Dear readers, this story is a continuation of "Getting Rhett back". And I thought this story could be one last temptation for Scarlett ... :) but she loves Rhett in this story so that makes a difference.

CHAPTER1

Aunt Pittypat's house on Peachtree street was bathed in warm sunlight that bright August morning. The blinds in the front hall were pulled back and Wade leaned over on the window seat, his hands cupping his chin and stared moodily out the window, idly observing the passing carriages and people. It had been an hour since Uncle Peter had left to receive his mother and they still weren't back. When Scarlett had deposited him and his little sister at Aunt Pitty's, he hadn't realized that his mother would be away for a whole month! Aunt Pitty was all right. She listened to his lessons and gave him books to read but she was always fussing over manners! She detested boisterous games and according to her, merely bounding up and down the stairs was considered boisterous. She objected when he whooped like a red-Indian, she objected when he set traps around the house for rabbits and mice, she objected when he tried to build a ship in his room. She objected to almost everything an eight-year old boy was supposed to do. And Aunt Pitty was always chiding about his "being a good elder brother" to Ella. Wade had a sneaking suspicion that Aunt Pitty favored Ella because she was the "little sister" just like she was to Uncle Henry.

"Come away from the window, dear" called out Aunt Pitty, stirring her cup of tea endlessly. "You're making your poor Auntie nervous. Why don't you play with your new soldiers set like little Ella-"

Wade instantly whirled around and found Ella meddling with his brand new wooden toy soldiers set. "Ella, I told you not to touch those!" he cried, impulsively.

"But I want to play!" pouted Ella and gazed appealingly at Aunt Pitty. Wade observed on Aunt Pitty's face, the emerging signs of a lecture on the happiness of sharing and hastily rushed to Ella's side.

"Well, see that you don't break anything" he hissed into Ella's ear. "I'll be cross if you do."

"Why is this soldier wearing a funny looking hat?"

"That's the captain, silly. Don't you know anything? Here, put him on his horse. Oh.. not that one. The captain's horse is the finest of the lot. And he always stands ahead of the cannon to signal the firing-"

Wade unwillingly launched into a detailed explanation of the war and various military strategies and Ella contentedly fingered the shining coat of varnish on the wooden soldiers and how far apart she could pull the arms until they fell out.

Suddenly they heard the sounds of the carriage drawing up outside the house and Wade jumped to his feet. He ran to the window and eagerly peered out. It was Mother! She was back at last! Wade's face lighted up with happiness and he shyly slipped behind Aunt Pittypat to welcome his Mother. He had missed her terribly and had longed to ask her about his tree-house at Tara.

Suddenly he heard a sickening snapping sound behind him. It was the unmistakable sound of the breaking of wood.

Wade turned horrified to Ella who had broken the captain's leg in two! Any other boy would have immediately pulled his little sister's hair or given her a hard slap. But not Wade. He stood there stunned, hardly noticing Aunt Pitty who was shouting instructions to Uncle Peter about carrying all of Scarlett's things into the upstairs room. He didn't notice the servants. He didn't even notice Ella, who had skipped outside to greet her Mother. Instead his eyes began to well up with tears. He had loved that set and the finest figurine was the captain and he had fondly named him Wade Hampton. Now,Wade Hampton had a broken leg and he would never see war again! Tear upon tear fell down his cheeks and snatching up the broken soldier from the carpet, he bounded up the stairs and into his room. Mother would be cross and she would tell him to be a little man. Wade somehow couldn't be a little man just then.

Scarlett stepped out of the carriage, rosy-cheeked and in the highest of spirits. She pulled a surprised Ella for a quick hug and searched eagerly for Wade. "Where is he?" she asked Aunt Pittypat, entering the parlour and settling into the comfort of an armchair.

"He must have gone up to his room. I'll call him!"

"It's all right, Auntie" said Scarlett,rising to her feet. "I think I'll go upstairs and freshen up. The sea air is quite exhausting-"

"Yes, of course,dear. I quite understand. I'll send the maid upstairs at once!"

Scarlett knocked gently on Wade's room and opened the door. Her boy sat at the edge of his bed, his eyes swollen and his shoulders slumped in dejection.

"Why Wade - What's the matter?", asked Scarlett, walking across the room.

Wade didn't answer her. Instead he turned rabbit eyes at her face, terribly dreading the scolding that was to follow after the initial probing questions. Scarlett's eyes fell on some colored bit of wood shoved hastily under the bed and noticing the guilt on Wade's face, she stooped down and pulled out the curious object. It was the broken leg of the new expensive soldier set she had bought him just before her trip to Charleston.

"Wade, did you break this?"

"No. Ella broke it."

"I told you not to give your set to Ella-"

"But Aunt Pitty said I should share-", moaned Wade, fresh tears teasing the corners of his eyes. The sight of these tears stirred Scarlett's temper. It had been a terribly expensive set and Wade had begged her for it and promised her that he would take very good care of it. Now, he had gone and ruined his set. A sharp scolding was at the tip of her tongue regarding the cost of the set and his carelessness but she tightly pursed her lips.

"Now honey, where's the soldier who is missing his leg? Is this him? Oh, it's the captain,isn't it?"

"Captain Wade Hampton"

"Well well, Captain Wade Hampton with a broken leg-"

"He can't go to war now. His leg is broken"

Scarlett stared in surprise at the imagination of her son. She could tell him to be sensible and practical over the whole thing but after her trip to Charleston, Scarlett was determined not to be so annoyingly practical about everything - especially where her children were concerned.

"Yes. His leg is broken. But.. " Scarlett looked around and found a stray ribbon. She bandaged the wooden leg and whispered,

"It is quite a war wound,Wade. Captains often get terribly wounded. I've seen soldiers being operated on, arms and legs getting sawed off for gangerine-"

"But Ella broke his leg!"

"Yes, I know, honey. But-" Scarlett forced herself to be as silly as possible. "Er...where was Captain Wade Hampton when he broke his leg?"

"He was at the front of the army. Right beside the cannon, on his horse" Wade forgot his tears and his imagination took flight.

"There, you see! He was a brave man, giving up his leg for his army, right beside the cannon. This is a war wound, Wade. And you should be proud!"

Wade's face beamed through the tears. He eagerly took the figurine from Scarlett and gazed happily at the bandaged leg.

"Now, go downstairs and have some tea. Mamma will join you after she takes a long hot bath-" said Scarlett and laying a hand on her boy's shoulder, she gently propelled him from the room.