Summary

Chapter 10 opens with Rill waking up on a musty smelling cot. The night before, a worker in a white dress brought her and her siblings down to stay in the basement until they know if they are staying for good. Rill wonders what she meant by "staying for good." One night, a man comes into the room while her siblings are sleeping. Rill pretends to be asleep, and at first thinks the man is Briny, but later she realizes it is someone else. The man leaves a peppermint candy on each child's pillow. Later on, the children discover that the man is named Mr. Riggs and that he is a worker there. When he smiles at them, it is the first time they have seen a smile since entering this strange place. They think that Mr. Riggs must be their friend.

Camellia wants...