<strong>A Conversation</strong><br/><br/>Emma was out behind the wood shed.  She was still a little traumatized by what she had witnessed last night.  Not that the scene wasn’t entirely new to her.  On the contrary, what bothered her so was that she had first-hand experience of such things.  She had been only fourteen at the time and forced into the role that Mrs. Bronski apparently enjoyed.  She shook her pretty head as if to dislodge the distracting thoughts.  Ever since watching Hale heal that Mr. Fine’s face, Emma had wondered… and it bothered her to no end not knowing.  This was the matter she needed to focus on and resolve.<br/><br/>*Thwack!*  An entirely new, sudden and unexpected sound.<br/><br/>*Thunk!*  The ground fairly shook with the impact, as of wood on stump.<br/><br/>Crack, crack… thud, thud – the sounds of ripping wood.  Some one was splitting logs…<br/><br/>*Thwack-Thunk-Crack-Thud* …and apparently going about it rather quickly.  Indeed, the industrious sounds of vigorous labor proceeded at an almost mechanical pace.  And yet there was absolutely no hint of heavy, labored breathing.<br/><br/>*Thwack-Thunk-Crack-Thud*  the sounds went on.<br/><br/>“Speak of the Devil,” whispered Emma to herself.<br/><br/>The sounds stopped.<br/><br/>‘Well, it’s now or never,’ Emma thought as Washington Hale stepped around the corner, pulling on his large shirt.  Emma felt a trifle disappointed at that, as she rather liked watching the muscular Hale while he worked.<br/><br/>“Chickadee!” said Hale, a huge grin spreading across his broad face so that his bright white teeth shone in contrast to his deeply dark skin.  “I thought I heard the rustle of a little birdie…”<br/><br/>“It was the palpitations of my heart, you heard,” Emma said as she stood up.  She had been sitting on a large stump.  “You startled me.”<br/><br/>A look of sudden concern washed over Hale’s face and he quickly stepped close to Emma, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” but he stopped as suddenly as he had moved, for Emma had flinched and looked ready to back away like a frightened animal.<br/><br/>Hale took a step back, he had been down this road before.  His size was terribly imposing and intimidating.  But this time it was painful to do so, the thought that he might frighten this girl for whom he cared so much was an instant ache in his chest.<br/><br/>“Emma, what’s wrong child?” Hale asked.  He had to resist the urge to kneel down before her.<br/><br/>“I’m ignorant and self-absorbed,” Emma said, because she just couldn’t bare to get straight to the real point.<br/><br/>Hale took a long breath and a moment to think.  He had been down this road before, as well, though with another.  “You, me, we all are self-absorbed to some point,” he began.  “I think every one is, more or less.  But you and me, and others like us… we have an excuse, don’t you think?”<br/><br/>“Yes,” Emma said instantly.  Then she stopped herself and forced herself to actually think on what Hale had said.  Surprisingly, it took a great deal of effort, which Emma found disturbingly frustrating.  “I suppose you are right, you usually are.  Which is why…” she stopped herself again.  She needed to focus on the matter at hand, not incidental distractions.  “I notice you did not refute my claim of ignorance.”<br/><br/>Hale smiled again, “I will be honest with you, Emma.  I always have…”<br/><br/>“Then be honest with me, now!” Emma fairly shouted.  Hale actually leaned backward, so taken aback was he by the girl’s outburst.  “I’m sorry,” she said, taking a deep breath.  “I’m trying to find the courage to ask you a question.”<br/><br/>“Will you walk with me?” Hale asked, holding out a huge hand toward the open fields and wooded expanse of the estate’s back lots.  A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Emma’s mouth ever so briefly.<br/><br/>They strolled along the open country, keeping the woods to their right.  “I’ve seen you demonstrate more courage than most men would show in less trying circumstances,” Hale began, thinking he had a good idea about what question – or questions – Emma wanted to ask.<br/><br/>Emma said nothing for a while, walking silently as she remembered the events of less than a year ago.  She remembered waking up, bound and gagged and blindfolded in the back of a wagon driven by Hale.  Hale, for his part, knew better than to push the girl.  He simply walked and waited.  The poor girl needed to think and he would let her take all the time she needed to ask her question.<br/><br/>“Yes,” Emma said at length.  They had walked nearly a mile.  “Even when you had me on your lap,” she began, recalling how he had used her in an attempt to manipulate some one else, some one she loved.  She had to suppress a shiver at the memory of his massive hand around her thin neck.  He could have plucked her head off with a simple twitch of his wrist.  She remembered him whispering in her ear, promising he would not hurt her.  “Even then you were honest with me.”<br/><br/>Hale tried to hide his heavy sigh, but he still hung his head low.  How could he possibly explain how terribly sorry he was for that awful incident?  He had not wanted to use Emma like a pawn.<br/><br/>“Ha!” said Emma, as if in victory.  She even smiled brightly.  “I forgave you for that long ago, you know,” she added, now grinning from ear to pretty ear.  “So stop looking so dog faced.”  Her smile was infectious.<br/><br/>Hale was confused by her sudden laughter and infinitely relieved to hear her forgiveness – as if he had not really believed it the first time she had forgiven him many, many months ago.  "Then why are you laughing?” he asked.<br/><br/>“I did it!” Emma said cheerily, “I actually figured out what you were thinking… while we were talking!” she added.<br/><br/>“So you’re psychic, now?” Hale asked, smiling as well.<br/><br/>“Noooo…”<br/><br/>Hale held up a huge hand to forestall Emma.  He was only joking, after all.  “Perhaps you’re not so ignorant, after all?”<br/><br/>“I’m learning,” Emma said as they stopped walking.  They had been for some time walking alongside a rustic old split-log fence and had now come to a corner such that it seemed they had reached the rearmost extent of the estate.  But the woods that stretched well beyond the fence were also part of the Bronski’s property.<br/><br/>Hale leaned on the fence and the rail creaked dangerously, so much so that he had to stand on his own.  “Then ask me your question and be less ignorant, still.”<br/><br/>Emma glanced nervously up at Hale.  The man sure knew how to get to the point, she thought.