The Root Cellar Chapter Summaries

Chapter one - Rose

Rose is an orphan whose parents died when she was three. And went to live with her Grandmother
(mothers mom) in NYC. There she was raised with little affection and the constant surrounding of adults.
Rose didnt go to school and was taught by her grandmother, so she had little child interaction.
Consequently, Rose though she was the only one of her kind and often feels misplaced in the world. She
grew up in hotels and ate at restaurants. When her grandmother died, she is sent to live with her Aunt Nan
and Uncle Bob (who are described as having no sense) in Ottawa, Ontario. She is dressed in chic clothes
before she departs by her Aunt Stella and receives a new haircut. Stella drives her down to Ottawa, before
Stella leaves to go to Toronto. But in a hurry her Aunt unpacks her luggage from the car and departs, even
though there is no one home. Rose seems to see the house in a brighter light before and much less run
down and then the vision vanishes. She then notices a pair of eyes that eventually become those to whom
she engages in a conversation with Mrs. Morrissey, who wants Rose to help her fix her home. Mrs.
recognises Rose and acts like she has known her before. She disappears when the family arrives in a van.

Chapter two The Hose at Hawthorne Bay

Rose meets the family, George and Sam who are the oldest (14/15) and the twins Jimmy and Brian. She
receives a hug and a kiss from Aunt Nan (who Rose notices most of her plumpness is from pregnancy), and
is shocked because she has never had that kind of affection before. Grimalkin (meaning grey cat) is also
introduced. Rose Is shown to her room and insists on carrying her old suitcase. The room is dirty and the
wallpaper is falling off. Much like the rest of the house, it needs work. Uglier or more depressing. She is
told that it is a fixer-upper now that uncle Bob is retired from the force. George and Sam finish brining up
Roses suitcases and place them around her. The awkwardly say they goodbyes and Rose is left alone.
Soon after she is called for supper and on her way down looks into a room and notices a lady making the
bed of a four-poster. She notes the fire and the cheerful tidiness that isnt seen in the rest of the house.
Reaching downstairs it is really noisy and rambunctious. At Dinner she mentions the lady that she saw
upstairs, calling her the maid, and is made fun of because there is apparently no made in the house. After
dinner and after being humiliated she wonders why the Hennerys are keeping things from her, the things
like Mrs. Morrissey and the lady. She cannot sleep and runs outside to find and make her own secret
garden, just like the book, which her mother gave to her.

Chapter three Ghosts

Rose came into the kitchen the next morning to her the discussions that George had seen a ghost last
night, a silhouette. Rose is then informed that Aunt Nan has to go to Toronto for a book thing and that the
boys are off to school and Uncle Bob to work he would be back at 4:30. She takes the afternoon to go
looking around. But seems paranoid of ghosts and believes that Mrs. Morrissey and the lady might be
ghosts. Going into the Twins room where she say the Lady, she cleans up and wastes most of her day
playing with their toy train after she has fixed it. Walking towards the kitchen she was sure to have seen
Mrs. Morrissey but turns and she is gone, but notices a basket of eggs that she left. Going out the play in
the glade, when she hears the bus pull in she runs upstairs to her room where the boys thank her for fixing
their train and ask if she wants to play. She says no but the boys stay to watch her unpack her things. That
night after Aunt Nan came home she is insulted by Sam, who is privately talking to Aunt Nan, who calls her
pink haired and snooty and snobby. The next few days she feels vulnerable and defenceless when George
is around, she changes out of her clothes that George also made fun of, and ties an bandana over her head
and spends her time silently doing chores and in the garden. On Thursday she is taken to school and is
proved to be at the Gr. 8 level and then Aunt Nan buys her some clothes. Rose then complains about all
the people coming to the house to see the Ghost the George saw (b/c aunt Nan mentioned it at her
reading). Frustrated at being called characters from Aunt Nans books and at Sam laughing, she lashes out
at him and goes up to her room where she writes a letter to her Aunt and explains that she will go to a
boarding school to just get out of this house and looks to and sees Mrs. Morrissey between the wall.

Chapter four The Root Cellar

Mrs. Morrissey explains that she isnt a ghost, but that she shifts and that it randomly happens. She shows
Rose the wallpaper she put up in this room and asks Rose to help restore her house. She doesnt want Rose

to go back to NYC and Rose cannot understand how she knows she knows so much about her. When Mrs.
Morrissey vanishes light a light switch, Rose spots her handkerchief outside running across the lawn and
follows it. There she stumbles upon a door on the ground. With a bit of strength she is able to open it and
discover that it is a root cellar with pickling and beats. She wonders why Aunt Nan would store this out
here if it were so hard to get into. Suddenly someone comes down the steps and asks Rose what she is
doing there, going on about the Mrs. and how she wont like it if shes here. Following the girl and very
confused, when she sees the house its like the nice picture she saw when she arrived. She realises that
she is now the one what has shifted.

Chapter five Susan

Rose meets Will (~14/15) and Susan in this chapter. Will is found playing on the roof with his flute trying to
talk to the birds. At first Susan and Will both think that Rose is a boy, but they are corrected. Rose explains
that she has come from NYC (where Susan comments that the war must be awful) and Susan assumes that
she has come via ship, on her fathers ship (schooner). She explains that it will be there for ages so she
doesnt have to return so soon. She learns that Will is a boy of the house and that Susan is a hired girl. Not
knowing what to di with Rose, they insist that she return to her boat and to where she came from, with her
being a girl there is no place in the barn. Rose isnt much welcome to stay because the missus has been
rather off since she lost her husband in a fall and her son Adam in the war. So Rose instead of being
escorted back to the ship tells them that she isnt actually lost and heads back down the lane and when
away from Wills sight stops at a tree and falls asleep, thinking how easy it is to talk to them and that this
is where she belongs. The next day she returns (After getting lost first and meeting a mean baring dog) like
they hoped and finds Will in his boat. She calls him over and hops in. There she decides that she will Marry
Will, and finds it an odd though because she has never thought about loving anyone before. Will is able to
flute with the birds and calls Rose a good luck charm. They talk about school and the date and the war, as
well as some family history of the Morrissey history. After they return and have dinner outside with Susan,
where Rose confides in them, telling them of her shifting. Though they dont believe her, they refuse to
send her back somewhere she is treated badly. She learns they are indeed Morrissey(s). So they agree to
keep her in the barn for the night. Susan heads to milk the cow (Pearly), and Will brings their dinner plates
inside. When Rose catches sight of the missus and her dark appearance she become frightened and runs
back into the cellar where she shifts back to the Hennerys and way form 1862.

Chapter six Will

Rose is frantic when she discovers that she cannot get back to the year 1862 despite attempts. When she
sees one of the twins she tells him to shut up and its really rude. She had never said that word to anyone
before. She then realises when she is called for dinner that it is the same day/time it was before she left for
Susan and Wills world. She starts school in this chapter and is bitter about being there, and afraid of the
other kids. Months passed and Rose grew ever more frustrated and glum. The Hennerys think that the
insulted her but grew accustomed to her presence. One day, Rose, thinking she couldnt take it anymore,
got off the bus a stop early with the Heaton boys. Walking home she stops to help and older man with a
fence, she recognizes his house from the time she got lost in 1862. He notices her fondness of his house
and he invites her in for some tea. The two get talking and Rose learns that he is a Bother called Old
Tom. Tom knows about all the family names and the Morrisseys. Says that his family has grown up there
since 1802. (they were originally kicked out of the states in 1776 due to the unwillingness of them in the
American Revolution) and started farming. On her way home she gets the idea that it was the direction of
the sun and the shadows that allowed her to travel back. The shadow is directly over the crack when she
opens the door of the cellar and shifts. She realises that time acts differently there by the look of the trees.
She sees Will and Susan, much older now, talking by a tree. Will is running always from home and towards
the states to fight in the war. Susan has to promise not to tell his mother and gives him her Grams locket.
She is threatened to keep the secret (Will would break both her arms and dump her in the river). Upon
seeing Will leave, Rose feels robbed and betrayed. How could will go and leave for the war? How could
they grow up without her?

Chapter seven A song and a silver Rose

Rose comes back up to modern day and blames herself because how can she fix it she is not there? So she
packed an overnight bag and heads back through the cellar (no knowing the key to traveling between
times, she can do it at will). She arises to see Susan hanging clothes outside the vegetable garden and
Rose approaches her and scares her. Susan is taken aback at her presence and doesnt understand what
happened three years ago. Rose explains to her that she hasnt aged, but only three weeks, whereas it has

been 3 years since rose was there last. Susan after a few moments comes to terms with the situation
because Rose can. Then Rose hears that Susan hasnt heard from Will in eight moths and that the war
ended four months ago. Rose promises that they will find Will and comes up with a plan to return to her
own time and ask Old Tom about what happened to William Morrissey (seeing you wouldnt find his name
in a history book - like she first thought). To ensure that the same amount of time passes for Rose as it
does for Susan they exchange tokens. Rose gives Susan her Locket from her mother and Susan gives Rose
the song that Will wrote for her after that day the three shared at the Orchard (song of the birds?). Rose
leaves through the cellar.

Chapter eight Stowaway

Rose begins the chapter by asking the Hennerys about the civil war. Aunt Nan says that theyre many
encyclopaedias in her study and that Rose could start there. But just as Susan had said, there was nothing
about Will in them. The next day, after school, Rose heads to Old Toms house to ask a few questions. He
provides insight about wheat selling and schooners but has no helpful information on Will. Rose then gets
the idea to go to Oswego, and learns from Old Tom that Uncle Bob is heading there is weekend. The boys
(Sam and George) no letting Rose tag along on their trip with their father, causes Rose to act as a
stowaway in the boot of the car under the coats and the smell of egg. At the boarder, after they are
passed, Rose feels sick and is discovered and vomits at the side of the road. Furious, they ride in silence
and when they arrive in the hotel Rose is able to stay, but Aunt Nan is cross at home. The next day the
children are off to do their own thing, and Rose heads to the Fort Ontario. There she buys her ticket and
insists on meeting with the curator, Mr. Ancaster. Upon meeting with him she tells him that she is looking
for information on Will and his enlistment in 1864 (because her Aunt is writing a true story on him and
cannot travel because she is pregnant). Mr. Ancaster looks through the records. They discover that both
Will and his cousin Steve said that they were from Oswego and joined the 81 st regiment (who fought in
some of the worst battles after 64). There is nothing about their departure though, but the curator says
that the records are incomplete. A number of things could have happened. Rose take ta photocopy of the
page and leaves. She meets Sam at a wall, who apologizes for being mean to her and explains that his
dream of going to Italy was ruined because of her arrival, but feels sympathy for her and is sorry. Rose
explains that no one can like her though because she doesnt belong there. Feeling she can confide in Sam
after his apology, she tells him about everything. He believes the ghost stuff but no the time travel. They
walk and he plays her song on his Harmonica. He says to her that she is family and that she belongs with
them, because her father was his mothers brother. This is strange to Rose because she has never though
about her father as a real person before. Same and Rose talked and despite not believing completely that
Sam didnt hate her, she began to develop a warm feeling inside her.

Chapter nine The accident

Upon their return home hey meet Aunt Nan outside who is furious and explains that Rose is the most
selfish, ungrateful girl and that she is cruel. Nan explains that she found the letter that Rose wrote to her
Aunt when Nan went to collect her dirty laundry because she felt sad for her. Nan in her anger called her
Aunt Stella and she threatened with an orphanage. Rose about to run to the cellar, when Nan shows the
family the letter, is chased after by Nan, who calls Rose a coward, but Nan slips on wet leaves and falls a
faints. Rose thinking she killed Aunt Nan and the baby feels horrid and doesnt go play with the others,
hearing the news that her aunt is put on bed rest from the doctor (but that she and the baby are fine) Rose
runs to the cellar and cries. Almost missing the shadow in her tears, but she gathers herself and goes into
the cellar.

Chapter ten - When the wind comes up

Rose arrives and sits on the porch in tears. The same amount of time has passed for the both of them.
Susan finds her and comforts her and tries to reason with Rose saying that she should go back to the
people that treat her well and that eventually she will get their ways. In the mean time they talk about Will
and Rose tells her what she found out. It them become obvious to Rose that they must travel to Oswego
together. At first Susan is not willing but eventually she grabs her money (that her parents have her for her
future wedding) and some money from the Missus and they leave for the docks via row boat. They catch a
ride with Captain Colliver. Susana insists that Rose act as a boy, that Susan will be much safer. Rose agrees
calling herself David, after her father. They arrive there and Rose takes in her surroundings and is
overwhelmed with the sites of the 1860s. Susan is looking for will. They arrive at Jeruess place (a boarding
home) and talk to Steves mother and her boys. They find out that she knows nothing more then them
except that Steve was injured badly and the letters stopped in February. Rose tells Mrs. Jerue that she is

from NYC and Mrs. Jerue insists that she must go back and that Susan must go back to Ontario because
there is no news and they must wait. Insisting that they stay Mrs. Jerue lets them go to the fort at least,
because she wont let them travel to Richmond. At the fort they talk with the Captain Prentiss. They learn,
from a fellow soldier, that the two boys were no where near cowards (skedaddles) and that they helped
each other. They learn that Will was never hurt as far as they know. If they took sick they are to be in
Washington. They return to the Jerues in hopes to convince her that they cannot be sent home, but she will
not hear of it. Rose, not accepting this sneaks off to the train station to inquire about tickets to
Washington (8 am $13 each). That night the girls plan their escape and tomorrow they fool the little boy on
the way to drop Susan off at the ship to turn back and get her shawl. They girls then sprint towards the
train station and make it onto the train towards Washington, hearing Mrs. Jerue call in the distance.
Rose in this chapter is maturing and takes change of the situations even though she is younger. She really
finds herself when she is in the 1860 and is more mature and confident in herself.

Chapter eleven The train to New York

Rose and Susan are on the train towards Syracuse. They have to get off there to transfer. The annoying
conductor, which they name Derringtion Halpenny, helps them transfer trains. Susan notes by the scenery
that America is just the same as Canada except that the Americans seem to be much busier. When they
transfer trains early, Rose asks for money to go buy lemonade, saying it is only 5 cents. (Which Susan
thinks is expensive and that Rose got robbed). Note that Susan notices the many black people on the train
and the drunken man behind them. The drunk man bugs them by pinching Roses nose and asking for her
to leave so he could have some alone time with Susan. He stops though when a fellow passenger tells him
to leave the girls alone. Driving through the landscape they notice how bare it is and are told it is because
of the locusts. When they reach Albany they step off the train to get some air, and Susan follows because
she doesnt want to be alone. When outside the drunken man, who grabs Susan, threatens them. Rose
yanks her free and they make a run for it. In doing this they loose sight of the trains station and have to
ask for directions back, only to find out that the train has left and that they left their money, their tickets
and their items on the train.

Chapter twelve Along the river

Rose, upset at Susan gets angry and discovers she has 20 cents in her pocket. Mad at Susan, she takes the
money and goes to eat a meat pie and a milkshake. She returns to the station to find Susan in tears and
crying, unsure about what to do and really hungry. Rose does feel guilty about this. Then Rose remembers
she must follow the river to NYC because of her Grandmothers teachings and set off along the river to
NYC. Rose suggests taking a dip in the river, but Susan thinks this is improper. As is got darker the girls
found a dairy cow, but Susan said it would be steeling to take the milk from it and unsafe to stay in a barn.
They continue and smell cooking chicken and stumble upon some cooking over a fire. The man that it
belongs to threatens them with a knife, but when he realises they are children he shares his food with
them. He was a solider, John Heggerty, and is missing one arm. He also mentions that he doesnt know
Will, but that he fought with his regiment. He thinks that the girls going to NYC/Washington is pointless
because they are moving soldiers out of there as fast as they can, and that if they were to have found Will
alive he would have been on his way home by now. The solider is also mad at the world because the town
doesnt give jobs to them because they are scary, and they are also scared of the little drummer boys, and
that his wife left him during the war because there was no money coming in. The girls then leave with him
in the morning; he suggests they follow the road to ensure that they get food. They set off with Roses
attitude of We have to just go.

Chapter thirteen A dollar a day

Rose and Susan see buns being put out and Susan reminds Rose of the 20 cents that she had from the
lemonade. Rose eventually admits that she spent it and Susan is really angry and hurt so she walks ahead
at a fast pace, too fast for Rose to care to keep up well. Rose feels worse than the time that she heard Sam
talking to Aunt Nan about her and about Aunt Nans accident. This time it was her fault and she didnt
want to loose Susans friendship. The girls end up stopping at the Sam houses 10 min apart and Rose says
that this is pointless. Suddenly she if offered a chance to ear 5 cents from a man and his stubborn horse.
Getting blisters when taking care of the horse, she becomes angry and says that Will and Susan could
drown in the Atlantic Ocean for all she cared. The man comes out of his house and finds it amusing that
the horse, Hermes, didnt eat Roses shirt. He calls her a good boy and gives her 10 cents and rides off.
She finds Susan to give her the money, but Susan says that it was not so much the money but the idea
that she never knew Rose was so mean. They have a meal of eggs at a farmers house with the money and

head out again. They stumble across the village of Paiseley. There the village was having a feast to
welcome the solders home and they are given some food to take with them. They continue and eat it
further on. They traveled the road for over a week managing 10 or 12 miles a day. They learned how to get
work and were sun burnt and sore. A man wanted a good time from Susan but Rose threatened him by
saying that he was a Drummer boy out of the 81st regiment. (191). Ever since the money incident things
are not the same between the girls. It is described as a job they must do together but that is all. They then
come across a blacksmith shop at the entrance of town, with board above, who offers a job to Rose, first
25 cents room and board a day for a whole week, but then agrees to a dollar a day if she works hard.
Susan suggests that she go to town to find a job and that they would have enough money by then end of
the week to take the train. The working conditions are brutal and Mr. Mass is no friend. Susan drops by and
is in awe of the conditions. She reports she has a job as a Hired girl for 50 cents a day. Susan returns the
next day to give food to Rose and never returns that week. Rose chants A dollar a day will get us to NY to
keep her strong. By the end of the week she doesnt get paid a dollar a day but only 25 cents an has to
stand up to Mr. Mass to ask for her pay, he argues that she didnt work hard enough for a dollar a day. He
goes to give her one bill but she takes to roll of bills and bolts. And is said to be the only one that got t take
anything from Mr. Mass by then men who cannot catch her. Then the man with the horse Hermes from
before sees Rose and laughs, saying he is a clever boy etc. and they note that Rose got eleven dollars
when she only needed 7. Rose asks that he return the extra 4 dollars but the man says that would be
foolish and instead offers to find Susan and take them to dinner. Instead though he gives them the 5
dollars for the meal and heads on his way after he collects Susan, saying that hey must have an interesting
story because they definitely are not brother and sister. His name was Augustus Delfinney. Susan took
some food from the missus instead of money, for Rose, and Rose then knew everything was all right again
between them. Three days later they board a train to NYC with Rose full of excitement and safety. But
when she gets off she is so stunned that this is not the exact station she knew, but that of the one in 1860
and she faints.

Chapter fourteen New York

Rose awakes with Susan and a lady watching over her and making her drink. They soon realise that their
money and luggage has not been turned in and that they will never get it back. Rose begins to feel
suffocated and doesnt feel like she belongs there, just as she had in her own time. She says that her shoes
and slacks belong to the boy David, who is Susans brother. She thinks of the Hennerys back home am
misses them and thinks she could apologize for the things she has done. She contemplates finding a way
to go back home but them realises that she cannot leave Susan because it is her that is responsible for the
reason they are there. She said she could go to Washington and Susan followed. So she stays up all night
thinking things over. They set out the next morning after an expensive breakfast and a shower and had to
the train for Washington via ferry to New Jersey.
This is a really good turning point for Rose. She doubts herself and that she belongs again but yet she
continues on for the better of someone else.

Chapter fifteen To find a brother

Getting on the train the girls ask the conductor when getting off of a place to stay. He invites them to go
see his sister at her boarding house up the way and to tell her that he said for them to come. On the way
Rose notices the dreadful state of the Washington and the chopped trees. There are tents for hospitals for
soldiers and Susan is curious about why there are so many black people there. Rose assumes that it is
because they came up when Lincoln announced his position with respect to the slaves. They make it to the
boarding house and the lady takes them in, Ms. Fiske, though she isnt very friendly. She notes that they
are brother and sister, and Rose insists that they are orphans not a charity case. Ms. Fiske orders them to
bathe and gets her two black workers John and Sally to prepare a bath. Susan notes how nice the black
people are the offer to clean their clothes for them. In the bath Rose says if she were to die there she
couldnt complain. After they are severed the leftovers of the meal from the 12 boarders and go to bed.
The next day the set off to the hospitals looking in the faces of the men without luck = no Will. It bothers
Rose so much that she is sick. That night they stay at one of the hospitals, refusing to go back to the cold
Christian Ms. Fiske and work at the hospital, Susan bandaging wound and Rose carrying trays. They hear of
one of the nurses talking about a boy that reminds them of will and ask her about him. They are then sent
to Georgetown (where the Matron thinks he might have gone) to look but he isnt there either. So Susan
gives in, and does what all the others suggested and goes to check the Arlington Cemetery. Upon entering
the cemetery they pass a soldiers who looks frail. Susan looking into his eyes realises that it is indeed Will.

Chapter sixteen Richmond is a hard road to travel

Once they find Will, Susan and Will sit on a bench and Rose curls up under a tree not far from them. Will
tells the story of what happened to him. Rose cried through out it. And Wills main thing was that he would
never leave Steve, and that Steve would never let Will take him to the hospital. Steve wanted to raise the
flag and for Will it wasnt as big of a deal. They were so excited at first but then took part in the worst
battle of the war. That was where Steve got shot. He still fought though. Will said it was because he was
using Wills energy and that Steve sort of thought that he (Steve) was invincible. When they did see the
flag go up, Will said that Susan was right, that it was never his war, never his battle to fight. After Wills
story Rose says that it is time to go home. (Want more details re-read chapter)

Chapter seventeen Im not coming home

They march back in single file at first. Rose then hurries up to Susan and realises that she is crying. So she
goes to talk to Will and mentions that Susan is crying. Will just holds her hand tightly and doesnt say
much. They eventually end up in a row and arrive at the Hospital in Greensboro. They get to bed, the girls
upstairs and Will on his normal cot with the wounded below. Rose realises that it is hard being a person,
lets Susan sleep and heads down to talk to Will. After she wakes him, he meets her outside on the porch.
He brings tea. She then tells him to give her some money because she wants to go back to her own time
because that it where she belongs, not stuck in the past. She doesnt want to be a 12-year-old boy, but
Rose Larkin with her ordinary family. She tells Will that she needs it to get back home because Susan wont
come with her unless he does. He says this is crazy, but then Rose says that he is being dumb if he doesnt
realise Susans personality for him by now. He gives her some money and in return she gives him his song.
Looking at it he becomes happy, and entranced. Rose wishes that he has his flute, but he says he lost it.
And that when he lost it that he didnt care much. He tells rose about the teacher who helped him write it
and that he saw Rose one time on the road a year after she had come, but that she vanished like a drop
before he had time to talk to her. It was at that time he realised that what she said about time travel was
true. He said that she thought she was amazing. Rose then tells him about her thoughts of marrying him,
but then says now that she has to leave because she wont be the one that marries him. He then tells her
that they will all leave together in the morning. She doesnt let him see her smile of satisfaction before
returning upstairs to bed.

Chapter eighteen The storm

Susan wakes Rose up after her hour nap and says that she loves her for all that she did and for getting will
to agree to go back. They take the train back and arrive at Ms. Jerues house and she welcomes them in.
Sad that Steve isnt there but glad that Will is safe. Will tells them stories, some sad and some happy, and
Rose and Susan tell theirs of how they found Will. Ms. Jerue tells of how mad she was at them but that she
wouldnt have it any other way now, knowing that Will was safe and on his way home. She feeds them a
big nice meal and gives them a wash and clothes. She takes the time to talk to Rose alone and discovers
that she is no boy. She gives Rose a dress and leaves. Rose puts it on and comes downstairs, Will is taken
aback and so are the boys. Saying that she was a girl and still worked for the blacksmith. Despite the
storm coming Rose insists that they leave now, insisting in her mind that she has to leave tonight or she
will never get back home. Ms. Jerue sys that there is always a place for all of them in her home and Charlie
asks Rose to be his girlfriend. Rose says that she is too old for him, but that there will always be a place for
him in her heart. They take a smaller schooner back then before and the water is rocky and they almost go
overboard. Rose is sick to her stomach and says that they couldnt have come all this way to die so close
to their destination. But they do make it back to the docks and the captain insists that they stay there till
morning. But Rose insists on leaving and Will comes. Susan says she will come too because Rose stuck
with her every step of the way. The way back is as black as a cat and the wind is so strong. They have no
issues finding their way back with will leading but it takes long. When they reach the river with the bridge
back to their house, it has flooded over and the bridge is gone. Will is able to get them all across and they
find the house. But then find that the root cellar is flooded with water. Rose plugs her nose and goes under.
Not even saying bye. She didnt think it worked, but when she emerges she sees Sam saying to her that it
is not safe to be out in such a storm.

Chapter nineteen Home

Sam gets Rose warm in her pyjamas and she tells him what happened, all of it. He says he shouldnt
believe her but that she looked different, tanned, and that she seemed and acted different also. Rose
asked if Aunt Nan hated her and Sam said that she never really hates anyone, just that she gets angry.
Rose goes up to apologize to her and Uncle Bob leaves the room. They both apologize and promise work

on getting to know each other better. Then there is a loud band and everyone, except Aunt Nan, ruses to
figure out what it was. The large tree, Roses tree, outside has fallen and destroyed the root cellar. She
realises that she can never go back, and that she never really said goodbye. Though she admits in her
heart that she knew she would never be able to go back. Uncle Bob begins to make lists to ensure that the
house is in working order with Aunt Nan out of commission. But somehow, Aunt Nan still runs the ship.
Rose helps her write her stories, at first this is awkward, but then it becomes normal. Rose thinks that the
story is rather quite ridiculous, and she alters it slightly. When re-reading the chapter to Aunt Nan the day
after, Nan admits that it is better and that she never remembered writing that. Rose then admits that she
changed it. Nan gets angry but says its because Rose is so much like her father stubborn and changing
things when he thinks they are amiss. Saying exactly what Rose said, that it was better than it was before.
Rose thinks to herself that Aunt Nan is very much like that too. As prickly and difficult as you are is the
saying that somehow brought her into Aunt Nans family. Christmas is approaching. Rose wishes she could
do something special for it because the family loves Christmas here.

Chapter twenty The Christmas kitchen

Rose decides that she is to make a Christmas dinner after she sees Susan doing the same in 1865 from as
scene that appears from the fireplace. She gets recipe books from Old Tom and then says he will buy a
goose for the family because that is his gift to them for inviting them over for dinner. She sets the table
and in doing Rose cooks all day with confidence, not letting anyone in the kitchen. Doing well she realises
that she forgot about the goose and notices that there will not be enough time. Instead she puts the oven
so high thinking that it will cook faster. But instead the goose is burnt and the dinner is ruined because
everything else is cold. Knowing that the family will hate her for making her regular sausage and cabbage
she does it anyway. But when the family appears the sight and the smell before them is much different.
The napkins and china is elegant and not dollar store like. The goose is perfectly golden and the mash
potatoes are warm and steaming. Old Tom is taken aback at the idea that a little girl could pull this off.
After the dinner Uncle Bob toasts to Rose. But then Rose admits that it was Susans doing and not hers.
She tells the story and some believe and some dont. Aunt Nan is thinking about how to make it into
chapters. Rose insists on cleaning up and locks the kitchen door to get to it. She wonders where to place
the dishes so that Susan can get them back. It wasnt from the fire that she heard the voice, but from the
rocking chair in the corner. Just leave them on the table. The voice came from Old Mrs. Morissay. Rose
becomes confused thinking it was Susan present, but it appears it was Old Mrs. Morissays. Then Rose
realises that Susan is Old Mrs. Morissay. She tells Rose that she married Will and that they house was
always full of music and laughter. They tried to have children but they died. They did have a girl, they
named her Rose, but she dies after 6 weeks. Will lived until he was sixty and Susan has been in the house
after. Susan gives back Rose her chain and says that she still remembers all their adventures together.
When Susan leaves, Rose knows she will never see her again, but that she is them determined to make the
house as it once was. Which was what Susan wanted from the start.