In which Valancy, confronted with the reality of her mistaken heart condition and the truths revealed about her husband, composes a careful farewell and stealthily departs from her Blue Castle, leaving behind reminders of a year both cherished and painful. She returns to her family home, where aged surroundings and strained relations greet her, as she faces the cold complexities of forgiveness, misunderstanding, and the uncertain future that awaits.