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Ashley Longworth Jr. Arrives at the Walton home and wakes up Erin at 3am to take her out for a drive. He gives her a ring and asks to marry her. He wants to get married right away but she wants to wait till the weekend. She takes him to stay at the Baldwin house who are away in Richmond.
The next morning at breakfast the family wonders where Erin is. Serena lets is out that Ashley Longworth arrived in the middle of the night. John figures that they are over at the Baldwins. John and Olivia drive over to have words with them. Erin announces that they are to be married on Saturday. He is on a short leave from the Navy and with the war on they want to make the most of their time together. Her parents are not too pleased with the news but invite Ashley over for dinner to get to know him better.
At dinner John asks Ashley to say the blessing but he is unable to. He apologizes and leaves the table. Erin follows him outside and he says that there is no God in heaven for him.
They sit on the swing and discuss the issue. He admits to be an atheist. He doesn’t want to be married in a church or by a minister he asks if she will accept being married by a Justice of the Peace. He leaves. Mama comes out onto the porch and asks why he wouldn’t say grace at dinner. Erin snaps back that maybe not everyone is as religious as her.
The next day Rose adjusts Grandma’s wedding dress for Erin. She tells the bride to be that her mother has gone to the church to discuss the wedding plans with Reverend Bradshaw.
Later at the Baldwin house Erin gives Ashley the pocket watch that Grandpa left for her in his will. He wants to get married at the Baldwin house, he once again stipulates that he will never set foot in a church.
Erin and her Mama work on the wedding dress. Erin levels with her and reveals that Ashley is now an atheist. Mama warns her that it will be difficult to raise children religiously in a godless home.
Olivia goes down and talks to Ashley who has arrived for Erin. Olivia wonders if they are rushing things. Ashley admits to all of the issues that Erin informed her of. He says that he has nothing to hide. Olivia wonders that if he could change his mind on God maybe he will change his mind about how he feels about Erin. Erin comes downstairs and leaves for a drive with Ashley. Erin asks Ashley if he feels like they may be rushing the marriage. She says that he has changed a lot in the past year. He becomes angry and calls off the marriage. He drives her home and when her mother checks on her Erin states that the marriage is off.
The next day Ashley talks with John in the mill. He returns the watch she gave him. Daddy goes upstairs and talks to Erin in her bedroom. She is still torn up about the break up.
Jason and Ben go to the Dew Drop for a drink and run into Ashley Longworth and Erma Jean Small. Ashley is not to discreet in dealing with his recent break up.
Ben and Jason arrive home and inform everyone about Ashley’s activities. Erin becomes incensed. She runs upstairs and finds Elizabeth already sulking in the bedroom. Elizabeth makes fun of Erin’s predicament and they become engaged in a pillow fight. Serena comes in and announces that she is going to be staying in her Nana’s room. Erin decides to do something about Ashley and drives over to the Baldwin house where she find a small group dancing and playing the piano. Erin takes off her engagement room and throws it at Erma Jean and says she can have Ashley for all she cares.
Cindy stops by for some supplies. Corabeth tries to pry some gossip about Ashley and Erin’s breakup. Not getting anywhere with Cindy she decides to pay a visit to the Baldwin’s. She brings food and Ashley makes a fake move on Corabeth which sends her flying to the Walton’s to advise them of his behaviour. John and Erin drive over to see him. He doesn’t seem
When he first joined the navy he never saw death up close. They just pointed the guns at far away islands. He then became beached on the Solomon Islands where came face to face with the enemy and admits that he strangled a man with his own hands. From that experience he lost his faith in God. John tells Ashley of his own experiences with war and his feelings about God. Admitting the truth draws Erin and Ashley together and patches their wounds. He leaves back for the war on good terms with Erin and her family.
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