Contents
Chapter Twenty-Three
Overview
Nine years earlier, Stuart is caught in Jessamine’s bed by her daughter, Daisy, forcing an awkward introduction. At breakfast, Jessamine’s mother, Annie, reacts with veiled contempt and demands service, revealing a cold, hierarchical dynamic in the house. Stuart senses unhealthy control and chooses to stay, uneasy, to observe.
Summary
In the pre-dawn, Stuart wakes to Daisy at the bedroom door, having heard a man’s voice. Jessamine tries to dismiss it, calling Stuart “a friend” without a place to stay, while pushing Daisy to self-soothe and return to bed. Stuart reveals himself, attempts friendliness, and Daisy retreats, unsettled.
With the secret exposed, Stuart stays for the morning. Jessamine offers tea and breakfast, which he declines, and he fusses Hugo under the table. Stuart asks if he should leave before Jessamine’s mother appears, but Jessamine insists he remain.
Annie enters and registers shock and distaste at finding Stuart in the kitchen. Jessamine pointedly frames Stuart as “a very nice man,” contrasting him with Daisy’s father, who she says is in Istanbul with his wife. Annie greets Stuart coolly and retreats to her study after ordering coffee.
Jessamine prepares Annie’s drink with rigid precision—instant powder, skimmed milk, sweeteners, and a single biscuit—like formal service. Stuart questions the servile ritual, and Jessamine curtly defends it as normal family difference. The exchange highlights an entrenched, hierarchical household tone.
As silence settles, Stuart feels compelled not to leave. Reading the house’s froideur and control, he decides to stay, sensing something off that needs witnessing.
Who Appears
- StuartNarrator; caught in Jessamine’s bed by Daisy, meets Annie’s disdain, and senses controlling family dynamics.
- JessamineHosts Stuart; brusquely manages Daisy’s insomnia and dutifully serves Annie, revealing rigid household roles.
- AnnieJessamine’s mother; greets Stuart with veiled contempt and orders precise coffee service, asserting control.
- DaisyJessamine’s daughter; discovers Stuart at night and questions his presence, unsettled and seeking comfort.
- HugoDog Stuart fusses under the table during breakfast, a small point of comfort amid tension.