As autumn deepens in Hemston, Beth and Gabriel are apart while Gabriel settles into university life. At first Gabriel writes intense, passionate letters, but over time the letters grow cooler and more dutiful, which makes Beth increasingly anxious. Gabriel often mentions Louisa Scott, and Beth’s jealousy grows as she imagines Gabriel becoming part of a sophisticated Oxford circle that may leave her behind.

Meanwhile, Beth throws herself into preparing for her St Anne’s interview. Her parents respond differently: Beth’s father worries she is overworking, while Beth’s mother encourages her ambition because Oxford was never an option in her own youth. Beth imagines a future there and longs to share that life with her family, showing how much the interview matters to her identity and hopes.

Nearly two months later, Gabriel meets Beth outside the college after the interview. Their reunion is immediate and intensely physical, and Beth is reassured that their love is still real despite her doubts. After they spend hours together in Gabriel’s rooms, Gabriel mentions a birthday party at Tom Nicholls’s house, where Louisa also lives. Beth senses hesitation in Gabriel and becomes suspicious, but they decide to go briefly before finding dinner.

At the party, Beth is at first excited by the crowded, glamorous Oxford atmosphere, but her unease quickly returns. Tom seems unaware that Beth is important to Gabriel, and Gabriel introduces Beth to others only as someone from his village who is visiting for an interview, not as his girlfriend. Beth overhears part of a private exchange between Gabriel and Louisa, then has to face Louisa directly. Louisa is stylish, poised, and openly close to Gabriel; she also reveals that Gabriel is writing a novel she has read and admired, which shocks Beth because Gabriel has not shared that work with her.

When Beth and Gabriel leave, Beth’s jealousy blends with class insecurity after feeling out of place among Gabriel’s wealthy university friends. Beth accuses the evening of making her feel like a country outsider, and Gabriel tries to reassure her by saying he loves the way she speaks and values her above everyone else there. The chapter ends with Gabriel affirming Beth’s worth, but Beth’s distrust has already been stirred by the signs that his Oxford life contains private loyalties and ambitions from which she is excluded.