Fatherhood And Other Dreams - Red Dead Redemption 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

Fatherhood And Other Dreams is a story mission in Red Dead Redemption 2. Available partway through Chapter 4, Arthur responds to a request for help from his past love, Mary Linton.

Part I

After the gang party following the completion of Angelo Bronte, A Man of Honor during Chapter 4, a nondescript letter is delivered to Arthur's room in Shady Belle.

If you go to sleep after the gang party, the notification will tell you to return to camp to read the letter, but you can interact with it once you have interacted with the fast travel map.

The letter is from none other than Mary Linton, Arthur's past love. Once again, Mary is requesting Arthur's help in a family situation.

Reading Mary's letter triggers the questline and reveals Part 2 on the map.

Part II

Head into Saint Denis to the marker for Mary Linton.

Upon reaching the hotel, Mary calls out to Arthur from the balcony (in a scene that briefly channels Romeo and Juliet) before elaborating: she's concerned for her father and needs Arthur's help to ensure his safety.

• If you agree to help Mary, you will continue the quest and set out to find Mary's father.
• If you don't agree to help Mary, the quest will end here, with parting words that seem to politely end Arthur and Mary's relationship with finality.

After agreeing to help Mary, she will direct you to ride to the stables where her father is.

Mary opts to talk with her father alone, but wants you nearby just in case. After dealing with the prickly stablehand yourself, Mary's dad stomps off, and you'll need to follow him (Mr. Gillis) at a distance.

Follow Mr. Gillis to reveal that he is meeting with a buyer, fencing a family heirloom promised to Mary from her mother. After the brooch changes hands, an incensed Mary confronts her dad and sends you after the buyer to retrieve it.

The buyer takes off in a coach, but run him down and seize the coach to deal with him outside of town.

When you pull him from the coach, he first offers to sell it to you for $100.

By this point in the game you likely have the cash, but out in the remote bayou, you're holding all the cards. You can agree to his price or rough him up for a better deal:

• Agree to pay $100 right away to peaceably deal with the buyer.
• Beat him once, he will reduce the price to $50
• Beat him twice, he will further reduce the price to $25
• Beat him three times, he will throw it at you for free

Don't forget to loot the coach lockbox before leaving, there is more than enough money and loot to recoup your recent purchase, if you went this route. The lockbox also contains the Naval Compass which, if not already obtained from the Braithwaite Manor boathouse, can be used to complete Pearson's companion request.

Once you get on your horse and start to move away from the area, you will trigger a cutscene to bring you all the way back to Mary.

After returning to her with the brooch, Arthur offers to walk her to the trolley, and Mary spontaneously invites you to the theater.

• If you go to the theater, you enjoy the theater scene before heading to the trolley ending scene.
• If you decline going to the theater, they go straight to the trolley ending scene below, with no negative impact on the dialogue or Arthur and Mary's relationship.

The theater show consists of three acts, including Robin Koninsky, a fire dancer, and a troupe of can-can dancers. During the show, Arthur has a "make a move" interaction with Mary, but it is always rebuffed.

Having enjoyed their brief escape, Mary decides it is time to head for the trolley. The star-crossed lovers lament their past choices; despite Mary's newfound desire to run away together, Arthur chooses loyalty to Dutch's gang and promises to return to her later. The quest ends with Mary getting on a trolley, promising Arthur that she will write.