Prisoners in the Apartment
Montoni turns back to Madame Montoni, who vehemently denies the charge, but his rage only intensifies. Emily throws herself between them, clinging to Montoni’s knees and pleading with him through her distress, but he is completely unmoved by her appeal or his wife’s indignation. He is called out of the room mid-threat, and as he leaves, he locks the door and takes the key, leaving Emily and Madame Montoni trapped as prisoners. Emily realizes Montoni’s designs are growing more violent, and concludes his willingness to accuse his wife without evidence stems from his own consciousness of his cruelty toward her, and his general habit of acting impulsively without regard for justice or humanity.
Annette’s Alarm
After Montoni locks their chamber door and takes the key, Madame Montoni continues to discuss escape plans with Emily, though Emily stresses that the castle’s gates are heavily secured and guarded, and that trusting a servant with their scheme carries the extreme risk of betrayal or accidental disclosure, even as she fervently wishes to regain her freedom and return to France and prioritizes her aunt’s safety above all else. While the pair sit in strained, breathless silence, they hear the distant murmur of conflict and the sound of clashing swords filtering through the gallery, leading them to fear that violent fighting has broken out among the castle’s occupants. A knock then sounds at the chamber door, and Annette’s trembling voice begs to be let in, explaining that the fighting has spread and she is in danger of being attacked, before adding that Ludovico is down in the hall fighting alongside the other men; when Madame Montoni tells her the Signor holds the key and they cannot open the door, Annette cries out that their enemies are approaching the chamber before fleeing at Emily’s urging.
Madame Montoni Seized
Moments later, Montoni enters the room with three rough-looking men, orders them to seize Madame Montoni, and has her carried out of the room screaming. Emily is so horrified that she faints, collapsing onto a nearby couch. When she regains consciousness, she is alone, with only fragmented, terrifying memories of the event, and no information about her aunt’s fate.
Emily Alone
After recovering from her faint, Emily checks the door and finds it unlocked, so she steps out into the gallery, but is immediately confronted by the distant sounds of fighting and rough men rushing through the passages, leaving her terrified and feeling as though she is surrounded by fiends.
The Lesser Hall
Emily makes her way to the lesser hall, the only place she can think to go for information, which is silent and deserted. She sits down to catch her breath, and the eerie quiet is as frightening as the chaos she just escaped. She uses the stillness to collect her scattered thoughts, realize the full extent of her personal danger, and consider how to stay safe. She knows searching the vast, winding castle for her aunt is futile, as every passage seems to be occupied by ruffians, and she cannot stay in the lesser hall in case it becomes a gathering place for Montoni’s men, nor can she risk returning to her chamber for fear of encountering them on the way.
CHAPTER X
This is the second fragment of Chapter X (Chapter 23), detailing Emily’s experiences after a wounded man is brought to the castle hall, her retreat to her private chamber, her midnight venture to search the east turret for her missing aunt Madame Montoni, her encounter with the locked-up Annette in a gallery, her exploration of the turret, and Montoni’s departure from a nearby chamber.
The Hall and the Wounded Man
Emily hides trembling in the castle hall as approaching footsteps and voices draw near, and is trapped when the only exit is the passage the group is using. Four men carry a groaning, wounded man into the hall, and are too occupied to notice Emily, who is too weak from fear to leave even when given the chance. She leans against the wall, nearly fainting but retaining consciousness, too terrified to look at the wounded person as the bearers tend to him.
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