Mail Order Bride: Redeemed By Love: Redeemed Western Historical Mail Order Brides, #5

By Kenneth Markson

Mail Order Bride: Redeemed By Love: A Sweet Clean Historical Mail Order Bride Western Victorian Romance (Redeemed Western Historical Mail Order Brides Book 5) is a sweet, clean, inspirational western romance novelette.

Julia needs to leave San Francisco and her past. Paul, a lonely rancher, seeks a mail order bride. A hidden enemy knows a secret and is ready to act. Will love triumph in San Buenaventura, California, or will evil prevail? 

If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy the other books in Kenneth's mail order brides Redeemed series, "A Wife For Charlie," "Clara And The Outlaw," "A Bride For Jim," "A Husband For Laurie," or Kenneth's mail order brides Rescued series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Markson
• Release date: May 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9780996554619

Kenneth Markson

While an English major at college, I wrote a column which was published weekly. I have been writing ever since. The old West and Los Angeles in the forties are eras which lend themselves to tales of romance, courage, and fast paced adventure. I particularly enjoy writing stories about the mail order brides who fearlessly took a chance and traveled West, hoping to find love and a better future. Many of the locales that I write about are places that I have either traveled through or actually lived in. I try to make my works richly accurate. My desire is to provide you with an entertaining and fun read. When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children.

Book preview

To my wife and children, always.

Chapter 1

The section of San Francisco known as the Barbary Coast was teeming with business this evening.  Pacific Street was filled with drunken sailors just off the ships, unsuspecting farmers, and businessmen looking for a good time.  The wall to wall drinking establishments and dives which lined the street, were opened wide, beckoning the prey to come inside.

Julia Dornan slipped into an alleyway off of Pacific Street, to check her nightly profits.   She was a pretty young woman of eighteen, with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Abandoned at the age of twelve, she had to learn quickly to fend for herself, in order to survive.

Julia had very fast hands.  She had become extremely adept at picking the pockets of inebriated businessmen, who were prowling the crowded streets seeking pleasure.  So far, she had managed to remain undetected.

Her take thus far, was nearly fifty dollars in bills.  Julia smiled when she pulled a gold pocket watch from her dress pocket.  This should fetch me a nice sum, she thought to herself.

Her steady stream of income did not go unnoticed.  The district was filled with thieves of every sort.  For years, they had operated independently, taking what they could for themselves from the patrons of the area.  But recently, a vicious gang had begun seeking control of all the crime that took place in the streets.

The head of the gang suddenly stood in front of the alleyway, where Julia had gone.  His name was Jocko Kane.  He was a tall, powerful man, with pale, lifeless eyes, and a vicious looking face that could cause a hardened criminal to shudder at its sight.

Julia immediately sprung into a state of alert, and watched Kane warily as he approached.  She was a child of the street, and no one needed to warn her, that she was in grave danger.

You been having a good night, missy! he snarled, displaying a set of sharp, rotting teeth.

Julia knew that showing fear in front of this type of man, was likely fatal.  Her blue eyes glared at him, when she spoke.

None of your business what I've been having! she retorted.

Her tone enraged the thug.  A finger from his right hand, pointed backwards towards Pacific Street.

This is my street! he growled.  Nobody operates on it, without me getting a half cut!

His shark-like eyes glowered at Julia.

You heard of Jocko Kane! he rasped.

Julia had certainly heard of the gang chieftain and his brutal methods.  Several pickpockets who resisted his demands, had already met their demise through his hands, after first having been savagely beaten by members of his gang.  Now, she thought to herself, was neither the time nor the place, to make a stand unless she had to.

Julia pulled the wad of bills from her dress pocket.  She counted out twenty-four, and laid it on the ground in front of her.