Lucy Hale

[Sally]

Here’s my theory: I think he started romancing Lucy as a means of embarrassing, or at least irritating her father, who was a long-standing and outspoken abolitionist, unapologetically in favor of punishing the South when the war was over. This is similar to Booth’s wooing of Isabel Sumner the previous year—he might have thought Isabel was related to Charles Sumner and hoped to scandalize him in some way by seducing his young relation. Sumner was also a vehement abolitionist and shared many of Hale’s views. In fact, Sumner was one of the few Republicans in Washington in 1865 who was still friendly with Hale. Once Booth realized Isabel had no real connection to Charles Sumner, he allowed things to break off between them. Despite the overheated love letters he wrote to her, and the ring he gave her, I’ve never believed he was actually in love with Isabel.

Booth may have started courting Lucy with the same intentions. But unlike Isabel Sumner, who had been in Boston living under her parents’ roof while Booth was travelling hither and yon, Lucy Hale was in Washington with him, living at the same hotel. They had more opportunity for meetings. Lucy was also older and more sophisticated than Isabel. And we can’t forget about that “indefinable fascination” of hers. Booth may have come to enjoy her company. Maybe he even liked her. But I don’t believe he loved her, and certainly he never intended to marry her. He was already plotting to (at the very least) kidnap the President before he met her. If all had gone as he’d hoped, did he intend to take Lucy with him to Mexico, or wherever he’d planned to escape? That seems unlikely. A new bride would have severely slowed his progress.

All the professions of love for Lucy that Booth apparently made to his family and friends were only another one of his performances, meant to provide a reason for his hanging around Washington that winter instead of touring and earning money. Lucy served his purposes.