The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 38: We Loved Once And True (Part One)

On the way back to the camp, Arthur finally couldn't resist opening Mary's letter. Just seeing the familiar handwriting stirred his emotions.

"Dear Arthur,

I've written this letter a hundred times or more and I cannot get it right. It's me. You know it's me from the bad hand writing."

Arthur sat on his horse, letting it walk slowly along the path, and read the letter word by word.

"I know I said when last we spoke and I was going off to get married, that we would not speak again. I know I said a lot of things and I meant them, I suppose, at the time."

Arthur was transported back to that moment by the words. It was their last meeting. He remembered his anger when he learned she was getting married, the disdain her father had shown him. These memories were flooding back, attacking him relentlessly. Arthur thought he had forgotten them, but he still remembered every scene, every word, and every look she had given him.

Gathering his spirits, Arthur continued reading.

"But I am not so proud as to not speak to people who care for me or cared for me."

"I've been in Valentine for a couple of months. I had some bad luck and, well, it's a long story and not an interesting one, but I am here for now."

Arthur was deeply engrossed in Mary's letter when he suddenly heard a cry for help from the roadside. "Help! Help! Is anyone there to help me!"

Arthur frowned, reluctantly put the letter away, and saw a man calling for help. Not knowing what had happened, he paused for a moment before stopping his horse, dismounting, and approaching the man. Just as Arthur was about to ask what was wrong, the man pulled out a gun.

The man laughed menacingly and said, "Stop right there! Don't move. You know what to do next."

Arthur found the situation somewhat amusing. Who would dare rob him? This was a grave miscalculation.

Arthur slowly raised his hands, carefully gauging the distance between them. He said, "Buddy, I don't have any money. All I have is my horse..."

As the man instinctively glanced at Arthur's horse, Arthur swiftly pushed the man's gun hand upwards, causing the shot to fire into the sky, and simultaneously drew his own gun, pressing it against the man's chin and pulling the trigger.

A red mist filled the air.

After ensuring the man was no longer a threat, Arthur searched his body, disappointed to find nothing of value.

"This guy's broke. Was I his first customer? Sigh."

Arthur remounted his horse and continued reading Mary's letter.

"I saw a couple of the girls, or whatever the polite term for them is, that ran with you and your associates in town and I heard tell of a man who sounded like you. I would love to see you again, if you could spare me a little bit of your time. I'm renting a room at Chadwick Farm, just north of Valentine."

Arthur smiled, imagining Mary's lingering concern about how to address the girls. He felt she still cared about him and continued reading. At the end of the letter, it was signed.

"Yours, Mary Linton."

Honestly, seeing "Yours" made Arthur wonder if it was just a polite habit or something more.

Eventually, as he neared the camp, Arthur decided to turn his horse towards Valentine instead. However, upon arriving at Chadwick Farm, Arthur began to regret his decision. He remembered why he and Mary hadn't ended up together. Her father's disapproval was only a small part of it; the main reason was that Mary had ultimately chosen her family.

Honestly, it had taken a lot of courage for Mary to be with Arthur at the time. He knew that her choice to marry someone else couldn't be blamed on her. It was because Arthur couldn't offer her any guarantees back then.

He remembered how Eliza and his son, Isaac, had died.

Arthur still approached the door, adjusting his emotions. He even straightened his clothes in the reflection on the door glass, deciding to remove his cowboy hat. He tightly gripped the brim and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly, revealing a woman holding a revolver that seemed out of place in her hands. She suspiciously pointed it at Arthur and said, "What do you want?"

After a brief moment of surprise, Arthur replied, "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, ma'am."

"Is Mrs. Linton in?"

The old woman didn't lower the gun but simply closed the door, calling inside, "Mrs. Linton, someone's here for you!"

Arthur nervously paced outside the door.

"Hello, Arthur."

She was still beautiful. The green dress suited her well.

Mary glanced back into the house, hesitated, and then chose to close the door and stand outside with Arthur. At that moment, their eyes couldn't bear to meet.

"Um, I..." Arthur suddenly didn't know what to say. Eventually, Mary spoke first.

"I heard you and your friends were nearby, so I..."

Arthur nodded awkwardly, understanding what Mary meant even though she didn't finish her sentence. Thinking for a moment, Arthur asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Where's what's his name?"

"Died."

Hearing that, Arthur felt a mix of emotions but managed to say, "I'm sorry to hear that." He wasn't sure if he was genuinely sad about the news.

Mary didn't want to dwell on it and simply said, "Yes, it's been a while. Pneumonia."

Arthur stammered, "So, um, you're... you're a widow now, and... you came here looking for me?"

Damn it. Arthur didn't mean it that way. He felt terrible.

Mary frowned, shaking her head as if to deny Arthur's implication. She said earnestly, "No, ain't like that, Arthur."

Then, they both fell into an awkward silence.

Arthur prided himself on never being at a loss for words, but this situation was different. He felt stiff, his mouth, his body, even his thoughts. Finally, Mary broke the silence hesitantly.

"Um, Arthur, I... I... my family... I need your help."

As if finding an outlet for his frustration, Arthur angrily said, "You mean the family who always looked down on me? And now you want me to help them?"

Although Mary felt embarrassed, she had no choice but to continue, "It's my brother, Jamie."

Arthur snorted, recalling the times when he was with Mary and how her family had treated him. He even wondered if Mary had written to him only because she needed something. He couldn't describe his feelings but said, "I always liked Jamie... at least compared to the rest of them."

Arthur turned away from Mary, suddenly not wanting to see her. He walked to the fence, resting his hands on it and staring at the ground.

Mary slowly and cautiously approached Arthur, standing at a respectful distance. She hesitated to place her hand on his shoulder but eventually let it fall. She said in a low voice, "He has broken daddy's heart."

"Daddy has a heart?" Arthur scoffed.

"Don't make me beg you, Arthur." Mary's voice was filled with desperation and determination.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur put on his cowboy hat, adjusting the brim carefully. He looked into Mary's eyes, which were a beautiful brown, but knowing she needed him only for her family made him feel bitter.

Arthur said defiantly, "Then beg me, Mary Linton. Beg me to help you."

***

There will be two more chapters coming later.

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