Chapter 26 Summary

Tom continues his family history by telling how he goes to see Lila at the Newbury house. He gets a bizarre reception from both Reese Newbury and the dying Isabel, who insists on seeing Tom and apologizing for her past behavior. She recognizes that all her old friends have deserted her, and only Lila is there to care for her on her deathbed. When Lila directs Tom to the Newbury's bedroom, he notes that she has "closed the door" on the memory of the Wingo children going there to deposit the loggerhead turtle those many years ago. Tom is stunned when Isabel suggests that she and Reese have agreed he will marry Lila after her death.

Back in Reese's study, Tom notes that the map on the wall showing Newbury's ownership of land now includes a marker on Melrose Island. Tom confronts Lila...