Simon the Coldheart · Chapter
XVI: How He Walked Alone in the Garden explained
Simon walks alone in the garden, troubled by his feelings for Lady Margaret.
What happens
Simon walks alone in the garden, troubled by his feelings for Lady Margaret. She secretly watches him, torn between hatred and a growing, unrecognized yearning. When she spots an assassin stalking Simon, she rushes to warn him. Simon confronts the threat, then questions her motives. Margaret denies her feelings, faints, and is carried back to the castle, where Jeanne gently tells her she is in love.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This is the story's dramatic climax because it resolves the central emotional tension of Simon and Margaret's…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love as Warfare
Margaret's internal battle between hatred and yearning for Simon, culminating in her warning him despite her pride.
- Coldness vs. Passion
Simon's usual composure is shaken by his feelings; Margaret's passionate turmoil contrasts with her fierce denials.
Characters to notice
- Simon the Coldheart
Walks alone in the garden, troubled and deep in thought about Lady Margaret.
- Lady Margaret of Belrémy
Watches Simon from an arbour, struggles with conflicting emotions, and warns him of an assassin.
- Jeanne de Faucourt
Tends to Margaret after her faint and gently tells her she is in love.
Key passages
“Barehead he walked slowly through the garden that surrounded the castle, and the pale sunlight played about his fair hair, while the wind stirred it gently and blew it across his face.”
Simon walked bareheaded in the garden, the sunlight catching his hair as the wind blew it about.
Opening description of Simon's solitary walk.
“She was hungry for an unknown something, and at times she would bite hard on her lip to hold back the rush of angry, heartsick tears that sprang to her eyes.”
Margaret felt a strange longing and often bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
Margaret's emotional turmoil and unrecognized desire.
“I could not let him slay thee—thus! I—I could not, but—I—I think—I am—like to—swoon!”
She couldn't let the assassin kill him, but the effort overwhelmed her and she felt faint.
Margaret's confession and physical collapse.
“Love, chérie,”
It's love, dear one.
Jeanne's gentle revelation to Margaret.
