Rebecca Part IX

 Maxim tells the full tale to his wife, about how he and Rebecca ended up. Mrs De Winter has believed that he regretted his second marriage, that he still loved Rebecca and that he had only married out of desperation and found that she, his second wife, was a nobody compared with his beloved first wife.

Maxim tells her that no, his second marriage is one he made for love.. that he and Rebecca never had any happiness together.  He tells her that soon after the marriage, on honeymoon, she told him all about herself, how immoral and cold and heartless she was… and told him that she knew he would not wish for a divorce, because he was too proud to admit failure…

Rebecca had told him that she’d be t he perfect wife and hostess for Manderley and that she knew he would accept that, but in private, she amused herself just as she pleased.  She looked after the house, redecorated it, held parties and charmed the neighbours and most of the staff but in her heart she despised them.

Maxim over time realises that one or 2 people became suspicious of Rebecca, that his sister Beatrice had found that Rebecca was flirting with Giles, her husband and she never came to Manderley again except to big parties.  And Rebecca also started to try and seduce the shy awkward Frank Crawley….

Maxim reassures his wife that he never loved Rebecca after the first few days, and that she is his true love and - he hopes that they can re start their marriage and she does not have to accept a compromise relationship… as she had feared.

He tells her about the end, how he had finally decided to confront his wife about her affairs and bad behaviour.  He had told her that she could not have her men friends at Manderley but she ignored that prohibition.  He told her she could not see her cousin and lover, Jack Favell.  Mrs De Winter admits that she met Jack but had been afraid to tell Maxim about it, in case it upset him and reminded him of Rebecca.

Maxim tells her now that he decided to go to the cottage where Rebecca sometimes stayed after sailing… to talk to her and Jack, taking a gun, to scare off the bounder, Favell.  He found Rebecca alone and she was acting strangely.  She told him that he would never get a divorce because Mrs Danvers would swear that there were no infidelities on her part and that she has now decided to spend more time at Manderley.  Maxim is horrified and angry.  She then tells him that if she had a son, it would be known as his son and would inherit the estate…  Infuriated and crazy, he shoots her.  He then puts her body in the boat, takes it out and sinks it, hoping that it will be believed that she went for a late night sail alone and it capsized….