Caroline laughed. She stepped forward to Benjamin and laid her cheek against his. “Joshua and Will went to St. Louis for it. Happy birthday, Father Steed.”
Benjamin turned to his son, his eyes still looking dazed and bewildered. Then in a moment he realized all that the gift meant, all that was being said. Instantly there were tears in his eyes. “Thank you, son.”
And then just as swiftly Joshua’s eyes were glistening too. “Happy birthday, Pa,” he said gruffly. “I hope you like it.”
* * *
It was in the fall of 1826 when Benjamin Steed moved his family from Vermont to the wheat-rich country of Palmyra Township in western New York. By that simple act, the Steed family were brought into contact with Joseph Smith and were swept up in the grand events of the Restoration. They were participants from the beginning and thus began a series of associations with a group whose names would someday read like a veritable who’s who of early Church leadership. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, Sidney Rigdon, Emma Smith, Lucy Mack Smith, Newel K. Whitney, Edward Partridge, Eliza R. and Lorenzo Snow, Orson Pratt, Parley P. Pratt, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, John Taylor—they knew them all.
So it came as no surprise that when word was sent out to the Saints living in Far West and its environs that Rebecca Steed and Derek Ingalls were to be married at ten a.m. on Friday, the tenth day of August, 1838, the numbers who turned out to honor them were legion.
* * *
Originally the plan had been to hold the wedding in the largest place in Far West—the building that served the community as courthouse, schoolhouse, and meetinghouse. But by nine-thirty that morning, it was evident that there was no possible way—either sitting or standing—that everyone who had come could be accommodated. So, after a brief consultation with Mary Ann and Benjamin, Joseph declared that the ceremony would be moved to the public square.
Now Derek and Rebecca stood at the east end of the square, between two of the cornerstones for the temple that had been laid more than a month earlier. Derek kept brushing at his clothes, feeling like he had to smooth them down, though the fabric was of such quality that it showed no wrinkles whatever.
Rebecca reached out and took his hand, smiling at him. “You look wonderful,” she whispered.
He pulled a quick face. “I’m not used to being dressed like this.”
“You look wonderful,” she said again, the happiness making her face glow.
Brother Joseph was standing right behind them. “We’ll wait a few more minutes,” he said, “let everyone get their places.” He looked at Derek. “In the meantime, we have a surprise for you.”
“You do?”
Joseph swung around. “Ben. Mary Ann. You didn’t spoil it, did you?”
Benjamin shook his head. “We were sorely tempted, but no, we didn’t.”
“What is it?” Rebecca asked, curious now too.
Without speaking, Joseph half turned, raised a hand, and motioned someone forward. In a moment, two men came through the crowd. The first was short and stocky, built somewhat along the lines of a hundred-year-old oak tree. He was balding, and a large smile split his rather plain and open features. The second was slimmer and about three years younger than the first.
Derek took half a step forward, smiling broadly. “Elder Kimball?” he exclaimed. “Elder Hyde? We heard you were back and we were going to look you up the next time we came down.”
“ ’Lo, mate,” Heber C. Kimball said in a perfect Cockney accent. Then in a moment he was to Derek and shaking his good hand vigorously.
Elder Hyde was right behind him, slapping Derek on the shoulder. “Where’s Master Peter?” Orson asked.
But Peter, who was standing with the rest of the family, had already seen what was happening and was pushing his way forward, calling excitedly.
Over in the family circle, Joshua leaned over to Nathan. “Who is that?” he asked.
“It’s Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde,” Nathan answered. “They are two of our twelve Apostles. But more to the point, they were the two missionaries who went to England and found Peter and Derek. Derek hasn’t seen them since he came to America. They just arrived in Missouri about two weeks ago, and with Derek and Peter being up in Di-Ahman this is their first chance to meet.”
“Oh,” Caroline said, “no wonder they’re so happy to see each other.”
Derek finally broke loose from Heber’s grip. He stepped back, looking proud, and took Rebecca’s arm. “Brother Kimball, Brother Hyde, I’d like you to meet my bride-to-be.”
Heber laughed right out loud at that, and stepped over to put one arm around Rebecca’s shoulder. He pulled her up tight against him. “You don’t have to introduce me to this one,” he said. “She’s been one of my special people ever since I met this family.” He looked into her face. “Thank you for not spoiling our surprise and telling Derek we were going to be here this morning.”
Rebecca looked a little sheepish. “To be honest, I was so worried about what happened at Gallatin, and so glad when Derek came home safely, I never even thought to tell him.”
Heber looked wounded. “Well, I suppose that’s why they say love is blind.” Instantly he brightened and looked back at Derek. “We bring you and Peter greetings from your friends in Preston, and we have much to tell you about the work there, but there’ll be time enough for that later. I think that for right now you have more important things to do.”
Joseph laughed. “Brother Heber is right. A lot of people have come to see you two married. So I think we’d best proceed.”
Rebecca was positively radiant. Though she loved the bonnet Caroline had chosen for her, she had chosen not to wear it for the wedding. Her hair was brown and long, coming down below the shoulder blades. Lydia and Caroline had taken turns brushing it, and now it gleamed in the sunlight. The pink taffeta of her dress only heightened the fairness of her skin, and the white trim seemed to make her eyes all the more pale and lovely.
And Derek was a near match for her. The cut of the coat emphasized the broadness of his shoulders and the strength of his features. Caroline had taken the new scissors that came with Mary Ann’s sewing box and trimmed back the thickness of his hair so it looked as if he had been to the barbershop. The only thing that marred his overall appearance was the dark bruise and thick scab on his forehead and the fact that his one arm was in a sling and had to be placed beneath the jacket instead of in the sleeve.
Matthew stood next to Derek as best man, almost as proud and happy as Derek himself. Rebecca had asked that all three of her sisters-in-law stand as matrons of honor, and so she was flanked by Lydia, Jessica, and Caroline. Her only regret was that there was one other who should also have been there yet wasn’t—Melissa. But her older sister was still in Kirtland. If only she were here too . . . Rebecca shook it off and looked around. The rest of the family, including all of the children, were gathered directly off to the left of them so they could see Joseph’s face and also Derek’s and Rebecca’s.
A brief prayer was offered; then, at Joseph’s invitation, Benjamin stepped forward to affirm that he did, indeed, accept Derek Ingalls of Preston, England, as a suitable husband and did, indeed, give the hand of his daughter to him in marriage. Since Derek had no father, Heber C. Kimball spoke in his behalf. He spoke as warmly as if Derek had been his own son and solemnly averred to Benjamin that Derek was a worthy bridegroom.
As they finished their fatherly speeches, Joseph straightened to his full height—about half a handspan taller than Derek’s stocky five feet nine inches—and let his gaze sweep across the assembled faces, then to the family members, and finally to Derek and Rebecca. There was deep pleasure in the blue eyes that seemed to see right through the both of them. He cleared his throat. When he spoke, he spoke directly to Derek and Rebecca, but it was loud enough for all the assembly to hear.
“Marriage is ordained of God and was instituted with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is always pleasing to God to see a righteous man and woman joined together in matrimony.” A smile played briefly at the corners of his mouth. “But in this case, it seems that God also took a direct hand in bringing the two of you together.” He swung around. “Isn’t that right, Nathan Steed?”
“Absolutely,” Nathan answered without hesitation. Lydia and Mary Ann were nodding too.
“This is not the place to retell that whole story,” Joseph went on, “but suffice it to say that two years ago now, Nathan was present when Elder Kimball gave a blessing to Parley P. Pratt and told him to go to Canada. Elder Kimball made some remarkable promises to Parley—about his wife, about a new child to be born, about the missionary work in Canada. Nathan Steed was asked to accompany Parley and was told that if he did so it would prove to be a great blessing to his family.
“Well, here we are now, seeing the fulfillment of that promise. As you know, among those whom Nathan and Parley converted in Canada there was a man by the name of Joseph Fielding and his sisters, Mary and Mercy. And it was none other than Joseph Fielding who went with Brother Heber to England. They went to Preston, where James Fielding, Joseph’s brother, had a ministry. And there in Preston there were two young men who were ready to hear and accept the gospel.”
He turned back to Rebecca and his voice dropped, as though he were speaking only to her. “And now we come full circle. Derek is here and the promise is fulfilled.” He chuckled softly now. “It took the Lord to get Derek to the home of Benjamin Steed, where Rebecca was the first one to open the door. From that point on, the Lord didn’t have to do much else. Rebecca did the rest.”
To everyone’s surprise, Rebecca was not blushing. She just looked at Derek with those wide, blue eyes and nodded. “It took some doing, but with a little help from Mother and Matthew we went and did it.”
That really pleased the crowd and they roared their approval. Finally, as the laughter died, Joseph sobered again. “Well, the Lord has done his part. Rebecca has done her part. I guess it’s time I do my part and get you two married.”
* * *
“Joshua?”
“Mmm.”
“Are you asleep?”
“If I say yes, will you believe me?”
Caroline jabbed him in the back with her fist.
“Ouch!”
She punched him harder.
“All right! All right!” he grumbled good-naturedly. “I’m awake.” He rolled over to face her, and she moved into his arms.
“That’s better,” she said.
“Yes,” he agreed lazily.
“Wasn’t today wonderful?” she said, after a moment.
“Yes,” he agreed. “I thought it couldn’t have gone better. Rebecca looked like she was going to lift right off the ground.”
“I’m so glad for her. Derek is a wonderful young man.”
“Yes. Yes, he is. I’d hire him in a minute.”
She looked up at him in the darkness, and there was a faint teasing note in her voice. “Is that all you men ever think about? Who would make the best workers?”
He considered that for a minute, then answered seriously. “For a man, to say that you’d like to have another man work with you is . . .” He thought about it some more. “I don’t know. It’s our way of saying that we like what he is.”
“I know,” she murmured, snuggling in against his cheek. “I didn’t mean to tease you. But a woman thinks differently. If you asked me what I thought of Derek . . .”
She paused. When he didn’t answer, she shook her head and let out her breath in mock exasperation. “But if you asked
me
what I thought of Derek . . . ,” she said again.
“Oh,” he said, laughing now. “And what do you think of Derek?”
“I think he’ll make Rebecca a wonderful husband. He’s kind and gentle and a good worker—”
“That’s what I said.”
“I know, but for me that means he’ll take care of her. Give her a good home.”
“He will,” Joshua responded. “And she will be a good woman for him. Maybe even as good for him as you are for me.”
Her head came up in surprise at the unexpected compliment. From his voice, she knew he had really meant it too. “Why, thank you, Joshua.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I mean it.”
“I know you do,” she answered happily.
For almost a minute they were quiet, and Caroline began to wonder if she had lost him to sleep, but then he shifted his weight a little.
“Joshua?”
“Mmmm.”
She hesitated, suddenly unsure of herself.
His head came up slightly. “What?”
“What did you think about what Joseph said? Before he married them.”
Joshua laid his head back down. “I don’t know. What in particular?”
“About Brother Kimball’s prophecy to Nathan?”
“
Brother
Kimball?” he asked pointedly.
She blushed a little. “That’s what everyone else calls him. But don’t change the subject. Tell me what you think about that whole story. You heard Nathan give us all the details tonight. So what do you think?”
Joshua shrugged. “
Story
? Yes, I guess that’s a good word for it.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“Oh, I believe something happened back then. I believe the part about Nathan and . . .” He groped for the right word. “Mister Kimball,” he finally settled for. “But the mind’s a funny thing. When you want something badly enough, you can start seeing things that way. After a year or two passes”—he shrugged again—“it’s easy to remember things differently.”
She rolled onto her back, off his arm. “And you think that is an explanation?” She was clearly miffed.
“Maybe,” he said, a little defensively now. “There could be a dozen others.”
“Tonight, while you were putting Savannah to bed, I was with your mother and Lydia and Jessica.”
“Yes?”
“I asked them about it. I asked them specifically about Parley’s wife. She did have consumption, Joshua. They said she was near death. And what about the baby? After ten years of being childless, she had a baby within a year of the blessing. That’s a little hard to deny, isn’t it?”
There was a momentary flash of irritation. Here it was again. This wanting to attribute everything to some supernatural power. Always looking for some spiritual explanation for things. “Caroline, look, I don’t doubt that. I don’t think Nathan and Mother and the others would lie about a thing like that. I think they did give Pratt one of these so-called blessings. I’ll even grant you that they probably told him they hoped his wife would get better.”