Capítulo 19: Demands

Rochester saw red the moment it dawned on him that she had ridiculed his finely rich coat.

How dare she!

He grinded his teeth as a surge of cold anger began to build up in his veins. His neck felt hot and he secretly cupped his fist with his other hand. With teeth clenched, his shoulders trembled.

He swiftly turned around.

''Will you get your filthy hands away from me?'' Rochester muttered the words through clenched teeth, billowing hot.

''Of course,'' Letita paused to look him up condescendingly. She said, ''I expected that you would behave this way. Like a raging lunatic! Otherwise, why else would you be seeping out so much rage and toward a woman? Pff! A pig in a coat.''

''What did you say?''

Rochester could not admit to himself that he'd just heard her right.

''I asked again, what did you just say to me?''

''You heard me clearly the first time, Sir!'' Letita bellowed her words right back at him, with curled upper lips and her nose drawing up into a fold; it wrinkled.

Seeing her like this prompted Rochester to let a smile limp up his face and straight down into his shoes. She had certainly outdone herself this time around and with the nosey inmates of the Inn rushing down to the scene as well as certain passersby who stopped to watch the drama as well.

''Uck!''

Letita hissed after. She still had her feet tapping angrily against the floor and her hands on her waist, with elbows out.

''I cannot believe my sweet Hazel allowed herself to stoop so low to be with a man who's so shameless as you, Sir. My god!''

Rochester chuckled loudly now.

''Hahaha. Me? Shameless? If I am shameless, then I wonder what you have to say for your daughter here.''

''I dare you to compare my sweet girl to you again and watch me show you the stuff that I am made of.''

Letita vowed. Her breasts heaved up and down as she gyrated with the heat of her temper.

''You must be very stupid.'' She insulted him further.

''Thank you very much for your kind words.''

Rochester commented and swiftly peeled his gaze from her to look at Louisa instead.

''And you? You came with your mother to rain insults on me. Is that not so?''

''Don't you dare cajole her with your words, Sir.''

''Cajole who?''

Rochester sneered at first. Then he held his head and body erect, shoulders squared. His fists remained clenched but he did not keep it in a way that his accuser could see him.

He exhaled deeply at once.

''Woman!''

He accosted Letita with his raspy tone.

''Despite the gravity of your misbehaviour, I will deliberately choose to pardon you if you and Hazel here make it a note of duty in your hearts to get out of my way.''

''Get out of your way, you said.'' Louisa remarked boldly with a scoff. ''Now I see just how shameless you can be.''

''Shameless, I agree. Yet, your return goes to show how much you obviously want me.''

''Want who? You?''

Louisa held back her tongue and bit her lips. The man's talk just now stabbed at her ego causing her to instantly grow cold as ice. Was he truly determined to see her break?

''Of course. Otherwise, can you tell me a plausible reason for you two to have come rushing down almost immediately after you left just to catch up with me; and so suddenly. Is there even a reason other than the one I mentioned? I am no longer sure if you, my sweet Hazel are truly Giselle's cousin. If you are, you will not be so desperate to have her favorite toy, her most cherished treasure box, in your own abode.''

Louisa kept him mute after he'd said this. Her mother as well, maintained her cool.

Rochester then darted his eyes from mother to daughter and daughter to mother. Seeing no desire on either woman's part to break off the ridiculous silence, he decided to speak first.

''Very well then. Since the both of you have succeeded in making a fool out of me, by first obstructing my drive and then pulling this distasteful crowd out on me and with no meaningful thing to say I suggest that you step out of my way. Both of you! And this is the last warning!''

''Well, to that, I beg to differ because I have no intention of letting you out of my sight that easily.'' Letita told him.

''Oh, you do not?''

''Yes, I do not!''

Rochester swallowed and darted his eyes about the crowd.

''You know.. Right now, you are behaving like an uncivilised..''

'Old hag!'

''Woman.''

He muttered the insult inside his head because getting slapped in public wasn't exactly an experience he wanted to encourage.

''Well, Sir. Since you are so civilised,'' Letita heaved her chest forward at him. ''Kindly tell me what decent man would run away like you were about to do just now, despite knowing that he has scores; underlying scores to settle with a certain family. My family!''

''Scores? What scores? Besides, I wasn't exactly running away.''

Letita studied him lower his head while attempting to lubricate his throat by swallowing hard.

His conduct did not also go unnoticed by Louisa. But when Rochester saw that the watchful crowd was becoming too massive, he decided on a different approach.

''Ahem.. Hazel, why don't you and your mother state clearly what your demands are. I believe this situation can be handled fairly and as adults. Too much shouting is causing me a lot more ridicule than it can ever cost to either one of you.''

Once he'd said these words in the calmest voice, Louisa encouraged a blush to crawl up the sides of her cheeks whereas Letita curled her lips into a mischievous grin.

Too much time was being wasted and Rochester started to get very impatient.

''So.'' He asserted. ''Are either one of you going to speak up or not?''

Neither of them said anything. Even the crowd was patiently waiting to hear the woman's demands.

Mr. Ruthford, the owner of the Inn was not left out of the wait.