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She looked up toward the second story of the plantation house, where the fa there, dressed in a Confederate uniforht He looked like…

Like her ancestor, Marshall Donegal

The ain, he was gone Her iain Of course, she was still concerned about Charles Osgood But he was due back to work the nextIf he didn’t turn up by then, the police would have to get involved at a serious level

She realized that Justin atching her

"Are you okay, Ashley?" he asked

"I’ht I saw a Confederate soldier at theToby Keaton does workshops and tours on the real workings of a sugar plantation over there We do the Civil War--keeps al Plantation," she said Would she have told the truth if Jake were here? Jake, who seeood on your mind," Justin said

"I do I can’t help it"

They rode along the bayou for a while, and then Ashley led theirls chattered the whole tied Jeff and the horse trotted up next to Ashley again "I know you were hoping to find Charles," he said

"I am worried, Justin, really worried," she said

"He’ll show up But let hiood," Justin told her

Ashley offered him a smile "Sure, thanks"

Back at the stable, Ashley tried to keep her irls help her with the saddles and bridle and tack She taught theroom their horses

As she put away the last of the brushes, Justin strode over to her "Great Now Jeanine doesn’t want a puppy anyhed "Maybe you better look into the puppy thing, fast Of course, there’s always kittens, you know"

Restless, she returned to the house, showered again and went down to join Beth, as planning the offerings for the restaurant’s eveningif not a anization; there were six folders on the table awaiting them all

Jake and Whitney were precisely on time, but he was the last to slide into his seat at Le Café, the Hotel Monteleone’s bright and char facility for breakfast and lunch There were other diners about, but they’d been given a table in the far corner, near the s to Royal Street, and they were certainly far enough fro in norentleman, had risen while Whitney took her seat, which meant that Will did, too They were both tall, and the kind of ed, square-jawed history of Native Alish, Indian, Chinese and African ancestry gave hi on tih I want you all to know that we’re not in an eency situation"

"What is our situation?" Will asked

"As you knoe’d been due to leave here and set up shop in our headquarters in Alexandria But instead we’re going to stay here, in the area, a few more days," Jackson said

Whitney kicked Jake under the table He scowled at her

Jackson continued, "This , but since ere already in the vicinity, we’ve been asked to check out a disappearance"

"Oh, no, not a child?" Jenna asked softly

"No, no, a ht years old," Jackson said "As you may or may not know, Adam Harrison is quite the philanthropist, and he’s friends with a Louisiana legend hom he’s worked on many co reforh the local police aren’t terribly concerned, Osgood disappeared right after a battle reenactment"

Jake knew; he already knew There had been the dreams; there had been the woman he had seen when he’d been out with Whitney

There had been those i to him

He knew, dalanced at her, remembered she had spent most of her own school years in Ireland, and explained "A Civil War reenactment We do tons of them in this country Many battlefields are now national parks, and many of those that aren’t are owned by people who don’tthe Revolutionary War and the Civil War It’s ‘living history,’ and a good thing, in my opinion We learn from our mistakes"

"True, or else you’ll die," Jenna said She looked around and shrugged "Survival of the fittest But, yes, they do reenactments everywhere, of course"

The others sh hi?" Whitney asked

"Not even twenty-four hours," Jackson said

"Are we even sure he’sto hang in a bit--wait here in New Orleans You have a day entirely to yourselves If he’s still , we’ll beco sure that we’re officially invited in I have folders regarding Osgood’s situation--when he was last seen, the location and why the people at Donegal are so concerned"

Donegal

Jake picked up his folder, his fingers feeling oddly nue, he felt a sweep of old eal The coe andoaks, pine forest, outbuildings, horses in a paddock and the loall and gates of an historic family cemetery