RDR2: Faithless

9: An Honest Mistake

She gave me a glass of water which I gratefully accepted.

"Beau's different, but if they find out... they'll kill him and send me to live someplace awful like... Ohio," she looked at me, "Have you ever been to Ohio, miss?"

I shook my head.

"Families are something else," she sighed, "Have you got a family?"

I froze slightly before shaking my head again.

"No, not really," I said quietly.

"Well, you're lucky," she said before handing me a letter, "If you see Beau again, will you give this to him?"

"Sure," I sighed, leaving as quickly as I could before I was caught.

I found Beau not too long after, and gave him the letter. Not before getting my money though.

"Thank you," he grinned, reading it, then his face fell, "My god... She's... This'll get her killed for sure! Woman's suffrage! They don't even like men voting here, they'd bring back the monarchy if they could! Progress is a dirty word in these parts... unlike incest."

"Excuse me?" I asked, astounded.

"I don't wanna marry my cousin Mathilda!" He ignored me, running to his horse, "I wanna marry Penelope! But they're gonna... they'll kill her at one of those rallies they're holding! You gotta help!"

"I don't want no part of it," I sighed.

"Please, I'll pay!" he cried.

"Fine, but no more letters!" I warned him.

"Great, thank you! We better head to Rhodes!" he yelled, mounting his horse as I shook my head.

We got to the rally as they were planning on setting off, Beau tried to convince Penelope to not demonstrate but she refused. He was adamant and she suggested I drive the wagon, offering protection. Not what I agreed to.

"Sure," I sighed as she introduced me to Ms Calhoon, the leader of their demonstration.

She was happy with me helping as it meant she could yell, and I could look intimidating. Sure, I wasn't a man but the guns at my belt sure helped me out.

But the fact I wasn't a man was soon solved by Arthur passing by, doing a double-take when he saw me.

"Oi, Arthur, come help," I yelled and he dismounted, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Didn't know you cared about voting?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't, doing something for Dutch," I sighed, "But a man helping us out might make things easier."

The look I gave him made it impossible for him to refuse. I needed backup in this, voting and suffrage were things that went above my head, but I knew enough to realise this could end real bad.

Ms Calhoon was overjoyed that a man was going to support them, it would give a good message. I was just glad he could take the brunt of conversation for me.

Arthur rode beside us as I controlled the wagon, his hand on his gun, ready for the inevitable to occur.

We rode into Rhodes, the ladies behind me chanting about letting them vote. They wanted to go right through town, and I knew it wouldn't end well. Men were coming out and yelling abuse at the woman in the wagon.

We stopped outside the bank and I jumped off as the woman moved to the steps to deliver their speech. I stood beside Penelope with Arthur, and Beau moved to the back of the crowd so not to be seen with her.