Part 2 - The Past - Chapters 5 and 6 Summary

Chapter Five - The first part of this chapter describes the house (in Twickenham) of Naomi's aunt, and how Naomi stays in the kitchen to prepare tea while Max joins Karen under a blooming cherry tree in the now unkempt garden. Narration describes how casual and comfortable the three of them had been the day before (see "Quotes," p. 111), and how at the time Karen considered herself foolish for having worried so much. Narration also briefly describes the circumstances of Karen and Max's relationship in Paris - how Max had been friends with Madame Fisher, how he had always been around the boarding house but had been remarkably discreet around the young female boarders, and how Karen's discreetly wise mother made sure Ray was around when Karen returned to England (see...