Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(22)

Stuart leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Rumor has it one of Carr’s dogs bit off the tip of Maggie’s nose.”

Lily studied the scarf that concealed Maggie’s face, and this time Lily couldn’t hold back her shudder. The woman had reached the train and stood on the platform in front of the passenger car.

“She’s in charge of Carr’s girls,” Stuart added.

Lily straightened, and her mind began to spin. This might be her chance to ask about Daisy without having to trudge up Dead Man’s Hill and visit the Stockade.

“I’m gonna talk to her.” Without waiting for Stuart, she hefted her skirts higher and sloshed through the mud. The sticky mixture tugged at her boots, trying to pull them off.

The passengers had begun to descend, the usual handful of shanty boys and businessmen. When a young woman stepped out of the passenger car and onto the platform, Lily stopped short.

Stuart bumped into her, his focus riveted on the newcomer too. “What in the name of all that’s good and holy?”

The woman—who upon closer examination, looked more like a girl of fifteen or sixteen—glanced around the depot with wide frightened eyes. She wore a simple faded skirt and a tight coat that looked like it should belong to a girl much younger.

Maggie Carr wasted no time in approaching the girl, speaking to her.

The young woman braved a small smile.

“What’s the devil’s wife up to now?” Stuart growled, and his eyes narrowed on Maggie.

“Why?” Unease trickled through Lily. “You don’t think she’s recruiting the girl for her brothel, do you?”

“It’s hard to believe a young, sweet-looking girl like that would come up here to work at the Stockade.”

The trickle of unease swelled into a tide. Was it hard to believe? After all, Daisy had willingly done the same thing.

Lily could picture Daisy stepping off the train wherever she’d gone, her cheeks flushed, her hair mussed, her expression uncertain. She must have wondered if she was doing the right thing. She’d surely known Lily wouldn’t approve.

Daisy had probably been just as frightened. Maybe when she’d stood on the train platform, she’d even wished someone would step in and force her to stop before she made a terrible mistake.

“I won’t stand by and let that young girl throw her life away.” Lily started forward with a surge of determination fueled by all the pain that flamed inside her.

“What are you going to do?” Stuart kept pace with her.

“I don’t know.”

He grinned. “Sounds like my kind of plan.”

“You should know my motto is to act first, think later.”

“I think I’m beginning to catch on to that.”

Lily practically ran the rest of the distance down Main Street, not caring that she was splattering mud all over her skirt. By the time she reached the train platform, Maggie had taken the young girl’s flimsy carpetbag and had linked arms with her, as if they were already old friends.

“There you are!” Lily cried breathlessly.

The girl took a quick step back. Her eyes were innocent and frightened, like those of a young girl who’d never traveled outside of her hometown.

Lily smiled at her. “I’ve come to help you.” She sent up a prayer. She needed quick wits and as much heaven-sent help as possible.

“I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about,” Maggie said in a low muffled voice behind the gauzy red scarf. “But Frankie’s here to work for me.”

“Well now, Frankie,” Lily said in her gentlest tone, “I know you don’t really want to get started into the degrading life of prostitution. No one does. And I can help you.”

“Prostitution?” The girl’s face flamed red. “Oh no, ma’am. I’m here for decent work. Hotel work.”

Maggie’s eyes above the line of the scarf turned cold with calm fury. She yanked on Frankie’s arm. “Come along, sugar.”

“Not so fast.” Lily grabbed on to Frankie’s other arm.

“I ain’t a loose girl,” Frankie rushed to explain. “I’m answering the ad Mr. James Carr placed in the Deerfield newspaper requesting help in his newly built hotel here in Harrison.”

“Ad in the paper?” Stuart’s voice rang with surprise. “What kind of ad?”

The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a ripped section of a newspaper. Maggie lunged for it, but Stuart grabbed it first.

He scanned it, his thin face narrowing into a scowl. “Chambermaids and waitresses needed for the Carr Hotel in Harrison. Room and board provided along with excellent pay.”

“Carr Hotel?” Lily said to Maggie, her voice laced with contempt. “You and your husband ought to be ashamed of yourselves.”

Muttering oaths under his breath, Stuart folded the ad and tucked it into his pocket.

Lily patted the girl’s arm. “Don’t you dare go with Maggie Carr here. She’ll lead you straight up that hill there yonder and put you to work bedding shanty boys.”

Frankie followed Lily’s gaze to the Stockade. It stood above the town like an ugly wart on a pockmarked face. The girl took one glance at the place and recoiled.

Maggie tightened her grip on Frankie. “Let’s go, sugar. Don’t pay any attention to these people. I’ve got a nice room for you, plenty of hot food, and a steady income. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”