Serena Chapter 23 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Serena was supposed to stay in bed for six weeks, but since we've yet to see Serena do what she's told, it's not too surprising that she decided to get back up there after only a month.
  • She saddles up and rides into the camp, causing shock amongst the workers.
  • Everyone's surprised to see her out and about again, and Galloway is in tow, watching her every move, ready to protect her.
  • Campbell hasn't shown up to work, though, which worries Pemberton.
  • He rides off to see some workers in action. There, he gets a glimpse of Jacob Ballard at work.
  • Before long, Jacob slips and gets hit by some logs, and is buried under a pile in the river—by the time the men retrieve all of the logs, Jacob is gone.
  • As Pemberton rides back down to check on Serena, he thinks about what it would be like to die underwater. It's creepy.
  • He catches up with Serena and asks how she's feeling; they talk business for a while.
  • Since Campbell hasn't shown up to work yet, they begin to think he's defected.
  • He knows who the Pembertons have paid off, though, which worries Serena. She figures they should send Galloway after him if Campbell doesn't show by tomorrow. Agreed.
  • The next morning, the workers chat about how Campbell grabbed some clothes and bolted.
  • They know Serena will send Galloway after him. It's only a matter of time.