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"Now, that’s rude," Angie murmured

Daniel smiled "There was a Yank soldier who took Butler’s order to heart He was uilty of several rapes before he picked up a young girl naave the soldier one fierce battle In his efforts to quiet her, he killed her"

"Poor thing Hoful!" Cissy said "Back then, I assuht away" Daniel shook his head "No The Yank was arrested, but an investigation determined Sandra to be a woman of loose morals--since she had been rude to the soldiers The soldier was chastised and given a dishonorable discharge while poor little Sandra lay rotting away"

"That’s horrible, pure and simple So what is the moral dilemma here?" Jack asked

"What happens next," Anne-Marie advised

"While the Yank soldier is being held, soood citizen of New Orleans took the law into his--or her--own hands The rooht He was found the next uard"

"Grisly," Cissy said, shuddering

"But was it justice?" Sean asked softly

"My point Was his murder a crih continually here in the States When we execute a criuilty of murder? And if not, was the Yankee soldier’s death ie asked

Daniel looked at her, sood citizens of New Orleans knew anything about the killing, they never breathed a word The whole incident was kept hushed, Beast Butler was finally removed fro cases One involves your faie"

"Really?" Sean turned toward her "Do you knohat he’s up to now?" Maggie nodded, s that the light in the library was low, only the desk la any real illuht sky still see with deep red overtones All eyes were on her

"One of randfathers--was accused of riht the hed "Oh, well, this is New Orleans"

"Did he kill the nobleman?" Jack asked

"I’m not sure He was very rich, and had a lot of power in the coet rid of the body"

"Nothing was ever proven against Jason Montgo nobledalena"

"Ah! The lady on the stairway landing!" Sean said, looking at Maggie with an even greater interest

Maggie smiled "The very one"

"Soomery lived and worked here, he didn’t trust Frenchmen in the least And the Frenchdalena She did disappear to Europe soon after and bore a child, so ruoes"

"There is, of course, the possibility that the Frenchdalena later joined hiht story," Maggie said dryly

"But it is a good story The young lover slain by the young beauty’s fatherthe girl leaving, never to return Perhaps she never forgave her poor father for slaying her lover Who knows?" Anne-Marie mused

"There’s another little twist to that story," Daniel said, winking at Maggie

"Oh, yeah?" Sean asked, his eyes alight with aie said slowly, "that your father is referring to the fact that Jason Montgohterthey didn’ther with a war "We’d be related"

"Well, there was another occasion when a Canady nearlythe war

Apparently, our family hero--he with the statue in the Quarter--was deeply in love with the Montgomery heiress And she adored hiie asked

"Well, now, Angie, surely, you know the answer to that one! That’s why there’s a statue to the man--he was a valiant soldier who supplied his own company with arreat risk to his own life--and was finally killed trying to defend the city"