I’m the King of the Castle: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Helena has been lonely ever since she’s gotten to Warings. But she hasn’t allowed herself to acknowledge her loneliness; instead, she tells herself that Joseph has been “so very kind” to let her stay there.

One day, Helena gets a call from an old friend, Enid Tyson. As she talks with Enid, Helena remembers the world “outside this house and this village,” a world in which she was quite happy, and had nothing to do with Joseph Hooper. Joseph listens to Helena talk on the phone with Enid, and feels resentful: Helena’s been here for two months, and he doesn’t know anything about her past or her old friends.

As Helena talks on the phone, she says, in order that Joseph will hear her, “I have not quite made up my mind about the future.” By saying this, Helena hopes to make it clear that she has “retained her pride”—and that Joseph, not she, must be the one to make the decision.

Charles hears his mother on the phone. He’s not quite sure what she means by “the future.” He wonders if he and his mother will live somewhere else. He remembers living in a hotel for a brief time in London. Broughton-Smith found out about the hotel and teased him for living there.

Charles remembers Miss Mellitt, an old woman who lived in the hotel. Late at night, he often feared that Mellitt would come into his room. He had nightmares about her, too. Suddenly, Charles realizes something—the smell of the dolls in the cabinet of the upstairs room is very similar to the smell of Miss Mellitt.

Meanwhile, Joseph listens to Helena telling her friend, “I have not quite made up my mind about the future.” He decides that something is wrong: Helena doesn’t like living at Warings. He thinks about all the times he’s looked at Helena in her skirts and felt “disturbed.” This reminds him of his marriage. He and his wife slept in separate beds. Afterwards, he would go to London and stare at young women walking down the street and feel tempted. His new marriage, he decides, will be very different: this time, Helena will “answer to him, without the niceties and the restraints.” Joseph goes to bed, telling himself, “Tomorrow.”

A few days later, Charles feels anxious. Joseph is driving Charles and Edmund away from Warings, and Helena assures them that they’re in for a “lovely treat.” Charles thinks that he already knows what the secret is—he’s always known.

A few days earlier, Edmund announced that he knew something Charles didn’t know. Gleefully, he told Charles that Joseph was going to be Charles’s stepfather, since he was going to marry Helena very soon. Charles told Edmund to go away. Edmund said that he didn’t want Helena or Charles at Warings. Charles realizes that Edmund is genuinely angry—he doesn’t want other people in his house. This makes Charles feel calm, since it reminds him that Edmund doesn’t have any control over what happens.

Joseph drives Helena and the boys out to a “muddy field.” Charles, sensing what the surprise will be, becomes very afraid. Helena merrily says that Charles “used to be a bit frightened. But of course all that is quite forgotten.”

Charles can see that Joseph has driven them to a circus. They sit very close to the front of the ring, so that Charles can see the enormous captive animals and hear their terrible “braying.” He thinks, “I can’t get out.” Privately, Joseph is bored by the circus, and thinks, “It is just for the sake of the boys.” He notices the female acrobats, and touches Helena’s “silken knees.” Just then, Charles vomits.

A few days later, Helena tells Charles that she’s spoken to Fielding’s mother and invited her son, whose full name is Anthony Fielding, to tea. Charles doesn’t want this to happen, saying, “He’s my friend.” Helena insists that tea with Anthony will be fun for everyone.

Charles wonders what tea with Fielding will be like. He decides that Edmund won’t be able to frighten or embarrass Fielding, since Fielding is “invulnerable.”

Joseph and Helena talk about their wedding—they plan to marry in September, just before Charles and Edmund go off to school together.

During Fielding’s visit to Warings, Edmund offers to show Fielding inside the Red Room, and adds that Charles is very scared of what’s inside. In the Red Room, Fielding is delighted by the moths. Edmund says, “Dare you touch one?” and Fielding replies, “Yes. They’re only dead things. They can’t hurt you.” But Edmund doesn’t make Fielding touch a moth. Charles realizes that Edmund is treating Fielding differently, because Edmund can sense that Fielding will never be afraid. In the same instant, Charles realizes that Edmund will always be able to make him afraid. He begins to weep.

A few days ago, Joseph and Helena were talking about what to do with the moth collection. Joseph suggested selling the collection, but Helena argued, within earshot of Charles, that they should keep the moths, since the boys might one day want them. In this moment, Charles thought that his mother’s behavior had “less to do with him than with anyone in the whole world.” He wished that his mother could be “his” once again.

Back in the Red Room, Edmund suggests that Fielding come look at his “battle plans.” Fielding asks Charles if he wants to. Then, Edmund suggests that they all go into the attic, adding that Charles is frightened. Charles threatens to punch Edmund, and Fielding seems surprised with Charles. Charles doesn’t go to the attic, and so Fielding refuses to go, too.

Edmund tells Fielding not to pay attention to Charles. He tells Fielding that he wants to show Fielding something private. Fielding hesitates and then suggests that they go to his house, where there’s a new tractor. Charles and Edmund follow Fielding out of the house. Charles walks slowly, thinking that he just wants to be alone, and that he doesn’t care about Fielding anymore. Fielding is confused by Charles’s behavior—he’s only used to be people who act like him, calm and easy-going. Edmund assures Fielding that Charles is only “sulking.” Reluctantly, Fielding walks ahead, leading Edmund after him.

Charles goes into Edmund’s bedroom, where a battle chart is mounted on an easel. The chart shows different battle regiments. Charles rolls up the chart and carries it downstairs. Outside, he tears up the paper into tiny pieces. Then, he produces a match, which he first packed for his journey into Hang Wood, and burns the chart.

In five days, Charles thinks, he and Edmund will go to their new school. But this, he decides, isn’t worth thinking about.