Page 79 of Mistletoe

“The army won’t torture him. The beast in my company has the same privileges as another soldier.”

“And yet you will not call them by their name,” she said, her tone cold. “Do you even know their name?”

Emma held Felix’s gaze until he looked away.

“You’ve made your point.” Felix jerked the reins from her. The horse stomped in place, tail flicking in agitation.

Emma glared at her brother. “Have I?”

“I don’t like this,” he said after a pause, “but I’ll keep my mouth shut. If I’m asked a direct question, though, I won’t lie.”

“Fair enough.” It was the best she could hope for.

Hal

Mistletoe Farm

The Parlor

“A word,”Oscar said.

Hal set down the pail of milk. He had tried to walk quietly past the front porch where the older man was lounging in a rocking chair, but he wasn’t quiet enough. Oscar’s hearing was nearly as good as his own.

“How can I help?” Hal asked.

“Come with me.” Oscar pushed himself out of the chair and went inside the house.

Hal retrieved the pail and followed. Inside, he quickly delivered the milk to the kitchen and found Oscar waiting in the parlor.

“How is your injury?” Oscar asked.

“Stiff, but it will heal.” Emma’s stitches were uneven and crude, but Hal found that he did not mind. He liked the idea of having her mark on him.

“Please, sit.”

Hal ducked his head as he entered the room filled with diminutive, easily breakable furniture. “I’d rather stand.”

“As you please.” Oscar waved a hand dismissively. “I owe you an apology. I admit, my response to learning of your… physique was less than ideal.”

Hal decided that he needed to sit for his conversation. He settled on the sturdiest-looking item in the room, the sofa. The springs groaned under his weight but held.

“Less than ideal? You revealed a hateful side of your personality.”

Oscar paled. “Yes. My behavior was shameful. My children confronted me with my own hypocrisy, and I reacted badly.”

“I heard.” Every word.

“Emma is blunt rather than eloquent. She will pummel you with a club to deliver her message, but she was correct. I considered you a companion, a fellow philosopher with a gentle soul. A friend. Those qualities are your true nature. The body is merely a vessel. I was wrong to confuse the two. A man should be judged by words and deeds.”

Emma had said nearly those exact words to Hal in her apology.

“I’ve never been accused of being a philosopher,” Hal said.

“I pray that you can forgive me.”

“Your rejection hurt, Oscar. I considered you a friend.” Hal spoke slowly, processing his thoughts and picking his words carefully. Hal had liked Oscar immediately when he loaned out his books to a veritable stranger. He enjoyed their conversations. “Because of my appearance, people are immediately afraid. You and Emma are the only people who were not afraid. You spoke to me like a fellow human being. I took such delight in our conversations. Now that I know your acceptance wasn’t because of an innate doctrine, I must reconsider our friendship.”

Oscar drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “I was not my best self. I have no excuse.”

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