Chapter 171: Davey’s Self-Discipline
Land Farm.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes, feeling weak.
A spotless white ceiling came into view, along with elegant curtains. Beneath him was a soft bed, and there was a faint, pleasant scent in the air.
The luxurious decorations on the walls made it clear this was no ordinary house. It felt like he was inside some grand estate.
Where was he?
Arthur felt disoriented.
The last thing he remembered was Davey rescuing him from Colm. After that, he had been at the Valentine Clinic, where the doctor treated his gunshot wound. Then everything went dark.
Before long, the door opened, and Abigail walked in.
“Oh, Arthur, you’re finally awake,” she said with delight. “Are you hungry? I’ll have the chef prepare something for you right away.”
“Abigail,” Arthur said hoarsely, his throat dry, “I think I do need something to eat. But could you tell me where I am first?”
Hearing his voice, Abigail hurried to the bedside, poured a cup of warm water, and explained as she helped him drink.
“This is Davey’s estate—Land Farm, north of Valentine. It used to be called Chadwick Farm.”
“Don’t move, Arthur. You need rest right now. Moving could pull at your injuries.”
She spoke gently, stopping him when he tried to take the cup himself and carefully feeding him the warm water.
After drinking, Arthur felt much better. At least his throat was no longer so dry.
“Thank you, Abigail,” he said. “I just didn’t expect this place to be so… luxurious. It makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Almost unreal.”
The slight movement tugged at his wound, sending a stab of pain through him.
Abigail smiled. “You’ll get used to it, Arthur. This is a very good place. Just focus on healing. Right now, there’s nothing you need to do.”
“Rest for now. I’ll go tell Davey you’re awake, and I’ll have the chef prepare a proper breakfast for you. The doctor said there are some foods you can’t eat yet—they’d affect how your wound heals.”
Watching Abigail leave, Arthur finally felt at ease. Knowing he was at Davey’s place put his mind at rest.
Still, the surroundings felt strange to him. Everything seemed a bit unreal, almost too perfect.
He couldn’t help thinking that the simple cot back at camp might feel more comfortable.
...
Davey was in the middle of his morning training.
Even though his life was now extremely comfortable, he understood one thing clearly: comfort bred danger, while vigilance kept one alive. No matter how large his holdings seemed, they were like a house built in the air—one serious mistake, and it could all collapse.
Hand-to-hand combat, horsemanship, marksmanship—these were the things Davey trained in every day, keeping himself at peak condition to face any danger that might come.
When he heard that Arthur had woken up, Davey went to see him, with Uncle tagging along.
“Looks like you’re recovering well, Arthur,” Davey said with a grin. “I was just about to start looking for a nice place to bury you. Seems I can save that money now.”
Arthur really was tough. After his wounds were treated, just one night of rest had already brought some color back to his face. In another two or three days, he’d probably be able to get out of bed—though he still couldn’t put much strain on his shoulder. Fortunately, it was his left shoulder, so his right hand wasn’t badly affected.
Arthur laughed at Davey’s joke. “That’s a shame. I was kind of hoping I could just sleep forever. But I guess God’s not ready for that yet.”
“And Davey,” he added, “you really shouldn’t have put me in a woman’s room. What were you thinking?”
Uncle immediately cut in. “This isn’t a woman’s room, Arthur. You’ll need to get used to it. In Davey’s mansion, every room looks like this.”
“That fellow Davey, just like those upper-class types, loves his scented incense.”
“Trust me, you’ll grow fond of the smell. Don’t you think lying in a room like this feels like leaning against a young lady’s side? It’s intoxicating—absolutely wonderful.”
Arthur teased back, “Oh, Uncle, you parasite. Looks like you’ve found yourself a perfect host.”
Uncle chuckled. “You’re damn right, Arthur. I’m planning to retire right here with Davey.”
“Spent my whole life drifting around. Never thought I’d get to live the kind of life I dreamed about when I was young—right at the end. That’s worth a drink.”
“But sadly, you can’t drink yet. Doctor’s orders.”
“Hurry up and get better, Arthur. I’m waiting to raise a glass with you.”
With Davey and Uncle there, Arthur finally felt a sense of familiarity in this strange place.
Thinking back to the meeting he was supposed to have with Dutch and Micah Bell, Arthur said to Davey, “Davey, before meeting Colm, Dutch and I agreed to regroup at the fork in the road.”
“They didn’t see me show up, so they’re probably worried.”
“If you can, could you send word to Dutch? Let him know what’s going on so he doesn’t worry.”
“It looks like I’ll need some time before I can go back.”
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