered what he was thinking.

"Is it mine?" he asked. He appeared to be holding his breath and he was as still as a statue. Was there any point in lying to him? He already suspected. The only thing more humiliating than admitting that it was his, was saying it wasn't, only to have him to call her out on her lie. Scarlett took a deep breath as she struggled to get out the secret which she had carried inside her for so long.

"Yes" Scarlett said eventually and leant back in the chair, avoiding his gaze. She heard him suck in a breath, but didn't look at him. He was such an unpredictable man she had no idea how he would react to her revelation.

"Scarlett? Look at me." He said, oddly gentle. Scarlett lifted her eyes up and to her surprise, he looked… happy?

"Why in God's name are you smiling?" she asked, slightly disconcerted.

"Isn't that a normal reaction when you find out that you're a father for the first time?" he replied.

"The first time? Really?" Scarlett asked before she could stop herself. He chuckled slightly.

"I have a pretty good idea of what you think of me, Scarlett, but I assure you, I do not make a habit of seducing young girls. You were… an exception… I was quite swept off my feet by your…ardour… and found your charms impossible to resist."

"You make it sound like you were the one who was seduced" Scarlett muttered.

"If it pleases you to think so" he grinned.

"What? Oh! Of course not, how could you imply… this was all your fault!" she cried obstinately, but couldn't stop a blush creeping over her face.

"But back to my point, I assure you, my reaction is completely normal."

"This isn't exactly a normal situation, or hadn't you realised?" Scarlett replied sarcastically.

"I'm quite aware of the fact my dear, but that still doesn't change what I feel." He leant forward and captured her hand in his. "Now tell me, do I have a son or a daughter?" he said eagerly.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow in amusement and astonishment. How could he make the most terrible situation seem almost normal? She stood up from the chair.

"A son. Do you…" she bit her lip nervously. "Would you like to meet him?" she asked.

"I would like that very much" he said sincerely, a true smile gracing his features.

"I'll go and get him; he'll be awake soon anyhow." And with that, she hurried upstairs to get Wade. He was lying in his crib, wide awake. His jet black hair was sticking up all over the place and, sighing softly, Scarlett balanced him on her hip as she tried to smooth it flat.

"Do you want to meet your Daddy?" she asked, to which he gurgled happily in response. She carefully made her way back to the parlour where Rhett stood, almost anxiously, by the window.

"Rhett?" he turned around quickly and his eyes fell on the dark haired baby in her arms.

"Is that..?" he broke off and cleared his throat.

"Yes, this is Wade, your son." Rhett crossed the room quickly and lifted the baby out of her arms, holding him gently. Scarlett watched as he began cooing to the baby and shook her head at his foolishness. Men were supposed to be distant and aloof when it came to babies. Here was Rhett Butler, the most masculine man she knew acting like a little girl with her first doll.

"Do… do you like him?" Scarlett asked hesitantly, not sure why she wanted him so badly to approve of their baby. He laughed softly.

"What a question, Scarlett. Of course I do." He turned his attention back to the baby and Scarlett sank down into the chair again, watching the bizarre scene in front of her. Surely this couldn't be real, she thought. Any minute now, she was going to wake up because this whole thing was just far too surreal to actually be her life. She discretely pinched her arm and winced as her nails dug into the soft skin. Definitely awake she concluded with a sigh.

"He's going to be just as handsome as his daddy when he grows up!" Rhett said. Scarlett rolled her eyes. How much more arrogant could that man get?

"He already acts like you. A complete nightmare" she retorted.

Rhett looked at the baby who was happily gurgling away in his arms.

"A nightmare? I don't quite see it myself!"

"You wouldn't. He wakes me up every hour of the night demanding food or something and sometimes he cries and cries and I can't for the life of me work out why" she said, bewildered. Rhett laughed.

"How old is he? A few months? It'll get easier my dear." Scarlett huffed.

"Well it can't get any harder." She grumbled and Rhett came to sit next to her, Wade nestled, seemingly content, in his arms. Scarlett let her gaze flick between them, a frown appearing on her face.

"What is it my dear?" Rhett asked, as she suddenly turned very pale.

"Oh Rhett, everyone's going to find out!" she gasped.

"What? No, Scarlett. I'm not going to tell anyone and I don't imagine you are either." He said, squeezing her hand. Although she was slightly comforted that he had admitted he wouldn't say anything, the real issue was, quite literally, staring her in the face.

"You don't understand. Just… just look! I thought he looked like me and everyone said he did, but that's just because he doesn't look a thing like Charlie but now it's so obvious that he looks like you!" she wailed, practically incoherent.

"What on earth are you going on about?" Rhett said and then sighed when it became clear that Scarlett was getting worked up about something.

"Scarlett, let me put Wade back in the nursery and then…"

"No! You can't go up there" Scarlett gasped. She stood up.

"Let me" she held out her arms and Rhett pressed a kiss to the baby's head before handing him to Scarlett, amused that despite the scandalous nature of the whole situation, Scarlett still wouldn't let him go upstairs.

A few minutes later, Scarlett was back downstairs. She looked around to see Rhett sitting on the settee. He held out an arm to her.

"Come and sit down my dear and we can talk." Scarlett looked between the settee and the chair before opting to sit next to Rhett.

"Now. Tell me what's the matter." He said softly.

Scarlett sniffed slightly. "I don't know what to do Rhett! I thought that if I married Charlie then everybody would think it was his baby but he doesn't look at all like Charlie and now everyone's going to find out what I did and my reputation will be lost and Melly will hate me and Wade…" she trailed off and burst into tears that had been a long time coming. She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed.

"Scarlett?" she looked up to see Rhett holding a handkerchief out to her, which she took and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, "I don't usually cry like that."

"No need to be sorry Scarlett, you've had to deal with a lot on your own for a long time. It's understandable. For what it's worth, I'm sorry." He added.

"You are?" She said, looking at him through a haze of tears.

"Yes. I didn't think about the repercussions of what we did. I probably should have, but I've gone through life like a bat out of hell, never stopping to think what my actions might have caused others" he sighed and leaned back.

"However, what's done is done." He tucked a strand of hair behind Scarlett's ear and brushed a finger across her cheek and Scarlett felt the blood rise to her face.

"We can't go back and change what we did my dear, we just have to deal the best we can with the consequences, namely Wade and of the course the rather more pressing issue."

Scarlett gaped at him.

"What on earth could be more pressing than our son?" That sounded strange, she thought, calling Wade 'our son' rather than 'my son'. Not entirely unpleasant though, she decided.

Rhett chuckled. "I'm referring to your fake mourning. Do you know how exhausting it is to be around people who are constantly depressed and wearing black?" Scarlett felt anger shoot through her.

"I am not depressed at all Rhett Butler and you know it!" she shouted and threw his handkerchief at his chest.

"Well prove it then. You and I both know that no matter how much black you wear it will not change the fact that you don't care at all that your husband died."

Scarlett scowled at him. "You're a varmint"

"Yes I may be, but you my pretty little liar are a fake. Tell, me wouldn't you be happier if you could go to parties and wear beautiful dresses and dance all the time?" he asked.

"Oh you know I would! I'm sick and tired of black and staying indoors, but Rhett!" she put her small white hand on his sleeve "I don't know if I dare. Why, Aunt Pitty and the others were horrified when I danced at the bazaar last week. My reputation"

"If you're brave enough, you can do with a reputation." Rhett said.

"But it'll seem like I didn't even love Charlie" she said and he gave her a pointed look.

"You didn't Scarlett and although I applaud your quick thinking by marrying him and making sure that Wade isn't seen as a bastard and cast out of society, alongside yourself, I cannot lie and pretend that I'm sorry he died. It's one thing to know my son is being brought up as another man's and with his name, but I'll be damned if I had to watch another man raise my child" he said harshly, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

Scarlett shrunk back slightly, afraid of the dangerous picture he made. In that moment, she was glad that Charlie was dead, because if he wasn't then she was sure that Rhett would have killed Charlie himself.

"Just out of interest, how long were you planning to hide him from me?" he said, leaning back, the blank and unreadable expression back on his face. All the intensity of the previous moment was gone, which Scarlett was immensely grateful for. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I don't know. I thought you might tell someone. How was I to know that you like babies?" she burst out, before blushing.

Rhett laughed. "I've never met anyone quite like you" he said.

"Is that a compliment?" Scarlett asked, not quite able to keep up with his sudden mood swings. Why, just a second ago she was sure he was quite able and willing to commit murder and now he was…being nice?

"Completely. There's another dance in two weeks" he said, changing the subject.

Scarlett scowled. Another thing that she'd have to miss.

"You don't have to remind me" she said icily.

"Good. So I'll be round at 7 to pick you up then" he said, standing up.

"What?" Scarlett gasped. "You know I can't go. I'm in mourning."

"We've already been through this. Besides, think of all the fun you're missing out on. I know you want to go something dreadful" he teased.

"Well, I have been awfully bored…" Scarlett sighed. Rhett let out a loud laugh.

"You're going to make me conspicuous again aren't you?" Scarlett smiled, her spirits considerably lifted at the thought of going to another dance.

"As I recall, you rather liked being conspicuous" he said devilishly and Scarlett giggled. How strange that he could completely turn her mood around, she wondered.

"I'll see you again soon Mrs Hamilton" he said and kissed the back of her hand, his lips lingering slightly longer than was considered proper.

"Take care of my son for me, won't you?" he asked.

"I have been already" Scarlett said, affronted that he would question her mothering ability.

"I know you have, and it looks as though you're doing a fine job, but you don't have to do it on your own anymore Scarlett."

"I don't?" she asked quietly.

"No. I want to help in any way that I can. It's the least I can do." Before she even had a chance to thank him, he was gone.

Scarlett shut the door behind him and stood in the hall. Certainly, it had gone better than she anticipated. Aside from that moment at the end when he turned slightly murderous, he had been rather pleasant about the whole thing, she thought. He wasn't angry as far as she knew and he said he wouldn't tell anyone. Indeed, he seemed quite taken with Wade. That didn't surprise her, as her son could be very charming when he wanted to be. A bit like his father in that respect she thought idly.

Feeling a hundred times lighter than she had in over a year, she walked back through to the parlour to finish her letter. She wondered if her mother would be able to tell that, in between asking how everything at Tara was going and writing about Melly's hospital work, her life had changed dramatically.

Please review and let me know your thoughts. Good or bad, each one is very much appreciated and loved!

Miss Ivy