Chapters 15 & 16: Aunt Queenie's Decision, Sitting on a Time Bomb Summary

The relationship between Avanelle and Delrita blooms. The two girls quickly become inseparable, and Delrita's crush on Tree grows. When she returns to Aunt Queenie's house one day, however, Delrita's feeling of excitement and calm is spoiled: Punky has cut all the leaves off Aunt Queenie's beloved plants and now she's talking about sending him to the workhouse. Once again, Delrita is outraged. At dinner that night, Delrita finally explodes, shouting at Aunt Queenie, calling her names, and making horrific accusations. After her outburst, Delrita's gaze falls on her new swan. How could she carve something so delicate and beautiful when she is filled with this overwhelming feeling of hatred?

The next day, Delrita takes Punky to the Shacklefords' house. There, she tells Avanelle all about Aunt...