Scarlett

Atlanta, Georgia, 1873. Scarlett O'Hara Butler is attending the funeral of Melanie Wilkes, her late sister-in-law and rival for Ashley Wilkes' affection, at which her estranged husband, Rhett Butler, is not present. Heartbroken that he left her, sets out for Tara and is saddened when she learns that Mammy, her mainstay nurse since birth, is dying. When she arrives there, she sends a telegram to notify Rhett about Mammy under the name of Will Benteen (her sister, Suellen's, husband), because she knows that he won't come. Before Mammy passes away, she makes Rhett swear to look after "her lamb", Miss Scarlett. He agrees, although he has no intention of honoring the request. After she dies, he and Scarlett have another snipe-filled encounter, which culminates in him leaving and her returning to the Atlanta house, determined to win him back.

Scarlett travels to Charleston to visit Rhett's family and tries to corner him by winning his mother's affection. She convinces Rhett to take her for a sail on the harbor, where their boat capsizes during a terrible storm. Scarlett and Rhett swim to an island, where they make love in a cave. Rhett initially denies, then admits, that he loves Scarlett, but he does not want to "lose himself" over her again. Back in Charleston, Rhett leaves Scarlett near death at his mother's house, telling her, in a letter, that while he admires her bravery, he will never see her again. After Scarlett regains her strength, she leaves Charleston with her two aunts, Pauline and Eulalie, to attend her maternal grandfather's birthday celebration in Savannah. She leaves a note to Rhett's mother with Rhett's sister, Rosemary, who burns the note.

Scarlett connects with the O'Hara family in Savannah where she learns that her grandfather has offered Scarlett his inheritance if she remains with him in Savannah until his death and avoids contact with her father's side of the family. Scarlett refuses and goes to stay with her cousin Jamie and his family. Soon another cousin named Colum, a priest from Ireland, joins them. Scarlett agrees to travel to Ireland with him. By this time Scarlett has realized that she is pregnant with Rhett's child but she keeps her pregnancy hidden. Scarlett travels to Ireland where she is is heartily welcomed by her Irish kin. Exploring with Colum, they pass an old house called 'Ballyhara'; it was O'Hara land long ago before the English seized it. Scarlett soon receives a notification of divorce from Rhett. She makes plans to leave for America but learns that Rhett is now married to Anne Hampton, who is said to resemble Melanie Wilkes. Heartbroken, Scarlett decides to remain in Ireland. She works with lawyers and leaves her two-third share of her father's plantation, Tara, to her son Wade Hamilton (fathered by her first husband, Charles Hamilton, brother of Melanie Wilkes), buys Ballyhara and settles down in Ireland, to her Irish family's delight. She and Colum tell everyone that her husband died rather than tell the truth that she was divorced.

Scarlett keeps her daughter's birth a secret from Rhett to spite him, thinking that if Cat grows up not knowing her father she will, unlike Bonnie, not love him. The day that Rhett finally does meet his daughter, he will realize that she does not love him or even know him, thus giving Scarlett her revenge. Anne Hampton-Butler also travels to Ireland with Rhett and has a lengthy conversation with Scarlett, but soon dies from yellow fever. Meanwhile, Lord Fenton, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, pursues Scarlett, wanting to marry her. One night, Fenton assaults his servant Mary who kills him in retaliation, but Scarlett is accused. When Scarlett is put on trial, Rhett comes to her defense, after having learned about his daughter Katie. It is also discovered that Colm was killed by Lord Fenton when Colm wanted Fenton to support Mary who was pregnant with Fenton's child. Mary attempts suicide by drowning herself in the river, but is saved by Rhett. At the trial, Mary is still reluctant to confess that she killed Fenton, but does so after Scarlett is found guilty of murder.