He doesn't understand why she is so opposed to him!
All he wants to do is tear her house down!
What we have here is failure to communicate!share
You've never been so passionate or obsessed about something that you forget to take in other's feelings? Everett has spent 15 years doing massive searches for the property.
If you also take into account that Everett had contact with the aunt but absolutely no contact with Mary, he can't imagine why she is so against him. He only knew that she recently inherited the house but had no idea how attached she was to the place (she hasn't been there since age 10).
He did make right by apologizing to her for not taking her feelings into the equation. What was good was he apologized for his actions but did not enquire about her actions. That's what she liked about him as he did not pressure her at all.
BTW, Mary was just as wrong in that she found Everett guilty before proven innocent. No matter his actions or proof he gave, she saw him as being selfish and the enemy.