Immortality Chapter 20: The Ball at Carlton House
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
A military parade celebrates Captain Sir Robert Mends and his crew, who captured a French privateer ship. Hazel walks through the crowds and later overhears Princess Charlotte complain to Eliza about the endless duties of curtsying and smiling. Eliza reveals her engagement to a first lieutenant. Charlotte jokes about Eliza's improved prospects, while Hazel reflects that even doctors are bound by social expectations.
Hazel is distracted by her recent kiss with Simon von Ferris. She imagines scenarios about his possible engagement or marriage, then chastises herself for behaving like a lovesick girl. At Carlton House, Hazel wears an old green dress. A maid delivers a letter from a solicitor; Dr. Beecham has left Hazel a thousand pounds in his will.
At the ball, the Prince Regent confronts Hazel about Charlotte's health. Hazel lies about a rare influenza to delay the Princess's travel. Guests praise Hazel for curing Charlotte. Hazel learns Simon is attending the mad King and will not attend the ball. The naval heroes arrive, and Commodore Mends is knighted. Hazel sees a sailor with dark messy hair and a scarred face: Jack Currer. He wears a navy jacket and an eye patch. Jack sees Hazel and flees the ballroom.
Key Events
- Hazel observes the military parade for Sir Robert Mends and overhears Charlotte and Eliza discussing marriage duties.
- Eliza reveals her engagement to a first lieutenant with a family estate.
- Hazel receives a letter from a solicitor: Dr. Beecham has died and left her a thousand pounds.
- At the Carlton House ball, the Prince Regent questions Hazel about Charlotte's recovery. Hazel invents a rare influenza to stall the Princess's travel.
- Guests thank Hazel effusively, treating her as a miracle worker.
- Hazel learns Simon is occupied with King George and will not attend.
- Commodore Mends is formally knighted by the Prince Regent.
- Hazel spots Jack Currer alive, with a prominent scar and eye patch. Jack sees her and immediately flees.
Character Development
Hazel Sinnett – Hazel struggles with romantic distraction after her kiss with Simon. She analyses realistically why she cannot marry a man like him: her family is noble but not wealthy, and she values her independence as a surgeon. The inheritance from Beecham gives her financial autonomy, but she treats the bequest with emotional detachment. Her reunion with Jack triggers a flood of memories, and she remains rooted in place rather than pursuing him.
Princess Charlotte – Charlotte expresses frustration at being a mere “princess doll” for public display. She reveals she knows about Eliza’s engagement and feigns indifference, but her own romantic longing is hinted by her gaze toward Prince Frederick Augustus.
Eliza – Previously secretive about her relationship, Eliza formally reveals her engagement to a first lieutenant. Her sly comment about pay highlights her pragmatism.
Prince Regent – The Regent continues his pompous, self-absorbed manner. He takes credit for Charlotte’s recovery and demands to know the diagnosis, then ignores Hazel’s truthful response. He is eager to send Charlotte abroad.
Jack Currer – Presumed dead after Beecham’s surgery, Jack reappears alive with a scar across his face and a missing eye. He wears a Royal Navy uniform and fled the moment he recognised Hazel, raising questions about his survival and his motives.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Performance of Royalty: Charlotte’s complaint about curtsying and smiling captures the theme of monarchy as theatrical performance. The nation expects a smiling princess doll; the Prince Regent also performs authority through the knighting ceremony.
- Social Constraints: Hazel reflects that even a female doctor is “victim to the constraints of our social positions.” The chapter repeatedly contrasts personal desire (love, independence) with the roles prescribed by class and gender.
- Memory and Trauma: The sight of Jack brings back a “single rush” of every shared moment, including the trauma of watching Beecham cut him open. The scar and eye patch are bodily evidence of past violence.
- Inheritance and Autonomy: Dr. Beecham’s bequest of a thousand pounds symbolises both the end of a dark chapter (his experimentation) and Hazel’s newfound financial freedom, which she does not yet fully acknowledge.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 20 delivers two major revelations that reshape the novel’s trajectory. First, Dr. Beecham has died and left Hazel a significant inheritance—removing a dangerous antagonist and providing Hazel with resources she had not expected. Second, and more shocking, Jack Currer is alive. His sudden appearance and flight introduce a mystery that will drive the remainder of the plot. The chapter also deepens Hazel’s emotional conflict: she is torn between her growing feelings for Simon and the unresolved bond with Jack, all while navigating her precarious role at court. Charlotte’s desperation for autonomy parallels Hazel’s own struggle, reinforcing the novel’s central tension between love, duty, and freedom.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the significance of Dr. Beecham’s inheritance for Hazel?
Hazel inherits a thousand pounds, which gives her financial independence from her family and from any future husband. The bequest also confirms Beecham’s death, ending his experiments and Hazel’s fear of him. However, Hazel’s detached reaction suggests she is still processing this closure.
2. How does Charlotte’s conversation with Eliza reflect the theme of social performance?
Charlotte complains that her only duty is to “curtsy, smile,” and that the nation needs a “princess doll.” Eliza’s engagement reveals that even ladies-in-waiting are expected to marry into respectable positions. Charlotte’s biting remark about becoming “the princess the nation requires” underscores how women at court are valued for their appearance and marital status rather than their individuality.
3. Why does Jack flee the ballroom upon seeing Hazel?
The chapter does not provide Jack’s internal reasoning, but his flight implies fear, guilt, or a desire to avoid explaining his survival and his new identity. The scar and eye patch suggest he suffered severe injury from Beecham’s surgery. Jack may believe Hazel was complicit, or he may be protecting her from a dangerous truth. His evasion creates a suspenseful hook for the next chapters.