and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Amazing how he reassured her, how his touch calmed her.
"Do you, Mason Glenn Whittaker, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part?"
Mason smiled down at her. "I do."
Behind them, Ben, Jr.'s, crystal clear voice sounded. "Mama, you done lost the bet with Cousin Beth and now you got to give her that new quilt."
Ten
Beth almost died right there. She wanted to sink into the floor, right after she smothered Ben, Jr., to death.
"Bet?" Mason looked at Beth and frowned. "What bet?"
A fountain of unwanted information, Ben, Jr., stood. “The one where Mama has to give Cousin Beth her new quilt if Cousin Beth gets married before the end of June, and if Cousin Beth don't, then she has to give Mama some new silk from New York."
Rachel stomped over to her son. "Sit down and shut your mouth, young man."
But the damage was done. Beth saw the hurt and anger flash in Mason's eyes.
"You asked me to marry you so you could win a quilt?"
Beth knew he'd never listen. Not now. "It wasn't like that. Honest, Mason. Rachel and I did make a bet, but who else would I want to marry? You're the one I always turned to, the one who understood me all these years."
He stepped back from her. "I thought you'd finally realized you love me. What a laugh." He shook his head. "You asked me to marry you because of a bet with your cousin Rachel?"
Beth stepped toward him, her hand still on his arm. "Mason, you have to understand. I didn't know how much I loved you before. I was so tired of everyone making a joke about me. I thought if we married, the talk would die down."
"As if that's any better? You proposed just so the gossip would die down? What a fool you played me for." He removed her hand from his arm and stepped back.
"No, Mason. Listen to me. No matter how it started, you're the one I love and want to marry."
Mason shook his head again. "No, that's it. I thought that after all these years you'd finally decided to make your own choices instead of letting your par ents decide everything for you. Now your cousin is making decisions for you. The gossips in town make decisions for you. What next? No more, Beth. I won't play second fiddle any longer. This wedding is off." He turned and walked toward the back of the church.
Mr. Pendleton rose. "Now see here. You can't leave my girl like this."
Mason called over his shoulder. “Just watch me. A marriage can't stand on a foundation of bets and lies—or with a woman who doesn't know what she wants."
Beth picked up her skirts and ran down the aisle.
Her mother called, "Bethany, what are you doing? You cannot chase after that man. I forbid it."
She ignored her mother and reached Mason as he put a hand on the knob. She threw herself to knock his hand from the door and bar him from opening it. "Mason, I love you, and I know exactly what I want. I didn't know how much until after I'd proposed, but I've loved you all these years and want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Of all the nerve." Mrs. Pendleton stood. "Bethany Pendleton, do not debase yourself begging that man to marry you. Get right back here with your father and me."
"Mother, stay out of this. This is between me and the man I love."
Mason watched Beth with his jaw set. Anger and pain showed in his eyes.
Beth never even glanced at her mother, but kept her gaze on Mason. "I never meant you to know about the bet. I should have told you. I started to a dozen times, but I was ashamed."
She put her hands on his arms. "Each of those other times, I felt like a woman in jail about to be hanged. I was relieved when the other engagements were cancelled. But, Mason, after you agreed to marry me, I was so happy. Happier than I've ever been in my life."
She looked around Mason at those gathered in the sanctuary. "And all of you who gossiped about me be hind my back"—she looked directly at Mrs. Weldon and Mrs.
"Do you, Mason Glenn Whittaker, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part?"
Mason smiled down at her. "I do."
Behind them, Ben, Jr.'s, crystal clear voice sounded. "Mama, you done lost the bet with Cousin Beth and now you got to give her that new quilt."
Ten
Beth almost died right there. She wanted to sink into the floor, right after she smothered Ben, Jr., to death.
"Bet?" Mason looked at Beth and frowned. "What bet?"
A fountain of unwanted information, Ben, Jr., stood. “The one where Mama has to give Cousin Beth her new quilt if Cousin Beth gets married before the end of June, and if Cousin Beth don't, then she has to give Mama some new silk from New York."
Rachel stomped over to her son. "Sit down and shut your mouth, young man."
But the damage was done. Beth saw the hurt and anger flash in Mason's eyes.
"You asked me to marry you so you could win a quilt?"
Beth knew he'd never listen. Not now. "It wasn't like that. Honest, Mason. Rachel and I did make a bet, but who else would I want to marry? You're the one I always turned to, the one who understood me all these years."
He stepped back from her. "I thought you'd finally realized you love me. What a laugh." He shook his head. "You asked me to marry you because of a bet with your cousin Rachel?"
Beth stepped toward him, her hand still on his arm. "Mason, you have to understand. I didn't know how much I loved you before. I was so tired of everyone making a joke about me. I thought if we married, the talk would die down."
"As if that's any better? You proposed just so the gossip would die down? What a fool you played me for." He removed her hand from his arm and stepped back.
"No, Mason. Listen to me. No matter how it started, you're the one I love and want to marry."
Mason shook his head again. "No, that's it. I thought that after all these years you'd finally decided to make your own choices instead of letting your par ents decide everything for you. Now your cousin is making decisions for you. The gossips in town make decisions for you. What next? No more, Beth. I won't play second fiddle any longer. This wedding is off." He turned and walked toward the back of the church.
Mr. Pendleton rose. "Now see here. You can't leave my girl like this."
Mason called over his shoulder. “Just watch me. A marriage can't stand on a foundation of bets and lies—or with a woman who doesn't know what she wants."
Beth picked up her skirts and ran down the aisle.
Her mother called, "Bethany, what are you doing? You cannot chase after that man. I forbid it."
She ignored her mother and reached Mason as he put a hand on the knob. She threw herself to knock his hand from the door and bar him from opening it. "Mason, I love you, and I know exactly what I want. I didn't know how much until after I'd proposed, but I've loved you all these years and want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Of all the nerve." Mrs. Pendleton stood. "Bethany Pendleton, do not debase yourself begging that man to marry you. Get right back here with your father and me."
"Mother, stay out of this. This is between me and the man I love."
Mason watched Beth with his jaw set. Anger and pain showed in his eyes.
Beth never even glanced at her mother, but kept her gaze on Mason. "I never meant you to know about the bet. I should have told you. I started to a dozen times, but I was ashamed."
She put her hands on his arms. "Each of those other times, I felt like a woman in jail about to be hanged. I was relieved when the other engagements were cancelled. But, Mason, after you agreed to marry me, I was so happy. Happier than I've ever been in my life."
She looked around Mason at those gathered in the sanctuary. "And all of you who gossiped about me be hind my back"—she looked directly at Mrs. Weldon and Mrs.
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