In which the arrival of Miss Adelaide Painter stirs the household with her brisk, unaffected presence, challenging the delicate tensions surrounding Owen and Sophy Viner's engagement and Madame de Chantelle's disapproval. Darrow finds himself reluctantly drawn into the unfolding domestic drama, observing the contrasts between American directness and French propriety, as well as the intricate interplay of social expectations and personal loyalties.