"Wait a minute! You're talking about Arabella! You have got to be kidding me? We will not have time alone, she will be all over us, probably eating off your plate - again- or hiding under our table - again. And definitely enjoying insulting and belittling me - like she always does," Caroline grumped.

Joseph opened up his mouth an just laughed out loud at this unexpected outburst.

"She said she wanted for us to have some time alone." he put in, between chuckles. 

"Time alone! My ass!"

Joseph couldn't help thinking that he would absolutely love some time alone with Caroline's a... amazing personality. It was a pity she had such a downer on the 'young person' proposing it. 

"I used to have a friend like that." he said sagely "When I was a kid, he'd always be pushing me around, saying mean things, playing tricks on me. Eventually I told my Ma, and she just said 'oh that boy? Why Joey, can't you see he's so desperate for your attention, he'll do anything to get it, even mean things'. I guess that's Arabella's problem, she just wants your attention."

"Anyway, she says that she and Miss Grimes are going to make us a nice meal and then they're going to some kind of all night religious 'prayer vigil' at the church with some other religious types and can we look after the Refuge for them." In other words, they'd have the place to themselves. 

Caroline pointed out Arabella's many failings toward her, and the military man seemed surprisingly interested. This wasn't just 'unimportant girl squabbles'. It was something that made the woman he... he didn't dare say the word love to himself... yet. The woman he cared most about. It was something that the made the woman he cared most about unhappy and he wanted to help, he wanted to do something about it.

"Anyway, she says that she and Miss Grimes are going to make us a nice meal and then they're going to some kind of all night religious 'prayer vigil' at the church with some other religious types and can we look after the Refuge for them."

"Fine then, we can go to this nice meal but if it don't work out, I am gonna say - I told ya so. To put it in soldier terms, I bet we are walkin' inta an ambush," she declared.

Joseph looked like he was unsuccessfully trying to be brave "Gosh... I mean... being caught in an ambush, even one committed by the arch-fiend Arabella, that I can stand, but being told 'I told you so'!" He shook his head ruefully. "All right. I'll be brave. I'll risk it." 

It might have been better, in the long run, if the Lieutenant had been as yellow as the stripe down his leg.

Caroline scoffed, "Seems to me I'm the one risking it. I'm the one she loves to torment. And I'm the one who won't end up having a good time which was why I desired your company."

"Oh, it'll be fine..." Joseph answered lightly. Gosh, he wondered if he would ever have as intense a relationship with the beautiful blonde at his side as she seemed to have with the odd little funeral parlour assistant!

"So when is this again? Oh yeah, Sunday. I'd say I'd better go to Sunday services and pray for us but I don't do that sorta thing. Pretty sure I'm not welcome in a place like that," she shrugged.

"We... er..." the young officer wasn't sure what the 'right' answer to that was, but luckily he didn't have a chance to say a wrong answer anyway as Caroline carried on.

"It don't bother me none though. Have to say me n' God never been too close," she smiled.

Caroline smiled all right. But to Greene it felt like a defensive smile. Maybe he was reading too much into it. He sighed. Maybe taking Caroline to the Old Funeral Parlour or Christian Girl's Refuge or whatever the darn place was called was a bit of a risk, but it was one he was willing to take to get alone with the saloon singer for once. And maybe he didn't know Miss Mudd too well, but surely, nobody could be as bad as Caroline was making out!