Mexican Gothic: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

Francis visits Noemí again in the morning, giving her another bit of tincture and telling her which food is safe to eat. At night, they’re both summoned to speak with Virgil. He sits at a desk in his office, and when Noemí walks in, he asks her if she’s willing to cooperate. Noemí tells Virgil that he has an interesting definition of “willing”; she’s determined to do what she must to survive, nothing more.

Virgil explains that Noemí must write a letter to her father. She will say that she plans to stay at High Place until Christmas, in order to be with her cousin. Come Christmas, Noemí will inform her father that she’s been married and intends to live at High Place. Noemí comments that her father will be upset. Virgil tells her that she better write a convincing letter then, because she wouldn’t want her father visiting and falling prey to an odd disease. Noemí is frightened, and frantically writes the letter.

Once Noemí has finished, Francis asks Virgil if he’s satisfied. Virgil tells him that there’s still much for Noemí to do—Florence is trying to find Ruth’s old wedding dress. The ceremony will be soon. Noemí asks why they’re even bothering with the ceremony, and Virgil tells her that Howard is a stickler for ceremonies. But she should consider herself lucky: if Virgil was in charge, he would have Noemí tied to the bed and Francis would have sex with her tonight, without any preamble. He knows that Noemí is not as innocent as she pretends. He runs his fingers through Noemí’s hair, which sends shivers down her body. A pang of hatred and desire.

Noemí jumps up, and Francis hurries to her side, telling Virgil to show some respect to his new bride. Virgil smiles, as if he finds Francis amusing. He compliments Francis on finally growing a pair of balls. Then Noemí and Francis leave the office and find an unused room to talk in. Noemí asks him for a weapon, a rifle or a gun. But there aren’t any, not after what Ruth did.

Noemí tells Francis that she doesn’t feel like herself when she’s around Virgil. She doesn’t understand how the gloom works, but the house can induce you to do certain things, right? She trails off, unsure how to explain her feelings to Francis. She disliked Virgil immensely, but lately he also awoke a depraved thrill in her. Virgil must be tugging at some subconscious string. Francis assures her that nothing will happen to her, at least not while he’s around. But Noemí reminds him that he wasn’t there when Virgil grabbed her in the bathroom. She knows that Francis’s gallantry is misplaced; he wants to be her knight, but he can’t be.

Noemí insists on getting a weapon, and Francis reluctantly gives her his razor. He tries to make a joke, saying that he hopes Noemí likes bearded men, because now he’s not going to be able to shave. He smiles, and Noemí sees that it’s genuine. Everything in High Place is gnarled and begrimed, but Francis has been able to grow bright and mindful, like a plant in the wrong flowerbed.

Noemí asks Francis who taught him Spanish. He tells her that it was his father. When he was younger, Francis used to dream that he’d move somewhere far away. But after his father died, he knew that he was stuck. His father had a stronger personality than he did, and if he couldn’t escape, there was no way Francis could. He shows Noemí a small portrait of his father that he keeps in his jacket pocket. She asks if Richard knew about the gloom. Francis tells her no, not before he came to High Place. By the time he learned the truth it was already too late, and he eventually agreed to stay.

Noemí then asks Francis if they will have a wedding ceremony. He says yes, it’s tradition. In the old days there would be a great feast and every person attending would bring a gift of silver. Mining has always been the Doyles’ trade, even in England. But in England the Doyles had been the subject of odd rumors. They came to Mexico not only to seek more silver, but also because fewer people here asked questions. Noemí asks Francis if he knows how many workers died. He answers that he doesn’t know, but he's thought about it often, and his voice is thick with shame.