Page 74 of A Baron's Disguised Lady
She would not speak the words Wilhelmina wanted to hear. She did not need Wilhelmina’s forgiveness, even as she tried desperately to pull herself up the bank, failing as her feet flailed above the water, her grip growing weaker as she clung desperately to the protruding tree root.
“I know what you did, Wilhelmina. You killed Gwendolene,” Lavinia called back.
There was no point in denying it; of pretending it was not the case. Lavinia knew it was the truth. She knew what Wilhelmina had done, even as her nemesis now let out an anguished cry.
“No… I had no choice. I had to. She wouldn’t let me… she wouldn’t let me love him. I thought she wanted to help me. But she didn’t. She had no intention of helping me. I was nothing to her, even when I threatened her. She laughed at me. She told me Archie wouldn’t ever love me… that no one would love me,” Wilhelmina exclaimed, and now Lavinia understood the awful truth.
It was a crime of passion… of love for Archie. Gwendolene had shouldered this burden alone. She had protected Archie, knowing just what Wilhelmina was like. It was too horrible for words, and for her loyalty, Gwendolene was dead.
“You’re nothing but a murderer. How could he love a murderer? How could he ever love a woman who would kill his sister to gain his affections. It’s wicked, Wilhelmina. He’ll never love you. Not now,” Lavinia replied.
She did not trust Wilhelmina to help her, whether she gave a false apology or not, and now it seemed her words cut through Wilhelmina like a knife. She let out an anguished cry, andtaking up a stone, she threw it down the bank, narrowly missing Lavinia, who almost fell into the water as the stone fell by her and splashed into the river below.
“No! He loves me, I know he loves me,” she cried, sobbing as she turned away from the bank, disappearing from Lavinia’s sight as she spoke.
Lavinia feared another stone was about to be thrown; Wilhelmina’s rage knew no bounds. And now she tried again to secure her footing, pulling herself a little further up the bank with the help of the tree roots. She had almost reached the top, when Wilhelmina again appeared above her.
She was clutching a large rock, far bigger than the first stone she had thrown, and she held it high above her head. Anger was etched across her face as she prepared to throw it at Lavinia, who tried desperately to pull herself up, knowing there was nothing she could do but let go if Wilhelmina threw the rock at her.
“Don’t do this, Wilhelmina, I beg you,” Lavinia cried, but as she did so, a shout came from above, and a voice called out.
“Wilhelmina, no!” It was Archie.
Wilhelmina turned, letting out a cry as she did so.
“Archie, I knew you’d come. Oh, my darling Archie. You’re here. You’ve come for me. I knew you would. I knew you loved me. I knew you didn’t love… her. She’ll be gone soon, then we can be together, the two of us. Oh, Archie. I’ve missed you so very much,” Wilhelmina said.
“Archie,” Lavinia called out. “I’m down here… she pushed me. Help me, please,” she cried, as she saw Archie appear at the top of the bank, looking down at her in horror, even as Wilhelmina dropped the rock and flung her arms around him.
“My darling, you’ve come. Oh, how I love you. Tell me you love me, too. Let me hear the words, the words I’ve been denied for so long,” she exclaimed, but Archie pushed her roughly away, staring at her in disbelief.
“You wicked creature. How could you do it? How could you kill her?” he cried.
“But she fell… I haven’t done anything to her. I told her if she renounces you, I’ll help her,” Wilhelmina said, but Archie let out an angry cry.
“I mean Gwendolene. You murdered my own sister!” He pushed Wilhelmina back as he slid part way down the bank, holding out his hand to Lavinia, who was trying desperately to scramble up the bank toward him.
Wilhelmina looked suddenly shocked, as though only now realizing what she had done. Archie was leaning down, his fingertips almost touching Lavinia’s, who was stretching forward with all her might. But her footing now slipped, and she slid backwards, clutching at the tree roots protruding from the bank. Recent rain had churned the earth to mud, and whenever she found a hold, it seemed to give way.
“I… no, she wanted to drive a wedge between us. She didn’t want us to be together, Archie. I tried to reason with her. But she wouldn’t listen. She didn’t understand, Archie. She didn’t understand how much we love one another,” Wilhelmina replied.
Archie turned to her, shaking his head, torn, it seemed, between a desire to throw Wilhelmina down the bank or rescue Lavinia.
“I don’t love you, Wilhelmina,” Archie said, his voice cold and unforgiving.
At these words, Wilhelmina let out an anguished cry, staggering forward in a fit of collapse, falling into Archie, who then lost his footing at the top of the bank. Both of them now fell, and Lavinia screamed, letting go of the branch she was holding as Archie and Wilhelmina rolled down into the bank, colliding with her as they fell.
Together, the three of them slid toward the water, and Lavinia clutched madly at the branches protruding from the bank, trying desperately to stop herself, and the others, from falling into the water.
But it was no use, and now the three of them rolled right to the water’s edge, Lavinia and Wilhelmina falling in with a splash as Archie grabbed at them both. The water was icy cold, and the shock of it almost caused Lavinia to lose consciousness. She had never learned to swim, and now she floundered, kicking out her legs as Wilhelmina did the same.
“Help me! Help me!” she cried, and Archie tried desperately to haul them both back to the bank, the two of them caught up in the current, the rush of the water flowing over them, the water icy cold.
Lavinia was trying desperately to cling to Archie’s hand. She could see the look of desperation on his face, his grip on her loosening, as Wilhelmina, even then, tried to gain the upper hand.
“Leave her, Archie. Let her drown,” she cried, and now she tried to loosen Archie’s grip on Lavinia’s hand.
A lesser man might have allowed Wilhelmina to be swept away, but Archie still clung to her, and with a stupendous effort, he hauled her out of the water, throwing her down on the bank,where she gasped and spluttered, even as Lavinia remained in the water.
