𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩 ✧ 𝐑𝐃𝐑𝟐

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞.

"Dutch?" Audrey stood at the front of his tent the following morning. The man looked over at her from speaking to a pretty woman. She had red hair just like Audrey. "Am I interrupting something?" Audrey asked, feeling guilty of interrupting something. Dutch shook his head.

"Not at all, Miss Davis," Dutch rose from the bed. The woman who was beside him looked disappointed and quickly left the tent, Dutch's eyes following her as she left. He suddenly became aware of Audrey again. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes actually," Audrey spoke up. She brought her hands from behind her back and to her front, a envelope in them. "I was hoping I could send this to my family. Let them know I'm okay," Audrey had a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Dutch frowned, looking at the envelope in her hands.

"You didn't mention us, did you?" Dutch asked. Audrey knew exactly what he was thinking. If Colm was waiting at her house and got a hold of the letter and it mentioned Dutch Colm would immediately go searching for the gang. Audrey shook her head.

"No. I wrote that I'm safe and I hope I can return home soon. I also informed them of my escape from Mister O'Driscoll but never mentioned any of you," Audrey explained. Dutch nodded slowly, his eyes darting in the direction of Arthur's tent. 

"Arthur!" Dutch called out to the man who was writing something in his journal. Arthur looked over at the two of them before closing his journal and leaving it in his tent before approaching the two of them. Audrey swallowed back the building lump in her throat, her and Arthur hadn't spoken since yesterday morning and she was afraid there would be tension between them. Audrey kept her eyes on Dutch, ignoring Arthur as he stood beside her. "Take her to Valentine, would you? She wishes to post a letter," Dutch explained. Arthur frowned in doubt.

"Is that a good idea? With O'Driscolls about?" Arthur asked, sounding reluctant. 

"Which is exactly why you'll take her because I know she is safe with you," Dutch added. He scratched his chin as he continued. "I wouldn't trust Micah to even go a mile with her. Please, Arthur. It's important that she connects with her family," Dutch looked at his friend with hopeful eyes. Arthur sighed, hesitating.

"Fine, but if anything happens..." Arthur trailed off, waving Audrey to follow him. She quickly smiled in appreciation at Dutch before following Arthur towards his horse. 

"I know, I know," Dutch called out behind them. Arthur didn't say anything else until they reached his horse. He petted the horse's neck before turning to face Audrey. 

"Here," he insisted. Audrey approached him and Arthur put his hands on her waist, lingering a bit before finally hoisting her into the air and up onto his horse. Audrey turned her face away from him, hiding the building up crimson of her cheeks. Arthur mounted a few seconds after her, carefully moving his leg so he wouldn't accidentally kick her. "You might want to hold on," he informed. She remembered that Arthur doesn't ride slow, he likes to ride fast. Audrey hesitated before wrapping her arms around his torso, at least this time she wasn't tied up and staring at the ass of his horse. Arthur didn't seem bothered by her touch so she felt a little more comfortable. He clicked his horse on, turning the steed away from the hitching post and trotting down the path that leads out of the camp. "You miss them, don't you?" Arthur asked as they rode. Audrey nodded.

"Quite so," Audrey answered, still holding on to the letter while holding Arthur. "I just pray that they are doing well." Arthur stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or if he did know what to say he didn't want to upset her. She knew Arthur was thinking realistic, he knew Colm better than she did and she stayed with him for months. There was a lot Colm hid from her. "What about your family?" She asked. She felt Arthur tense up in her arms, she suddenly felt horrible for intruding. She was about to dismiss the question when Arthur started to speak. 

"They're dead. My mother died when I was young, from what I remember she was a good woman," Arthur announced. Audrey felt her eyes looking down in sorrow for him. "I watched my Pa die," he continued. Audrey felt her heart break for him. 

"I'm so sorry," Audrey apologised, feeling horrible for the man.

"It's fine, it was a long time ago," Arthur stopped her. 

"You don't have anyone else? Like an Uncle or something?" Audrey asked. Her family was quite close to their extended family, she wondered if Arthur was the same. Instead, he shrugged.

"Ain't sure. I had a son, he died too. Isaac was his name. Killed with his mother when their home was robbed. Again, a long time ago," Arthur explained. Audrey's heart sank. He could say it was a long time ago all he wanted but she could tell the pain of all his loss was still heavy within him. Audrey didn't know what else to say although she was grateful for him opening up to her so easily. It made her feel like she had some importance to these people. In the distance Audrey could see the town building up in the horizon. It looked a lot different than what she imagined. Very... different. 

"What's Valentine like?" Audrey asked, looking over his shoulder at the town that they were approaching. 

"Very different to Saint Denis," Arthur chuckled. "It's a livestock town with everything you need so it's not bad. I prefer it over the big city, no offence," Arthur explained.

"None taken," Audrey appreciated his honesty. However, with the godawful smell that welcomed them she certainly couldn't agree with Arthur. She screwed her nose in disgust before squeezing her nose with a hand. "Ugh, what's that smell?"

"That'd be the sheep," Arthur pointed towards the auction area as they crossed the train tracks. Audrey looked to their right to see a big building that looked to be the train station. "Here's our stop," Arthur announced as he halted his horse in front of the hitching post. Arthur quickly dismounted before reaching up to lift Audrey down. Kindly accepting his offer, he lifted her down. As she fixed her skirt, Arthur busied himself with tying his horse to the post. "I'll walk you in," Arthur offered. Audrey walked next to Arthur as she walked with him up the ramp to the entrance of the building. Arthur opened the door for them both, letting Audrey walk in first. She thanked him as she entered, Arthur following behind her. 

"You can wait here," Audrey told him, motioning to the seats. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Can I?" He questioned with a smirk. Audrey rolled her eyes before hurrying to the counter. Arthur chuckled and sat down, waiting for Audrey.

"Good morning, Miss. How can I help you?" The man behind the counter asked with a warm smile. Audrey slid the letter across the counter to him.

"I'd like to send a letter," Audrey explained to him. The man nodded in understandment, taking the letter.

"Okay. Where is this being sent to?" He asked. Audrey told him the address as the man dotted it down. "And your name?" He asked. Audrey looked over at Arthur who nodded in reassurance at her. She looked back at the man.

"Audrey Davis. Miss," she added, the man muttering her name as he wrote it down. He placed a full stop before dropping the pencil and looking back at her. 

"Okay, it'll be sent shortly. Is that all?" He asked. Audrey nodded.

"Thank you," she thanked the man with a smile. "Have a good day," she bidded him farewell before leaving the counter, almost bumping into someone who had been waiting behind her. "Sorry," she muttered awkwardly before heading back to Arthur who was watching with a grin on his face. "Shut up," she scolded him. He stood up from his seat, shrugging.

"I ain't saying anything," Arthur chuckled. The two of them walked out of the train station together, heading back to his horse. "We should head back to camp," Arthur explained. Audrey nodded in agreement, however she was slightly disappointed she didn't get to explore Valentine.

"Maybe one day you can bring me back to Valentine?" Audrey suggested as Arthur lifted her back up onto the horse. Arthur nodded, liking the sound of the idea before he mounted the horse also.

"Maybe," Arthur agreed. Audrey smiled as she wrapped her arms back around Arthur and the two of them headed back towards camp.