Chapter 24 Summary: The Bells of Small Angels

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ This summary and analysis contains major plot details from Chapter 25 of Small Angels. If you haven't read this chapter yet, you may want to do so first.

Summary

After the attack that left Chloe unable to leave the village, Sam brings her to the Albatross, where she is still shaking and tasting earth. Kate arrives, still in her party clothes, and Sam tells her the truth: something followed Chloe out of Mockbeggar and won't let her leave. Kate listens without judgment and asks Chloe to tell everything. Chloe hesitates, but Sam assures her Kate knows about Mockbeggar and can help.

Chloe recounts her experiences, including the Blackberry Maze and her meeting with the last Gonne sister. Kate listens quietly, only stirring when Chloe mentions Lucia. When Chloe finishes, Kate says she's sorry, but when Sam suggests talking to Lucia, Kate refuses, saying they're on their own. John Pauncefoot appears and offers mint tea and other supplies, while he calls Brian and Elizabeth to help.

Upstairs, Kate uses a mixture of mint, bicarbonate of soda, and water to cleanse Chloe's face and help her feel steadier. Chloe asks how it works, and Kate explains the mint calms panic and the soda cleans off Mockbeggar's residue. Kate learned these methods from the Gonnes. Meanwhile, John has assembled Brian, Elizabeth, and John Aubrey at the Albatross. Kate tells them about the old murder that is paid for again and again, the Gonnes' secret burden, and their failed attack on the ghost of the Rose House. She explains that the Gonnes drove copper coins into Harry's tree to prevent his return, but most were already gone. Chloe realizes she woke Harry by removing the remaining coins, but Kate says it was inevitable and tells her not to carry the guilt.

The group plans to go through with the wedding as a facade and then flee at noon, when Harry Child is quietest. They worry about the village's future, but Elizabeth says they'll deal with that later. After the meeting, Chloe tries to rest but can't sleep, haunted by the thought of the hunting dogs and Fred Hart's terror. Kate comes in, already dressed for the wedding in the tweed suit Chloe had chosen for her, and mends the tear in Chloe's dress. Kate shares a hard-won lesson: “Don't bury it alive.” Chloe pins a cornflower to Kate's waistcoat.

The wedding proceeds at Small Angels. The church is beautiful, but Chloe feels robbed of the joy she should have had. Kate reads a passage from the Song of Solomon. After the ceremony, as they prepare to leave, a pale creature appears in the mist, spooking the horse Hector. Sam shoves Chloe toward the car, then runs in the opposite direction to draw the creature away. Kate forces Chloe into the car and drives off recklessly. A deer crosses their path, causing Kate to swerve and crash into a tree.

Dazed, Chloe sees Harry Child approaching the car, a circle of briars in his hands. She begins to choke, tasting earth again. Just as he seems about to kill her, the bells of Small Angels ring for the first time in ten years. The sound distracts Harry, and Kate whispers hoarsely, “Lucia, what have you done?”

Key Events

Chloe is unable to leave the village; Sam brings her to the Albatross.
Kate arrives and agrees to hear Chloe's story, revealing she knows about Mockbeggar.
Kate explains the old murder, the Gonnes' failed attack on the Rose House ghost, and the copper coins.
Chloe confesses she removed the coins, waking Harry Child.
The group plans to complete the wedding and flee at noon.
Kate mends Chloe's dress and shares the lesson “Don't bury it alive.”
The wedding takes place at Small Angels, but the escape is interrupted by a pale creature.
Sam sacrifices himself by running in the opposite direction to draw the creature away.
Kate drives off with Chloe, but a deer causes a crash into a tree.
Harry Child approaches with a briar circle, and Chloe begins to choke.
The bells of Small Angels ring for the first time in ten years, and Kate asks what Lucia has done.

Character Development

Chloe moves from helpless victim to someone who begins to understand her role. She initially blames herself for waking Harry, but Kate's reassurance and the group's shared burden help her see that the guilt isn't hers alone. Her decision to go through with the wedding, despite her fear, shows her resilience. She also shows empathy for Kate, asking how she managed after Elphine's death, and pins a cornflower on Kate's waistcoat as a gesture of gratitude.

Sam steps into a protective role. He listens to Chloe without skepticism, brings her to the Albatross, and later makes a selfless choice: he runs toward the creature to draw it away from Chloe, risking his own life. This act shows his commitment and love, and it also marks a shift from his earlier reluctance to confront the truth.

Kate emerges as a key figure. She is tired but unsurprised by the news, suggesting she has long carried knowledge of Mockbeggar. She shares practical remedies and a hard-won lesson, and she takes charge of the escape plan. Her final question about Lucia reveals her complicated relationship with the Gonnes and hints at a deeper history.

John Pauncefoot, Brian Last, and Elizabeth Daunt represent the village's awakening. They acknowledge that they have been complicit in leaving the Gonnes to handle the danger alone, and they now want to share the burden. This marks a moral shift from passive acceptance to active responsibility.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Guilt and Responsibility: Chloe's guilt over the coins is a central theme. Kate's response—that it was inevitable—challenges the idea of individual blame, suggesting that the village's collective neglect is the real cause. The group's decision to share the burden reinforces this.

The Wedding as Facade: The wedding ceremony becomes a performance to deceive Harry Child. Chloe's joy is hollow, and the beautiful church feels like a trap. This motif highlights the contrast between appearance and reality, and the way rituals can be emptied of meaning when survival is at stake.

The Bells of Small Angels: The bells ring for the first time in ten years, breaking the silence that has hung over the church. They serve as a signal of change, a call to action, and a possible source of protection. The sound distracts Harry and may be Lucia's doing, suggesting a turning point.

The Noose and the Briar Circle: The noose of Mockbeggar and the briar circle are symbols of entrapment and death. Chloe's choking and the taste of earth connect her to the buried past, while the briars suggest a ritualistic, almost fairy-tale threat.

Don't Bury It Alive: Kate's cryptic advice—likely about facing trauma rather than suppressing it—becomes a guiding principle. It suggests that the characters must confront the past instead of hiding from it.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the climax of the novel's central conflict. It brings together the main characters, reveals the full scope of the danger, and forces them to act. The wedding, which was meant to be a celebration, becomes a desperate escape attempt. Sam's sacrifice and the car crash raise the stakes, and the sudden ringing of the bells introduces a new element that could change everything. The chapter also deepens the theme of collective responsibility, as the villagers finally acknowledge their complicity. It sets up the final confrontation and leaves readers with a cliffhanger: what has Lucia done?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Kate tell Chloe not to feel guilty about removing the copper coins?

Kate explains that most of the coins were already gone, and Harry's return was inevitable. She suggests that his choice of Chloe might have been due to the church being opened, her happiness, or simply his hatred. This shifts the blame from Chloe to the larger circumstances and the village's neglect.

2. What does Kate mean by “Don't bury it alive”?

Kate shares this lesson after Chloe asks how she managed after Elphine's death. It implies that suppressing trauma or painful memories only makes them worse; one must face them directly. This advice foreshadows the need to confront Harry Child rather than flee.

3. How does Sam's action during the escape demonstrate his character growth?

Sam runs in the opposite direction to draw the creature away from Chloe, risking his own life. This selfless act shows his commitment to protecting her and his willingness to face danger directly, a contrast to his earlier reluctance to engage with the truth about Mockbeggar.