A broken promise: Jacob, Rose and Turner's marriage plans

Jacob stared at the older woman, angry. Lines creased his forehead as he weighed his whether-to's. Finally, he stood and walked into the tent. When he emerged, Rose trailed along behind petulantly, her arm looking to be a permanent attachment to his hand.

"Siddown Rose and hear me out. I ain't comfortable with head-on talkin like this where I have to rein in my temper. Usually fer me, I only talk head-on when I'm bein challenged. But you got to know this thing I already know.  If what yer Ma explains is true, you got to know at least this one thing and I'm damned fer tellin ya and damned if I don't."
"Jacob, you don't have to -"
"Shut up, Rose! You tole yer Ma to shut it and now I'm a tellin you the same. Shut yer mouth and jes listen! Unnerstand?"

He was angry ...and afraid...and Rose saw both. She had to laugh.
"Please continue Jacob. You're quite interesting when you're angry."


Blushing, he saw Abigail squelch a giggle, felt his blush and blustered on without fanfare or preamble; just straight to the point.
"Rose, afore he left, Turner Cole tole me he'd marry you with no holdin back at all and made me promise never to tell anybody.
I ain't...til now."


"Then why didn't he say so?"
"Would'na been proper on his part. And how'd he know you would'na joint up with the Church just to egg im on?"


"He thought I would do something like that? Just to catch him?"
And before her own temper pushed out words of disgust, she caught her mother's silent rebuke.
You did do something like that when you got baptized anyway. Don't get righteous about it now.


Abigail was right and Rose could only stare into Jacob's eyes, not sensing the man's pain in discussing her affections concerning another man.


Jacob still had that same feeling in his gut.
Every damn time he thought about her anymore...
"Jacob Hannah, are you telling me Turner Cole went home with the idea he'd ask me to marry him when I came to Utah?"


Sighing, shaking his head and shrugging in a way only a big man does, Jacob looked into the fire.
"That's about the size of it. I think he meant he'd have no problem takin you to wife after you got baptized. He was willin to take the Lord at His word and if your sins was no more rememberd by the Lord, why should Turner Cole remember them?"


"Then why on earth did he get married?"
"Don't for sure know. Me'n Turner've always been close but not so close that he'd share his love life with me.
By the time we got to the age of interest, I spent more time with my Pa bein a woodsman and he stayed closer to the city and the religious stuff. Maybe he was commanded."


"But you both said there weren't arranged marriages in Zion."
"There ain't like that, but maybe he was commanded to start takin wives, but I doubt that too. Turner is still too young to start actin apostle-like."
"Meaning that he still might have marriage with me in mind - as a plural wife?
My God, Jacob!"


Abigail gestured, upset. "I certainly agree there Rose! Jacob, how could Turner or any good man be that casual about this?"


"Whaddaya mean casual? Far as I can see there wasn't nothin casual about thinkin about Rose and whether or not marryin her was somethin real in his heart.
Sharin it with me warn't casual. He never spected I'd ever tell you afore he could do somethin about it hisself.

And if he decided to do nothin, then I'm the only one he'd have to splain it to since you'd never a known. I'm the casual blabbermouth here."


"But Jacob," responded Abigail, “it sounds like he thought we would go dragging a handcart into Utah, ready to accept his proposal just because he wanted it that way. I mean, would Turner just walk up to us, maybe give a hug and tell my daughter,
'Welcome to Zion, Rose. By the way will you marry me?'
No courtship? No wondering if Rose cares in return, assuming he cares in the right way?"


"Hell, I don't know Sister! I ain't been involved with women and don't know how it's done, specially with plurals. I don't think I'll ever be commanded to take more'n one wife."
Oh? And why not, Jacob?", Rose wanted to know.
"Cause I'm not able to do it, maybe not even manage one wife. I don't have the temper to manage women in that way and everybody who knows me knows that too.


Old Brigham'd never be that blind as to call me to take more'n one woman."
"But Jacob, you have just as much right."
"Right?
Right hell!  No I don't.
I ain't the man of the spirit like Turner. If the Prophet tole Turner to get hisself a wife or two, Turner'd have the spirit enough to know it was right.

I ain't that way. If Brigham tole me that, I'd have to take it on faith cause no spirit would ever prompt my soul to know it was right.


My gut feelin would be to tell Brother Brigham right where he could go hang his hat. And since I ain't likely to be some Church big shot any time, I wouldn't have no obligedness to show a public example by acceptin the difficult callin like Heber Kimball did.


My only wife'd never have to pray to God about me stayin awake at night tryin to decide whether or not to refuse that commandment from the Prophet."

Rose embraces a truth

"My dear daughter, this is a traveling group of Children of Israel. We're leaving our 'Egypt' to go to the Promised Land and the Lord and the P.E.F. have made it possible. It's a miracle like unto the parting of the Red Sea.
Rose, my Rose, I hope you find a new life out there!"
Rose sighed,
"I've already found a new life Mama, whether I like it or not. This is my new life.
But everyone here is so SERIOUS!
The men never smile. At least the men around the docks at Insley and the women smiled at each other."
"Yes, they probably did. And probably screamed and profaned at each other, Rose, and beat each other didn't they?
These are a new kind of man and woman you're seeing.
These who are also poor are betting their all on one more turn of the card. Some of them have been so foolish as to quit their jobs as soon as emigration with the cheaper handcart method was proposed. They didn't need to save up as much money as they thought, but took no thought for how far down the road they'd have to wait before ships could be chartered.
Some of these people were living on charity when they left, barely keeping back enough money to pay their way through. If they need anything on the journey they'll be out of luck."
"Mama, we'll all be out of luck if Utah turns out to be  something other than Zion."
"Rose, please don't tell me you -"
"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we're going; more glad that I'm leaving Insley. I'm just hoping it won't be too hard there where we're going."
"Well child, you had faith to be baptized. Surely you can find enough to trust the Lord to get us there safely."
"Mama, Mama. I got baptized to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble with both of us going with the help from the P.E.F.”
"Then you still don't believe it's true?"
"I guess I believe part of it is true, but until I see for myself that these Elders are really what they say they are and that in Zion women are happy, I won't be able to do more than what I've already done.

Jacob on the risks of marrying Rose

"Jacob Hannah, you're a hard man."

              "Why?

              Cause I'm bein honest about it?  Turner, I don't ever aim to be asked to take more'n one wife and I'd be riskin a hell of a lot to take Rose, no matter how prettified she gits and how clean she repents herself to."

              "Why do you say risk? You mean you'd have a hard time trusting her?"

              "That and more. Albert says she's been a whorin for the most part a two years and not once has ever showed signs of gittin with child."

              "Albert thinks his daughter is barren?"

              "Yeah, it looks that way. If I made someone like that my woman I'd have two strikes agin me."

              "An ex-harlot you couldn't fully trust and the danger of a childless union?"

              "You got it."

              "I'd do it ..."

              "You'd what?

              You'd take a chance on her?

              Turner that's crazy! She ain't your type."

              "Why not? Besides, what makes you think we won't be commanded to marry more than one?"

              "Hah! You, maybe. I won't do it."

              "Oh yes you would. You might not feel that way now but by the end of your mission, when the labor of preaching is so full that your testimony is three times what it is now, you'll change your ideas. You'll do what the Lord asks."

That big one with the dark beard-- somehow he's dignified and mean at the same time.

"Mr. Leach, when we come back there will be more than two of us. I'll have the law and perhaps a barrister if I can find one. That shouldn't be too difficult if we mention the Leach family name."

Jacob added, "An if I find you here with a gang, I won't try to discuss a thing. The law can sort it out after I break your back!"

Rose could not believe men would risk a fight over her after what she'd become. Why would they risk injury over a whore? Maybe risk their own death in the river.

Jacob saw her face, remembering he could do nothing unless the girl gave him some encouragement.

"That is, of course, if you, Miss Blake, won't mind my comin back to escort ya home to yer father?"

Ollie made a slight move, probably intending to catch her eye with a threatening look. This American making a fool of himself over an English trollop. Why?

Her resolve fled ... then returned. It seemed possible that in one moment she could push Albert and Abigail away; forever freeing them from a daughter's shame; doing it for their own good.

Let them get on with their lives without their child's chains around their necks too. Oh, how much better to make the break with her father, once and for all, no matter the pain of the moment.

But then to what? She would be a slave to Leach; to his business of procuring women for those who would pay, not to mention his own need for a woman to roll with.

The Americans?

What about them?

That big one with the dark beard-- dressed more roughly than the farmers of England when they dress up. Yet somehow he's dignified and mean at the same time.

Her next thoughts made her blush. Think he's interested in you?

A preacher?

Interested in a whore?

Sinner among sinners?

Lady of the night?

Interested in you?

No...

Albert ...

He's interested in preaching to Albert and using me.

But still he's willing to challenge Ollie to fight here and now for me.

She saw Leach's impatient silent threat again and felt anger; then hopeful about escape.

But for how long? How long if the Americans aren't around the next time? What if I leave Ollie and they then leave me? Ollie will get me back or send me into the river.

'Jacob', the other one called him, Jacob is willing to fight for me. What would it take to hold on to him?

I'm such a fool! Why would he be interested?

She looked one more time at Leach; afraid and knowing she had good reason to fear. But then, to her surprise as much as anyone's, she nodded at Jacob.

"Would you please? I mean, you wouldn't mind coming back for me?"

Conversion of a prostitute? By LDS missionaries?

On Rose Blake - heroine

Rose’s circumstances as a historical character trapped in a life of prostitution that was as cruelly enforced 150 years ago in industrial England as it is today, is not extraordinary nor forced  creative license.

Among numerous  readings I learned about Mary Woolstoncraft who has been called “the first feminist” or the “mother of feminism” and whose influence was quite strong in mid-19th century England.

I also found the following tragic quote while researching how I might portray Rose.

“The getting of fresh girls is easy enough. I have gone and courted girls in the country under all kinds of disguises, occasionally assuming the dress of a parson ...and got them in my power to please a customer.... I bring her up, take her here and there, give her plenty to eat and drink, especially drink. I contrive it so that she loses her last train ...I offer her nice lodgings for the night ...my client gets His maid." - THE ENGLISH- A SOCIAL HISTORY: 1066-1945, Christopher Hibbert

My larger priority in writing And Should We Die was always authenticity and consistency in historical details of the actual handcart experience. The England context was based on readings and study of available personal journals and recollections as well as published histories such as Hibbert’s above.

Furthermore for a sense of mood and social environment, I was counseled that I might also take a long look at the writings of Dickens whose David Copperfield, for example was not that dissimilar to the background of what I needed for the Blake family circumstance when found by Jake Hannah and Turner Cole.

The greater priority for Rose was the exploration of the literal difficulties of conversion not so much  from one religion to another but of an attempt to change – based on spiritual values – of a way of life condemned by Christian religion. 

Rose then does not appear as an innocent almost diva-like beauty more related to stereotypical historical romances for whom visually we are treated mostly to life where heroes and heroines have much more time on their hands to be in love with love and the afflictions of  soap-opera drama.

When we meet Rose we meet her gritty hand-to-mouth existence – a pattern of life that might be so conflicted or convoluted by greed and cruelty that escape or empowerment  by religious conversion might be an impossible task.