Changing Traditions, A Christmas Novella by Rachel Rittenhouse Read Free Book Online Page A

tears began to fall
regardless of her resolve.
    Albert stopped the sleigh
and turned to grasp her hands, “When I left, there was no
understanding between us…”
    “ But I cared for you! I
wrote you all the time!”
    “ I know, me too. You don’t
understand, Bethy, I did it for you.”
    “ No, you did it for
you.”
    “ Would you stop
interrupting me? I’m trying to explain it to you.”
    Biting back her retort,
Bethany settled for a nod and allowed Albert to continue on with
his explanation.
    “ I broke off our courtship
when I left because I didn’t want you to feel attached to me if
something had happened if…I was killed. But that didn’t mean that I
stopped caring for you. You were what kept me going through all the
fighting, poor rations, and sleeping on a cold ground. Before the
war ended, my general offered me a job working under him in
Washington. Though I agonized over it, I decided to take it. I
wrote to you, Bethy, honest. I told you all about the job and asked
you to wait for me and told you that I still loved you and would
come back for you. I take it you never received that
letter.”
    “ I didn’t know. The last
letter I received was in December.”
    “ I only meant to stay a
bit and try it out, but when I didn’t hear from you, I assumed you
decided to move on without me. And right you should, even though I
didn’t want you too.”
    “ Didn’t Nettie tell you
how much I wanted you to come? I told her everything!”
    “ Don’t blame her. She
didn’t tell me all that exactly, just that she couldn’t believe I
would desert you all. I didn’t know she meant you.”
    Bethany lowered her head,
trying to process all that he was telling her. Could Albert still
love her? “So why didn’t you come back sooner?”
    “ I told myself that I was
building a life for me — for you. When you never wrote, I decided
that I would get settled there and then come back to win you
back.”
    Bethany felt her heart
drop. “Win me back?”
    Albert looked at her a
long moment, before leaping out of the sleigh. Grasping Bethany’s
hand, he got down to one knee in the snow. “Marry me, Bethany
Woodsmall. I love you so and I want to spend the rest of my life
with you. Come back to Washington with me — as my wife. I promise I
will never hurt you so again.”
    The tears began to course
down her cheeks. Albert was proposing. Here. Now. Oh what was she
to think or even say. Her mind, let alone her heart, could hardly
make sense of it. “Albert, I’m touched, truly. Give me some time to
think and pray. Please?”
    Albert stood and grasped
both of her shoulders, “I’ll wait for you, Bethy, I will. I know I
hurt you terribly and I can only pray that you’ll forgive me and
love me in spite of all that I’ve done.”
    Bethany closed her eyes
and let herself rest against Albert. Oh
God! Now what am I to do?

 
     
     
     
     
     
CHAPTER TEN
     
    After
Albert dropped Bethany off at home with a kiss to her forehead,
Bethany could only stand there in shock at what had just occurred.
With no one home yet, Bethany took off to see Carolyn. Surely her
older sister could help her make sense of her muddled
heart.
    Here Albert was offering
what Bethany had always dreamed he would. He came
back—finally—wanting to marry her. At some point, Bethany thought
her answer would be easy. She had always thought she would say yes,
but now things were different.
    Now Jeremy was in her
heart as well. Jeremy who was so tender with Bethany’s feelings. He
had waited so long and pursued her so faithfully. Jeremy loved her,
maybe longer than Albert had.
    And Jeremy had come back
to her.
    Reaching Carolyn’s house,
Bethany flew through the door. “Oh Carolyn, you shall never believe
what has happened…” Bethany let her voice trail off at the sight of
Laura and Heather sitting with Carolyn at the kitchen table. “What
is going on here?”
    Carolyn stood and wrapped
her arm around Bethany. “I sent Scott to find you, but you