payment page
Summary
Chapter Fifteen
Millie is preparing for Nina’s PTA party, and everything has to be perfect. The house seems to become filthy overnight, so she runs out of time to finish all of her chores. She nearly cries from the stress, and Andrew comforts her and offers to pick up the hors d'oeuvres. Cecelia obediently accompanies him, and Millie is impressed that she obeys him so easily. When Millie remarks that Cecelia looks like Andrew, Andrew reveals that he is not her biological father. Millie admires Andrew even more for marrying a woman with a child and raising her as his own. Andrew sadly tells her that he wishes he could have a dozen children, indicating that he and Nina aren’t having any luck getting pregnant.
Chapter Sixteen
At the PTA party, Millie stands next to Nina and her friends, but they talk as if she’s not there. When one of the women complains about lukewarm hors d'oeuvres, Nina blames Millie, although she never asked Millie to heat them up. The women commiserate that good help is hard to find, and that the people seeking to be hired are either lazy Americans or immigrants who don’t speak English, like Enzo. Nina suddenly scolds Millie for calling her by her first name and insists she call her “Mrs. Winchester.”
Nina gets emotional and excuses herself after telling her friends that she and Andrew are trying for a baby. Millie has the opportunity to hear the women’s unvarnished opinions of Nina. They criticize Nina’s weight and eating habits, as well as the visible dark roots in her hair. They imply that she won’t be able to keep Andrew happy, and that if they divorce, she’ll get nothing, as she signed a prenup and Andrew never adopted Cecelia. They also mention that Nina was committed to a psychiatric institution, which makes Millie sympathize with her. She realizes that she should be more understanding about Nina’s erratic behavior. Finally, the women also remark that they would never hire a pretty, young maid like Millie to live in the house with their husbands, and that Nina must be dying of jealousy.
Chapter Seventeen
While Nina and Andrew go to their fertility appointment, Millie babysits Cecelia. She is relieved when Cecelia asks for a simple bologna sandwich for lunch, but when she serves the sandwich, Cecelia insists she asked for an abalone sandwich and throws it on the ground. Millie is about to lose her temper when Nina and Andrew arrive home, visibly haggard and upset. Millie asks how it went, and Nina yells at her for being nosy and for the mess from the sandwich. She storms off, and Andrew says they received bad news: Nina can’t get pregnant. He expresses his disappointment that he won’t be having a biological child, and Millie is touched that he’s confiding in her. He apologizes for Nina and says that while she’s temperamental, she likes Millie and appreciates her work. Millie doubts that, but feels genuine sympathy for Nina’s plight.
Chapter Eighteen
Millie wakes up to the sound of shouting and a loud crash. She tries to go downstairs to investigate, but the doorknob sticks. When she descends the stairs, she hears Nina screaming at Andrew that he could have had a baby if he were married to a younger woman. Andrew tries to placate her, and then Millie hears two more loud crashes. While she’s deciding whether she should open the door, it opens on its own. Nina has blood all over her right hand and a bloodstain running from her hip down her leg. She assures Millie that she just cut her hand, but Millie worries that Nina may have hurt Andrew, or even killed him. She asks where Andrew is, and Nina is insulted at the accusation. She tells Millie to go back to the attic, but Millie refuses, so Nina threatens to fire her. Their tense stand-off ends when Millie hears Andrew turn on the faucet in the bathroom. As Millie leaves, Nina calls out to her, and Millie thinks she looks like an angel in her white nightgown, except for the blood. Nina orders her never to come out of the attic at night again.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning, Nina is perfectly pleasant to Millie. Millie almost thinks the night before was a dream, except Nina has a bandage on her right hand. Millie asks for dates to book a Broadway show, Andrew’s attempt to cheer Nina up after their fertility news. Millie feels sorry for Nina, but she is also jealous of her seemingly perfect life: wealth, a beautiful house, and a good-looking, considerate husband. She fantasizes about living Nina’s life and being with Andrew.
Enzo brings a package to the house so Millie doesn’t have to carry it from the gate. She decides to seduce him so she can distract herself from fantasizing about Andrew. At first, he doesn’t understand, but when she touches his chest and gives him a suggestive look, he recoils and starts yelling in Italian while looking fearfully at the stairwell. Before leaving, he tells Millie she should get out, and repeats that she’s in danger.
Analysis: Chapters Fifteen-Nineteen
One major theme in these chapters is the fluctuating power dynamics and the blurred lines between employee and family member. Nina’s public scolding over the hors d'oeuvres and her insistence on being called “Mrs. Winchester” underscore the constantly shifting boundaries, leaving Millie perpetually unsure of her position within the household. Standing by Nina’s side during the PTA party, Millie is treated as an outsider, with the other partygoers talking around her and reinforcing the social divide. This dynamic highlights Millie’s ongoing struggle to navigate her role in a space where she is neither fully an employee nor part of the family.
These shifting dynamics are further complicated when Millie overhears the PTA party gossip about Nina. This glimpse into Nina’s personal struggles challenges Millie’s previous perceptions and adds depth to her understanding of Nina’s erratic behavior. It also reflects how Nina’s social status is marred by both her mental health and her perceived failure to meet societal expectations, generating a complex mix of empathy and disdain from Millie. Although Millie doesn’t explicitly consider it, there are parallels between Nina’s situation and Millie’s own struggles as an outsider. Millie observes that Nina isn’t truly close with anyone, not even her so-called “best friend,” which mirrors Millie’s own isolation after spending years in prison.
The revelation that Nina and Andrew cannot have a child further humanizes them, as Millie realizes that despite their wealth, there are some things money cannot buy. This development elicits genuine concern from Millie for Nina, juxtaposed with her lingering envy of Nina’s seemingly perfect life. Millie’s emotional involvement deepens, and this is the first time she openly fantasizes about assuming Nina’s life.
Cecelia’s behavior reflects the influence of her mother, Nina, demonstrating how the daughter mirrors the behaviors she observes. Cecelia wields her power over Millie just like Nina does, tossing her shoes and bag haphazardly while keeping her dress pristine, and lying about the directions she’s given Millie, echoing Nina’s erratic and manipulative tendencies.
Chapter Eighteen introduces a dramatic turn when Millie overhears a violent confrontation between Nina and Andrew. This is the first time actual violence, rather than implied, has entered the narrative. Nina’s dismissive and threatening reaction to Millie’s inquiries, coupled with her command for Millie to remain in the attic, intensifies the tension and suspicion. The contrast between Nina’s serene demeanor the following morning and the violence of the previous night further complicates Millie’s understanding of Nina and destabilizes her perception of her environment.
