After Arthur and Johanna's conversation, Lenny Summers, a young black man and member of the Van Der Linde, had come racing into camp on his horse. He and Micah Bell, a man that Johanna had been warned to avoid, had been in Strawberry when Micah had gotten into a fight and shot two men dead, landing him in the settlement jail. Lenny had stated he was lucky to get away when he did. Being stressed out after escaping Strawberry, Dutch had ordered Arthur to take the young man in Valentine to get a drink at the local saloon and calm Lenny down. That had been last night. Arthur and Lenny had never returned back to camp, leaving Dutch to find them. Now, the morning after, Dutch returned on his mount with a defeated-looking Arthur and Lenny on their own horses after having spent the night in jail for drunk and disorderly conduct. When Johanna approached the two men as they sat at the makeshift dinner table, she placed a bowl of porridge in front of them.
"Thank you, Miss Johanna." Arthur groaned, rubbing at his head as he was still dealing with the effects of his hangover. He slid his bowl closer towards him and painfully began to shovel the food into his mouth, making Johanna's mouth tighten as she tried to hold back a chuckle at the man.
"Thank you…" Lenny squinted at her, trying to see if he recognised her. He didn't. "Sorry, I don't believe we've met." He turned in his seat, taking in the redheaded woman before him. "I'm Lenny Summers, ma'am."
Johanna smiled at him. "I'm Johanna Lynn. It's nice to meet you." She moved around the table, sitting beside Arthur and opposite Lenny. "Please do eat. It will make you feel better." Glancing at Arthur, the man was almost collapsing into his breakfast as he struggled to keep himself sitting up, compared to Lenny, who didn't seem as badly affected by his hangover, leaving Johanna to wonder if Arthur had been the one to drink way too much of the pair. Lenny stared down at the porridge before him, unsure if he should eat it.
"Don't worry," Arthur muttered gruffly, staring at the younger man. "She made it, not Pearson. So it's actually edible." The comment made the dark-skinned man's eyes glance up at Johanna, the woman smiling as she looked at Arthur. Seeming to accept the answer, Lenny began to eat the food before him, pausing after the first bite as he came to realise that the food was indeed good. "See," Arthur spoke again, seeing the look on his friend's face. "Told you it was good. Miss Johanna has been assisting with meals, which has been a grand improvement."
Lenny nodded. "How did you come to be in camp, Miss Johanna?" The question made the smile fall off the woman's face, and Arthur stopped eating, the large man staring down his friend for having made the enquiry. Lenny's eyes moved between Johanna and Arthur, realising he'd said wrong. Johanna stood, excusing herself and leaving the two men alone. Lenny glanced at Arthur. "What did I miss?"
"O'Driscoll's. Twice." Arthur responded. He frowned as he leaned away from his breakfast. "Attacked her stagecoach, and when Javier and Charles went to deliver her to her uncle, found him dead and his cabin overrun by those bastards." The statement caused Lenny's mouth to fall agape as he struggled to think of a response. The dark-skinned man glanced behind himself towards Pearson's caravan, his eyes landing on Johanna as she cleaned up around one of the workstations.
"Damn." Lenny sighed, looking away from the woman. Running a hand over his dark hair, the man regretted having opened his mouth. Looking down at the bowl of porridge in front of him, guilt overwhelmed him. "I should have kept my mouth shut."
"Yes, you should have," Arthur commented as he returned to eating his own food. His eyes casually followed the young redheaded woman as she moved around, taking notice of her tense shoulders as she worked. When both he and Lenny had finished eating, he'd taken the dishes over to her, holding them out at the tub as she scrubbed away. Johanna paused as she eyed him, the look on her pretty face telling him to say what he wanted to say. "You doin' alright?"
Johanna sighed deeply, taking the bowls and spoons off Arthur and dumping them into the metal tub. "Lenny didn't mean any ill will." She stated simply, looking back down as she started cleaning dishes again. "But…it's not easy to talk about…" Arthur nodded, rubbing at his jaw. He didn't know how else to respond, as he didn't know this woman well enough to comfort her. Nodding once more, he offered her a farewell, leaving her to finish her chores. Johanna watched him go, letting out another sigh as she felt she could ease up. She found herself getting frustrated with having to play some weak and sensitive damsel in their eyes, and what was worse was the fact that two of the Van Der Linde gang had been in Strawberry, close to her mother and the O'Driscoll Boys that had been guarding Elizabeth. She needed to get into town and reach out to her father via the post that she hadn't betrayed him. If Colm even suspected that Johanna did rat herself out to Dutch, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her mother.
As she finished off the last of the dishes, Johanna wiped her hands down on her skirt. With pursed lips, she decided to seek out Mary Beth, wanting to speak with the woman about going into town. Johanna thought that if she sold off her silk dress, despite its less than pristine state, she might get more than a few dollars for it, and it would be a good reason for her to go into Valentine to send off a letter to Colm.
Mary Beth was outside the woman's tent, patching some clothes as Tilly was attending to the laundry. She glanced up at Johanna as the redhead approached, a wide smile on her cheerful face. "Johanna! Good morning. You slipped out while we were all still sleeping."
Johanna returned the woman's smile. "Morning, girls," She greeted both women, coming to stand not far from them. She glanced around but could see any sign of Karen anywhere. "I needed to help Pearson with breakfast."
"Seems you've found your place here." Mary Beth chuckled, happy for the woman. "Everyone here is sure thankful for it."
"I know I am," Tilly added, making them laugh. "You come to lend us a hand? Karen's disappeared somewhere…" She said, her tone hinting that she did indeed know where the blonde woman had vanished off to and, more so, who the woman was with.
Johanna raised a brow at Tilly, seeing the incredulous look on the dark-skinned woman's face. "Dare I ask…?" She glanced at Mary Beth, the brunette holding back a laugh.
Tilly sighed, standing up straight as she threw the wet clothes into a washing tub with a hard splash, making Johanna jump. "She's off with Sean. Pirooting." Johanna's face warmed at the statement, having spent enough time listening to her mother's working girl to know what the term meant. Noticing Johanna's expression, Tilly smirked. "Did I embarrass you there, Miss Johanna?"
Johanna raised her hands before her, her eyes closed as she tried to calm her flushed face. "A little." She admitted.
"Stop teasing her, Tilly." Mary Beth lectured playfully, seeing how worked up Johanna was becoming. "Sit with me." She turned to Johanna, patting the ground beside her. Nodding, Johanna picked up some clothes from the mending pile before taking the spot next to the brunette.
Threading up a needle, Johanna glanced at Mary Beth from the corner of her eye. "I was thinking about heading into Valentine. Selling off my old dress. Maybe buy some things." Tilly and Mary Beth looked at her, intrigued by the idea. Johanna smiled, seeing the women's expressions. She figured they didn't get out much with all the chores they had to take care of.
"And you were hoping to have someone join you?" Mary Beth enquired, nudging her playfully with her shoulder. "It's smart. Going into civilisation by yourself isn't the best. Both Tilly and Karen were attacked last time we went with Arthur and Uncle." Johanna's face formed into a scowl at the statement, even more so when she remembered the drunk who had tried to touch her for being with Javier and Charles. "I'd be happy to go with you. Miss Grimshaw might even want us to pick up something, too."
"Any excuse for her to be fine with us leaving camp and skipping out on chores?" Johanna asked, looking from the brunette to Tilly. "Will you be joining?"
"No," Tilly spoke quickly, kneeling back over the washing tub and starting to work on the laundry again. "Rather stay here and get work done." Mary Beth and Johanna exchanged a look. While they were confused as to why the woman wouldn't want to get out of camp and away from the pushiness of Miss Grimshaw, it was understandable that after her less-than-pleasant encounter in Valentine a week prior, Tilly would been more keen to avoid returning under a fear of it happening again. Neither woman decided to broach the subject with Tilly, choosing to let the woman take out her frustrations on the laundry.
Johanna and Mary Beth worked in silence until before midday, when Johanna slipped away to help Pearson prepare lunch. After the two women ate, they packed up Johanna's old silk dress and made the trek by foot into Valentine from Horseshoe Overlook. It took close to an hour of walking for them to arrive, heading straight for the train station as Johanna used the excuse of wanting to send a letter back home to a childhood friend so she could contact her father without suspicion, something Mary Beth was happy to let the redheaded woman do. With the brunette standing off to the send, Johanna quickly hand-wrote the letter, having it sent under the fake name Colm had told her to use, before the two women decided to make their way to the General Store.
Upon entering, the shopkeeper greeted them, having recognised Johanna from a few days prior. "Ah, young Miss. did you happen to find your uncle, Patrick?" His tone was friendly and warm as he smiled at the two women.
"Yes…" Johanna admitted reluctantly. "Sadly, he is no longer with us."
The shopkeeper's smile dropped, a look of regret spanning his face. "Oh, I am so sorry, forgive." He began to stutter a bit, upset with himself for upsetting the young woman before him. "Are you…at least well?"
"I am, thank you." Johanna smiled, trying to calm the man. "I am living with my friend here." She gestured to Mary Beth, who was making her way around the store, getting items off a list in her hand that had been given to her by Miss Grimshaw. The shopkeeper nodded, seemingly happy that the redhead was in a good situation. "I'm actually here to trade," She pulled the bundle of fabric from where it was hanging off her shoulder by a leather strap, placing it down on the counter. The shopkeeper started to undo the leather buckle. "It's a silk dress. It's a bit worn and ripped in some areas, but I figured it might still be worth something."
The shopkeeper laid out the dress, inspecting the material, construction and state of the garment. "It's an impressive garment. I've never actually seen silk before myself." After a moment of pondering over the garment and a mixture of umming and ahing to himself. "They tend to sell for about thirty to forty dollars brand new…what were you hoping to barter it for?"
"A tent and camping bed if you have one. Maybe some other garments and books, if you have any that catch my attention." Johanna spoke, her fingers tracing over the dress. She didn't pay attention to the shopkeeper dismissing himself, going out to the back storeroom to collect the items she was enquiring about. Her father had picked out the embroidered emerald green silk dress for the stagecoach robbery, hoping to make Johanna appear more damsel in distress-like and naive. She was happy to be ridding herself of the gown.
When the man returned, he placed a small tent and sleeping mat on the counter. "I don't have much in the way of books, just some romance novels that are popular with the young women. But I can give you these two—" He gestured to the tent and bed. "—for about eight dollars. And for garments, I mainly just sell fabric. Women here tend to make their own clothes, so apologies."
Johanna nodded. "The tent and sleeping palette will do fine." She looked over her shoulder at Mary Beth, the brunette making her way to the counter with a handful of items. "Mary Beth, why don't you pick out a novel that the man has in stock? My treat."
Mary Beth fumbled, placing the items in her hands on the counter, looking at the redhead with wide eyes. "I couldn't!"
"Please," Johanna rolled her eyes. "You've done so much for me. Let it be a thank you." Mary Beth studied her, her freckled face showing her awe. After blinking a few times, she accepted Johanna's offer, making the redhead laugh. Johanna waited patiently as Mary Beth looked through a selection of romance novels that the shopkeeper brought out for her to pick out one that caught her eye, settling on An Unrequited Love by Mrs. Southworth. After the trade of the two items she requested and the book for Mary Beth, the shopkeeper handed over thirteen dollars to Johanna, which the redhead argued was too much, but the man wouldn't hear of it, deeming it wrong to take too much from a woman who was with nothing.
After making the purchases Mary Beth needed, the women packed their goods and planned to trek back to camp. "So I guess this means you're moving out from the tent with me and the others?" Mary Beth asked, eyeing the folded-up tent and sleeping mat.
Johanna chuckled. "Well, it's a bit cramped with me taking up room in there." She explained, getting a nod from Mary Beth, who agreed. Since Johanna had found herself in their camp, the women's tent, which had three beds for Mary Beth, Tilly and Karen, had been shared among four women now, and Johanna didn't deem it fair. Plus, the redhead just wanted some space to herself where she could be alone, as she'd never had to share a space before. Outside the General Store, Johanna stopped, recognising the two horses tied to the hitching post out front. Taima and Boaz.
"Oh!" Mary Beth exclaimed, recognising the horses herself. "Looks like Charles and Javier are here somewhere." She glanced around to see if she could spot the two men, her eyes landing on the saloon entrance. "They might be enjoying a drink."
"Let's not ruin their fun, then." Johanna sighed, stepping off the wooden sidewalk onto the dirt road, both her hands full of her items. As she did, Boaz angled towards her, seeking out the woman for attention. Johanna sighed, staring down at the horse before putting down her camping gear and approaching the animal, patting Boaz's snout.
Mary Beth laughed, watching them as she stepped down beside Johanna. "He really likes you."
"Yes…" Johanna sighed again, glancing over her shoulder at the brunette. "Every time he sees me, he seems to want my full attention." Her hand was still gently patting along the horse's nose, Boaz nudging further into the woman's touch.
"I feel like he's betraying me."
Both women turned, spotting Javier and Charles walking towards them from the other side of the street, meaning that the pair hadn't been at the saloon as Mary Beth suggested.
Adjusted the items in her arms, Mary Beth addresses the two men. "Where were you two?"
"Gun store," Charles answered. As the two men moved closer to the women, Javier reached out, patting Boaz's rear, but the horse ignored him, making the Mexican man frown. Charles' mouth twitched at the sight. There was a bond between mount and rider, and right now, it was being threatened by the redhead woman. "You two been shopping?" He nodded towards Mary Beth's hands.
"Yes," Mary Beth smiled, hugging the items closer towards her. "Picked up some items for Miss Grimshaw, and Johanna traded in her old dress for a tent and sleeping mat. " Charles simply nodded as he listened.
Javier raised a brow as he looked at Johanna. "Don't want to be cramped up with the women?" The question made the woman shoot him a glare, having not enjoyed his subjective tone.
"Well, there are only three beds in that small tent," Mary Beth answered for Johanna, explaining the reason behind the redhead's purchase. "She also bought me a romance novel as a thank you!" Charles smiled earnestly, happy for his friend's excitement over a new book to read, as he knew how much Mary Beth loved to read and even aspired to be a writer herself. "I'm surprised you didn't get yourself one. You seemed so keen on buying a book." Mary Beth frowned while looking at Johanna.
"Romance is not my forte." Johanna turned to the woman, chuckling. "Sadly, when my stagecoach was attacked, I lost my favourite novel." Her smile dropped at that. Johanna's disappointment was real. She'd had her favourite novel with her, the book and her grandmother's ring being the two possessions she'd been able to bring with her from home. Seeing the redhead's forlorn look, Mary Beth enquired as to what the novel was, her curiosity piqued. "Utopia. By Thomas More." The three individuals looked at her, none of them knowing of the novel.
"Never heard of it. What's it about?" Mary Beth asked, her head tilted to the side.
"It imagines a complex, self-contained community set on an island where people share a common culture and way of life. A perfect world, free of racism, sexism and class." Johanna smiled again, her explanation making the brunette smile, commenting how the concept sounded 'wonderful'. "It was written in fifteen-sixteen."
"Fifteen-sixteen?! That is so old!" Mary Beth was shocked, making Johanna laugh. "No wonder I've never heard of it."
"That wouldn't be why," Johanna giggled, shaking her head. "It introduces concepts that affect the social structure and threaten the hierarchy of society. Karl Marx is a German author who wrote novels that also broached the topic, which caused a lot of anger from the wealthy classes."
Mary Beth just blinked, her brain struggling to comprehend the topic. "I don't think these topics are for women." Johanna frowned, retorting back that as a woman in this world, it was important that they discuss such topics. "Johanna!" Mary Beth exclaimed in surprise before her voice dropped to a whisper. "You're not a suffragette, are you?"
Johanna rolled her eyes. "And if I am?" Mary Beth opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Charles, he and Javier having watched the back and forth between the two women.
"Maybe that's enough for now." He sighed, his arms crossing in front of him over his chest, wanting to put an end to their conversation. "How about we give you girls a lift back to camp?" Before the women could respond, he stepped forward, picked up Johanna's folded-up tent and strapped it to the back of Taima's saddle. Following the dark-skinned man's lead, Javier picked up the sleeping mat and attacked it to Boaz's saddle. Pursing her lips, Mary Beth moved past Johanna, handing off the items in her hands to Charles to store in Taima's saddlebag. As he stored them away, she mounted herself onto the back of the horse, waiting on Charles.
Johanna stood there, watching the brunette. She knew she'd crossed some sort of line with Mary Beth. Women's Suffrage was a sensitive topic, especially outside of the cities, where women were expected to be silent and subservient to their husbands and fathers. Johanna continued to stay still, ignoring the looks Javier was sending. He looked at Johanna, noticing her frown and irritated body language. "You good to leave, woman?" She looked at him, her gaze hardening as she glared, making Javier smirk.
"We'll see you back at camp," Charles spoke from Taima's saddle, reins in his hands as he pulled the horse past his friend and the redheaded woman, Javier simply muttering a 'yeah' back at the man. Mary Beth and Johanna shared a look, hinting at the regret each woman felt over differing views, but neither spoke.
Shaking his head, Javier turned his back on Johanna, working to unhitch his horse. The Mexican man had no time for the pathetic spats of women, but he was curious about the redhead's views. "Karl Marc—"
"—Marx." She corrected.
Javier chuckled. "Karl Marx…what were those topics that angered the rich?"
Johanna smiled, glancing at the man's back. "Marx believed that the capitalistic system would inevitably destroy itself. That the oppressed workers would overthrow the owners to take control of the means of production themselves, ushering in a classless society." Javier turned to face her as she finished speaking, his eyebrows raised in interest, making Johanna smile wider. "As you can see, it's a troublesome topic."
Javier chuckled. "You have these opinions, yet still so understand of the world." He teased her. Johanna pursed her lips, shaking her head as she approached him, calling him a 'lunk' again. As Javier went to assist the woman, hands on her waist, onto the back of Boaz, a feminine voice called out to him, causing both Javier and Johanna to turn to see a buxom redheaded woman making her way over, her hips swaying seductively as she made her way over, her blue eyes locked onto the Mexican man. Johanna's brows furrowed as her eyes landed on the unknown woman's large chest, almost popping out from the low cut of her blouse. "Anastasia." Javier greeted the woman nervously, one hand leaving Johanna's waist as he faced the woman.
"I thought I saw my favourite Mexican man." Anastasia purred, reaching out to trail a hand down the lapel of Javier's blue jacket. Johanna glared at the woman, knowing that the busty redhead was purposely ignoring her as Johanna and Javier were standing too close for Johanna to go unnoticed. "I was hoping to entice you for a drink."
"Uhh…" Javier spoke, looking at Johanna from the corner of his eye. "Sadly, I have to decline. I'm taking Johanna here home."
"Johanna?" Anastasia frowned, finally looking at Johanna and noticing Javier's hand placement. Anastasia glared at the fellow redhead, her blue eyes trailing down the smaller woman's prudish attire with a look of mocking. "I'm sure she'll be more than fine on her own. Let me enjoy your company." Anastasia purred again, her mood changing as she looked back at Javier. Johanna's eyes widened as she finally realised that this Anastasia woman was a prostitute, hoping to convince Javier to purchase her services. Javier chuckled, his eyes trailing down Anastasia's body, finding himself tempted by the offer.
"It's alright, Javier," Johanna said, causing him to snap his gaze at her. "You go ahead, I can manage the walk back to camp." Her eyes were still hard as she stared at Anastasia, the redhead staring smugly back at her.
Javier frowned. Looking back to Anastasia. "Sorry, I should really help her get back home." Turning away from her, Javier returned his hands to Johanna's waist. He hoisted her up onto Boaz's back behind the saddle, all while Anastasia was gaping like a fish, trying to continue convincing Javier to join her at the saloon, but the man ignored her, focusing on making sure Johanna was secure. Moving the reins over to the saddle, Javier faced Anastasia. "Maybe another time." He farewelled the woman, mounting himself into the saddle and pulling at the reins. Glancing over her shoulder, Johanna spotted the prostitute glaring hard at her, Anastasia's frustration obvious as she breathed heavily and her hands clenched into fists. With a final huff, Anastasia spun, stomping her way back towards the saloon, deciding to find another man worthy of her affection.
"I don't think there will be another time," Johanna murmured, a slight smirk on her lips when she felt Javier tense under her hands that were wrapped around his middle. He didn't respond, but she could hear and feel the heavy breath escaping him, making her bite her lips to hold back a chuckle. "I am sure there will be other buxom women clawing for your attention, Mr. Escuella." With his jaw tense, Javier forced Boaz into a gallop. Johanna exclaimed in shock as she held on tighter to Javier, pressing her head into the man's back. Javier smirked, taking enjoyment from the woman's discomfort after her teasing. Kicking into Boaz's side, Javier made the stallion race faster, speeding out of Valentine and following along the train tracks. "Okay! I get it! You don't like being teased!" Johanna shrieked into the man's back.
Javier pulled Boaz back into a trot at her admittance, causing Johanna's grip to ease up around his waist. "Going to behave?" He called over his shoulder, a smirk on his lips. Johanna punched him in the gut in defiance, knocking the breath out of him, making him groan, and pulling on Boaz's reins. Johanna's hands slipped to either side of Javier's waist as Boaz slowed to a walk. Javier adjusted himself in his saddle so that he could face Johanna, the two of them staring hard at one another. "Now that was rude," Javier grunted out, seething at the woman.
The corner of Johanna's mouth twitched, struggling not to smile at the Mexican man's annoyance. "You had it coming." She muttered darkly. "You know I have a fear of horses." Breathing deeply while leaning closer to him, she gripped his side harder, adding more pressure to force her point. Scoffing at her, Javier turned silent as he turned away from her, wanting just to return to camp sooner and to be rid of the troublesome redhead. When they arrived, Javier begrudgingly helped her off Boaz after hitching the mount to a tree, and she stomped away from him, heading off to find Charles, who'd taken her tent.
"Puta mujer…" Javier watched her go. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, having never met someone more infuriating than he found Johanna Lynn, even all the idiotas he'd had to kill in the past just for crossing him. When Javier went to remove the saddle from Boaz, he froze, noticing the woman's sleeping palette still attached. Frowning, Javier grabbed it and headed after her. He found her, alongside Charles, by Pearson's Caravan, where the dark-skinned man had set up her tent. Javier's brows furrowed as he watched the two interact, seeing how they smiled at one another and spoke so easily together, but Javier frowned when Johanna pulled Charles in for a hug, his friend returning the gesture, which was out of character for the man. Approaching the embracing pair, Javier dumped the sleeping palette on the ground hard, the sound of it hitting the solid earth, making the two pull apart. "You're bed." He merely stated before turning around and leaving them with questioning looks.
"Apologies." Charles excused himself, not looking at the woman as he went after the Mexican man. Javier was busy fiddling with the buckles of Boaz's saddle, his fingers working aggressively, when Charles came up behind him. "Javier," He crossed his arms, his eyes stern as Javier slipped the saddle off and turned around to face him. "You alright?" Javier nodded, moving past him to safely store his saddle away as Boaz trotted over to join the other unsaddled horses meandering by the tree line, indulging themselves in scattered hay. Charles quirked a brow, clearly not believing his friend.
As Javier deposited his saddle, he looked at Charles, noticing his friend's expression, making him tighten his jaw. Javier sighed. "That woman is the most annoying, uptight brat I have ever encountered, and I've robbed a lot uppity rich folk." Charles's expression didn't alter.
"Maybe you should stop aggravating her, and she'll stop annoying you," Charles advised, his face returning to his neutral expression. "Or admit that you fancy her." The statement made Javier balk, the man beyond offended and befuddled. Charles chuckled, finding amusement in his friend's astonishment. With a smirk, Charles departed. Javier finally retorted that he wasn't sweet about Johanna, but Charles laughed harder.
It was late in the evening when Arthur returned to camp. The main campfire lit and lit the darkness in a warm glow as stars glowed from above. Many gang residents had gathered around the fire, drinking and chatting after the stew that Pearson and Johanna had prepared for dinner had filled their bellies. Arthur sighed as he hitched up his horse, his eyes on his surrogate family as he felt his stomach rumble from hunger. He noticed off to the side of Pearson's Caravan a new tent that wasn't there before and a familiar figure fiddling with the ropes that held it upright. "Well, that's a fancy-looking tent." He smiled as he approached the redheaded woman.
"Arthur," Johanna greeted him, looking over her shoulder at the man. "Thank you. Thought it best to give the women their tent back." He chuckled, nodding along with the sentiment. After checking the ropes one last time, she turned to face him fully, giving the man her attention. "Are you hungry? I know you missed dinner."
"Oh, I could eat." He answered, looking over to the kitchen area of their camp. Letting out a short laugh, Johanna walked over to the caravan, picking out a can of beans and emptying it into a small pot. Next, she cut up a carrot and a potato, adding them to the beans and moving the pot over to the cooking fire as she lit the fire, letting it heat up the beans, Arthur watched her the entire time, impressed that the woman added some vegetables so it wasn't just beans. "Thank you, Johanna."
She smiled up at the man as she stirred the food. "You're welcome, Arthur. Where were you that you got back so late?" Johanna enquired. "Heard you were out in Emerald Ranch with Hosea today, but he was here when I returned from Valentine."
"Yeah…" He sighed, moving away from her to collect a clean bowl and spoon. When he returned, Arthur could smell the food, the delicious smell making his stomach rumble further, making Johanna laugh and blush dust the man's cheeks. "After Hosea and I stole a stagecoach, I headed out to Strawberry on Dutch's orders. Had to liberate Micah from jail. Otherwise, they were gonna hang the fool."
"Sounds like you wanted to see him hanged," Johanna commented, reaching out for the bowl in his hands. He nodded, handing it over to her so she could serve out his food. Arthur laughed as he admitted he did. No love was lost between Arthur and Micah; the former deemed Micah a foolish idiot who brought nothing but trouble to their gang. Arthur warned Johanna again about the lecherous behaviour. "Where is the fool, then?" She asked, handing the cooked food over to Arthur, who took it gladly as she kicked dirt onto the fire to put it out.
"Says he doesn't want to return until he has something good to make it up to Dutch," Arthur stated as he began to eat his dinner. "I'm hoping it's a bullet to the idiot's head." Johanna barked a laugh, enjoying Arthur's well-stated dislike of Micah Bell, causing Arthur to laugh along with her. Thanking her again, he went over to join the rest of the camp at the main campfire while she cleaned up. Occasionally, she would glance over to the large group, her eyes tracing over each member she'd slowly begun building a bond with, wishing she had the heart to join them. Johanna cursed herself under her breath. She knew she needed to stop getting close to them. Otherwise, it would be harder to betray them in the end.
"Hey, you…" Mary Beth spoke, coming up beside Johanna as she stood by the washing tub. Johanna trailed her tongue over her bottom lip, her eyes landing on the brunette hesitantly. "I uh…spoke with Tilly…" Mary Beth sighed, taking some of the freshly washed dishes and cleaning them down with a rag. "She said some things as we discussed you…and your opinions…and how I might have been wrong."
Johanna paused in her cleaning. She turned her full attention to Mary Beth. "You're not wrong…you just…were brought up to see the world differently. If I hadn't read Utopia or The Communist Manifesto, I wouldn't have had the opinions I do." Johanna chuckled to herself. "Javier pointed out that I'm still naive to this world. And I am. I've indulged myself in books but haven't seen the struggles of the world outside my bedroom until now."
Mary Beth looked at her quizzically. "Why did you read them?"
"My grandfather. He left them for my mother, and she passed them to me." Johanna explained, washing off the last dish and handing it to the brunette to dry off. "He died fighting in the war for the Union. My mother was ten years old, and she had been eight when her parents came from Belfast in eighteen-sixty-two, a year after the war had started. The hope of a better life drove them to America." Mary Beth remained silent as she listened to the redhead's story, her face grim as she learned about Johanna's mother and grandparents. The Civil War had brought many hopeful souls from Ireland to America. The promise of fighting for the Union would reward the immigrants with luxuries they wouldn't have been able to afford back home, but many of them found death, leaving behind widows and orphans.
"I'm sorry." Mary Beth mumbled, not knowing what else to say, putting the last of the dried dishes aside.
"It's fine." Johanna sighed, stepping away from the tub. "It's in the past now."
Mary Beth nodded. "I uh… I also put a spare trunk in your tent, with some assortment of goods donated by Tilly and me. Some clothes and other items."
"I saw," Johanna smiled. "Thank you.
"You're welcome." The brunette returned the woman's grin. "Say, why don't you join us by the fire? Javier is going to play us some music!" Mary Beth beamed. Before Johanna could even reject the offer, the woman grabbed her hand and dragged her along, the two of them finding a perch on a long fallen log beside Tilly. The dark-skinned woman greeted them cheerfully over one of Uncle's outrageous and fabricated stories about his youth as an 'unstoppable' gunslinger, making many of the group laugh as Arthur and Hosea called the man out on his 'lies' causing Uncle to sputter in retort.
It wasn't long until Dutch was calling on Javier to play for them, the Mexican man pulling out his guitar as he sat on the floor of the opening of the tent he shared with the others, his fingers strumming along the strings as he sang softly in his native tongue, his eyes tracing over his friends and family, but his chocolate orbs stopped on Johanna, taking in the way she smiled and laughed with Tilly and Mary Beth. How she looked so peaceful when she wasn't trying to mock and tease him outright. Charles word's from earlier that afternoon rung in his mind, causing his gaze to shift to his friend, who was sending him a knowing smirk, as Charles had seen his eyes lingering on the redhead woman far longer than necessary for a man who proclaimed to have no feelings for the woman. Javier sent the man a glare, hoping to silence Charles' expression of amusement, but it only spurred him on, making him chuckle.
"What's got you in a good mood?" Arthur leaned in close to Charles, whispering to the man's ear.
Shaking his head briefly, Charles whispered back. "Javier doesn't think he fancies Johanna." Arthur's mouth twitched as his mind processed the information, his eyes darting between the Mexican man, whose eyes had landed back on the redheaded woman, and Johanna, who was unaware of Javier's gaze.
"Well, he's a fool then," Arthur stated, chuckling alongside Charles.