Chapter 67: Gabriella – Hide-and-Seek and a Father’s Promise
⚠️ 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
Gabriella narrates this chapter in her own fragmented voice. She loves playing hide‑and‑seek. When a policeman visits The Manor, she dislikes his questions and screams to get sleeping pills. After swallowing them, she follows Mary outside and hides in Mary’s red car. The pills knock her out. She wakes to find herself near the white cliff‑house called Spyglass, which her father (Daddy) had promised they would share. She sees her first mummy (her biological mother) on the doorstep with the policeman and decides to stay hidden. Gabriella recalls how Mary taught her to whisper words after years of silence. In the car, she suddenly speaks to her father, scaring him. He recovers by telling her they are going on an adventure – a game of hide‑and‑seek where no one will find them. But when he adds that Mary is coming too, Gabriella cries and then runs away.
Key Events
- Gabriella dislikes the policeman’s questions and screams to receive sleeping pills from Ingrid the nurse.
- She secretly follows Mary to the car park and hides under a blanket in the back of Mary’s red car.
- The sleeping pills take effect; she wakes near Spyglass, the house her father promised her.
- She spots her first mummy (biological mother) with the policeman and decides to stay hidden.
- In the car, Gabriella speaks aloud to her father, startling him.
- Her father says they will hide forever and that Mary will join them.
- Gabriella runs away, distressed that Mary is included.
Character Development
Gabriella – Her inner world is revealed: she enjoys games, uses screaming and biting to control her environment, and believes that hurting people is the only way to be heard. She is aware that others underestimate her (“people see what they want to see”). Her desire for a life alone with her father becomes starkly clear; Mary is now the “only problem left.” Daddy – His promise of a house by the sea (Spyglass) has been a recurring fantasy for Gabriella. His reaction to her sudden speech – first fear, then a hurried “adventure” – shows his manipulative side and his need to control the narrative. He appears to be fleeing with both Mary and Gabriella, but Gabriella’s resistance hints at his fragile plan. Mary – Though mostly off‑stage, Mary’s role as a bridge between Gabriella and her father is evident. She taught Gabriella to whisper, but Gabriella now sees her as an obstacle to a father‑daughter reunion. First Mummy – Mentioned as dying; Gabriella’s indifference (“I wasn’t sure how to feel”) underscores the broken family bonds. Second Mummy – The stepmother who taught painting but then sent Gabriella away; she is now gone, which Gabriella considers a good thing.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Hide‑and‑seek / hiding – The game is a central metaphor: Gabriella hides from the policeman, hides in the car, and later learns that her father wants them to hide forever. This motif parallels the larger plot of concealed identities and secrets.
- Color and painting – Gabriella’s ability to name shades (crimson, scarlet, ruby) and her repeated paintings of Spyglass represent her attempt to hold onto a promise and to create a stable reality.
- Silence and voice – Her voice is “a little bit broken.” The chapter emphasizes how people mistake her muteness for ignorance. Whispering becomes a tool for connection, but also for manipulation (Mary used it to please her father).
- The Manor vs. Spyglass – The Manor is a prison‑like institution with locked doors at night; Spyglass is a dream of freedom. The contrast illustrates Gabriella’s longing for escape.
- Family dysfunction – Gabriella’s matter‑of‑fact narration of multiple “mummies” and her father’s broken promises reveals deep trauma and a child’s desperate need for unconditional love.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 67 provides the first extended glimpse into Gabriella’s mind, reframing earlier events from her perspective. Her childlike yet knowing voice answers several puzzles: how she ended up in Mary’s car, why she ran away, and the true nature of her father’s intentions. It also sets up a cliffhanger – Gabriella runs off, leaving the reader uncertain whether she will foil her father’s plan or become a victim of it.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Gabriella’s love of hide‑and‑seek reveal about her character and situation?
Gabriella uses hide‑and‑seek as a strategy for survival. She hides from unwanted attention, from the policeman, and later from her mother. The game gives her a sense of control in a world where adults make decisions for her. It also mirrors the novel’s theme of characters concealing their true selves.
2. Why does Gabriella run away after her father says Mary is coming?
Gabriella wants her father all to herself. She has already lost Eden and her second mummy, and her first mummy is dying. Mary is the last rival for her father’s affection. Her father’s inclusion of Mary breaks the promise of a shared home, making Gabriella feel betrayed and prompting her to flee.
3. How does the author use Gabriella’s limited voice to create suspense?
Gabriella’s fragmented narration and her habit of speaking only in whispers keep the reader uncertain about what she truly understands. Her sudden speech in the car surprises both her father and the reader, raising questions about how much she has overheard and what she might reveal next.