Gone with the Wind and all its characters are the property of Margaret Mitchell and her heirs. This story borrows them and also poaches a few character names from Alexandra Ripley as well. I own nothing.

The Greatest Gift

Prologue - October, 1876

"Sister Mary Joseph, does God love me?"

Ella's plaintive query caused Sister momentary surprise. "My precious child, you have been studying your catechism in preparation for First Communion. You know God loves you. He loves us all."

Ella gazed up into Sister Mary Joseph's placid face, so peaceful and so kind. In some ways, she reminded Ella of her beloved Aunt Melanie. She felt utter trust and acceptance in the presence of this woman of faith, her mother's baby sister Carreen. "But, Sister, does God love Wade, and Mother, and Uncle Rhett?"

"Of course, He loves us all, and His love is perfect. Are you troubled, Ella?" Carreen knew of the collapse of her sister's marriage, and thought the separation of husband and wife had caused this disequilibrium in the child. It never occurred to Sister, as one raised in an environment of love, that Ella's questions sprang from a terrible sense of vulnerability and sadness, that the adults that she loved and trusted could let her down repeatedly and make her feel insecure and unlovable, even to God Almighty.

"If God loves us, why did He let Bonnie and Aunt Melly die? If God loves us, why did He let Uncle Rhett leave us?" The expression on Ella's face was ineffably sad. She missed her family. First, it broke apart through death and desertion, then, her mother experienced an illness that defied a child's understanding. Finally, she was exiled to this convent school in Charleston. That's what it felt like to Ella anyway, exile. At this moment she felt she would rather be hiding under a bed at Tara, avoiding the wrath of her mother, than living among strangers in this unfamiliar place.

Carreen attempted to reassure the little auburn-haired girl, "Precious Ella, God's love is the perfect balm for any hurt in life. His love is sweet and endures forever. Best of all, He loves us no matter what we do. We do not need to prove ourselves worthy of His love. It's not that way with people, even the people we love very much."

Ella sucked in her breath and nodded appreciatively, a thoughtful look on her face. It had been three years since her stepfather walked out of their lives. In that time she had seen him four times for brief visits and he seemed distant and disengaged, not the man she remembered with much tenderness. After these visits, Mother's despair knew no limits. It frightened Ella. Scarlett would lock herself in the office at Tara for hours. Mammy and Aunt Suellen said she was in there drinking. Ella would sit outside the door and wait for her mother to come out. She would lead her to bed and give her kisses, hoping to awaken her old self. Yes, her mother could frighten Ella when she was angry, but she had life in her dancing green eyes and she also did fun things, like go to the park to get ice cream or ride the carousel.

Eventually, her mother got better, made friends with Mrs. Tarleton and built a new house. She bought horses and started a business with the Tarletons. Then she sent Ella to this school, the Convent of St. Catherine School for Girls in Charleston. Ella was getting used to it. Her favorite part was getting to know her mother's youngest sister, Carreen. Sister Mary Joseph was the kindest, most loving person Ella had ever met, after Aunt Melanie. She filled a void in the girl's life. Every Sunday, Carreen took Ella for a half hour stroll through the convent gardens. This brief time alone was the brightest spot in her week and Ella always looked forward to it.

They were nearing the end of their walk, when one of the novices came out of the building to tell Carreen Ella had a visitor in the guest reception room. A wide smile lit Ella's face. She knew it would be Uncle Rhett.

They entered the reception room, and Rhett rose to greet the nun and the little girl. Ella flung herself into her stepfather's arms.

"Oh, Uncle Rhett, I've missed you so much." She hugged him fiercely around the waist.

He gently peeled her off, "Let me look at you, Ella. How you've grown! You're a young lady now, Miss Kennedy." He gave her a courtly bow and she giggled with appreciation.

Then he turned his attention to the nun. "Sister, I am Rhett Butler, Scarlett's husband."

Sister Mary Joseph extended her small hand, and Rhett clasped it in greeting. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Butler."

"Please, call me Rhett. After all, I am your brother-in-law." He smiled pleasantly with his lips, but Carreen noticed that the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Let us be seated," Sister gestured to a sitting area.

They all sat; Sister in a chair and Rhett and Ella next to one another on the settee. There were two gaily wrapped packages sitting on a table next to the settee. Rhett gestured to them, "These are for you Ella--birthday presents." Ella's tenth birthday was just two days away.

"May I open them now?" She restrained herself from tearing the gifts open immediately because Aunt Carreen was there. She did not want to disappoint her by appearing covetous.

Rhett laughed easily, "Of course Ella, I want to see how you like them." He handed her the packages.

Ella tore away the colored wrapping paper with glee, while Carreen smiled happily. It made her feel better after their conversation in the garden to see Ella joyful, to see the tender concern of her stepfather.

Ella let out a happy squeal when she opened the first box and saw two small paintings carefully wrapped in tissue paper. She removed the tissue paper to reveal oil paintings of ballerinas with gilt edged frames. Each picture showed a ballerina in a different pose.

"Uncle Rhett, they're beautiful. I've never seen anything so beautiful." Ella's eyes glowed with happiness. Surely this was proof he still cared about her. Maybe Aunt Carreen was right about God and His love.

Rhett patted Ella's knee and smiled. "These paintings were made by Edgar Degas. I met him in New Orleans four years ago, and I've seen him in Paris as well. He and some friends have developed a new style of painting called impressionism. The art critics are still skeptical, but I rather liked them. I'm glad you like them, too. Open the other one, Ella," Rhett prodded.

Ella opened the second box and found art supplies: charcoal pencils, pastels, water colors and paper for drawing and painting.

"Now you can create your own masterpieces," he said, smiling warmly.

"Oh, thank you so much Uncle Rhett." She slid towards him on the settee and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Ella turned to Carreen, "I'm going to put these things in my room before Uncle Rhett and I go out, is that all right, Sister?"

Carreen smiled sweetly. "Of course, dear. Be quick--you must return before vespers."

Ella ran from the room carrying her treasured presents. The adults watched as she disappeared out the door.

Carreen then addressed Rhett, "It was very kind of you to come here for Ella's birthday. Such generous gifts! Ella is lucky. She does feel the separation from her family very keenly. We have formed a bond; however, my Superior discourages worldly attachments in the Sisters. I must be very careful not to get so close that I arouse any suspicion."

Just like the Catholic Church to discourage a woman from becoming overly attached to her own blood kin, damnably unnatural, Rhett thought contemptuously. "I travel a great deal and spend many months of the year in Europe. I do what I can. I love my stepchildren," he said.

"Ella still grieves the loss of her sister, and the break up of your family." Carreen observed Rhett stiffening slightly at these words. "You have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your daughter. I have prayed for you, and the child."

"Thank you Sister," Rhett murmured.

Tentatively she broached the sensitive subject of Rhett and Scarlett's separation. "How have you and Scarlett explained your situation to the children?"

"That is a private matter." Rhett spoke softly but emphatically.

"I meant no disrespect, nor am I trying to pry. You see, just now Ella and I had a conversation in the garden about her feelings. She expressed a good bit of anxiety about her family situation. I just thought you might want to know, to allay her fears in some way." Carreen lowered her gaze to her hands in her lap. She felt she had gone too far and she did not want to alienate Rhett, for Ella's sake. She fingered the crucifix on the rosary beads hanging from her waist, breathing a prayer for wisdom.

Rhett observed her humility and relaxed, "I'm sorry, Sister. It's a touchy subject."

Carreen smiled, "I think I understand." She added delicately, "My sister has a rather, ah, tempestuous nature." She remembered her sister's behavior during the war when their lives were so hard. One did not dare cross Scarlett.

Rhett laughed and said, "Indeed." Ella came skipping back into the room. She was the picture of happiness. Rhett was relieved that his conversation with Sister Mary Joseph was now over. He rose and took Ella's hand, "I must not keep Miss Kennedy waiting." Turning to face Carreen, he gave a little bow, "Sister, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure was mine, Rhett." She rose gracefully from her chair. "Remember, Ella, you must be back in time for vespers or Mother Superior will be cross." Sister smiled and stroked Ella's cheek lovingly. "Goodbye." Like a fleeting shadow, she glided off through the door. Then she was gone.

Rhett led Ella out the convent door and through the gate, into the bright sunshine of a beautiful autumn afternoon.

Sitting on a park bench, eating ice cream, Rhett noticed the ice cream in Ella's dish was starting to drip on her dress. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping her dress, mildly scolding her to be more careful. She had been watching two children playing with a puppy, daydreaming for a moment, and his voice startled her. When she looked up at her stepfather, with his stern mien, Ella tipped the little dish to one side, and the softening ice cream fell out of it onto the ground.

"Ella, you're being very careless." Though he was irritated, he didn't want to be harsh with the girl.

Ella was trying very hard to behave perfectly, and this mild rebuke wiped away the happiness she felt earlier. "I'm sorry Uncle Rhett. I...I'm a clumsy girl." She turned away from him and started to cry. "You're going to leave me again, aren't you?"

"What do you mean, Ella?" Had she looked, she would have seen his concern.

The weight of the world seemed to be resting on the slight shoulders of this little girl, not quite ten years old. He reflected on his conversation with Sister Mary Joseph. This must be what she meant. He gently slipped an arm around Ella's shoulders and drew her towards him. Pressed against his chest, the tension in her body began to ease. When she regained control, he handed her the handkerchief he used to clean the ice cream off her dress, turned so that the sticky spots were inside. She dried her eyes. "Now tell me what this is all about," he said.

"I want to go home! I want to go back to Atlanta. I want everything to be the way it was." She blinked rapidly to keep tears from falling as she wailed, "I want my family back." All her irrational longing to return to the past came tumbling out through her words. Rhett was stunned. He lifted Ella's chin and looked directly at her.

"I miss that time, too, Ella." He spoke softly, the pain of his own loss evident in his face. "But sometimes things happen that we can't change, as much as we would like to, and it is not possible to go back. We can't have Bonnie or Aunt Melanie back. We are here, and we must go forward, as best we can, without them."

There was so much a little girl couldn't understand. He no longer loved her mother; their marriage was effectively over. But wasn't that the cause of Ella's distress? She said she missed her family. Then, too, Melanie Wilkes, whose loving heart had bound their family together, was gone. In her place was Scarlett, a cold substitute. After Bonnie died, Rhett had been overwhelmed with grief. He now realized that Wade and Ella must have suffered as much as he did when love left their lives. He never thought to reach out to his stepchildren as they grieved for Melanie. Maybe now was the time to make amends.

"You still have a family: your mother, Wade, Uncle Will and Aunt Suellen, and your cousins at Tara," Rhett said, attempting to ease Ella's distress.

"You don't understand, Uncle Rhett!" Ella protested, with fervor. "I want to be loved; I want to be special to someone, like Bonnie was to you. None of them think I'm special. Sister Mary Joseph keeps telling me I'm special to God, but it's not the same."

"Whether you realize it or not, I know you are special to your mother." A child should be special to her mother; however, Rhett wasn't sure this applied to Scarlett. Easing Ella's distress was more important than literal truth right now.

"But she sent me away!" She began to tear up again.

"Ella, one reason your mother sent you here to school was so that I could see you more often. It was a decision we reached together." He paused and gently stroked her hair, "You are special to me as well."

"D-d-does this mean you're still part of my family?" she stuttered, searching his face for affirmation.

Rhett thought for a moment, how to answer this delicate question. "Ella, I think of myself as your father even though we are not of the same blood. I have loved you since you were a baby. That will never change, whether we live together or apart."

"Oh." Her round eyes were open wide and still brimming with tears.

He continued gently, "Would it make you feel better if Wade joined our next outing?"

"I g-g-guess." She sniffed, then, blew her nose in Rhett's sticky handkerchief.

"You must miss your brother, too." Her loneliness was palpable, and he wanted to alleviate it, if possible.

Ella smiled wanly, "Yes, a little." In reality, she missed him a great deal. Even though Wade was going to school in Charleston as well, she didn't see him very often.

"I have an idea, how about if next Sunday I bring you and Wade to dinner at my mother's house? Would you like that?" If Ella missed her family, he would give her the next best thing, contact with his family.

Her expression was restrained, but her voice rose with excitement, "Do you really mean it?"

Rhett smiled with relief at this evidence of her lightening mood. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it! I'll ask my mother if she would mind two guests next Sunday."

He checked his pocket watch, "We should start back." He winked at her as he echoed Sister Mary Joseph's words. "We don't want Mother Superior to be cross with you."

As they walked, Rhett told Ella about the art show he had attended in the spring in Paris, how he was buying paintings through a well-known art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, and bringing them to the States. He told Ella about the work of some of Degas' friends: Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, Alfred Sisley, Paul Cézanne and an American woman, Mary Cassatt, who was painting in Paris. Ella marveled that two women were among this group of innovative painters.

Rhett laughed, "Maybe someday you will be a member of their group. But first you must learn to draw and paint well. Would you like to take art lessons, and eventually learn to paint with oils?"

Ella's eyes grew large with excitement. "Yes, more than almost anything else."

"Good, I think I can arrange for some lessons for you. I will discuss this with Sister Mary Joseph."

When they arrived at the convent school, Rhett hugged Ella and wished her happy birthday. She thanked him for all the presents he had given her this day. She loved the paintings and the art supplies, but the greatest gift was making her feel loved again, and for a brief time, almost as special as Bonnie.

A/N: Mary Cassatt was an admirer of Degas' work for many years before actually meeting him in 1877. I take liberties here by implying they had a relationship in 1876. She did not exhibit with the Impressionists until 1879. She was, however, painting in Paris from 1873 on.