Lonesome | Arthur Morgan

Chapter 6

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Lilian found herself to be a little more comfortable at the camp after a few days; anything to keep her mind off of her home life. She still could not hold a conversation with certain members of camp, specifically the men. She could not show respect and cooperation with those she knew had done wrong.

Lilian was sat at the edge camp, overlooking the view from camp. She had completed the few jobs she had for the day and was finishing the day off with a book she had borrowed off of Mary-Beth. Mary-Beth was just as delusional as her sometimes. Dreaming about love and fairytales. Her mind kept wandering off from her book and onto her family; Daniel especially. She wondered about whether her father and mother were okay, dealing with the grief of Daniel and if a funeral had been arranged that she would not be attending. Had her father learnt his lesson however? For her sake, hopefully not. She had hoped he had some plan to save her, but if he was to provoke the Van Der Linde gang anymore she feared for her life.

Lilian felt gentle footsteps on the ground near her and a rustle of grass. Her head looked up from her book, her eyes meeting the sweet face of Jack; Abigail and John's son. Jack stares at her for a second before coming to sit next to her on the log. "What are you reading?" Jack said as he peered into Lilian's book.

"Oh..um just a love story." Lilian smiled, wiping from her face which did not know were present. Placing her book down, she tucks her milky hair behind her ear. "Do you like to read?"

"Uncle Hosea has been teaching me to read." Jack's legs swung back and forth off of the log, banging them against the wood. He looks to Lilian, curiously looking at all her facial features. "You are like the princesses in my books...and you are our prisoner so it is like you are a princess."

The comment made Lilian blush a little, putting a grin to her face."Well thank you, Jack." Jack got up and walked over to a near by stick, picking it up and pretending to use it as a sword, positioning himself in defence.

"I could be your knight!" Jack spoke enthusiastically, scowling his face to make him a little more intimidating. "You are a princess after all?"

"Not quite." Lilian laughed as she watched the boy in awe. Jack made his way next to her, looking up to her hair.

"You need a crown." Jack places himself in the grass near her where many wildflowers were. "You can help make flower crowns if you wish." Lilian took Jack's offer, sitting down in the flower beds with him. They both sat in the sunshine as it began to sink behind the clouds, intwining and twisting the flowers they picked into flower crowns. After thirty minutes of groans and fiddling hands, Jacksoon got up, placing the crown on top of Lilian's head, a large smile was placed on his lips. "There!"

"I feel beautiful. Thank you, Knight Jack." She smiled, curtsying to him. Jack was filled with utter excitement as he warmed up instantly to the camp princess. Lilian was the first to give him the attention he wanted, he loved knowing he had someone to play with instead of having to wait all day for someone he liked to stop their jobs. A warm sensation filled Lilian as the young boy had managed to give her slight happiness over the past few days, taking her mind off of the current circumstances.

"What do you think, Uncle Arthur?" Jack piped up as he looked to his left. Arthur was leant up against a nearby tree, his arms folded as he watched curiously. As soon as Jack spoke Arthur stiffened a little. "You've been watching us for a long time. You're being weird."

Lilian no longer was smiling as her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. She straightened out the creases in her pale yellow skirt and looked over to Arthur who made his way over to Jack and her. "You little cheek. I'll have you for that." Arthur joked as he chased after Jack who giggled his way over to his mother in a nearby tent.