A Bride In The Bargain by Deeanne Gist takes place in Seattle Washington during the 1860's. Joe Denton owns 640 acres of timberland and has his own business harvesting the trees on his property. But now a law is threatening to take it away. All married men get the 640 acres for free. But the single men get 320 acres. Joe tries to convince the judge that he was married once and he was. But his wife had died before she could join him in Seattle. His only choice is to either somehow get the record that shows that he was married, or to get married again. A man in town named Asa Mercer was offering to fetch women from the East for brides to the men for $300. Joe takes Mercer up on his offer and orders one of those brides. On the other side of the country in Granby Massachusetts Anna Ivey is working gin a boarding house, earning money to live on. But she also is gaining unwanted attention from the owner of the boarding house. Shes decides that she has to leave but she has no where to go. Then she notices an article in the newspaper advertising for job opportunities out west. She travels to New York and meets Asa Mercer who guarantees a cooking job for her out west. Anna and around 300 other women leave New York and travel for 7 months to Seattle Washington. When they arrive, there are only 25 women that remain. The rest had found husbands along the way and didn't continue on the journey. Joe meets his bride on the docks and is surprised to find her beautiful and petite. Anna is also surprised that Joe is so large and handsome. She is also surprised when she found out that she is suppose to become Joe's wife instead of his cook. She refuses to become his wife and Joe has to somehow convince her to become his wife. Over several months Joe and Anna become closer and come really close to committing to each other. But then Joe goes and blows it when he asks for her hand so that he can keep the land. Anna takes it that he loves the land more than her. So she leaves and goes and becomes the doctor's assistant in town. She goes around and helps him. Soon Joe comes back and tries to court her proper like. While he is courting Anna he receives the marriage certificate that validates his previous marriage. He asks Anna to marry him because he loves her and not because he needs her so that he can keep his land. They get married and live happily ever after on the 640 acres of timber land.
A Bride In The Bargain by Deeanne Gist takes place in Seattle Washington during the 1860's. Joe Denton owns 640 acres of timberland and has his own business harvesting the trees on his property. But now a law is threatening to take it away. All married men get the 640 acres for free. But the single men get 320 acres. Joe tries to convince the judge that he was married once and he was. But his wife had died before she could join him in Seattle. His only choice is to either somehow get the record that shows that he was married, or to get married again. A man in town named Asa Mercer was offering to fetch women from the East for brides to the men for $300. Joe takes Mercer up on his offer and orders one of those brides. On the other side of the country in Granby Massachusetts Anna Ivey is working gin a boarding house, earning money to live on. But she also is gaining unwanted attention from the owner of the boarding house. Shes decides that she has to leave but she has no where to go. Then she notices an article in the newspaper advertising for job opportunities out west. She travels to New York and meets Asa Mercer who guarantees a cooking job for her out west. Anna and around 300 other women leave New York and travel for 7 months to Seattle Washington. When they arrive, there are only 25 women that remain. The rest had found husbands along the way and didn't continue on the journey. Joe meets his bride on the docks and is surprised to find her beautiful and petite. Anna is also surprised that Joe is so large and handsome. She is also surprised when she found out that she is suppose to become Joe's wife instead of his cook. She refuses to become his wife and Joe has to somehow convince her to become his wife. Over several months Joe and Anna become closer and come really close to committing to each other. But then Joe goes and blows it when he asks for her hand so that he can keep the land. Anna takes it that he loves the land more than her. So she leaves and goes and becomes the doctor's assistant in town. She goes around and helps him. Soon Joe comes back and tries to court her proper like. While he is courting Anna he receives the marriage certificate that validates his previous marriage. He asks Anna to marry him because he loves her and not because he needs her so that he can keep his land. They get married and live happily ever after on the 640 acres of timber land.