couldn’t pass for blood sisters, not upon close scrutiny, but she could be family. “Su Mi is the daughter of my father’s—” She searched the word for
housekeeper
, but what came out was
wife
.
“Poor Su Mi.” The second brothel girl clucked her tongue and shook her head in sympathy. “Nobody to look for her except Wu’s big-footed laundry girl, Jie Li.”
Julie absorbed the insult, but she couldn’t keep from glancing down at her feet. They were small compared to most Englishwomen’s, but she supposed they appeared enormous when compared to the tiny feet of the China girls. “Perhaps, but Wu’s big-footed laundry girl won’t stop looking until she finds Su Mi.”
“If Jie Li don’t stop looking and asking questions, Jie Li will get herself and all Lotus Blossom girls in big trouble with Madam Li Toy,” the first brothel girl said as a third girl shoved laundry into Julie’s basket.
“I don’t want to cause the Lotus Blossom girls any trouble,” Julie said. “I just want to find Su Mi.”
“Girls not always stay in
Dai Fow
parlor houses,” the third girl whispered, using the Cantonese term for San Francisco.
“What?” Julie gasped.
“Ignorant laundry girl,” the third girl chided. “Bad girls sent to mining camps and little towns. Very bad or ugly girls sent to cribs.”
“Or
auction
.” Pronouncing the word in a tone filled with dread, a fourth girl stripped the sheets off her cot and shoved them at Julie. “As rich man’s concubine.”
“Auction?”
The girls’ demeanor and the way they pronounced the word showed how much they feared the humiliation and shame of being displayed and sold in that manner. The sound of it sent a shiver of dread down Julie’s spine. “Bad girls are auctioned off?”
The first girl nodded. “Bad girls and virgin girls.”
Julie’s heart began to pound. “Where?” Su Mi’s uncle had arranged her marriage to the scoundrel who had sold her into slavery, so Julie doubted she was still a virgin, but she was fairly certain that shy, modest Su Mi would have put up a fight when her tunic and trousers were taken away. Or her needlework. Su Mi was an artist when it came to elaborate and intricate embroidery. It was her passion. If anyone attempted to take her needlework, Su Mi would have fought like a tiger. Julie knew Su Mi, knew her friend would have fought to protect her needlework and clothing, but would have been docile and pleasing with her husband, the way she’d been taught, no matter what he did or how badly he treated her. Was it possible that Su Mi had been auctioned and sent somewhere outside San Francisco? How would Julie ever find her in the land beyond the city’s boundaries? San Francisco was big, but California was so much bigger. . . . Julie sucked in a breath she felt as a stabbing pain deep inside her chest.
A shrill voice carried up the stairs from somewhere below. The girls tensed at the sound and began tossing their dirty linen in the basket.
“Quick! Quick! Go!” The first girl hefted the basketful of laundry and thrust it into Julie’s midsection. “Madam coming.”
But Julie refused to be hurried until she had an answer to one of her questions. “Where do they hold the auctions?”
“This time at the Jade Dragon,” the first girl whispered, pushing Julie toward the back door.
Julie paused in the doorway. “When?”
“Tonight.”
“Thank you,” Julie whispered.
“No thank me.” The girl shoved Julie through the door with all her might. “Go!”
Chapter Six
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
J ulia Jane Parham had gone missing.
Will Keegan raked his fingers through his hair in extreme frustration. He sat at a table in the grand parlor of the Silken Angel, a cup of coffee and a bottle of Irish whiskey at his elbow. Nobody had seen the flame-haired missionary or heard the dulcet tones of “Bringing in the Sheaves” on the streets of Chinatown
housekeeper
, but what came out was
wife
.
“Poor Su Mi.” The second brothel girl clucked her tongue and shook her head in sympathy. “Nobody to look for her except Wu’s big-footed laundry girl, Jie Li.”
Julie absorbed the insult, but she couldn’t keep from glancing down at her feet. They were small compared to most Englishwomen’s, but she supposed they appeared enormous when compared to the tiny feet of the China girls. “Perhaps, but Wu’s big-footed laundry girl won’t stop looking until she finds Su Mi.”
“If Jie Li don’t stop looking and asking questions, Jie Li will get herself and all Lotus Blossom girls in big trouble with Madam Li Toy,” the first brothel girl said as a third girl shoved laundry into Julie’s basket.
“I don’t want to cause the Lotus Blossom girls any trouble,” Julie said. “I just want to find Su Mi.”
“Girls not always stay in
Dai Fow
parlor houses,” the third girl whispered, using the Cantonese term for San Francisco.
“What?” Julie gasped.
“Ignorant laundry girl,” the third girl chided. “Bad girls sent to mining camps and little towns. Very bad or ugly girls sent to cribs.”
“Or
auction
.” Pronouncing the word in a tone filled with dread, a fourth girl stripped the sheets off her cot and shoved them at Julie. “As rich man’s concubine.”
“Auction?”
The girls’ demeanor and the way they pronounced the word showed how much they feared the humiliation and shame of being displayed and sold in that manner. The sound of it sent a shiver of dread down Julie’s spine. “Bad girls are auctioned off?”
The first girl nodded. “Bad girls and virgin girls.”
Julie’s heart began to pound. “Where?” Su Mi’s uncle had arranged her marriage to the scoundrel who had sold her into slavery, so Julie doubted she was still a virgin, but she was fairly certain that shy, modest Su Mi would have put up a fight when her tunic and trousers were taken away. Or her needlework. Su Mi was an artist when it came to elaborate and intricate embroidery. It was her passion. If anyone attempted to take her needlework, Su Mi would have fought like a tiger. Julie knew Su Mi, knew her friend would have fought to protect her needlework and clothing, but would have been docile and pleasing with her husband, the way she’d been taught, no matter what he did or how badly he treated her. Was it possible that Su Mi had been auctioned and sent somewhere outside San Francisco? How would Julie ever find her in the land beyond the city’s boundaries? San Francisco was big, but California was so much bigger. . . . Julie sucked in a breath she felt as a stabbing pain deep inside her chest.
A shrill voice carried up the stairs from somewhere below. The girls tensed at the sound and began tossing their dirty linen in the basket.
“Quick! Quick! Go!” The first girl hefted the basketful of laundry and thrust it into Julie’s midsection. “Madam coming.”
But Julie refused to be hurried until she had an answer to one of her questions. “Where do they hold the auctions?”
“This time at the Jade Dragon,” the first girl whispered, pushing Julie toward the back door.
Julie paused in the doorway. “When?”
“Tonight.”
“Thank you,” Julie whispered.
“No thank me.” The girl shoved Julie through the door with all her might. “Go!”
Chapter Six
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
J ulia Jane Parham had gone missing.
Will Keegan raked his fingers through his hair in extreme frustration. He sat at a table in the grand parlor of the Silken Angel, a cup of coffee and a bottle of Irish whiskey at his elbow. Nobody had seen the flame-haired missionary or heard the dulcet tones of “Bringing in the Sheaves” on the streets of Chinatown
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