The Tower of London is the destination of a boat trip that becomes one of the highlights of Sunday Small’s London visit, while prompting her to think about the young queens imprisoned there. The place brings historical confinement into contrast with her longing for family, love, and a safe home.

Setting and Visit

The day after Sunday and Biddy Spooner fed pigeons and bought violets near St Paul’s Cathedral, Jacob took them on a boat trip along the River Thames. They sailed all the way down to the Tower of London. For Sunday, the excursion was both enjoyable and sobering: thinking of the young queens imprisoned there made her feel sad, even as the journey remained one of the trip’s highlights.

Sunday’s Reflections

The Tower’s history of imprisonment prompts Sunday to consider the limits of wealth and fame. She reflects that a loving family, friends, and a safe place to live matter more than public distinction. The thought carries a personal ache: she has accepted that her mother will never come looking for her, and believes that Biddy Spooner and the people at Whittleford Lodge may be the closest thing she will have to a family of her own. Biddy senses her sadness and squeezes her hand; Sunday soon resumes her cheerful manner.

Narrative Significance

The visit sets the image of imprisoned queens beside Sunday’s own uncertainty about belonging. The Tower is not the scene of a new confinement in her story; rather, its remembered prisoners give shape to a reflective pause during an otherwise pleasurable outing. Sunday’s response shifts attention from the grandeur and fame associated with the place to the more intimate security she values: affection, friendship, and a home.