Liars And Thieves

Chapter 41

After a long week of thinking, Grace had finally came to a decision. 
Today was the day where the attack on Bronte happens and she is going with the men. Was she nervous? No. 
The past week involved helping Abigail and Hosea out with the planning, she did as Hosea asked and rode in with Abigail every time she needed to go in. Grace was happy to see Abigail planning and scheming again, it had been a long time. She stopped when she had Jack, she wanted to become a real mother to him which everyone understood, except for Susan. Susan kept harassing Abigail about getting out there again and making money for the camp, whether it was robbing people or whoring. Abigail had told her a million times she had left that life and doesn't want to be apart of that again but Susan would never understand. 

Grace walked into her and Arthur's room, finding Arthur cleaning one of this revolvers in preparation for tonight. She paused before finally saying what she needed to say.

"Arthur," She started. Arthur looked up at her. Things had been tense between them since the conversation they had in the gazebo. They spoke and rode together, sure that would seem normal but that thick layer on tension hanging over them wouldn't fade away. It was there to stay. "I'm just going to say it how it is because I don't know how else to say it," Grace informed. Arthur continued watching her, moving his revolver from his lap and onto the box next to him. "I'm leaving after the Saint Denis robbery. I won't be going with you all when you leave for Tahiti, I'll be staying here. You can stay with me or go with them, no matter what you decide to do I respect your decision and will love you," the words she just spoke felt fake. She felt like this was all a dream but it wasn't, it was reality. The reality where she finally spoke the truth of how she felt. Arthur's eyes trailed away from her, resting his elbows on his knees as he sat on a box he had pulled out to clean his weapons. He stayed silent for a while, Grace felt awkward.

"Okay," he muttered. That was the only thing he said. Grace nodded before turning around and walking out of the room she shared. She closed the door behind her, her hand slowly falling off of the door knob in regret of breaking it to him. She knew this was the right decision for her, she couldn't be doing this anymore. Since the train robbery with Charles, John and Micah nothing felt the same anymore. She stood alone by the door for a few moments, lost in her own thoughts when a loud crash brought her back. She realised it had come from their room. She heard multiple crashes of things being thrown and kicked knowing that Arthur had broke into a rage. Grace felt tears spring into her eyes knowing that her decision had hurt him before she quickly walked away, feeling as if she was prying on his moment.

-

"As we discussed, Grace," Dutch reminded. The smell of fish and alligator stained the air, the swamp water adding that extra smell. The combination wasn't great and she had no idea how anyone would live here in Lagras. "You're going to go keep Bronte busy and when we come in, you'll hold him up until we get to him. He'll let a women into his mansion without a problem," Dutch explained the plan again. Grace nodded. Dutch looked past Grace, stretching his arm out as he motioned to an approaching person. "Arthur, there you are!" Dutch exclaimed. Grace felt herself tense up as Arthur walked right past her without even looking at her. "Come on," Dutch ordered the men to get into the small boat with him. Dutch climbed in first before looking up at Grace. "You should head off," he informed. Grace nodded, giving quick glances to Bill, John and Lenny before walking back up the dock herself. Grace fetched her horse, mounting the steed before taking off into a gallop to Saint Denis. 
The whole ride she couldn't stop thinking about Arthur and how he completely ignored her. She couldn't help but blame herself for causing this. She arrived in Saint Denis quicker than she had expected, slowing down to a stop before riding into Saint Denis. She pulled out a map Dutch had given her from her saddle bag, unravelling it to see where exactly Bronte's mansion was. It wasn't far from where she was, she could tell because Dutch had marked a massive red cross over his mansion. The hatred Dutch had for Bronte was strong, perhaps it had grown stronger than his hatred for Colm and that was hard to imagine. She folded the map back up, tucking it back into her saddle bag before trotting into Saint Denis. She rode down the roads the map had told her to before she arrived to a mansion with a huge gate surrounding the premises. Grace quickly rode her horse down the street, away from the mansion. She dismounted, petting her horse on the neck.