An Unfortunate Face (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

(19.) The Posh Pickpocketer

The transition from Clemens Point to Shady Belle had been long and chaotic.

The new 'camp' was a run-down, moldy house. The higher members were lodged in the house, as well as Abigail, Jack and Molly.

Almost another whole week had passed in Shady Belle, and the gang had already gotten themselves involved in a new city: Saint Denis.

You frowned at your tent that had been pitched in a shady, cool spot. It was nice, but Arthur was inside the house on the second floor and far from you. You had grown used to his closeness and now you craved it again.

"Hey! I put Mary's picture up on Arthur's table and he took it off earlier. I just noticed it was gone this mornin'."

"Don't give me false hope, Mary-Beth. Arthur's got better things to do than fall in love with me."

She put her hand on your arm gently. "He searched for you until he found you, you know."

"What?"

"He hardly slept while you were gone. He tried to get Javier to help, but he was too drunk most days...Arthur looked for you with some help from Charles and a few others...he was shaken up."

You sighed. "He talked to me about Mary some. I ain't convinced he's over her just yet, and even then, I ain't sure I'm ready to be with him after all that O'Driscoll business—"

She seemed to understand what you meant. "Oh, y/n, I'm so sorry. He's understanding—"

"He knows," you interrupted. "And I trust him more than any of the other men, but...it's still fresh."

"Good morning ladies."

That was a voice you hadn't heard in some time. Trelawny, the camp's invitation to high society robberies, had just entered camp.

"Mornin' Trelawny," you both greeted.

He smiled and walked away to the porch where Hosea was sitting.

Hosea called you over within a few minutes and your heart dropped to your feet.

"You wanted me?" you asked. Hosea gestured for you to sit in an old chair across from him.

You lit a cigarette and took slow, patient drags from it.

"I know it's a lot to ask since you've just managed to get back on your feet, and we've lost our dear Sean—but Trelawny's got a good opportunity for us. A gambling boat with lots of cash and an easy way in. Now, we'll have some of us on as guests, and a few as guards. And there are certain places women can easily go unnoticed, which is where you come in. I can ask one of the other ladies if you aren't comfortable, or scratch the whole idea, but...we could use your guns."

You breathed a methodically calming breath of smoke into the air. "I'm fine, Hosea. Spent plenty a' time restin' and I'm ready to work."

"Thank you, y/n. A job or two more like this and we'll be out of all this mess."

"I hope," you responded. You put the cigarette out and stepped back down onto the grounds of camp.

"Y/n?" he asked.

You turned back to Hosea. "Yes?"

"I never had the chance to say sorry for that O'Driscoll ordeal. I'm terribly sorry about it."

"Did Arthur tell you?" you asked, a defensive tone taking over the words.

"No, actually. I asked what they'd done but he told me he'd promised you he wouldn't. I figured it must've been pretty bad then..."