They had more in common than they knew.

This story shows how far women’s lives have come over the centuries. The mystery of what happened to their husbands was the driving force of the story. Benton/ Howard served as a mystery as to who he really was. Constance and Alice were brought together. They depended on each other mental and moral support, especially Alice. Women at the turn of the 20th century were caught between a brick and a hard place for survival if something happened to their husbands. There was no real alternative for them. Alice was lucky that she had a skill that could support herself. The women of New Orleans seemed to support each other to make sure that the young girls had some kind of useful skill so that they would not end up in Storyville.

In the end, I’m surprised that Alice does not reveal to Constance what she found out.