Chapter 24 (Beatrice): Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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
Beatrice rides with Teddy to a new Chinese restaurant, still feeling unsettled since her return from Texas. While composing a text to him, she scrolls through their old message history and realizes how close they had been before her accident—full of inside jokes, shorthand, and easy intimacy. She decides to meet him on neutral ground, away from the palace where she has so many forgotten memories.
Teddy asks to take a detour to a lookout point above the Potomac. They sit on the open trunk of the SUV, watching the sunset over Washington. Beatrice admits that the city only feels like home at twilight, when it seems softer and more approachable. Teddy shares that Walthorpe never felt like home either, and when she asks where he did feel at home, he says, “A person can be home, just as much as a place.” The moment hangs between them.
Beatrice then confides that the Duke of Virginia is plotting to depose her. Teddy immediately offers to help, lobbying senators and strategizing. She explains that her position has always defined her, but Teddy insists that she defines the position. Inspired by his words, she asks him to coach her through her forgotten year so she can hide her amnesia from the public. Teddy warns that concealing the truth will likely backfire—that people will forgive her for amnesia but not for lying—but he agrees to help anyway. They sit together, hands clasped, as the sun disappears behind the skyline.
Key Events
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Beatrice reviews her old text thread with Teddy and realizes how close they were before her accident.
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She chooses a new Chinese restaurant to avoid the palace's memories, and Teddy suggests a detour to a lookout point.
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At the lookout, they discuss what home means; Teddy reveals that a person can be home, not just a place.
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Beatrice tells Teddy about the Duke of Virginia's plot to depose her.
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Teddy offers to help her politically, but Beatrice pivots to asking him to coach her through her forgotten year.
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Teddy warns that hiding her amnesia is a terrible idea, but he agrees to help her anyway.
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The chapter ends with them holding hands at sunset.
Character Development
Beatrice is in a state of identity crisis. She hasn't felt like herself since Texas, and seeing Connor raised new questions about who she was before the accident. Her decision to meet Teddy on neutral ground shows her desire to reconnect with someone who knew her before, but also her fear of the palace's memories. Her confession about the Duke's plot reveals her vulnerability and her sense of isolation—she has no one else to turn to. Her request for Teddy to coach her is both a practical strategy and an emotional plea for connection. She is willing to risk the truth being exposed because she believes hiding it is her only option.
Teddy emerges as a loyal and perceptive ally. He senses Beatrice's unease and offers a detour to a place that feels safe. His definition of home—as a person rather than a place—hints at his feelings for her, though he quickly adds “as a friend.” When Beatrice reveals the political threat, he immediately offers practical help. His warning about the consequences of lying shows his integrity, but his agreement to help despite his misgivings demonstrates his devotion. He is willing to compromise his own judgment to support her.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Amnesia and identity crisis – Beatrice's amnesia is not just a medical condition but a source of existential uncertainty. She doesn't know who she was, and she fears that her current self is inadequate for the crown. Her review of old texts is a painful reminder of a connection she can't remember.
Home as a person vs. place – The conversation at the lookout directly addresses this theme. Beatrice feels alienated from Washington except at twilight; Teddy reveals that home is not a location but a person. This foreshadows that Beatrice's true home may be with Teddy, not the palace.
Trust and secrecy – Beatrice's decision to hide her amnesia is a major act of trust in Teddy, but it also sets up a dangerous secret. Teddy's warning that lying will backfire highlights the tension between protecting oneself and being honest.
Political threat of deposition – The Duke of Virginia's plot looms over the chapter, giving urgency to Beatrice's need for help. It also forces her to consider how her personal vulnerability could be exploited politically.
Twilight as symbol of comfort – Beatrice describes twilight as the only time the city feels like home. This symbolizes a liminal state—neither day nor night—that mirrors her own uncertain identity. It is also a moment of peace before the difficult decisions ahead.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal for Beatrice's character arc and the central conflict of the novel. It establishes the secret that will drive the rest of the plot: her decision to hide her amnesia with Teddy's help. It also deepens the emotional bond between Beatrice and Teddy, moving from friendship to something more intimate, as evidenced by their hand-holding and the unspoken tension. The conversation about home and identity sets up the theme that Beatrice's true self is not defined by the crown but by her relationships. Finally, the chapter raises the stakes of the political threat, making clear that Beatrice is fighting not just for her throne but for her sense of self.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Beatrice decide to meet Teddy at a new restaurant instead of the palace?
Beatrice wants to avoid the palace because it is filled with memories she can't recall. She feels unsettled and needs neutral ground where neither of them has any history, so she can interact with Teddy without the weight of forgotten moments.
2. What does Teddy mean when he says “a person can be home”?
Teddy is suggesting that home is not a physical place but a relationship. He implies that Beatrice herself is his home, though he doesn't say it directly. This idea resonates with Beatrice, who has never felt fully at home in the palace or the crown.
3. Why does Teddy warn Beatrice against hiding her amnesia, and why does he agree to help anyway?
Teddy warns that the truth will likely come out, and if it does, the public will forgive her for the amnesia but not for lying about it. He agrees to help because he cares about her and wants to support her, even though he believes her plan is flawed. His loyalty outweighs his judgment.
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