Emily and Jacob: A Historical Romance of the American West

By Jill Star

The McLeod Brothers were sons of a Virginia Tobacco Plantation owner. After the War Between the States, each of them begins to find his way west to carve out his own niche as America begins to grow and discover that the strength of a Frontier woman is a necessary part of creating that niche.

Jacob McLeod rode with Mosby’s Raiders during the War Between the States, through connections of his Virginia plantation family; he winds up working in the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Philadelphia. One of his first assignments is to track down Emily Fuller so that Dillon Montgomery can dispute her claim to a portion of his father’s inheritance. Though Jacob does not trust the sinister Montgomery heir, he honestly goes about his work, but can’t bring himself to abandon Emily once he’s finished the job; especially after he catches sight of her for the first time.

When Emily Fuller stepped off of the passenger ship that had brought her back to Philadelphia from a London finishing school, she had no idea that her entire world was going to be turned upside down. Her mother and the wealthy Mister Montgomery, who was a client in her mother’s brothel and also Emily’s father, were killed in an accident while traveling together. Emily learns that not only had she inherited the brothel and a tidy sum from her mother, but she has also been included in the will of her father. There are stipulations to her inheritance that must be met, one of which is to marry within a year’s time.

Will Dillon reveal Emily’s true identity as a bastard child whose mother ran Philadelphia’s most popular brothel or will Jacob be able to save the day?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bil Howard
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311868602

Jill Star

Jill Star was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, but traded the lush rolling hills for the busy city when she was eighteen. Determined to find a city with history and adventure, she tried several East Coast cities before she found that her heart belonged to New Orleans. Loving ghost stories as a kid, she immediately fell in love with the French Quarter, and it's vivid history about those both alive and dead. Her imagination is sparked daily by the mysteries of Vieux Carré. Stories abound about past and present residents and it keeps her author's mind filled to the brim with ideas. Settling down has never been her idea of fun, so Jill is always looking for another adventure. When she isn't writing, she is giving historical tours of the city and meeting the many colorful residents.

Book preview

The McLeod Brothers

Emily and Jacob

Jill Star

The McLeod Brothers were sons of a Virginia Tobacco Plantation owner. After the War Between the States, each of them begins to find his way west to carve out his own niche as America begins to grow and discover that the strength of a Frontier woman is a necessary part of creating that niche.

Jacob McLeod rode with Mosby’s Raiders during the War Between the States, through connections of his Virginia plantation family; he winds up working in the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Philadelphia. One of his first assignments is to track down Emily Fuller so that Dillon Montgomery can dispute her claim to a portion of his father’s inheritance. Though Jacob does not trust the sinister Montgomery heir, he honestly goes about his work, but can’t bring himself to abandon Emily once he’s finished the job; especially after he catches sight of her for the first time.

When Emily Fuller stepped off of the passenger ship that had brought her back to Philadelphia from a London finishing school, she had no idea that her entire world was going to be turned upside down. Her mother and the wealthy Mister Montgomery, who was a client in her mother’s brothel and also Emily’s father, were killed in an accident while traveling together. Emily learns that not only had she inherited the brothel and a tidy sum from her mother, but she has also been included in the will of her father. There are stipulations to her inheritance that must be met, one of which is to marry within a year’s time.

Will Dillon reveal Emily’s true identity as a bastard child whose mother ran Philadelphia’s most popular brothel or will Jacob be able to save the day?

The McLeod Brothers

Emily and Jacob

Jill Star

All Rights Reserved.

This is a work of historical fiction. The names, places and events of some of the characters are real, but the actual content of what takes place within the story is fictional.

License Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

© 2015 by Jill Star

Smashwords Edition

Bella Colombiana Publishing 2015

Fruita, Colorado

Medellin, Colombia

Fiction / Historical Romance

Fiction / Western Romance

Chapter One

Nothing could have prepared Emily Fuller for the news that she received when she was met at the Philadelphia pier where the ship bringing her home from a London finishing school had docked. The moment that she saw Alfred Dennison, Esquire rather than her mother, was an immediate indication that something was wrong, however, the news was far more devastating than she might have imagined.

Your mother and Mister Montgomery were together when they had a very unfortunate accident, he had begun, hesitated for the proper words and then finally blurted out, Neither of them survived.

The haunting echo of his words continued to assault her even after she had been escorted to the elegant home not far from the port where she had been raised. The sad-eyed condolences of the ladies who worked within the house were of little comfort to her. She tolerated them, but shrank from them just the same.

Within the apartment at the back of the house where she and her mother had separated themselves from the business that was in constant motion, she allowed the tears to flow. After all of the plans that they had made, her education in London and what that would mean for their future, it all came tumbling down in an instant.

The wire that her mother had sent before she had departed London for her return trip to Philadelphia had been full of hope and excitement. Emily had dwelt on that hope and excitement during the long journey across the Atlantic and was eagerly anticipating the reunion with her mother after six years apart.

Her tears were interrupted by Nanna, the cook who had been with her mother since before Emily was born. Though she was a Negro (I think), she had always been a special part of the family and had been as much of a mother to Emily as had been Allison Fuller, often times, more so.

My dear child, Nanna said coming to her and wrapping her arms around her. Ain’t much of a homecoming, but I’m glad to have you here. It’s been God awful lonely without your mama around and only these snippety prima donnas for company.

Emily hadn’t begun to cry in earnest until those warm comforting arms engulfed her, but the moment they did, she let go with everything that had built up inside of her from the moment that Alfred had told her the news.

You just go on and cry all of that out, child. Ain’t no reason a’tall for holdin’ any of it in.

Having been allowed to empty herself of all of the tears that she was able to cry for the moment, Nanna brought her something to eat and sit with her until she finished it all. Though, initially, she hadn’t felt like eating, that special touch that Nanna had for preparing her favorite foods was simply too tempting to turn down.

Feeling somewhat better, she freshened up and made her way out the door, where Oscar was waiting with the fancy, fringe-topped surrey that her mother always used to go about town. Shy about being in the surrey of Philadelphia’s best known madam, she kept her eyes pinned straight ahead and tried her best to exude the ladylike manners that had been instilled in her in London.

With a great sigh of relief, she finally arrived at the office of Alfred Dennison and accepted Oscar’s hand as he helped her down from the buggy.

I hope to only be a few minutes, she said to Oscar. If you don’t mind waiting?

I will be right here, ma’am.

Thank you. Though Oscar and Nanna had been faithful employees of her mother since before she was born, they were like family to her and she spoke to them in the same kind way that she spoke to her dearest friends.

When she entered the office of Alfred Dennison, Esquire, Attorney at Law, he looked up from his desk and then scrambled to his feet. Miss Fuller. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.

"I know. This is just a very uncomfortable duty that I need to take care of and I don’t want to put it off any longer. It’s rather uncomfortable being in the house with