Johanna paced back and forth, her nerves on edge. Javier had stopped and dismounted Boaz on the forest surrounding Patrick Murphy's cabin while they waited for Charles to catch up. Javier had assisted in getting Johanna off the horses before the Mexican man perched himself on a large rock, lighting a cigarette. He watched the redheaded woman curiously as she moved back and forth before him, twiddling her fingers and her eyes darting around them. Javier blew out a puff of air, his eyes narrowing as he found her behaviour odd.
"What are you doing?" He asked her, bringing the cigarette back to his lips and breathing deeply in the tobacco.
Johanna stopped pacing, turning to face the man. Her face showed she was anxious, the fear she felt bubbling out from underneath her skin. "How can you be so calm?" She asked him, taking a small step towards him, her green eyes still darting around. Javier's brows furrowed, unsure of what she meant. "We're just sitting out here, where any man or beast could wander upon us."
Javier snorted, finally understanding the young woman's concerns. Standing up, he dropped the butt of his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. "If any man or beast does wander upon us," He quoted her words back at her as he reached for the revolver at his hip, pulling it out and flashing the weapon at her. "I can handle it."
A single eyebrow rose as Johanna took the man in, and with all his confidence with a gun, he didn't doubt himself for a second. "You going to take down a cougar with that pea shooter?" That retort made the smirk fall off his face, Javier now frowning at her.
Re-holstering his weapon back at his hip, Javier pulled out a knife, twirling it in his nimble fingers as he stepped closer to Johanna. The redhead shrunk back a bit, eyeing him. "I also have this. I use a special poison I make myself on the blade. One stab…" He looked at her, making sure their eyes met. "...and I can take down a bear." Johanna's eyes were darting between his dark orbs and the knife, her breathing heavy. Javier smirked, taking another step towards her. With a tilt of his head, he rotated the blade away from her. "But I would never harm a woman, especially a pretty one like yourself." Johanna's eyes snapped back to his, studying the mischievous glint in his eyes. She could see how he was enjoying teasing her.
The pair only stood inches apart, Johanna glaring. At the same time, Javier smiled at her smugly when Charles rode up on Taima, the dark-skinned native man observing their close interactions. Neither noticed him until Taima neighed loudly, making the woman jump, and Javier merely turned to him.
"Charles," Javier greeted his friend, placing his knife back in its sheath. "How'd everything go with Dutch?" If the Mexican man was bothered by the intrusion, he didn't express it.
Charles glanced at Johanna again, watching the woman step away from Javier, her arms crossing defensively. She was uncomfortable. Charles dismounted Taima, hitching the horse to the same tree as Boaz. "He's fine. Wants us to be careful."
Javier nodded before gesturing behind him with his head. "The cabin is just over this treeline. I haven't checked it out yet." Charles stared at him silently, sparing one glance to an aggravated Johanna before looking back at his friend, a silent conversation was spoken between the two men as Javier rolled his eyes as Charles questioned his friend's antics with the redheaded woman. Javier moved up to the treeline, having to climb a small hill. With his back to Charles and Johanna, the dark-skinned man gestured for Johanna to move ahead, assisting her when needed, as her long skirt caused a slight issue walking up the sloped surface.
"Why aren't we taking the road in?" She sighed, leaning onto Charles's arm as he helped her over a small fallen log.
Javier looked over his shoulder at the pair. "The trees provide cover."
"Cover?" Johanna frowned, sparing a glance at Charles, whose face was emotionless as always. "We're meeting my uncle, not going into a shootout." Javier snorted, shaking his head at the woman's comment.
"We don't know what we're walking into," Charles spoke, finally letting go of her arm as they reached the top of the slope. "Folks in town said they haven't seen your uncle in months."
"He's a hermit." Johanna excused, her head snapping to Charles. The pair shared a look, one of understanding, that was rudely interrupted by Javier scoffing. Charles and Johanna looked at him. He was staring at Johanna, hands on his hips and a frown. "What?" Johanna snapped, taking a few steps towards him. Charles reached out a hand, trying to stop her, but she brushed him off.
Javier met her steps, the pair once again standing chest to chest. Charles' jaw clenched just from watching the two. Javier chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're too naive for all this." He gestured around them.
"Better to be naive than a gun-happy fool." Johanna hissed, shoving her way past him, her shoulder hitting his. Javier turned, jaw tight as he retorted, but Charles stopped him, reaching out and blocking his friend moving forward with an arm extended over his chest. The man groaned, stomping after the woman with Charles close behind. As they reached the forest edge, outlined with a somewhat rotting fence that marked the Murphy property line, Javier grabbed Johanna roughly by her upper arm, pulling her away from the fence. When she turned to yell at him, he silenced her with a finger raised to his lips, making her frown. Charles came up beside them, crunching down as he eyed off the cabin. Javier did the same, bringing Johanna with him, only the woman faltered at his pull, falling into him, the strength of his body stopping her from falling entirely to the ground as she clung to his shoulder. She glared at him as she readjusted herself, letting go of him, but he ignored it, focusing on the cabin as his friend did.
The log cabin was small, built to house only one person, maybe even a husband and wife, sitting on a four-acre property. Behind the cabin stood a barn, which meant that the home also served as a farm in some retrospect, either swine or horses, but how close they were to the Grizzly mountains and the secluded forest around them. Smoke could be seen rising from the cabin's chimney, alerting the trio that someone was indeed home.
"We should scope it out first," Javier spoke, his eyes darting around but not seeing anything that concerned him. Next to him, Charles nodded, agreeing with him.
"Oh, for Pete's sake…" Johanna rolled her eyes, standing up and bypassing the fence before either man could stop her.
Javier and Charles shot up, watching the woman go. Javier's mouth was agape, shocked at the gall of the redhead to just ignore their precaution and approach the cabin, while Charles observed with wide eyes. The men shared a look before moving after her, trying to stop her, but in their moments of hesitancy and her determination, they weren't fast enough. They could only stand by as Johanna knocked on the door, calling out for her uncle, even going as far as to announce herself. When no response came, she turned to them, an annoyed look on her face as the two men were still moving towards her, but it was short-lived. Johanna's head snapped to the door as it swung open, one of the O'Driscoll boys waiting for her as planned. He gripped her arm, pulling her inside and peaking out, his gun raised, ready to fire. Javier and Charles moved fast, dodging behind some large boulders that littered the property as they fired back.
Johanna almost connected with a table in the middle of the room as she was tossed inside the cabin, her hands coming out in time to brace against the hardwood before it could damage her gut. She spun, facing the man that stood in the doorway as he continued to shoot, moving back inside as he needed to reload. Five other men were inside the cabin, each readying their weapons as they smashed out windows with their elbows. One of them approached Johanna, his beady eyes staring her down. He was a pale then man, not much older than herself, she guessed from his young face framed by shaggy black hair.
"Ms O'Driscoll?" He addressed her. She nodded to him. "Finn." He introduced himself, sparing a glance to his companions, watching as they exchanged rounds with the two men outside. "Oi, don't kill them. Remember, we have our orders." When his gaze planned back on Johanna, he raised a hand, pushing back her hair that hid the wound on her forehead. "They do that?"
"No, that's the fault of the boys who staged the stagecoach robbery." Johanna hissed, her eyes narrowing.
Finn frowned. "Colm won't like to hear that. He gave orders. None are to lay a hand on ya." Johanna nodded. It was good to know that those fools had acted on their own accord, and most of them paid for their actions with a bullet. "Now, Ms O'Driscoll, I'm 'fraid ya need to scream." Without a second thought, Johanna opened her mouth and bellowed out the loudest scream she could, earning a smirk from Finn as he went to join his fellow gang members in returning fire. Johanna continued to scream, taking short breaks to catch her breath and not stress out her throat. But when one of the O'Driscoll boys, who'd been by the doors, fell back into the wooden floors with a thud, Finn cursed, stepping away from the window. "Ms Driscoll, come with me." He hooked her arm, taking her to a small back room. "Me and the lads will make our escape now, so we'll lock you in here."
"Wait," Johanna stopped him before he could shut the door. "One of my father's men is being held prisoner in their camp. Kieran Duffy. I've already had a letter sent out, but the boy doesn't seem to know who I am." Finn nodded, promising to relay it to Colm before finally shutting the door and locking her in the small room, which had been Patrick Murphy's bedroom before his murder. After a few seconds, Johanna returned to screaming and pounding on the locked door for extra effect. She continued to listen to the gunfire, waiting for it to end.
Outside the cabin, Charles and Javier watched as four men bolted from the cabin, making for the barn out back. They didn't hesitate to follow, firing off rounds and hitting one in the back. Javier stopped by the doorway to the cabin when he heard Johanna screaming. He looked to Charles, telling the man to continue on as he went after Johanna. The cabin inside was empty, but Javier raised his revolver at the ready for any unexpected O'Driscoll. He stepped over the body in the doorway as his dark eyes scanned the room, landing on a shut door in the back. The wood vibrated as Johanna's fist pounded against the wood.
"Johanna?" He called out to her as he approached, waiting for her response. When he heard her call his name, he gripped the handle, finding it locked tight. "It's locked. Anyone in there with you?"
"No!"
He pointed his revolver at the lock with a quick glance behind himself to ensure it was safe. "Get back from the door. I'm gonna shot the lock." Javier smirked as he heard the woman swear. Even though the wood muffled it, he knew he heard her say 'fuck' over her hurried steps to escape the door. The lock was blown off with one shot, enabling them to shove open the door. Javier was startled when Johanna threw her arms around his middle, hugging him close. His left hand came to rest on her lower back as he still had his gun raised. "You alright?" Johanna didn't let go of him as she mumbled 'yes' into his vest. "It was interesting to hear you swear finally." He chuckled.
Johanna growled, recoiling back from the man before giving him a harsh shove, embarrassed that he'd heard her. "I didn't swear!"
Javier continued to laugh. "Oh, I did. You said fuck." She gave his chest another shove, making his back collide against a wall, but it didn't deter his humour. It only seemed to make him laugh harder. How she reacted to his teasing was genuinely comical, as Javier made the woman lash out in anger and embarrassment.
"Javier."
From where he was slumped against the wall, Javier faced the entrance to the cabin where Charles stood, and his weapon returned to the holster at his hip. Seeing this, Javier holstered his revolver and pushed off the wall. He spared a glance at Johanna, seeing the woman still fuming as he smirked at her. "Did you get them?" Javier asked Charles, facing the man.
Charles shook his head, stepping further into the cabin. "Two of them got away," he explained before turning to Johanna. "You okay?"
Johanna nodded to Charles. "I'll be fine. Was there any sign of my uncle?"
Charles stared at her, a slight frown forming on his face. He nodded. "You won't like it." Johanna's face was grim, but with all the strength in her voice, she asked Charles to show her. With a sigh, Charles led Javier and Johanna out to the barn. The pair noticed the rotting swine corpses firsts, their bodies showing apparent signs of human actions—gunshot, wounds and slit throats. But the worst sight was the body. It was hanging from the open doorway of the barn, swinging gently from the noose around its neck. What remained of the body's skin that birds and insects hadn't eaten away was black, with a sickly liquid dripping from its limbs, his ratty clothes barely hanging onto the skeleton figure. "By the state of the body, he's been dead for over a month."
Johanna turned sharply, her back to the scene as her body lurched over as she struggled not to vomit. She panted and coughed, not caring about how she presented herself in front of the two men at that moment. Johanna had never seen a body before, even a fresh one. Occasionally a man would die while at her mother's brothel, whether from drinking himself to death or in his sleep, once one even passed while a woman rode him before he could finish. But Elizebeth Lynn always had the bodies disposed of fast before anyone would even know. Johanna only knew because her mother would tell her after the fact. She felt a warm, comforting hand on her back, rubbing soothingly. She could see Javier's well-maintained shoes out of the corner of her eye. His presence calmed her until she heard the sound of the body falling, a mixture of a thud and wet sound, making her dry heave harder.
Charles had cut down the body as Javier saw to Johanna's wellbeing. The dark-skinned man dragged the corpse off, planning on burying it behind the barn. Javier took this moment to guide Johanna back to the cabin, carefully getting her into and over the body of the O'Driscoll that was still on the floor in the doorway and getting her over to the table to sit down. Javier left her there as he took away the body, disposition of it outside the fence line, out of sight of Johanna if she stepped outside. When he returned to the cabin, he found her where he'd left her, still sitting at the table, her hands folded over on the wooden surface, her delicate fingers twiddling slowly as she thought.
Javier sighed, rubbing his jaw. He moved down to sit by her at the table and tentatively touched her hand. "Johanna?" She welcomed his touch, her finger interlacing with his as she looked at him. Javier's jaw tightened when he saw her eyes. A faint red surrounded her once dazzling green eyes as tears stained her cheeks. He gripped her hands tighter in response.
"What do I do now?" She whispered to him. Johanna used the raw emotions from seeing the corpse of Patrick Murphy and of her own plight brought upon her by her father to force out her anguish, to make her lies and scheming believable for the man, no matter have much it didn't sit well in her gut.
He leaned forward, his head tilted as he looked at her. "Valentine. I'm sure you could find somewhere to stay and work there, maybe–"
"There's no work for me, Javier." Johanna cut him off, retracting her hands from his grip. She stood up and began pacing. "That's not how it works for a woman. It's either marriage to the first available man or hitching up my skirt." She turned on him, her tone bitter as she explained this to him. "I'm not that naive, but it seems you are."
Javier's eyes dropped for a second as he thought about her words. His mind travelled to his older sister, Leona, back home in Nuevo Paraíso, Mexico. She had married sometime after he left Mexico five years ago, not knowing if she loved the man or if it was arranged before their mother's passing. His eyes returned to Johanna, watching as she chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes no longer on him. Javier didn't have much experience with the social customs in America, especially surrounding women. "You'll come back to camp with us."
Her head snapped to him. Johann's brow furrowed as she frowned at him. "I'm pretty sure Mr Dutch doesn't want me returning."
Javier rubbed at his jaw again. Johanna was coming fast to understand it was a typical action the man did when stressed or thinking hard on a subject. "Charles and I will talk to him. Arthur and Hosea will also speak for you." Johanna sighed and sat back down, nodding her head. She knew that if the four men spoke up for her, Dutch would have to give in and let her stay.
"Thank you, Javier," She whispered as she placed a hand over his still outstretched one. "For everything.
The trio hadn't stayed long at the cabin, with Johanna permitting the men to search it for anything vulnerable to take back to camp to serve as an incentive to appease Dutch. Thanks to the O'Driscoll boys having made the cabin home for the last few months, there wasn't much there, but Charles and Javier had found a loose floorboard in the bedroom hiding a small number of precious possessions, such as a pocket watch, rings, a necklace and cash. Heirloom pieces, Johanna called them. Items that had been in Patrick Murphy's family for who knows how long were now reduced to fencible goods.
Johanna had stopped at the grave Charles had dug for the dead man, placing a small bundle of wildflowers she'd picked at the base of a large rock that served as the grave marker. She had sat in silence, mourning a man she'd never known whose last purpose was to further her lies and espionage into a gang of outlaws. Johanna wondered if that's why Colm had the man killed, to serve that purpose, or was he set to die anyway, and his death just had been convenient in their plans. As she stood, her only words to the dead man had been an apology, so quiet and mumbled that Charles and Javier didn't hear her from where they stood. She apologised for her father's actions, his gang's actions, that his life had been taken too soon. But this was the real world, the world her mother had tried to hide from her, full of outlaws and vicious gunslingers.
The ride back to Horseshoe Overlook had been depressing, the two men keeping quiet as Johanna sat behind Javier, pressed tight into the man's back as she once again had her arms wrapped around his middle and a cheek resting on the middle of his shoulders. Javier had decided to ride slowly, not wanting to upset the woman further. Charles chose to right ahead, alerting Dutch to the situation and hoping their leader's foul mood would have lessened when Javier arrived back at camp.
Javier chose to take a different path, skipping the bridge. Instead, he rode beside the Dakota River as Boaz trotted along, the horse enjoying the peaceful ride. Johanna turned her head to see the river, watching as ducks would land and fly off the water's surface. On the other side, she could see a mixture of deer and wild horses that grazed the grass fields. Everything was upsetting to her. Johanna wanted to be home in Strawberry with her mother, reading up in her room as Elizabeth's girls worked downstairs, as her mother would watch over her parlour like a vicious mama bear. It was Johanna's normal, and she missed it. But then Colm had come, snatched her away from everything she knew under threat of her mother's life so that he could get what he wanted, Dutch van der Linde's head. Johanna knew Colm didn't care for her. She wouldn't be surprised in Colm cared for no one but himself.
"You okay, Johanna?" Javier asked, dropping the reins from one hand to touch the hands still wrapped securely around his middle. She lifted her head, noticing that he had turned to look at her over his left shoulder.
She sighed, averting her gaze. "I just need some time."
Javier nodded. "There's another woman in the camp. We picked her up about two weeks ago," he explained, his eyes locked onto the road before him. "Sadie Adler. The O'Driscolls killed her husband. You're not alone in this." His words were meant to comfort her in her supposed grief, yet they only made Johanna feel worse inside—another innocent whose life was shattered by Colm O'Driscoll and his gang. Johanna returned to resting her head between his shoulder blades as she observed their surroundings, wanting to return to camp and sleep off today's events.
It was mid-afternoon when Javier rode into camp, Mary Beth waiting for them. The brunette quickly ran to them as Javier hitched Boaz, the woman fritting over Johanna, who was still sitting on the back of the horse. Javier frowned at the sight, knowing that the young redhead just wanted to be alone to process everything, yet Mary Beth had that pitiful look directed at Johanna as she pestered the woman with questions. Javier moved between them when he went to assist Johanna with dismounting. Johanna clung to him moments after her feet touched the ground, seeming not to want to let go of him, but after a while, she did, letting Mary Beth whisk her away to the tent shared by the women. Javier watched them go, his dark eyes following them with each hesitant step the two women took. His head quirked to the side as he heard footsteps as Charles approached him.
"How did Dutch take the news?" Javier asked, glancing over his friend's shoulder to their leader's tent. Dutch was nowhere in sight, nor was his lover, Molly O'Shea.
Charles glanced over his shoulder, following Javier's gaze. "Not well," His eyes returned to Javier as the men shared a look. They respected Dutch as their leader and understood the man's concern for the camp after Blackwater and Colter, but Johanna was alone and had nothing to her name, just as each of the Van Der Linde gang had been before they found each other. "I convinced him to wait until Arthur and Hosea return before anything is decided."
Javier quirked a brow, "They're not here?"
Charles shook his head. "Went off hunting, should be back tomorrow."
With a sigh, Javier nodded. "You eaten yet?" Javier patted his friend's upper arm, walking towards Pearson's caravan. Charles explained that he hadn't, as he was waiting for Javier and Johanna to return to camp. The two men had collected a bowl of stew each and went to sit down by the primary campfire by the tents they shared with some other men in the gang. Sean and Bill Williamson were already sitting, drinks in hand as they talked. Javier and Charles paid them no mind as they sat and ate until the two drunks began to ask them questions.
"I heard you boys got into a shoot-out with some of Colm's boys." Sean leaned forward, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.
Javier eyed him, wondering what game the man was trying to start. "Yes."
Sean's smile grew. "I hope Miss Johanna didn't get too scared. Maybe I ought to go give the woman some comfort." The Irishman winked, making both Javier and Charles pause in their eating to stare at him. The looks of displeasure on both faces made Sean chuckle. "With what she's gone through these last few days, a strapping man's arms are just what she needs."
The corner of Javier's lips twitched. "Well, that rules you out." Sean's smile dropped as Bill laughed loudly at Javier's quip. "Bill too."
"Hey!" Bill's laughter stopped as he turned to Javier, a dark glare in his eyes focused solely on the Mexican. Javier ignored him, going back to eating. The two drunks grumbled, returning to their drinks as Charles and Javier finished eating, dumping their bowls on the ground by the fire, knowing that one of the women would come to collect the dishes and utensils later so that whoever was on cleaning duty would wash them.
All four men turned to look at the women as they went passed the group. Tilly and Mary Beth pulled along Johanna while Karen casually walked behind the trio as they headed to Pearson's caravan for dinner. Johanna glanced towards the men's direction, briefly locking eyes with Javier, the Mexican man seeing her obvious discomfort at having the women fretting over her like mother hens.
"She seems like she is having a good time." Sean joked, his smile returning. Charles and Javier's heads snapped towards the Irishman.
"The girl had to bury the last of her family today." Charles bit, frowning at Sean, whose mood didn't seem to falter.
Sean shrugged. "Well, you buried her uncle."
"It doesn't matter who did. It was still her uncle who she cried over today." Charles rose from his seat, walking over to the Irishman and leering over him. "Show some respect." Sean raised his arms defensively, trying to calm down the darker man. Bill watched, readying himself for a fight between the two men, but Javier observed while smirking. Javier knew that if it really came down to it, Sean would never go up against Charle, be it for fear or because the Irishman knew he'd never win.
"Alright, alright." Sean sighed defeatedly, his hands still up by his face as he squirmed under Charles's glare. "I meant no disrespect."
As Charles returned to his spot beside Javier, the Mexican looked back to the women sitting around eating at the small table and chairs set up beside Pearson's caravan. Each woman seemed to be eating their stew without complaints, except for Johanna. The young redhead was only staring at the bowl before her, occasionally stirring its contents with a look of discontent. It would take a while for the woman to adjust to life at their camp if Dutch did decide to let her stay. The outlaw lifestyle wasn't easy, but it meant that they didn't have to find themselves held down by a world that sort to imprison them with gruelling jobs that they would be working until the day they died. Dutch planned to get them rich and escape where they could live carefree for the rest of their days. It was something each one of them desired.
The moment Johanna had been dragged into the tent with the other women, Tilly and Mary Beth began fritting over her, harassing her with questions about what happened and if she was alright. As for Karen, well, she sat on the floor, a bottle of some sort of alcoholic beverage in hand as she just drank.
"I'm so sorry, Johanna." Mary Beth spoke the apology for the umpteenth time since Johanna dismounted Boaz. The brunette rubbed her back and held her close on one side while Tilly sat on the other, her tiny hands grasping the redheads. "I heard from Charles. I can't believe what those horrible O'Driscoll men did."
Karen snorted, finally lowering her drink. "You can't? Hell woman. They've been pulling shit like that for years, and you can't believe they did it?" Tilly and Mary Beth glared at the blonde, who didn't seem to care. She only shrugged and went back to drinking.
"Ignore Karen," Tilly spoke, returning her gaze to Johanna. "She can be a mean drunk." Her words were full of spite, earning a retort from Karen, but Tilly ignored it, getting to her feet. "Why don't we go get some food into your belly? I'm sure it will help."
Johanna nodded, letting Tilly and Mary Beth aid her to stand and guide her out of the tent. Having finished her whiskey, Karen followed along and set on getting another bottle and some dinner too. Johanna's green eyes wandered over to the men sitting around it as the four women passed the central campfire. She spotted Sean, Charles, and a large bearded man she hadn't met yet. But her eyes lingered on Javier the longest, just as his did her. He was studying her hard, his face serious. She was finally pulled away when Tilly sat her down at the dining table by Pearson's caravan, she and Mary Beth going over to collect them all something to eat. When they returned with no whiskey, Karen grumbled, leaving her to get up and get herself one, turning to the table with a fresh bottle that she chugged down.
Johanna could only stare at the food as the three of them ate, playing with the gruel-like stew with her spoon. She could feel eyes on her, knowing that the men were most likely looking her way again. Johanna wanted to sigh but held back. She has to play this role—the poor pathetic orphan girl.
"Johanna," Mary Beth's sweet voice met her ears, making her look up at the woman. "You need to eat." Johanna smiled weakly back at her, finally picking up a helping and forcing it into her mouth, chewing slowly before she swallowed. When the brunette was happy with her, with a smile on her adorable freckled face, she returned to eating her own food.
The silence surrounding them as they ate was broken by an older woman making her way over to the table. Each Van Der Linde girl scowled as the woman came near, and when Johanna took in the aging woman, she spotted an even more aggressive look on her face. She grabbed Johanna, forcing her to stand and face her. Johanna sucked in a breath as the woman manhandled her, inspecting her appearance and figure, making comments here and there that the redhead found indecent. The woman stopped with Johanna's hands, thrusting them forward as she inspected the palms.
"Too soft. I doubt you'll be any good with the chores." The older woman tutted. "But with your looks and figure, you could make a few dollars in town spreading your legs."
Johanna's eyes went wide, snapping her hands out of the woman's grasp, making her frown more. "I'll have you know that my mother saw to it that I was trained in cooking, cleaning, laundering, embroidering and mending." Johanna listed off, earning a mocking raised brow from the woman before her.
"Oh, such a fancy woman you are. Well, that won't do you any good here." She seethed, her hands resting on her hips as she leaned forward, trying to intimate Johanna. "You're nothing more than an orphan now, and if you want a place here, you'll do as I tell you." The older woman walked off with a final glance over Johanna and the other women sitting at the table. "I will test your fancy skills tomorrow, bright and early, Miss Lynn."
Johanna glared at the older woman's back as she sat back down. "Who was that hag?"
Karen snorted, almost choking on her whiskey. "Oh, that was gold! Best not let her hear you say that!"
"Miss Grimshaw," Tilly said, leaning on the table and pushing her empty bowl aside. "And Karens right. Don't insult her unless you want her to hit you."
Johanna frowned, deeply disturbed by that. "She hits you? How can the men stand by and let it happen?"
Karen snorted again, shrugging. "The hag makes sure their clothes and mended and cleaned, so they don't care."
"And she does it when they're not looking." Mary Beth sighed, pushing her empty bowl aside.
Johanna sighed, pinching the space between her eyes as she took in the information the women had shared. Miss Grimshaw would have been smacked hard long ago if her mother were here. Elizabeth Lynn never laid a single hand on any of her girls. Even when she caught them doing the wrong thing, she would simply put the fear of God into them with words, believing that words carried more weight than an injury ever would.
"Well then," Johanna smirked, picking up another helping of her stew. "I guess I'll have to impress her so hard tomorrow that she's left speechless and dumbfounded. That will surely shut her up." The other women smiled as she ate, curious to see if her plan would work. None of them had ever been able to make the older woman shut up her nagging in the past, only the men seemed to be able to, and even then, it was rare that they would do so. Johanna liked watching them gossip. The enjoyment of having one up on Miss Grimshaw was tempting. With a glance, she looked at the men, the four of them having observed the interaction between the camp mother and their newest edition. From the looks on their faces, they each suspected something as they noticed how merry Tilly, Karen and Mary Beth were being after a conversation with Miss Grimshaw. Johanna just smiled at the men, showing them her own enjoyment of the situation.
It must have been infectious. Soon Sean was laughing, whispering to the men, making the large bearded man beside him laugh. Charles shook his head with a small smile at the comment, his gaze on the Irishman. But Javier kept looking at Johanna long after she turned away from him, a smirk playing on his lips.