Summary

In Chapter 21, Bridie shoos the children out of the house so that she may work. Bridie does the accounting for a few of Binsey’s businesses. Harry takes Flora and Hazel to the river. Hazel warns Flora not to discuss Whisperwood in front of Harry. Hazel feels excited by Harry’s presence in an unfamiliar way.

Harry leads the girls to the well that inspired Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. He tells them the story of Frideswide, King Algar’s runaway bride. Suddenly, a redheaded girl sprints towards them, chased by two boys. Harry knows the boys—the Baldwin twins—and tells them to back off. The Baldwin boys call the three girls “vaccies”—a derogatory term for “evacuees” (156). After the Baldwin boys leave, Kelty introduces herself. She explains that she is billeting with Mrs. Marchman, whose mean appearance Hazel recalls from...