dress. "Let me put this in my room and get my reticule. We'll go to the Mercantile and see if they have anything we can use for repairs."
Mrs. Pendleton sniffed. "Surely you have no inten tion of wasting time traipsing in public on your wedding day?"
"It won't take long, Mother." She hurried to her room, then back to the drawing room.
Her mother had apparently spent Beth's absence scolding Rachel, who stood in tears with her head hung. Beth's cousin had never been kind to her, but she sympathized with the woman. Mrs. Pendleton's tongue was rapier sharp, and she sliced into people relentlessly.
Beth slid her arm through her cousin's. "Come on, Rachel. We'll find something, don't worry."
The cousins walked the two blocks to the town's main street. They waved at passersby and spoke to those who called out greetings. On the way, Beth heard Rachel sniff and knew she suffered from Mrs. Pendleton's scolding.
"She's just nervous, you know." Beth patted her cousin's arm.
"Your mother?" Rachel seemed surprised that Mrs. Pendleton might be uneasy about anything.
"Yes. She's afraid Mason will leave me at the altar and she'll be embarrassed again."
Rachel sniffled. "But what about you? She never thinks about your feelings and you'd be hurt."
Beth handed her cousin a handkerchief. "Unfortu nately, Mother views all of life as to how it affects her specifically." In an effort to divert Rachel's attention from Mrs. Pendleton's harsh words, Beth asked about the Bigelow children.
For the rest of the walk into town, Rachel related anecdotes about her children. Each pointed out a major flaw in the children's characters or Rachel's parenting, but Rachel saw all the incidents as funny. Beth tried to smile pleasantly and nod as if she, too, thought the Bigelow brats were enchanting.
In the Mercantile, Beth searched the piece goods while Rachel sorted through the ready-made dresses. Beth had bent to sort through the bolts on the bot tom shelf when she overheard the loud whispers of two women on the next aisle.
The first gossip spoke loudly. "You know she's jinxed herself this time, don't you?"
Beth froze, and a second voice carried to her. "No, you don't mean this is worse than the man who ran off with another man?"
No matter how she tried to be a good person, ru mors like this hurt Beth. How could she fight them? She took food and clothes to the sick, helped the church minister to the poor, attended civic functions, did everything in her power to live a good life serving her community. Nothing stopped the tittle-tattle of malicious people. Absolutely nothing.
Gossip one sounded smug. "Now there's this hurry- up wedding, not even three weeks since they announced the engagement. You know what that means, of course."
The second voice, sounding shocked but amused, replied, "No, you don't mean she's in a family way?"
Beth gasped. Did it never end?
Gossip one said, "What else could it be?"
Rachel stormed over. "It could mean that they suddenly realized they belong together and don't have to prolong their engagement to satisfy a bunch of gos siping old biddies. That's what, so there."
Beth stood, grateful her cousin had stood up for her. She might have known—the two biggest scandal mongers in the state. Beth smiled sweetly. "Good morning, Mrs. Weldon, Mrs. Humphreys." She turned to her cousin. "Did you find a dress you liked?"
Rachel looked at the dress Mrs. Weldon wore. "No, all they had was an awful gray thing with cheap lace." She put her hand on her cheek and pretended sur prise. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Weldon, I didn't realize you'd bought that same dress."
Mrs. Weldon bristled, and her face turned red. "Of all the nerve. Rachel Bigelow, you've lived out on that farm so long you've forgotten your manners."
Rachel shook her head. "Believe me, Mrs. Wel don, I haven't forgotten a thing."
Beth had moved bolt after bolt of fabric, so she dusted off her hands. "Excuse us, there don't seem to be any goods here we want."
Rachel and
Mrs. Pendleton sniffed. "Surely you have no inten tion of wasting time traipsing in public on your wedding day?"
"It won't take long, Mother." She hurried to her room, then back to the drawing room.
Her mother had apparently spent Beth's absence scolding Rachel, who stood in tears with her head hung. Beth's cousin had never been kind to her, but she sympathized with the woman. Mrs. Pendleton's tongue was rapier sharp, and she sliced into people relentlessly.
Beth slid her arm through her cousin's. "Come on, Rachel. We'll find something, don't worry."
The cousins walked the two blocks to the town's main street. They waved at passersby and spoke to those who called out greetings. On the way, Beth heard Rachel sniff and knew she suffered from Mrs. Pendleton's scolding.
"She's just nervous, you know." Beth patted her cousin's arm.
"Your mother?" Rachel seemed surprised that Mrs. Pendleton might be uneasy about anything.
"Yes. She's afraid Mason will leave me at the altar and she'll be embarrassed again."
Rachel sniffled. "But what about you? She never thinks about your feelings and you'd be hurt."
Beth handed her cousin a handkerchief. "Unfortu nately, Mother views all of life as to how it affects her specifically." In an effort to divert Rachel's attention from Mrs. Pendleton's harsh words, Beth asked about the Bigelow children.
For the rest of the walk into town, Rachel related anecdotes about her children. Each pointed out a major flaw in the children's characters or Rachel's parenting, but Rachel saw all the incidents as funny. Beth tried to smile pleasantly and nod as if she, too, thought the Bigelow brats were enchanting.
In the Mercantile, Beth searched the piece goods while Rachel sorted through the ready-made dresses. Beth had bent to sort through the bolts on the bot tom shelf when she overheard the loud whispers of two women on the next aisle.
The first gossip spoke loudly. "You know she's jinxed herself this time, don't you?"
Beth froze, and a second voice carried to her. "No, you don't mean this is worse than the man who ran off with another man?"
No matter how she tried to be a good person, ru mors like this hurt Beth. How could she fight them? She took food and clothes to the sick, helped the church minister to the poor, attended civic functions, did everything in her power to live a good life serving her community. Nothing stopped the tittle-tattle of malicious people. Absolutely nothing.
Gossip one sounded smug. "Now there's this hurry- up wedding, not even three weeks since they announced the engagement. You know what that means, of course."
The second voice, sounding shocked but amused, replied, "No, you don't mean she's in a family way?"
Beth gasped. Did it never end?
Gossip one said, "What else could it be?"
Rachel stormed over. "It could mean that they suddenly realized they belong together and don't have to prolong their engagement to satisfy a bunch of gos siping old biddies. That's what, so there."
Beth stood, grateful her cousin had stood up for her. She might have known—the two biggest scandal mongers in the state. Beth smiled sweetly. "Good morning, Mrs. Weldon, Mrs. Humphreys." She turned to her cousin. "Did you find a dress you liked?"
Rachel looked at the dress Mrs. Weldon wore. "No, all they had was an awful gray thing with cheap lace." She put her hand on her cheek and pretended sur prise. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Weldon, I didn't realize you'd bought that same dress."
Mrs. Weldon bristled, and her face turned red. "Of all the nerve. Rachel Bigelow, you've lived out on that farm so long you've forgotten your manners."
Rachel shook her head. "Believe me, Mrs. Wel don, I haven't forgotten a thing."
Beth had moved bolt after bolt of fabric, so she dusted off her hands. "Excuse us, there don't seem to be any goods here we want."
Rachel and
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