70 pages • 2 hours read
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
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Chapters 17-29Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, sexual content, antigay bias, and gender discrimination.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Letter from Miss Edwina Paltry to Her Sister, Clara”
Friday, May 3, 1940
Miss Paltry executes her baby-swapping plan. She administers a labor-inducing potion to both Hattie and Mrs. Winthrop. When Mrs. Winthrop delivers a girl, Miss Paltry falsely declares a breathing emergency requiring treatment at her house. She bribes Elsie into silence and enlists her to look after the infant.
Miss Paltry then rushes to Hattie, who gives birth to a boy. She repeats the same deception and takes this infant as well. At her home, she swaps the babies, giving the girl to Hattie, who names her Rose, and successfully delivering the boy to Mrs. Winthrop, who names him Lawrence Edmund.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Letter from Venetia Winthrop to Angela Quail”
Friday, May 3, 1940
Having successfully seduced Alastair Slater in the stable, Venetia visits his studio; she discovers his modern artwork and becomes jealous upon finding a nude portrait of another woman. She insists he paint her nude, and though he initially resists, he agrees when she disrobes.
Venetia finds herself developing genuine romantic feelings for Alastair, realizing that she is falling in love rather than simply pursuing a conquest. Alastair remains secretive about his past and appears preoccupied with the war.
