Now let's get back to The Betrayal by R.L.Stine!
Chapter 20
Jeremy tells Mary that telling her the truth is not easy. The man took off his hat roughly so this must be serious. I wonder if the hat being described as 'ill fitting' has any relevance to the plot at all. Like possibly the hat represents Jeremy's skin which would signal that he's really William in disguise. Or maybe I'm just reading way too much into this book.
Jeremy tells Mary that his father killed her relatives. But that doesn't make sense as William doesn't have a son named Jeremy. Maybe he sowed some oats after his wife died? But that doesn't seem like something a father hellbent on revenge would do. He didn't seem like someone that would use sex as a means to escape.
Mary starts to get up but Jeremy begs for her to listen to him so she stays. She is angry as he had told her previously that his father was sick. He admits that his father is an evil man but it's justified as evil had been done to him. She screams that she doesn't understand. Jeremy says that he will explain everything to her.
Okay, he says that he was born after the events in Wickham. Which still...doesn't really add up. But, hey, sex can actually be a tool in magic. So if William needed a little extra juice, that could be how Jeremy was conceived. Though, again, doesn't really add up at the moment.
Jeremy admits that his last name is Goode and that he used the name Thorne to gain employment. Mary is insulted that he lied to her and he replies that it's the only lie he ever told. I'm...um...finding that a little hard to believe.
He says that he regretted lying to her. He says his real name is Jeremy Goode and that he was born after his father left Wickham. Mary interjects that her family was originally from Wickham. Um...okay? He says that George eventually returned to Wickham as he couldn't stand William's obsessive need for revenge. Mary asks what Jeremy means by obsession, but he tells her that he'll explain.
Jeremy starts to tell her about the events we already read about. You know, the whole sham witch trials that the Fier brothers held. Mary doesn't want to believe him and asks how any of that can be true. He just continues on with his story. Mary interjects again as she recognizes the name of Susannah Goode. She says that Edward cried out Susannah's name at the woman who had been burning in the woods.
Jeremy confirms that Benjamin had Susannah burned at the stake so that Edward wouldn't marry her. Mary can't accept that and yells at Jeremy. Jeremy replies that he can't stop until his story is finished. Mary argues that Edward is too pure of a man to allow an innocent woman to be killed. Jeremy counters that it did happen as Edward didn't know how cruel of a man his father truly was. Sort of makes me think that a man obsessed with revenge wouldn't say something like that.
Hey, what if William created the personality of Jeremy as a means to be able to end his curse?
As Mary continues to argue that Jeremy can't be telling the truth, he merely continues on with his tale. He mentions the Fier brothers stealing all of the money in Wickham, but leaving out how the people shouldn't have burned the Goode women. There was no reason to except the plot said so.
Jeremy says that the story he told is the same one William has repeated his entire life. After he is done telling his tale, he says that William will murder every Fier unless they do something. Mary looks at the sky and thinks about what he has just admitted. Suffice it to say pretty pictures don't enter her mind.
Mary accuses Jeremy of lying. She points out that she has no reason to believe what he said. He says she can believe him because he loves her. So because a guy you just met says he loves you, it makes you question your family who you've known your entire life? No wa-oh, that works for her. She admits he loves him and now all doubt is washed from her mind.
That was easy. Really really easy.
Jeremy says that there is a way to end the hatred between the Goode and Fier families. As this is a prequel to a series where the curse is still running strong, we all know it won't work. He says the way to end the curse is for the two of them to marry. Oh, you sly dog. Mary is excited and agrees because hormones are a crazy thing.
Since the two of them are so caught up in each other, they don't notice another person. Who I am sure won't play any part in the book's finale. I thought it was Matthew but turns out Edward was stalking his own cousin. He heard their entire conversation and they didn't notice because. Edward is shocked by what Jeremy said and doesn't seem willing to believe the truth.
Okay, he wasn't stalking her. He had originally just meant to ask Mary to watch over Ezra but then hadn't offered his own cousin some privacy. What if they had done the nasty, Edward? Would you have still watched?
Edward decides to talk to Matthew. While walking he declares that Jeremy has to be telling lies and that he has convinced Mary of them. Edward still believes that Susannah Goode was guilty of the crime of witchcraft as Benjamin was much too good of a man to falsely accuse someone of such a crime.
But then Edward stops as a much more recent memory comes to him. He had seen Susannah burning in a strange fire in the woods. How could that be if she was guilty? He still can't accept the truth and yells out that the Fier brothers were good men that would never falsely accuse someone of witchcraft.
Ezra and Constance are in the house but Edward rushes past them. He says there's something he must attend to now. He goes into Matthew's room without knocking first. He then starts a conversation with his uncle. Matthew is at his worktable and seems to be looking into the fire.
Matthew is shocked at Edward's appearance and apologizes quickly for not being at the funeral. The younger man then tells his uncle that he just heard a despicable story about their time in Wickham. That Susannah was innocent and that Benjamin knew that. That both Benjamin and Matthew robbed the town before fleeing into the night.
Um...Edward, why do you think you fled into the night? Especially right after two women were accused of witchcraft. Plus you wanted to marry one of the accused women and your father was against such a union. You really never once questioned how suspicious that was? Are you stupid? Really really really really stupid? Really, Edward? Really?
Matthew responds by rubbing his eyes. Yeah, dude, so am I. Edward demands that his uncle confirm the story is utterly false. The remaining Fier brother lies and says that the story is false.
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