Chapter 26: Lucy — Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with Lucy lying awake in bed beside Audrey, recounting her tense dinner with Mr. Caldwell and his sister. Lucy reveals that she confronted them with a pointed remark, suggesting that uncivilized company might include wealthy people dining at their own table. Audrey is impressed by Lucy's boldness, calling her badass, a word Lucy has only recently learned.

Audrey then shares that she visited James at the stables and learned about his older brother, who ran away with the duke's daughter. Lucy reflects that her mother loved that story and was a romantic who filled Lucy's head with talk of destined love. When Audrey asks what if Lucy were destined for such a romance, Lucy's heart contradicts what she knows she should say.

Lucy works up the courage to ask Audrey if she has ever been in love. Audrey describes Charlie, an artist she connected with deeply over their shared passion. Charlie discouraged her from drawing people, pushed her toward a more abstract style, and eventually told her to give up art altogether when he didn't get into art school. He later ended their courtship. The rejection and the loss of her artistic confidence left Audrey unable to draw for months, until she came to the past with Lucy, where she feels more like herself than she ever has.

Lucy then asks if Audrey has ever had feelings for anyone else. After a vulnerable pause, Audrey admits she was once the tiniest bit in love with her childhood best friend, Leah, and that she has always had crushes on girls as well as boys, though she never acted on them. She explains that in her time, 2023, people can love whoever they want, though some still disagree.

Lucy processes this confession and recognizes her own feelings in Audrey's words. She recalls moments of uncertainty while reading romance novels, wondering which character she wanted to be, and realizing she has never felt attraction to handsome men but has been drawn to the beauty of women. She asks Audrey if such feelings would be allowed in the future, and Audrey confirms they are more accepted there.

Lucy then states that in 1812, such feelings are considered abhorrent. Audrey reacts sharply, pointing out that Lucy's era lacks air conditioners and modern plumbing, so perhaps Lucy should rethink what is abhorrent. Lucy immediately recognizes that she has sounded just as dismissive and judgmental as the Caldwells did earlier that evening. She reaches to touch Audrey's shoulder to apologize, but pulls back, realizing nothing can change. She rolls over, deciding it is time to end whatever she is feeling.

Key Events

Lucy recounts her dinner with Mr. Caldwell and his sister, including her pointed remark about uncivilized company
Audrey tells Lucy about James's brother, who ran away with the duke's daughter
Lucy asks Audrey if she has ever been in love
Audrey describes her relationship with Charlie, who discouraged her art and ended their courtship
Audrey admits she was in love with her childhood friend Leah and has always had crushes on girls
Lucy recognizes her own feelings for Audrey
Lucy states that such feelings are considered abhorrent in 1812
Audrey reacts sharply, and Lucy realizes she has been just as judgmental as the Caldwells
Lucy pulls back from apologizing and decides to suppress her feelings

Character Development

Lucy. This chapter marks a turning point in Lucy's self-awareness. She has spent the novel navigating the constraints of 1812 society, but here she confronts a truth about herself she has never fully acknowledged. Her realization that she has been drawn to women, and specifically to Audrey, is framed through specific memories: reading romance novels and being uncertain which character she wanted to be, feeling nothing for handsome men, and being struck by the beauty of women. Her decision to suppress these feelings is not made lightly; she recognizes the impossibility of acting on them in her time. The chapter also reveals her capacity for self-criticism when she realizes she has echoed the Caldwells' dismissiveness.

Audrey. Audrey opens up more vulnerably than she has before. Her story about Charlie reveals how a romantic partner's dismissal of her art damaged her confidence, and her admission about Leah and her lifelong crushes on girls shows a character who has avoided acting on those feelings out of fear. Her sharp reaction to Lucy's word abhorrent shows both her hurt and her willingness to defend herself.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Queer self-discovery and forbidden love. The chapter centers on Lucy's realization of her feelings for Audrey and the historical impossibility of acting on them. Audrey's confession about Leah and her crushes on girls provides the mirror Lucy needs to understand herself.

Historical constraints on LGBTQ+ love. Lucy's statement that such feelings are abhorrent in 1812, contrasted with Audrey's description of a more accepting 2023, highlights how time and place shape what love is possible.

Self-judgment and hypocrisy. Lucy recognizes that her dismissal of Audrey's feelings mirrors the Caldwells' dismissal of the assembly ball attendees. She catches herself repeating the same pattern of judgment she condemned in others.

Class critique and wealth vs. civility. Lucy's remark to the Caldwells challenges the assumption that wealth equals civility, a theme that echoes throughout the chapter.

Artistic identity and creative validation. Audrey's story about Charlie connects romantic rejection to artistic suppression. Her recovery of her drawing ability is tied to being with Lucy, who sees and understands her.

Being seen and understood. Both Lucy and Audrey articulate what it means to be truly seen by another person, and the chapter suggests that this mutual recognition is at the heart of their connection.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional core of the novel's central romance. It brings Lucy's feelings for Audrey into explicit focus and forces both characters to confront the gap between what they feel and what their respective eras allow. Lucy's decision to suppress her feelings rather than risk rejection or social ruin is a painful but realistic choice, and it sets up the tension that will drive the remaining chapters. The chapter also deepens Audrey's character by revealing her past with Charlie and her history of unacted-upon crushes on girls, making her more than just a time-traveling foil for Lucy.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lucy react so strongly to Audrey's confession about Leah and her crushes on girls?

Lucy's reaction is rooted in recognition. Audrey's words give Lucy a framework for feelings she has never been able to name. The memories Lucy recalls — reading romance novels and being uncertain which character she wanted to be, feeling nothing for handsome men, being drawn to the beauty of women — all suddenly make sense. But this recognition is immediately followed by despair, because Lucy knows that in 1812, such feelings are not permitted.

2. How does Audrey's story about Charlie connect to her relationship with Lucy?

Charlie discouraged Audrey's art and pushed her to change her style, ultimately telling her to give up art altogether. This rejection left Audrey unable to draw for months. With Lucy, Audrey feels more like herself than she ever has, and her creative confidence returns. The contrast between Charlie, who tried to reshape Audrey, and Lucy, who sees and understands her, highlights what makes Lucy different.

3. What does Lucy's decision to pull her hand back and roll over reveal about her character?

Lucy's decision shows both self-awareness and resignation. She recognizes that apologizing would not change anything, because the fundamental problem — that her feelings are impossible in her time — cannot be solved with words. Her choice to suppress her feelings is a survival mechanism, but it also reflects the tragic reality of her historical moment. She is not naive about her situation; she simply sees no way forward.