Contents
Chapter 29
Overview
Peter secures a police blockade on Kenny Lane and reveals a nascent bond with Joan, then leaves Elsie to recover at home. Roxanne arrives, learns Elsie is “Mad Mabel,” and, unsettled, forbids Persephone from visiting. Elsie accepts the isolation, underscoring the enduring consequences of her past.
Summary
Peter brings Elsie home from the hospital by Uber. On arrival, Elsie expects media chaos, but Kenny Lane is blocked by police cones after Peter and Joan’s lawyer nephew intervened. Peter hints at a growing friendship with Joan, which stings Elsie despite her denying needing help inside.
Alone, Elsie finally unravels and cries, cycling through humiliation, fear, and relief. A knock interrupts her; cautious, she checks and finds Roxanne at the door with daisies from Mrs. Nguyen, sent to check on Elsie at Persephone’s urging.
In Elsie’s back room, Roxanne hesitantly asks the question she dreads: is Elsie “Mad Mabel”? Elsie confirms her full name—Mabel Elsie Waller—and clarifies she was committed to an asylum rather than prison, though it was prison in all but name. Roxanne reels, shocked that her daughter has been spending time with Elsie.
Weighing her duty as a mother over her personal instincts, Roxanne decides Persephone must stop visiting for safety. Elsie accepts this without protest, understanding Roxanne’s fear and her own history’s shadow, even as the decision pierces her.
Who Appears
- Elsie (Mabel Elsie Waller)Returns home injured, breaks down, confirms she is “Mad Mabel,” and accepts Roxanne’s decision to protect Persephone.
- RoxanneVisits with daisies, confronts Elsie about her identity, then forbids Persephone from visiting to keep her safe.
- PeterArranges police blockade via Joan’s connected nephew, hints at closeness with Joan, escorts Elsie home.