“It’s not the same. They get hell and fire for eternity, or something like that. This girl must have fallen in love with a boy. She let herself go, and an hour later regretted it. My alfonso offered to help her run away from home to hide her shame.”

The hair roots rose on Batya’s arms. Losing her virginity in the French countryside to a boy she loved shouldn’t be a girl’s direct route to prostitution in Argentina. “Where is she now?” she asked.

“In training.” Rochel went on. “The French room will be decorated like a Parisian bordello, with red velvet-covered walls and gilt molding. The girl will speak French and act like a true high-class courtesan.”

Batya placed her wet lingerie in the wringer so she wouldn’t have to face her friend. The poor French girl was now being beaten and raped in order to coerce her into acquiescence—and Rochel knew it. The compassionate friend Batya had known had been replaced by a cynical pimp wearing Rochel’s face.

“Do you want to hear what else is different about our new brothel?” Rochel chattered on. “The girls will continue to live in this house but will go to the new house to work, just as if they had a job in a store. They won’t occupy these expensive rooms. We’ll train a few girls for each role. This way the clients will have a selection of girls. What do you think?”

Batya swallowed. How lucky she was not to have revealed to Rochel her true relationship with Sergio—and her betrayal of Moskowitz.

Chapter Forty-Four

Spring 1895

Keyla had finally arrived in Odessa, Sergio reported, and Batya let out air that had been trapped in her lungs all these many months of worry. “Are they ready to sail then?”

He shook his head. “They are being processed. Getting the passports and travel documents.”

“Why do they need to wait if the Baron himself is vouching for them?”

“The Russian authority must issue the passports for the adults and the travel permits for the children. It takes time.”

How long would Ulmann wait? “Can’t you bribe someone?” Batya asked.

“We can only push the Russians so far about specific individuals before they start piling on new demands.”

At least they were all together, and safe. Keyla would have a chance to recover from the arduous journey before taking the next difficult part. She and her children would be fed.