70 pages 2 hours read

Rachel Beanland

The House Is on Fire

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Part 4, Chapters 83-95

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 4: “Sunday, December 29th 1811”

Part 4, Chapter 83 Summary: “Gilbert”

Gilbert returns to Kemp’s smithy to find Marcus injured inside. He was beaten by Kemp and Elliott because Elliott realized that Gilbert is Cecily’s uncle. Gilbert insists that Cecily is dead. Marcus says he told Kemp about Gilbert forging a pass for himself, saying he had to tell him something.

Kemp returns with Elliott and asks why Gilbert didn’t say that Cecily was his niece. Gilbert replies that he didn’t think it mattered. Elliott becomes enraged and begins screaming that he wants Gilbert arrested, both for forging a pass and helping a a fugitive from slavery. This upsets Kemp, and Gilbert observes that he is happy to give orders but not to take them. Kemp has Gilbert arrested to placate Elliott and to punish him for forging the pass, and Gilbert is knocked out.

Part 4, Chapter 84 Summary: “Cecily”

Della shows up at the carriage shop to say goodbye to Cecily. Cecily is upset by her mother’s injuries and restates that she regrets coming back after the fire, but Della disagrees. She says she was wrong to tell Cecily that she shouldn’t have come back, and she is glad that she and the rest of their family know that Cecily is alive.

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