Chapter Eight

They stayed a week in Atlanta and then stayed two weeks in Tara. They returned to Savannah and Scarlett was glad they were away from all the events happening in Atlanta. Two months after Frank's death his daughter was born. Ella Lorena Kennedy was an ugly baby. Her looks had not improved with a different mother but she was a lot brighter than when she was Scarlett's child because Suellen had not drunk at all during her pregnancy.

Scarlett found out she was pregnant about the same time Ella was born. Her child would be born in April. Bonnie was born in July two years later. Did it matter? She found a doctor that would give her chloroform during labor, Dr. Gomer Pyle. Rhett was so kind during her pregnancy. He wouldn't let her wear a corset but he was always buying her things to brighten her mood. Between flowers and candy and sweet little gifts like a glass frog and letting her win all the arguments he was doing everything in his power to keep her happy. When she was in her ninth month, he started reading her Shakespeare's comedy. She couldn't follow the play but she enjoyed Rhett's different voices.

She went into labor on April 1, 1867 and their son was born. Scarlett was shocked. She had expected it to be Bonnie but it definitely wasn't. They called him Alexander Gerald Butler. He looked like Rhett except he had blue eyes and Scarlett's smile. Rhett was as baby crazy as before. This time though Scarlett thought it was sweet not unmanly. As soon as Alex could sit up Rhett was taking him everywhere. Rhett made sure to continue giving Wade attention. They got a tutor for Wade and he started learning his numbers and his letters. Wade was happy because his mother and stepfather showed him how much they loved him. Wade knew that Alex would be more important to Papa Rhett but he didn't mind because Mother loved them the same.

In 1868 Rhett decided that he would reform and become part of polite society again. He had not become a Scallawag in this life and his wife was a member of polite society so it didn't take that much to become part of the group. Scarlett thought 'It cost Rhett a lot to be a member of polite society he has to tolerate all the hypocrisy even become a hypocrite himself.' He did join the Democratic Party and attended their weekly meetings. He assured Scarlett he would never join the clan. When they would go to an event given by polite society afterwards Rhett would tell her everything he had wanted to say. He would rant in the carriage going home, as they walked up the stairs, as they were getting ready for bed but would stop when they got in the bed. Scarlett was able to distract him at that time.

In the fall of 1868 Scarlett got pregnant. The baby would be due in July of 1869 the same time Bonnie was born. Scarlett thought it was going to be a long five years. If she didn't miscarry the baby that would give her hope. Rhett again was so sweet during her pregnancy and she again used Dr. Pyle. In July she went into labor but the baby wasn't Bonnie. The baby was another boy. He did look like her and had blue eyes like her Pa. Scarlett didn't know if she needed to worry or not. Was this Bonnie but as a boy? They called him James Kennesaw Butler.

She got pregnant again in April of 1871. This would be the baby she miscarried. Scarlett was so careful everywhere she went. When she began to show she thought the danger zone was over but she was still very careful. Rhett questioned her about her caution but she just laughed it off. When she went into her confinement, she asked Melly and Beau to come visit. It was so good to see Melly and Beau again. They stayed until the baby was born. It was a girl that looked exactly like Scarlett down to the green eyes. They called her Elizabeth Katie. Melly looked so sad holding Elizabeth and Scarlett was glad she couldn't get pregnant again. The store was providing enough income for the two women and their children to live off of.

After Elizabeth was born Scarlett asked Rhett if they could not have any more children and he agreed. In the summer of 1872, they went to Europe for Rhett's business. He had a vasectomy and getting pregnant was no longer a problem. Rhett had explained the whole procedure to Scarlett and she was surprised when he actually went through with it. She was proud of him and told him so. Rhett said, "It is the least I can do for you after you have given birth to my three children. I'm sure the pain is not comparable." Scarlett said, "No. It's not."

When Wade presented his parents with their first grandchild the same year Scarlett turned forty, she went into a depression. It took all of Rhett's skills as her husband to bring her out of the depression. She finally bounced back after Rhett took the family on a trip to Europe.

Their life in Savannah was good. They saw Rhett's mother twice a year until she passed away in 1880. They saw the O'Hara relatives four or five times a year. They went to Tara at least once a year usually in the summer. Will was making it profitable. Careen and Will had several children and Careen looked happy. Suellen ran the store with Melanie's help. Scarlett assured Melanie that Rhett would be glad to pay for Beau's college and he was. Wade went to Virginia Military Institute and Beau followed him two years later. They became fast friends. Wade went to Harvard Law and Beau followed him. When Wade graduated, he returned to Atlanta and took over Uncle Henry's law practice. After Beau joined the firm two years later Uncle Henry retired. Surprisingly the cousins married sisters to which they were not related to.

All of Scarlett's children out lived her. Alex went to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, James went to the University of Georgia in Athens, and Elizabeth went to Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They all got degrees in finance and came home to work with Rhett. Scarlett at first wanted Elizabeth to go to a finishing school but Rhett told Scarlett that Elizabeth was too smart for that. Rhett also told Scarlett that Elizabeth was going to inherit a sizable amount of money someday and he wanted her to know how to manage her money. After they returned to Savannah all three children joined polite society. Elizabeth had a season and Rhett was flooded with request for her hand in marriage. Rhett told Elizabeth it was her decision and if she didn't want to marry any of them, she didn't have to marry.

James was the first of the three of them to marry and set up his own household in Savannah. Next came Alex but his wife was a little flighty for Scarlett but Alex loved her so that was what mattered they lived in Savannah also. When Elizabeth was twenty-four, she met the right man. Someone who wanted her to be herself. He enjoyed having intelligent discussions with his bride and was amazed at her financial acumen. Elizabeth lived in Savannah also.

Sometimes when Scarlett was in a reflective mood, she would wonder about Bonnie but she tried not to think about her long-lost daughter because it depressed her too much.

Rhett passed away after he turned seventy in 1898. He used to tell Scarlett he was happy for every day because he had abused his body so when he was younger. Rhett would always tell her to not wear black after he passed away because she didn't look good in black. She wore black to the funeral and never wore it again. It was his final request after all. She kept herself busy with her committee work and visiting her relatives. She had finally learned to enjoyed reading. She and Melly would get together at least once a year and spend weeks with each other. Scarlett played with her grandchildren, worked in her garden, read books and did needlework. It was enough. She had been given a second chance and she believed she had made the most of it.

Melly passed away when she was sixty-four in 1907. Scarlett passed away within a couple of months of Melly. She came to Atlanta for Melly's funeral and never went home. She had given up the will to live. She told Wade she didn't want to live if she didn't have either Rhett or Melly. Wade could believe it because Papa Rhett and Aunt Melly had been with her most of her adult life.