Chapter 35: Violet

Summary

• Violet discovers the house she is in belonged to her late mother, part of the Weyward family.
• She finds herself in a rundown and dusty environment, feeling alone and reflecting on her situation.
• Eating cold food and attempting to light a candle, Violet is hit by the reality of her mother's past life there.
• The dilapidated garden and presence of crows create a sense of eerie connection to her family heritage.
• Overcome by nausea and a headache, Violet searches for water and eventually finds an old pump outside.
• She attempts to cleanse the house and herself, albeit without soap, a reflection of her isolation and desolation.
• Violet contemplates her mother's poverty and if it was the reason for her father's secrecy and possible shame.
• She reflects on the nature of witches and questions the stories about them, relating them to her mother.
• Discovering a locked bureau, Violet uses a small key from her locket to unlock it, finding old papers.
• She discovers letters from her father to her mother, revealing a romantic connection, and one desperate letter from her mother.
• Violet's mother's letter details her regret, a coerced act that led to multiple deaths, and her subsequent imprisonment and deteriorating mental health.
• Lizzie, Violet's mother, realizes her error in trusting Rupert, Violet's father, who sought to use her for his gain.
• Rupert's letters uncover his manipulation, desire to conceal Lizzie's witchcraft, and the sinister turn to medically harm Lizzie.
• Violet is devastated to learn that her mother was forced into surgery that likely led to her death rather than dying in childbirth.
• Conflicted by the contents of her mother's letter, Violet grapples with the potential implication in her relatives' deaths and her father's motivations.
• Violet seeks the truth about her grandmother, Elinor, and her mother's legacy mentioned in the letter.
• In the bureau, Violet finds an ancient book belonging to her ancestor Altha, possibly a significant part of her family's legacy.