“You need to start pulling your weight around here Conrad, this is the last time I’m telling you.” Wilder said, walking up to his brother’s face now.
Celia saw her grandfather move in his wheelchair. She could see that he was beginning to grow uncomfortable. He didn’t want to see the boys fighting.
“I’m going to cook us some sausage casserole for dinner. You’re relieved of your cooking duties for tonight, Wilder.” Celia said, turning up the cheer in her voice. Wilder and Conrad both looked at her and she forced a smile on her face.
“Sausage casserole?” It was her grandfather who spoke.
“Yeah, the one grandma taught mama, remember? I’ll make it just the way you like it grandpa.” Celia bent forward to smile at her grandfather, who tickled her chin and she giggled.
“I’ll be in the kitchen if anybody needs me.” She said as she climbed up the porch steps, leaving all the men behind.
“I can’t wait for dinner, Celia.” She heard Conrad say and she turned to smile at him. Wilder grunted and walked away, shoving his brother in the shoulder as he did it. After Wilder, had walked away from them, Conrad raised his eyebrows at her and shook h
is head. She was still standing on the porch, looking at Wilder’s brooding figure disappear into the distance. He hadn’t once turned to look at any of them.
“What did I tell you? If he could he would see me drown in a puddle.” Conrad said and smacked his lips. Celia turned and walked back into the house. She needed to think. She needed to seriously think about everything that was happening.
While walking to the kitchen she tried to lay out the points of detail. She was attracted to Wilder, but he didn’t want her. He wanted to be left alone. The person who wanted her, who wanted her madly; was Conrad. In fact, Wilder might even be dangerous, while Conrad could be good for her. Wasn’t it a better decision to be with the person who wants you? Instead of yearning for the man who doesn’t even care that you exist?
Celia shook her head as she walked into the kitchen, grabbing Wilder’s apron off the hook and tying it around her waist. Tonight, she was just going to concentrate on cooking a hearty meal for her grandfather, the rest could wait till the next day.
By the time Celia had finished cooking dinner it was dark outside again. Her grandfather had joined her in the kitchen and she was having a great time chatting with him. Celia had nearly forgotten all her troubles with the two brothers, laughing and joking with her beloved grandpa. When she laid out the plates on the dining table, and had placed the casserole in the center; she left her grandfather in the room and went in search of the two Moore brothers.
They had to be outside, she thought, and wiping her hands on the apron Celia walked to the back of the house towards the porch. But she stopped in her tracks when she heard raised voices. They were fighting again. It was Wilder’s enraged voice that had made her stop in her tracks and she pressed her back to the wall and stood to listen.
“Watch your step, little brother.” She could sense that Wilder was speaking through gritted teeth.
“You’re just jealous because you know that Celia will accept my offer.” Conrad’s light hearted voice came through. This time too it was Wilder who was the more furious one, while Conrad was more calm and relaxed. Surprisingly, he wasn’t very afraid of his brother.
“She will not, and if she does then you’re doomed.” Wilder spoke, still angry, still yelling but trying to keep his voice low at the same time. Conrad gave out a shrill laugh.
“What is even your problem, Wilder? It’s not like you can have her.” Conrad said, sending a thrill down Celia’s spine. It was still their little secret. The truth was that Wilder did have her, he had her virginity, he was the only man she had given in to. She wanted to hear what he had to say, wanted to hear it in his voice. Wilder was silent for a few moments, while Celia tried to suppress a smile.
“What makes you think I even want her?” He spat out, wiping the smile off Celia’s face. She felt her lips twitch, she had heard the hatred in Wilder’s voice. He really didn’t care. He regretted what had happened that night. And he wasn’t about to confess to his brother.
“Because nobody else wants you. Because your wife left you and you have nothing to look forward to in your life.” Conrad said, still with the laugh in his voice. His words had stung Celia as well. They were harsh words, words nobody deserved to hear. But perhaps Wilder deserved it. Perhaps he was the kind of man who deserved to have his brother say this to him.
“Don’t talk about Katherine. You have no right to talk about Katherine.” Wilder’s voice was even more enraged now. Celia heard a light thud, Wilder had pushed Conrad to the wall. But Conrad only laughed. He enjoyed inciting violence in his brother, he enjoyed the reaction. Celia’s breath was caught in her throat. She was eavesdropping on a private conversation. She shouldn’t have been listening to any of this.
“I have as much right to talk about Katherine as you do.” Conrad said when he stopped laughing.
“Shut up. Stop talking about her.” Wilder was yelling.
“You made Katherine so unhappy that she had no other choice. She was so lonely and angry with you that…” Conrad continued, ignoring his brother’s rage.
“You were eighteen. You were a child. She had no right. You didn’t know what you were doing, but she did.” Wilder was yelling again, but Celia could tell that he wasn’t yelling at his brother. He was yelling at the world, at himself.
“I was old enough to know that she wanted me. And you made that happen. You pushed her towards me.” Conrad continued, and Celia gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand. Wilder’s wife had slept with his brother. That was why she left. That was why Wilder was so bitter.
“That’s enough, Conrad.” Wilder said, he was breathing hard but his voice had dropped.
“Are you ashamed, big brother? That your beautiful new bride wanted your eighteen-year-old brother more than she wanted you?” Conrad continued, laughing a little.
Celia was at the verge of tears. She couldn’t stand the things that Conrad was saying. She couldn’t imagine the pain that Wilder was in.
“I said, that’s enough.” Wilder growled, but Conrad only laughed.
“You’ll never get over it. And you’ll never have Celia. Because she doesn’t want you.” Conrad added.