Goddamn it, Arthur didn't like riding in carriages. It always made him feel like he was on the wrong side of things even if he weren't in that life no more.

He and Charlotte had left their purchases with the post clerk. Their parcels were now expected to board the next train to come through Saint Denis. With any luck, they'd be on that same train in the morning. If all went to plan, they'd be home and away from all this damn civilization by tomorrow afternoon.

Arthur tried to get his mind off of it and thought on their destination. Rhodes. He hadn't been back since...shit. Since they'd killed the Braithwaites and gunned down all them Grays. As much as he wanted to keep it to himself, he couldn't have Charlotte walking blind into that.

He cleared his throat and Charlotte turned her examination of the terrain to a study of him.

"I should, uh, probably tell you. Last time I was in Rhodes...we shot it to hell."

Charlotte gave him her full attention. "For what reason?"

"Uh..."

He'd been trying to be more honest with her, about his past, but it was hard-going fighting the instinct to keep everything close to his chest. And when he did tell her certain things, he felt like a kid, confessing to foolish mistakes. 'Cept these were crimes with heavy consequences that a kid would have no business committing.

"It weren't what we intended. It was a job gone sour. We got ambushed."

"Will you be recognized?" she asked, all practical and calm.

God, he hoped not. Always was a fear in his gut when they left the cabin. He swallowed. "I reckon, we didn't leave no one of note alive."

"Alright. Well. I'll stay alert just the same."

Arthur didn't know how she always remained so outwardly undisturbed by his past. In the beginning, he thought it'd take a toll on her, that his crimes would eventually divide them like it had with him and Mary. But so far, Charlotte had listened and shared his burdens just as she'd promised. It was more than he could ever ask for.

Arthur swept up her hand now. "Thank you."

She smiled. "For what?"

Every time he revealed something, he feared it would change Charlotte's opinion of him, that he'd lose her. It may be foolish. She'd taken everything else he'd been able to tell her in stride, but still the fear nestled itself in his mind like a mite.

"I don't know. Liking me so much, I guess."

Charlotte shifted to fully face him, her knee brushing against his. "I don't mean to alarm you..."

He tensed, unsure of what she was about to say.

"...but you should know my affections go further than simple 'liking'."

He raised her hand to his lips. "How much further?"

Her green eyes practically twinkled. "It's immeasurable, I'm afraid."

"Is that so?" he murmured.

She leaned forward and he wasn't about to resist her. Often, kissing Charlotte felt like coming home at a slow, steady and familiar pace. But right now it was new and heated, like he was a young man again and lusting after a woman for the first time.

"Arthur..." she sighed and it nearly undid him.

Arthur roped an arm around her waist and slid her closer. Her arms came up to settle around his neck. He held her tight, kissing her hungrily and she responded in equal fever. Arthur breathed in Charlotte's gasp as his hand landed on her breast. Just as the rash idea of finding his way into her coat floated his mind, the coach started slowing down.

"Damn it," he said against her lips.

He tasted her laughter before he pulled back from her. She said, "Perhaps we should have began this endeavor a little sooner in our journey."

"All I gotta say is the quicker we get this room, the better."

She blushed at that, but brushed her fingers over his beard and agreed softly, "Yes."

The carriage came to a complete stop and Charlotte straightened her hair and smoothed down her skirt. There weren't no mistaking the lovely flush of her skin or the swollen look to her lips as anything less than freshly kissed.

Arthur jumped out of the coach and turned to assist Charlotte. He took a moment for a quick look around and all his misgivings and bad feelings rose with a sharp prickle on the back of his neck. Shit. What in the hell had he been thinking? This place weren't better than what they'd left.

Even the streets of Saint Denis were safer than this backwards town. Rhodes was full of bumpkins who took offense to you sneezing on their cousin. How had he forgotten that?

Likely sensing his uneasiness, Charlotte rested a hand on his arm. "We'll be fine, Arthur. It's only for one night."

Too late for it now either way. They were pulled up near the saloon, which was convenient, but the carriage driver was already headed in for a drink.

Arthur told Charlotte, "Stay close. Ain't no tellin' what kind of ignorant hicks will be here tonight. I reckon, we pay for the room, get in and don't come out 'til morning."

Her smile went a long way in easing his tension. "I was expecting nothing less."

Arthur had run into plenty of trouble at this saloon before, but he was determined to keep his head down tonight. Lucky thing most, if not all, of the Braithwaites and Grays were gone. If one of them spotted him strutting in, he'd be targeted for sure. The place was more crowded than when he and Hosea had handed out free drinks, but nothing too rowdy yet.

Someone was playing a mournful song on the piano and a couple of fellers were at a card game. A bob of blonde curls near the window had Arthur frowning, but there were too many people to see clearly.

"What is it?"

"Nothin'." Arthur turned to Charlotte. "Thought I saw...it was nothin'."

He kept a firm hold on Charlotte and led her through the people and to the bar. They managed to squeeze into a space between two men sitting and drinking by themselves.

"Be with you in a moment, folks," greeted the bartender as he set a couple of bottles on the counter for another customer.

As they waited, Arthur leaned on the bar and had a look around. He had his guard up, but he saw no one looking for trouble. Most folks out tonight seemed to be in high spirits. Maybe he and Charlotte could grab a drink before they retired.

When the bartender returned, Charlotte started asking the man about the room. Arthur got distracted as the piano player began tapping the keys for a more merry and familiar tune. A voice followed, singing over it.

"I got a girl in Valentine.

Likes to drink that fancy wine

Plume in her hat was two feet tall

The crack in her pants paid for it all..."

The blonde hair Arthur spotted when they'd walked in had been familiar after all. It was Karen, as he lived and breathed. She leaned against the piano looking jovial and carefree. Arthur grinned at hearing her belting out that bawdy song. Looked like she landed on her feet well enough. The last time he'd seen her she'd been stumbling drunk and hashing out insults. Then she'd disappeared entirely.

"Ah, hellfire," moaned the man sitting on the bar stool next to Arthur. "I wish them Lemoyne Raiders would take their business elsewhere. They always gotta start something."

Arthur followed the man's gaze to Karen. She'd finished the next set of verses and took a swig of her bottle. As she wiped her mouth, a man wrapped an arm around her.

She pushed at his chest and slurred, "Get offa me, Roy."

The man went for her again and she threw a punch. The man took offense to that, even though it'd landed on his shoulder and couldn't have hurt much.

"Bitch." The man named Roy slapped her soundly across the face and Karen cried out.

Arthur was pushing through the crowd and reaching her before he even realized he'd reacted to the smack.

He hollered, "Get away from her!"

The man turned. "Who the hell are you?"

Karen looked up then, hand on her reddening cheek as she stared at him. "Arthur?"

He nodded. "I'm a friend of hers and the lady said to get the hell off her. You got trouble hearin', boy?"

"I ain't no boy, feller. And this ain't no lady I ever seen."

"Likely, that's 'cause you ain't seen many since you treat 'em like that."

"You take them words back or we'll have a problem."

Arthur lifted his fists. "We already got a problem."

Instead of throwing hands like a goddamn man, the coward charged him, knocking Arthur back against the piano so hard the wind got knocked out of him. He gasped, coughing for air as the pianist jumped out of the way.

Arthur was pinned so he hit the man's back with his fist until he broke his hold. Arthur threw a punch into the other man's face and the stranger stumbled back into a table.

The man came at him again and Arthur dodged a drunken swing and hit a blow to Roy's jaw. Arthur successfully knocked him out with that and Roy crashed to the floor.

That would have been the end of it, but unfortunately, the bastard had two buddies and they were both in worn Confederate uniforms. Shit.

"You know who you're messin' with, friend?"

"Yeah," Arthur spit. "A buncha inbred assholes who can't take a hit worth a shit."

Arthur noticed Karen had escaped while she could and he tensed, ready to fight off these bastards if he had to, though he was winded from what little he'd already done. He'd also lost his goddamned hat in the scuffle. As one of them started to make his move, the Raider was stopped by another man grabbing his arm.

It was an officer of the law. "Alright, settle down, boys. What we got goin' on here?"

One of the friends immediately pointed at Arthur. "This here feller clobbered Roy, Ollie."

"It's Officer Fink when I'm on duty, Clyde." He turned to Arthur. "This true, fella?"

"Damn straight." Arthur didn't see no point in denying it. "The lady didn't want the kinda attention he was offerin'."

The other feller claimed, "Oh, she wanted it 'til you came 'round. She wants it every night."

"I've heard enough." Officer Fink gestured at Arthur. "Louis, get this newcomer out of here. We don't need another fight and I don't want to ruin the night of the rest of these fine folks. We'll sort this out in the morning."

As the other officer stepped up to him, Arthur clenched his fists. "I didn't do shit and you're arrestin' me?"

"You ain't from around here." Officer Fink set a hand on one of the Raider's shoulders. "But I know these fellers. They're stand up town folk while you ain't nothing but a drifter."

"I don't know..." The officer named Louis narrowed his eyes on Arthur's face. "He looks awful familiar to me."

What the hell was he going to do? Arthur's hand twitched for his revolver, but he couldn't fight them all off. The problem was he didn't know if it were any better to let them take him in. No good could come of it, he knew that much.

Charlotte suddenly emerged to the front of the crowd and it decided him. Last thing he wanted was her witnessing him in a shootout with the law even if they was crooked. She opened her mouth, probably to vouch for him, but Arthur shook his head at her. These lawmen were too close with the Raiders. Only trouble could follow challenging them and he didn't want her involved.

Despite his attempt to deter her, she didn't hold her tongue completely. "What's going on? What are you doing to him?"

Officer Louis ignored her question and asked, "Is this woman one of your cohorts?"

Arthur's heart stopped. To hide his fear, he loosed a cheeky grin. "If I said she was, you gonna lock her up with me?"

Officer Fink scowled. "Why'd you even ask, Louis? A lady like that ain't associating with this riffraff."

Louis mumbled an inaudible response and then grabbed hold of Arthur by the arm. "Come on then."

One of the Raiders asked, "You wanna join us, Ollie? After all, that stuffy old sheriff ain't in town to scold you."

"Maybe one drink, fellas, once we get Roy outta here." Arthur heard him mutter to his friends, "Then I'm gonna make sure that fine lady's alright."

They laughed and Arthur went cold, but all he could do was trust that Charlotte could take care of herself.