The third installment of the Light & Truth series
Elizabeth Browett had reached a boiling point. "See this teapot?" she yelled. "It's mine. See this cup? It's mine. See this cabin? It's mine."
"Elizabeth," her husband, Daniel, stammered, "you're being ridiculous."
She pushed the cup into Daniel's chest, spilling composition tea onto his shirt. "You already know what's really ridiculous. Plural marriage. Gather your things and get out!"
Daniel cast a helpless glance at his brother-in-law, Robert. Robert drew up his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. He had not been the one who asked Daniel to take Harriet Barnes Clifford as a plural wife. That had been Joseph Smith, along with Wilford Woodruff and Orson Hyde—almost like a Church calling.
Elizabeth threw Daniel's coat at him and pointed to the door. "Take your things and leave. I'm going to catch up on my sleep." She had spent half the night alone at the Nauvoo Landing in a blizzard, crying her eyes out.
"But where...?"
"Stay in the lean-to with the cow for all I care. Maybe Robert will take you in. He has a small family—only four children. Better yet. Stay with your new sweetheart, Harriet."
Daniel shook his head in sorrow. His wife was not only lashing out at him and Robert, but poor Hannah, too. Harriet had no idea of what had transpired yesterday. And she was not his sweetheart, only the unfortunate lady who had lost a husband to cholera, and had lost a potential husband—Juason Pullham—in a well accident.
Robert opened the door to Elizabeth's acrimonious scowl.
"Come on, Daniel. Let's get your cow milked." The two men walked out.
Elizabeth stared morbidly at the door for a few seconds, and then collapsed onto her bed, sobbing again.