Chapter 21 #3
“You are impertinent just as you are a thief! You pretended to be dead for years—God knows for what purpose. What are you doing in London?”
“I have returned. Forever. And I am just searching for my proper place. For now, I live on the same street as the two of you. What are you doing in my house, Catherine?”
“How dare you call my sister by her Christian name?” the earl interrupted.
“And how would you address a lady who is an old and close acquaintance?”
“You insolent man!” Lady Catherine cried. “Insolent and a charlatan! You changed your appearance so nobody would recognize you, and now you change it again. I presume you will cease hiding behind the beard!”
“I hid my appearance for a while, I admit. But no more. I am relieved that you arrived in time to clarify your brother’s doubts so we can have everything out in the open—no hiding, no concealing.”
“You are a useless scamp! You pretended to be dead all this time, and now you appear like a—”
“Like what, Catherine? You did not care how I left, so why should you care how I returned? And should I ask your permission before I proceed? Must the world do that? I was told—and I have observed—that you demand everyone listen to your opinions and obey your wishes. I never would have recognized you—not only in appearance but also in your manners. Dear Lord, what a horrible woman you have become.”
“How dare you!”
“You keep saying that, Catherine, because you cannot believe I may dare do whatever I please. Unlike your brother, at least you do not pretend I am a stranger. It is only fair since you knew me much better than he did and, apparently, than you told him.”
Her ire made Lady Catherine’s voice tremble. “I shall leave now and return at another time. This is a conversation that I wish to keep private. And if you possessed a trace of honour, you would wish the same, Wilson.”
“Private from whom, Catherine?” the earl shouted. “What do you have to conceal from me? Did you not tell me everything twenty-five years ago? What else is to be discussed? I am not going anywhere until everything is clear—and neither are you!”
“Oh, stop this nonsense, brother. I came here to settle the matter accordingly. I do not wish you to be involved!” Lady Catherine dismissed him coldly.
“But I already am involved and will be until we end this. What do you wish to accomplish, Wilson? How do you want this to end?”
“Well, having the two Fitzwilliam siblings together in front of me is already one accomplishment. The second one—which became urgent after our earlier debate—would be to clarify the nature of our acquaintance from twenty-five years ago, Catherine. I cannot allow my name to be sullied.”
“I shall not have this conversation!” Lady Catherine cried, preparing to leave.
“You may go, but I shall tell your brother the truth since you completely deceived him. You allowed him to believe I was your assailant. You induced him to hire people to kill me, only to conceal your dishonest behaviour. You repaid my affection and loyalty with attempted murder!”
“I shall not have this conversation,” Lady Catherine repeated.
“Did I put you in danger, your ladyship?” Wilson continued, stepping towards her.
“You were only twenty-one, but such a wretch! Was I a danger to you? Who asked me to keep her company on long rides? Who invited me on several private interludes, some of them late at night? Who let me believe she carried a genuine affection for me and asked me about the future? Who was engaged to be married and trifled with a poor young man who, like a fool, had lost his heart to her?”
“This is a ridiculous conversation. I do not even recollect what happened twenty-five years ago. What matters is the present! What do you want to leave us in peace, Wilson?” Lady Catherine shouted, avoiding looking at him.
“You do not recollect? What about the night I asked you to marry me? I foolishly thought it was the right thing to do after everything that occurred between us, and more than once. As a silly young boy, I did not understand back then that I was not even the first one you toyed with for your amusement! So I proposed, and you laughed at me and called me a madman and a tomfool.”
“Stop this! Stop it right now! You have no right to talk of this! I am leaving!” Lady Catherine yelled with a fury that broke her voice.
“What are you implying, Wilson? That my sister seduced you?”
“I am not implying but declaring it. Even more so—Anne does not look like either you or Lewis de Bourgh. She has beautiful blue eyes; I wonder who they came from…”
Lady Catherine was almost suffocated with fury. “You should be killed for such impertinence.” She spoke in a low voice full of hatred.
“Really? Will you attempt that again? How laughable! As I look at you, I laugh at my own folly. How could I ever have loved you? How could I have been so incredibly blind to your true character?”
“Wilson, what are you talking about?” the earl asked, dumbfounded.
“Surely you know. It is fortunate that there is no danger of compromising Catherine and her being forced to marry me.” Wilson laughed. “That would have been the most wonderful dream a few years ago and the worst nightmare now.”
Wilson laughed louder then threw himself into an armchair and laughed even more.
The earl and his sister remained still, frozen by the shock and staring at the man.
“You are so pathetic that you waited twenty-five years to hurt me! Of course, you have been a fool! How could you have imagined that you were worth anything at all? I do not wish to see you ever again! I do not want you anywhere near me or my family!”
Wilson suddenly jumped to his feet, shouting so loudly that Elizabeth startled.
“Are you crazy, Catherine? You can demand nothing! You cannot impose your will over me. You cannot prevent my getting the revenge I want. Remember the business you invested in? It was an illegal business, and I own your investment. I can ruin you and expose you to the world; you will be in disgrace forever! You cannot make demands. You would do better to crawl before me and beg for mercy. Never disturb me again, you pathetic piece of—! Do you remember your words, Cathy? Or should I say—Lady Catherine?!”
The woman took a step backwards. Lord Matlock watched the confrontation—lost, puzzled, defeated.
“This will not end here!” Lady Catherine cried.
“No indeed—prepare for the worst! Now we can fight on equal ground and with equal weapons. No indeed—now all the grounds are favourable to me and all the weapons are to my advantage as I master them much better than you.”