Disclaimer: You know the drill by now, it all belong to others…

Thanks for all your kind reviews, they made me come back to this story and hopefully I'll be able to write more soon. The story deserves an ending. Thanks for sticking with the story.

The story just made me thing about Cat Steven's 'Wild World'

Somehow it's a song of love but with a hint of bitterness and what might be revenge. In a way the song is like the dysfunctional love between our couple.

Hope you enjoy.

Amends

Chapter 10

The diner table was set when they came home, after a quick refreshing Scarlett stepped into the dining-room and found her seat. Rhett was already towering at the head of the table Bonnie sat to his left and next to her sat Wade. Her place was on Rhett's right side with Ella on her other side.

Rhett was telling the children a story and they listened with shining, admiring eyes, and once in a while Bonnie interrupted with her silly questions, but patiently he answered them all before continuing the tale. He didn't even stop when the diner was served but silently urged the children to eat while listening. His voice was soothing and for the first time that day Scarlett relaxed, taking deeply breaths some of the tension left her shoulders, and the dull ache in her head ceased.

For a while she fooled herself into believing she would eat, she even pushed the food around the plate to re-arrange it in an appetizing arrangement, but to no avail. Changing her focus she turned her attention to Bonnie, the girl was stealing food from her father's plate and he just smiled proudly at his daughter, he never disciplined her and just laughed when she did naughty things. And it was no use to reason with him!

Wade was growing so fast these days, suddenly surprised, she wondered where the little, hungry boy was, who used to hang in her skirts? When had he stopped crying for her attention? Confused, she turned her glance to her right, Ella, her light-headed daughter, Frank's daughter. Frowning, she searched the little girl's face for something familiar, besides Frank. Not really knowing what to look for or why to look for it, she returned her stare to her plate, again.

Bonnie glided down her chair and went to her mother, and reaching down Scarlett picked her daughter up. In Scarlett's lap Bonnie turned, throw her arms around her mother's neck and whispered into her ear; "I haven't told Ella."

Turning her head slightly, Scarlett kissed the soft chin of Bonnie, "thank you precious. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am mother! But I loved talking to you."

"So did I Bonnie, so did I." And bizarrely she had. Bonnie rested against her mother, she couldn't remember ever to have been allowed to sit in her mother's lap for more than a few minutes and decided to enjoy all the time she got now.

The loneliness absorbing Scarlett decreased vaguely.

Kissing Bonnie on the top of her hair, Scarlett lifted her head to see Rhett stare at her with puzzlement and something she couldn't define in his eyes, swiftly, he removed the expression and replaced it with his normal one of carelessness, before he continued his tale of pirates.

Later that night Bonnie demanded to have her Mother brushing her hair, willingly Scarlett obeyed the will-strong child, Bonnie was such a humorous figure when she took the brush out of Mammy's hand and pushed her daddy out of the room. Ordinarily, a decline would've left Scarlett's mouth on its own record, but too tired of a whirling mind and insisting sense of loneliness, she appraised the escape. And it was a sweet opportunity to see Rhett being urged out of the room by firm, blue eyes. He hid his hurt poorly, even, Scarlett saw it. Recognized easily by her own frequently jealousy.

An unexpected warmth rushed thought her as she watched her daughter pushing herself up on the stool before the vanity drawer, Bonnie was breathtakingly charming with her sparkling eyes and small dimples.

"Mother was daddy a pirate when you met him?"

Amused, she moved behind the stool and started to stoke Bonnie's hair, "indeed your daddy was playing quite the pirate when I meet him, precious."

Moving her body in excitement Bonnie's large eyes transfixed with her mother's, "did daddy fight thousands of men off to steal you away?"

"No daddy didn't fight for me Bonnie, he gave me a ring, see," she reached her hand into the air between the mirror and Bonnie.

"It's really big!" Bonnie touched the big diamond, "it looks heavy, did he steal it Mother?"

"I hope not, darling!" Scarlett looked at the diamond ring; it was heavy and almost vulgar in its largeness, for a brief moment, she only felt resentment of the ring and its vulgarity.

"Your daddy wouldn't steal, you know it's wrong, don't you know Bonnie?"

Frowning, Bonnie tilted her head; "daddy is a pirate and pirates steals, just ask Beau."

"Bonnie he wouldn't!" Trying to reason with her daughter she didn't give in.

"He would!" Bonnie narrowed her eyes in challenge.

"Who would what?" A swarthy face asked from the door.

"Daddy!" Bonnie ran to Rhett. "Daddy you would steal for Mother wouldn't you?" Bonnie asked in her cute voice.

"Ah, sweetheart that I would and I've." He laughed into his daughter's hair.

"When did you do such a foolish thing," Scarlett inquired.

"Nothing faint as the memory of a woman. The fine horse and wagon that ensure our

grand escape from a burning Atlanta." He jested.

"Oh!" Doubting, she narrowed her eyes.

"Where did you think it came from?"

"Why, I never thought about?"

"Ah, I didn't think so." He didn't look at her.

"And the ring daddy, you stole it too?"

"Sure I did, Bonnie."

"Don't say such things to her, Rhett, it's not proper."

Kissing his daughter on the top of her hair, he ignored Scarlett, "say goodnight to your Mother Bonnie."

Knowing she had lost, Scarlett went to his side and gently kissed Bonnie, "sleep tight, precious."

"Goodnight Mother" Bonnie yarned.

Quietly, she walked out of the room the victory from before totally gone, she wasn't needed by Bonnie or Rhett.

She wasn't needed!

Always, her children and husbands had been unwelcome intruders in her life, but was she different in Rhett's life with Bonnie? Was she an intruder, she indeed, right now, felt like one, it was a new feeling and a hurtful one.

Pacing the floor in the large parlor, Scarlett felt trapped, the mills' ledges lay open on the desk but she couldn't concentrate on them, her mind spinning faster with guilty thoughts than she had thought possible, and needing a drink badly she cursed Rhett. He made it impossible for her to sneak down at night and have her nightcap, a gentleman would turned the blind eye to her nightly adventure, pretending it was female issues she tended to. A drink was the only thing that would slow down her mind and give her some rest.

The door was opening slowly, rapidly, she went to the desk and lowered her body to the chair, bowing her head over the papers; she appeared to be working.

Rhett came into the parlor carefully, carrying a tray with a filled decanter and glasses, God's nightgown! She couldn't sit idly by watching him drink his brandy in gentlemanly fashion.

Damn him! Narrowing her eyes she bitterly glared at him.

"Come, Scarlett, no need to burn holes in my fine linen." He gazed briefly at her.

"Don't be silly!" Anger was starting to fume her.

"I told you, I don't care if you like your brandy, take your share openly." He poured a large portion for himself and chose a high backed chair near the fire. Focusing on his papers he ignored her.

First, she ignored him and the decanter, she was a lady and she could do without brandy.

It was humiliating that he thought she drank. Bouncing her foot and biting her lips, her glace kept returning to the decanter, until all she thought of was the liquid contents.

Damn it!

Flustered, she stood up and walk to the table with the brandy, generously pouring a glass.

Perhaps she would sleep tonight, after all.

Stepping back to her desk, she refused to look at her husband, knowing she had lost this battle of will and lies. Her poor mother would turn in her grave when seeing her oldest daughter liking her brandy and doing it in front of her husband. What a shame!

Shame had been her closest friend lately and she was bone tired, more tired than anytime before in her life. Worst, she felt licked!

Rhett had promised to help her but he wasn't at all. Just the bare thought of him started the endless feeling of shame, guilt and loneliness, and his present reopened her wound and it wouldn't stop bleeding. If only she could get away, find security somewhere, but she was bound by her promised. Bonnie's reputation was more important than her own need for security.

Refugee seemed impossible in all way, normally she disappeared into the ledges, but recently her mind had become a stranger to reason, now, it rather deal with irrelevant issues than with business. If only she knew what was happening to her.