Scene Two
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A lovely, homey log cabin, with a fire at UC that paints the walls red and orange—the color of fall leaves and warm broth. Hunting trophies and taxidermied animal heads have been stuffed into a closet at SR, but the door isn't fully shut and is overfull with them. A bare, colorless spot above the mantle where a deer head used to be. There are multiple open, misplaced books and tomes littered about the floor. One is beside BRUNO and HEDY as they sit at CS in the middle of the floor, as though they had been reading it together, but ultimately found each other more interesting. HEDY sits in his lap, leaning back against him, into his fur chest. She is wearing a servant gown. Their arms are extended, his large forearms cupping her small ones. They intertwine fingers. She plays with his gorilla hands in a loving yet curious and explorative manner.
BRUNO
What did the Master say when you quit?
HEDY
(giggling)
Oh, he was happy to see me leave.
BRUNO
(skeptical) I'm sure that's not entirely true.
HEDY
Ha, ha. Well, I believe he was glad to finally be rid of me after all these years. You know, I was only a child when I showed up at his doorstep, asking for work and a place to stay. And I'm a woman now. I can make my own decisions about where I live.
BRUNO
Well, I'm grateful you decided to stay here… with me. (he nuzzles his face into the back of her neck)
HEDY
(smiling, leaning into his embrace) I've been denied happiness for so long… I'm finally content. (she tilts her chin up, looking at him) Bruno, will you tell me again what you first thought of me?
BRUNO (his voice is dark and deep, but gentle)
(he drops her hands) Darling, I've told you so many times already that I've forgotten what I first thought. You expect a different story each time.
HEDY
(picking his arms back up and securing them around her waist) Just one more time, and I won't ask again.
BRUNO
Pfft. (he rolls his eyes, before resting his chin on top of her head; slowly, a tempting smile creeps up onto his face) Only if you will tell me what you first thought of me, too. I've never heard your side of the story.
HEDY
(her body crinkles up with worry, before she settles down again into a comfortable, playful manner) Why would you ever want to know?
BRUNO
It's only fair. Besides… love blinds many things. I want to know who I really am in your eyes.
HEDY
Who you were and who you are are two very different things in my eyes.
BRUNO
(he moves his head toward the side of her face, and whispers in her ear) Then tell me.
HEDY is visibly uncomfortable. She inhales sharply as everything fades to black. End of Scene Two.