Beth arrives at Meadowlands for a dinner with Gabriel Wolfe and his parents, already dreading the evening because Gabriel has warned her that Tessa Wolfe is drunk and difficult. Beth is overwhelmed by Tessa’s beauty, wealth, and the formality of the house, table, and food. Edward Wolfe is warm and welcoming, but Gabriel leaves Beth largely alone with Tessa, who begins probing Beth about her family, holidays, Oxford plans, and feelings for Gabriel.

As the meal continues, Tessa’s questions become more pointed and patronizing. She implies that Beth may not fit in at Oxford and then warns Beth that Gabriel is selfish, ambitious, and quick to move on from people once they no longer suit him. Beth resists the implication because she believes she knows Gabriel more deeply than his mother does, especially his literary ambitions, his fear of failure, and his dread of being trapped by Meadowlands and Tessa’s expectations.

After dinner, Beth tries to help clear the table, partly out of embarrassment at being served by Sarah, a village girl she knows. Tessa humiliates Beth again by mocking the way she stacks plates, then follows her into the kitchen and quietly asks whether Beth is using contraception and whether she has "compromised" herself. Tessa frames Beth as a temporary distraction who has merely kept Gabriel entertained over the summer, and the encounter leaves Beth ashamed, angry, and deeply unsure of her place in Gabriel’s world.

When Beth and Gabriel leave the house, Beth finally tells Gabriel how cruel and class-conscious Tessa was and accuses Gabriel of abandoning her during the dinner. Gabriel first says Beth is overreacting, which makes Beth lash out about his privilege and his inability to understand humiliation or exclusion. Gabriel then recognizes Beth’s hurt, apologizes, admits that he is sometimes afraid of his mother, and says he should have protected Beth. Their reconciliation restores their intimacy, but the evening exposes the class divide between Beth and the Wolfes and reveals a weakness in Gabriel that may matter later.