A Fall of Marigolds

Clara tries desperately to think of reasons for refusing to meet her father. She cannot bring herself to lie to him, and so she decides to ask her supervisor in such a way that she will be denied permission. However, her supervisor instead replies, “No one on my staff is as dedicated as you are, Nurse Wood. But you can’t let your work be your everything. Go have lunch with your father on Friday” (205). Even the harried supervisor has noticed that Clara has not left the island.

Dolly too insists that Clara must go, that she is just as worried about Clara as are Clara’s parents. Dolly even offers to go with Clara but is unable to get the time off. Ethan tells Clara that he will accompany her instead. Clara is furious that Dolly has confided in Ethan, and Ethan points out that Dolly’s willingness to discuss Clara with Ethan is not a betrayal but an indicator of how much she loves Clara. Ethan notes, “She cares about [Clara] more than she cares about how angry [Clara] will be” (210). Clara is still angry and tells Ethan that he only wants to help her because he feels sorry for her, but Ethan denies that pity is the only reason he wants to help her, though he does insist that “[e]ven if that were the only reason, it would be reason enough” (211). Unfortunately, their conversation is cut short with no clear resolution. 

Clara is unable to stay angry at Dolly; she gets over her anger with Ethan as well, agreeing that it is probably a good idea for him to come with her when she leaves the island. Dolly helps her prepare for her meeting with her father. Clara retrieves Andrew’s pattern book and the scarf for Dolly to give to him; Andrew is being discharged the same day Clara is going to meet her father. Clara flips through the pattern book out of curiosity and finds a letter written by Andrew’s father to Andrew and Andrew’s brother Nigel. In it, he talks about love, stating, “The person who completes your life is not so much the person who shares all the years of your existence, but rather the person who made your life worth living, no matter how long or short a time you were given to spend with them” (214). Clara is struck by doubt again about the wisdom of giving Andrew Lily’s letter but hands the scarf over to Dolly despite her fears. The next day, Clara is relieved to discover that Andrew was discharged and on the first ferry off the island; she no longer has to worry that she will have to deal with his reaction to Lily’s letter or his anger that she read the letter without permission. She is also sad that he has left, noting, “It seemed that a chapter had ended in [her] life, and again, [she] had nothing to show for it” (217).

Clara has a panic attack on the ferry, but Ethan kindly talks her through it, stroking her hands, even complimenting her for her bravery. Clara reveals that she was never afraid of anything before, but Ethan disagrees, telling her, “Everybody’s afraid of something […]. You can’t be human and be afraid of nothing” (222). Clara admits she no longer wants to be afraid of leaving Ellis Island. Clara then explains why she has responded so intensely to Edward’s death—that she feels responsible for his death. She acknowledges that most people don’t believe in love at first sight but insists that she “did love him” and that he loved her, they just “didn’t have the time to tell each other” (223). Ethan assures Clara that Edward’s death was not her fault, and he believes in love at first sight because it happened to his parents. Ethan next reveals that Dolly told him about the letter. He seems to disapprove of Clara’s decision to give Andrew the letter but admits that he doesn’t know if “any decision you could make would be the right one” (224). Ethan suggests that Clara visit Edward’s grave, that it might lessen her grief. Clara agrees to go with Ethan to look up Edward’s obituary and find where he is buried after her lunch with her father. As the ferry docks on the mainland, Clara has another panic attack, but it is not as severe as the first, and she is able to leave the boat.