Chapter 11

Aiden was exhausted. He could only imagine how tired Angus must be.  He’d caught a few hours of sleep on the train to Lafayette, but that was almost twenty hours ago. He was too wound up to follow Angus’ example and get a little sleep on the train, although he tried.  His mind wouldn’t stop going over scenarios of what could have happened to Pauline.  He’d hoped she was safely tucked away in Mary Anne’s family’s home, but something in his gut told him that she wasn’t.

When they finally found Mary Anne’s family and asked to speak to Mary Anne alone, she confessed that she and Pauline were separated at the way station between Lafayette and St. Martin Parish.  She claimed the station master was in on the ruse that separated vulnerable, pretty girls from their companions so that they could be taken and sold to brothels out west.

Mary Anne claimed she wanted to return to New Orleans and warn the O’Mal