The Sister Wife (29 page)

Hosea halted the horse-drawn buggy in front of the small farm that Enid's parents had given them as a wedding gift. Smoke rose from the chimney, and the glow of lamplight filled the windows.

He carefully lifted his legs from the seat, stood to regain his balance, and reached for his walking stick. Then slowly, he limped to the front door and knocked.

After a moment, an older man opened the door and peered at him. It was Enid's father, Jacob.

“Sir,” Hosea said, “you probably don't recognize me…”

“Who is it?” Enid's mother, Miriam, came to the door to stand next to her husband.

There was no sign of recognition in either of their faces.

“I'm Hosea Livingstone,” he said, his voice low and filled with sudden sadness. “Enid's husband.”

Jacob scrutinized Hosea's face and then shook his head. “Ye cannot be. He died several years ago. A terrible tragedy, our daughter suffered when it happened.”

“I am your daughter's husband,” he said.

Miriam stepped closer. “Our daughter is a widow.”

“I was captain of the
Sea Hawk
when I was taken overboard by a rogue wave. I don't know how it happened, but I washed ashore on the coast of Maine. It's taken me some time to heal.”

“Ye don't look like our son-in-law,” Miriam said. “He was taller, a much bigger man.”

“Please believe me,” Hosea said. “I need to speak to Enid. I want to explain…”

“If ye're truly who ye say, why were ye gone so long?” Jacob still blocked the door.

Hosea's weak limbs were about to give out. He clung to the walking stick to stay upright. “I was injured,” he said. “I couldn't walk, or even stand, for over a year. A fisherman and his wife found me, nursed me back to health—spiritually and physically.” He reached into his jacket pocket for a handkerchief and mopped his face.

“The man needs to sit down,” Jacob said to his wife.

She didn't look too keen about letting Hosea into their house, but she stepped aside and he entered. A feeling of warmth invaded him as he glanced about the room, taking in all the familiar furnishings.

“Please, sit down,” Jacob said. “I'm still not convinced ye're who you say, but ye look like ye need to rest yer legs.”

“Would ye like a cup of tea?” Without awaiting an answer, Miriam bustled into the kitchen.

Jacob sat across from Hosea, still studying his face.

“The scars…” he started. “I know my face is disfigured…And I've lost weight, a lot of weight.”

Jacob held up a hand. “If ye're Hosea, 'tis not the physical that's changed so much, but something else. Something I see in yer eyes.”

Hosea laughed. “Aye, 'tis my heart that has changed the most. It needed more healing than all the broken bones, abrasions, and deep wounds put together.”

Jacob leaned forward. “Just now, when ye laughed…”

Hosea nodded as Miriam came into the room to serve tea. She noticed the expression on her husband's face and quickly set down her tray and went to stand behind him.

“I saw that space between yer teeth. The place for pipe holdin'.”

“I haven't smoked a pipe in close to five years.” Hosea rubbed the edges of his upper teeth.

Miriam caught her hand to her mouth. “'Tis you, indeed.” She stared at him, dumbfounded, for several seconds. Then she went over to Hosea and, not letting him stand, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him soundly on the cheek. “Ye've come back from the dead.”

“Glory be,” Jacob said in awe. “Glory be!”

Hosea basked in their wonder, letting their warmth and joy seep into his heart, then he leaned forward. “I must speak with Enid. Is she here?”

Jacob and Miriam exchanged glances, then turned back to him. “She left a long time ago. She went to find Gabriel MacKay.”

Hosea closed his eyes and prayed for grace and strength. “Did he send for her?”

“No,” Miriam said.

“But she knew he had gone to Nauvoo,” Jacob added. “That Mormon settlement on the Mississippi.”

“I know of it.” Hosea's voice was little more than a whisper. “Have you heard anything from her? Has she written to say how she is?”

“Aye, that she has,” Jacob said, lifting an eyebrow. “Apparently, the rumors about plural wives among the Mormons is true. She said Gabe has taken two wives.”

“Mary Rose? Did she mention a Mary Rose?”

“Aye, 'tis the name of his first wife,” Miriam said. “Did you know her?”

“I married them aboard the
Sea Hawk
just before we reached
Boston.” And just before he ordered his dear friend out of his life. He hung his head in shame, remembering his anger.

For a moment only the ticking of the grandfather clock at the end of the hall filled the silence. Then Jacob said, “The last letter she posted said that mobs planned to attack Nauvoo and run them out of the state. She said she was heading west with the group, though no one knew where they might settle.”

“We've been so worried,” Miriam said. “A traveler from the States visited the island not long ago with word that Nauvoo burned to the ground. All the Mormons have been run out of the state or killed.” Her eyes filled. “We don't even know if Enid is alive…”

Hosea's weakness set in full force, and for a moment he couldn't move, much less think. The idea that Enid was with Gabe, and was with this group, tore at his insides. He closed his eyes, lifted his heart in prayer, and after a few minutes felt a deep peace settle his thoughts.

“Are ye all right, then?”

He opened his eyes to see that Miriam's worry had deepened the lines in her face. “Ye are welcome to stay and continue your recuperation here.” She gave him a gentle smile. “After all this is your farmhouse.”

“Thank you,” Hosea said. “Perhaps the night to regain my strength. Then I must be on my way.”

Jacob leaned forward. “Where will ye be headin' then?”

“I will leave in the morning at first light.” Hosea reached for his walking stick, running his fingers over the tau cross that Giovanni had carved near its leather hand-strap. “I will head to the States to search for Enid, and I'll not stop until I find her.”

Dear Reader:

 

When I began writing
The Sister Wife
, I was immediately drawn into the “what ifs” an author often asks herself as her characters come to life: What if a young woman named Mary Rose Ashley falls in love with a wonderful young man named Gabriel MacKay and, after a romantic whirlwind courtship aboard a clipper ship bound for America, they marry?

A historical romance? Most definitely. But with a twist. What if Mary Rose, who's traveling with her grandfather, has recently become a member of the fledgling frontier church known as the Latter-day Saints? What if, when she marries Gabe, neither knows about the revelation that Joseph Smith will claim just a short time hence: the practice of polygamy, especially the requirement of a Saint in good standing to marry multiple wives in order to make it into the highest level of heaven? What if the other woman Gabe is required to marry is also Mary Rose's best friend?

An interesting bundle of questions, to be sure, and with more than enough intrigue to keep me dying to find out what would
happen each morning when I sat down at the computer to write.

In addition, this book allowed me to dig into the history behind this practice that still gets so much attention when it is brought to light in our modern world. My historian husband, whose areas of expertise include American history and the history of the American West, and I have spent years studying this group and its beginnings. My sources include the acclaimed
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith
by Fawn Brodie;
Tell It All
, the original manuscript written by Fanny Stenhouse (married for twenty years to Brigham Young);
The Life and Confessions of John D. Lee
(Brigham Young's adopted son, who was executed for his part in the Mountain Meadows massacre);
Orrin Porter Rockwell
by Harold Schindler; the complete works of Patrick O'Brian (primarily
Master and Commander
); and many others on the history of the American West. The quotes found in Chapter 21 in this book are taken directly from the written document on plural marriage by Joseph Smith.

One of the most fascinating discoveries in my research was a handwritten copy of the Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the extermination order, issued on October 27, 1838, by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs. The order was in response to what Boggs termed “open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made war upon the people of this State.” It declared that “the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description.” The order was formally rescinded in 1976.

I hadn't gotten far into the story when a much bigger and even more intriguing picture began to surface: a portrait of God's dealings with us, his errant children. I focused especially on his un-failing love for us, the fact that nothing we do (and he knows the worst about us) can ever separate us from his love, his mercy, his forgiveness, his grace.

I began to look up passages in the Bible about God's faithfulness and landed in the Old Testament book of Hosea (which gives us a wonderful story of God's love for his people). I came across the following:

After studying these verses, I realized the story in
The Sister Wife
had broader implications than the complications of my characters. I thought about people today who are caught up in one kind of bondage or another, whether it is within the confines of a cult, a destructive lifestyle, or the worship of “toy gods” such as greed or power.

It hit me that this is the deeper story in the Brides of Gabriel series, that of God's great and tender love for his people, a tenderness akin to that of a mother for her infant.

My characters have a long journey ahead, but their journey will parallel, metaphorically, God's journey with us, his unconditional love for us, and his great and awesome faithfulness. At the heart of the “marriage issue” is this:

In the end, that is the truth behind the Brides of Gabriel. It's the truth, the Good News, we all need to hear and tuck in our hearts.

I also want to add a note to sharp-eyed readers, Victorian poetry sleuths, and history buffs: Many of the verses of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry used in this work were not published in book form during the time period of
The Sister Wife
, but it is known that, in 1824, a leading London newspaper, the
Globe and Traveler
, began printing her poetry. She also wrote for several magazines during this period. For the purposes of this work, I choose to believe that Mary Rose could have had access to the
Globe and Traveler
and other periodicals before the more famous poems were published in book form.

I would love to hear from you. Feel free to drop by my website—www.dianenoble.com—where you will find more information about the historical research that provided the foundation for this book. You will also find photos and narrative as my historian husband and I follow the same trail taken by my characters in Book Two as they make their way to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Don't forget to sign my guestbook. You can also look me up on Facebook. I read and respond to every e-mail and value your input.

With all joy and peace,

Diane Noble

1. Mary Rose introduces Gabe to the Mormon faith even though she isn't sure of it herself. Why do you think she waits so long to tell Gabe that the “miracle” of Bronwyn's baby's birth was preceded by herbal medications and earnest prayer from someone other than Brigham Young?
   
2. Do you think God listens and responds to the prayers of those whose beliefs are not in agreement with your own? Why, or why not?
   
3. Do you agree with Mary Rose's choice to stay with Gabe after his marriage to Bronwyn? Did she have a choice? Did he?
   
4. What do you think motivates Mary Rose to agree to the consummation of Gabe's marriage to Bronwyn? Is it only because she believes that if she doesn't, she won't spend
   eternity with the baby she has lost? Or is there a deeper motivation, perhaps hidden from her awareness? What do you think it might be?
   
5. Do you see a connection between Mary Rose's acceptance of her circumstances, her seemingly enduring love for Gabe, and a contemporary woman who might remain in a dysfunctional relationship because she thinks she has no other choice? Why, or why not?
   
6. Mary Rose is a reluctant Saint from the beginning. What do you think most influences her choice to remain with the group and embrace the teachings of the Prophet, even as Joseph Smith's revelation about plural marriage breaks her heart?
   
7. What in Mary Rose's background could have helped her recognize and stand up against the false teachings? Do you think she has an “inner plumb line” that causes her to question these teachings?
   
8. As a boy, Joseph Smith asked God to reveal to him the one true church that he had established on earth. Is this a legitimate question for us to ask today? Can a person only know God by belonging to a church? Why, or why not? What are the inherent dangers of a leader proclaiming that his (or her) way is the only way or that his particular brand of religion is the only one?
   
9. Mormonism teaches that man can become a god in the next life through good works on earth. How does this teaching correlate with Genesis 3:5 in which the serpent says to Eve, “For God knows that when you eat of it [the fruit from the
   forbidden tree] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…”?
   
10. LDS historians say that Joseph Smith's revelation about plural marriage had to do with taking care of the widows and orphans in a violent society where women had no protection or means of support without a husband or father. Please reread Chapter 21 in this book, which describes Smith's revelation on the subject, keeping in mind that the author used his direct quotes as his dialogue. Do you think today's explanation for polygamy is in agreement with the original revelation?
          Historically, only those men in positions of power and those with the means to support a large household took multiple wives. Why do you think the revelation was made after the practice had already begun? Do you think that rumors of polygamy had anything to do with the persecution of Mormons by outsiders?
    
11. Ultimately,
    The Sister Wife
    is a book about relationships. Is it possible, in your opinion, to extend forgiveness, grace, and mercy to a friend who has betrayed you? Is it possible to love this friend again? In your own life—no matter the offense—does it matter if a friend
    asks
    for forgiveness? Can you forgive anyway?
    
12. What about a spouse's betrayal with someone outside marriage in today's world? If this happened to you, do you think it would be possible to extend mercy, forgiveness, and grace to the one who betrayed you? Can such a tragic break in the relationship ever be repaired? Do you think it's possible to incorporate this prayer into actual practice:
    

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us
?

Take a few minutes to think of someone you need to forgive…or of someone you need to go to for forgiveness. Consider God's mercy, grace, and love toward you and ask him to help you extend that same compassion toward the one he has brought to your mind, or the strength to act if you are the one in need of forgiveness.