The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund Read Free Book Online Page B

murmured, whisking the pap as if her life depended on it. Apparently, he had not taken favor to Betsy’s plan.
    “You’ve quite the nerve forcing yourself into my household day after day under the pretense of housekeeper, when all along you’ve been biding your time until you can weasel your way into marriage.”
    Elizabeth slopped half of the pap into another pewter bowl and pushed it in front of Johnny. “ ’Tis not the case.”
    Betsy peeked around one of her father’s legs and her lips quivered. Elizabeth narrowed a frown at the girl.
    “And to encourage my daughter nonetheless.”
    “ ’Twas Betsy’s idea entirely.” She lifted Thomas out of Mary’s arms. “I had nothing to do with it. I tried my best to discourage her.”
    “Methinks a four-year-old cannot know so much about arranging marriages unless someone has instructed her.”
    Elizabeth’s cheeks grew hot. She had said too much to Betsy.
    She tucked a rag underneath Thomas’s chin and sat on the bench next to Johnny. She positioned the baby in the crook of her arm and spooned pap into his mouth. His tongue pushed it out, and she rushed to scrape it off his chin before losing a drop of the precious mixture.
    “Well, what do you have to say?”
    What should she say? How could she defend herself when she sounded guilty even to herself. “I did instruct her,” she finally said. “But only to try to help her understand that ’tis a complicated matter in choosing a mate.”
    “Say what you want, but I’ve heard the whispers and seen the looks. The maidens and their mothers are planning who shall become my next wife. You thought to be the winner—you wanted to get to me first and hook yourself a husband.”
    “That’s not true.” It was not true that she wanted to hook him. But ’twas certain the young women of the parish were speculating about him. Her own sister Catherine had been amongst the gossipers.
    “You may deny it. But it’s obvious. It’s entirely obvious you want to marry me.” He uncrossed his arms and began walking toward her.
    Was he growing just a bit presumptuous? Did she hear arrogance in his tone? Elizabeth tried not to squirm when he stopped in front of her.
    “Why else would you come here and work without pay unless you wanted to entrap me?”
    “Entrap you?” She suspended the spoon of pap in midair and looked up at Brother Costin towering over her.
    His eyes sparked.
    If she’d been a weaker woman, she may have cowered. But she didn’t consider herself of frail caliber, and the sparks that flew from his eyes ignited her own ire. “Brother Costin, you’re puffed up with yourself to imagine that any and every maiden would entrap you into marriage.”
    His eyes widened and he hesitated. “It’s not inconceivable—”
    “ ’Tis quite inconceivable from me. Believe it or not, I’m interested in serving God and doing the work He sets before me rather than fawning over a man puffed up with himself.”
    Again he paused, as if unprepared for the frankness of her words. “Nevertheless,” he fumbled. “I must ask that this be your last day of service as housekeeper.”
    Betsy, who had wheedled her way into the room, burst into tears.
    Elizabeth rose from the bench, ignoring Thomas’s angry cries at having his meal disrupted. She straightened her shoulders and faced Brother Costin. “Let me clarify this misunderstanding—once and for all. I have no intention of marrying you. None at all. Not now. Nor ever.”
    “And I have no intention of marrying you either—”
    “I’m courting another man, and I’m planning to marry him.”
    He opened his mouth but then drew in a deep breath. “You’re already getting married?”
    “We are not betrothed yet. But I’ve given the man my promise to marry him by autumn.”
    Brother Costin studied her face.
    “She’s telling the truth,” Mary spoke quietly. “I overheard her conversation with Betsy.”
    Betsy hung her head, and tears rolled down her cheeks.