The Testaments

Aunt Lydia has had a surprise from the surveillance cameras that she installed in her statue. At first, the tapes show nothing but Wives of Commanders leaving black market lemons by her statue as they pray for fertility. Then, she discovers that Aunt Vidala is the one leaving eggs and oranges, not Aunt Elizabeth. Aunt Vidala also drops a handkerchief embroidered with lilacs nearby, like the ones Aunt Lydia carries. Aunt Lydia now has evidence that Aunt Vidala, after having denounced Aunt Elizabeth, is attempting to incriminate Aunt Lydia. She happily files the tapes away for future use.

Aunt Lydia considers how to go about dividing and conquering her fellow Founders. She will tell Aunt Elizabeth that Aunt Vidala plots against her and wonders whether to involve Aunt Helena as well. She decides to tell Commander Judd that Baby Nicole has been located and that she may return to Gilead. Aunt Lydia will do this carefully, saying that he must trust her judgement as this is performed delicately, and without the meddling of “heavy-handed men” (211).

Aunt Lydia recalls an event from nine years prior.