On this day in Rosehill, two doors slam: Ben slams Arlene's car door saying he can't run away with her, he loves his wife; Arlene slams the Hart's front door lashing out at Betsy: "Ben is my husband, not yours. We've been married for three years; you never were his wife." Betsy looks at Arlene in amazement and shouts: "You're lying. You're crazy, that can't be true." "It's true, sweetie," Arlene continues bitterly, "And it's about time you knew." Betsy's searching and pained eyes are still trying to discern whether what Arlene says is the truth when Ben walks in the door. Betsy runs into his arms and cries: "Arlene has been saying terrible things about you; tell me they're not true." Ben observes his wife's shaken state and realizes he owes her the truth. He takes Betsy aside and tells her the whole sorry tale. Ben couldn't have hurt her more if he had taken a butcher's knife and plunged it into her chest. Betsy runs to her room, crying in pain. Ben's guts are twisted into a knot, his eyes fight to hold back the tears; he realizes he may have lost the best thing that has ever happened in his life. He runs after Betsy and corners her in the bedroom. Ben tries to touch her, but she recoils in disgust. Her tear-streaked face speaks of the pain he has just caused her. Betsy tells Ben that as soon as her brother Tom arrives, she's going to leave this house. She never wants to see him again. Ben declares his love for her and begs her to stay, but in Betsy's eyes Ben has already showed his true colors and these declarations of love fall on deaf ears.

Felicia's new life with her husband brings back memories of a childhood spend caring for her invalid father. She's trying to remain strong for Charles, but the strain is beginning to show. Charles observes these cracks in her facade and worries that he may be placing too big a load on her shoulders. This is a frustrating realization, for he already knows he'll always have to rely on her for some things.

Cal is still getting flak about Rick from Eddie and Van. Both of them feels he's not the right sort of man for her. He's been involved with a lot of women and Cal is just too innocent to handle him. Cal tells them, in no uncertain terms, that it's her life -- and her love -- and to please stay out of it.



Betsy's whole world has gone into a tailspin. Her romanticized vision of the perfect love and marriage has been shattered like priceless stained glass. She sits in Cal's apartment trying -- unsuccessfully -- to put the pieces back together. Her friends and family rally around, attempting to nursemaid her back to emotional health; but it does very little good. Betsy is too wrapped up in her cocoon of grief to respond to their kindness.

The crude and callow cad (?) who did this to Rosehill's Pollyana is also suffering greatly for his sins. Ben desperately wants his wife and baby back. He's using every emotional ploy in the book to try to convince Betsy that he loves her; but it's all in vain. It's like the iceberg meeting the Titanic. Betsy's icy demeanor sinks all chances of Ben's ploys succeeding -- even when he shows Betsy some real divorce papers (Ben flew down to Haiti and got a divorce from Arlene), it does little to crack the ice. Wallowing in his grief and agony, Ben's now a man to be pitied.



Ben may be in for more than emotional grief if Jamie has his way. Jamie tells Meg he wants to prosecute Ben to the full extent of the law. He wants her darling son to pay for his actions. Jamie goes to see Betsy and asks her to sign a statement of the facts of the case. Betsy declines, saying she's not interested in vengeance; she doesn't want anything to do with Ben. Jamie's not about to take no for an answer. He leaves the statement with he saying: "Think about it Betsy. This isn't vengeance; it's justice. Don't you want Ben to pay for what he's done?"

Ray walks into the bar at Beaver Ridge. He spies Arlene sitting alone and in his usual gentlemanly manner, plops right down in the seat next to hers. Arlene tells him to get lost. Ray develops an immediate case of deafness and the words don't penetrate. He sees the distraught state Arlene's in and seizes upon the opportunity to make his move. Despite the repugnance she feels when she looks at this oily gent, Arlene responds a bit. Her need to talk -- or spew venom -- wins over any disgust she may be feeling.



Betsy is being pressured by Jamie to sign a complaint against Ben -- an action which could result in Ben's imprisonment. In her pain and confusion, she cannot feel joy at the first movements of her baby. In anguish, she goes to see Dr. Albertson, telling her she does not want the baby. The doctor manages to calm her down, reminding her that no matter what the state of things with the baby's father, Betsy's love for the baby is just as real as the baby itself. Don't, pleads Dr. Albertson, make the baby pay for the pain his father has caused. Calmer now, Betsy goes home feeling able to cope somehow with the things she must face.

Van rushes to smooth the waters until Betsy is calmer. Although she agrees with Bruce, that Ben probably deserves it, what purpose would it serve to have him put in prison? And how would Meg react? Van is further distressed by this situation when she learns that Rick knew all along about Ben's deception; with Rick and Cal so deeply involved, Van is concerned about the kind of man Rick is -- how can he help but, eventually hurt Cal?

Ben, busy packing a bag to leave Rosehill, will not be stopped, even by Meg. He almost wishes, he tells her, that Betsy would sign the complaint. Ignoring Meg's pleas that she will, somehow, get Betsy back for him, Ben replies that this time she can't buy an out for him. It is time he grew up and became a man, and maybe then Betsy would return to him.

Desperate, Meg goes to Betsy to beg her not to sign the paper and to offer a substantial trust fund for the baby. Once again she is coldly rebuffed. Betsy will not allow Meg's money to destroy her baby the way it destroyed Ben.



Meg tells Rick that she wants out of the new project because she doesn't want Rick destroyed too, with her money. He is frantic, because this project is, to him, the answer to all his dreams, but philosophically he suggests they forget it for now and have a drink.

Van's, as well as Eddie's, fears for Cal's happiness seem very well founded when, well into their cups, Rick and Meg embrace quite passionately. He seems to have forgotten that he is secretly engaged to Cal and that he has given his word to Van that he would never, intentionally, hurt Cal.

Rick may be getting more than he bargains for when he says "go" to the Schuyler Mountain project. Meg will provide the financial backing -- without, she says, strings. He hopes she means it when she assures him that it is not a trade-off for their night together.



He asks himself what he has done, and when Cal arrives at the club, he is so preoccupied that he calls it short. Meg, standing unseen in the background, smiles when she hears Rick tell Cal not to mention their secret engagement to anyone.

Jamie tells the District Attorney about Ben's bigamy. The D.A. begins an investigation into the matter. Compelled by honor, Bruce hands over a letter he secured from Betsy. In the letter, Ben admitted to Betsy that he was already married to Arlene. Bruce is fearful that his action will destroy the new family feeling -- the only good thing arising from this mess.

He is right, at least as far as Meg is concerned. She will never forgive him. Her first move is to attempt to get Ben to leave the country. He says no. Her second is to get him a lawyer.

At a meeting called at the D.A.'s office, Arlene, under subpoena, tries to stonewall the D.A. when he asks her about the bigamy; she is forestalled by her mother, who begs Arlene to be truthful. Horrified when she sees the damning letter, Arlene cannot understand how Betsy could supply the evidence against the father of her unborn child.

After talking to his grandmother and Eddie Aleata, Ben takes heed of their heartfelt advice not to run away this time, to face up to the consequences of his actions and prepare the way for a kind of rebirth: to become a man.



To the surprise of everyone present in the D.A.'s office, especially the three important women in his life -- Betsy, Arlene, and Meg -- Ben walks into the meeting. He admits writing the letter and states that what it says is true. When formally charged, Ben calmly says that he has got a long way to go to make up for what he has done, but he regards this as a good start.

Felicia, overwrought by her intense caring to Charles, finally has the beginning of a breakdown. Joe firmly tells her she must have some rest and orders to hire a nurse. Felicia looks worried at the announcement, and Charles's face mirrors displeasure.