The Odd Job Mail Order Bride — Susan Hart

In the bustling streets of 19th century New York City, Marilyn Chambers found herself adrift, a woman of five and twenty summers toiling away at odd jobs with no true calling. A restless spirit burned within her, yearning for purpose and the dream of a family to call her own. It was this wanderlust that drew her to the doorstep of a discreet marriage broker, hoping to find a path that could lead her westward while fulfilling her deepest desires.As Marilyn regaled the broker with her modest skills – a capable hand at mending and cooking, a quick study with a head for numbers – the woman's eyes gleamed with the prospect of a perfect match. There were many a lonely bachelor scattered across the frontier, the broker explained, ranchers and shopkeepers and cowhands seeking a sensible wife to help tend their holdings. A partner to share in the hard work, but also the simple joys of a kind and prosperous life together.With cautious hope blooming in her breast, Marilyn pored over the dossiers of potential husbands, her gaze inevitably falling upon the name of Glenn Adams. A cattle rancher in the verdant hills of northern California, his letters carried the warmth of a gentle soul who promised the world if she would only take his hand. Stirred by his words, Marilyn soon found herself accepting his offer of a paid train passage to meet him in person.