Beth realizes she is pregnant from her last night with Gabriel in Oxford and becomes certain of it as her symptoms grow. Still grieving their breakup, she repeatedly tries and fails to write to Gabriel, wondering whether he would marry her out of duty even though he may love Louisa. After two weeks of indecision, Beth goes to Meadowlands planning to tell Gabriel about the baby and decide their future together.

Instead, Beth finds Tessa Wolfe at home. When Beth admits she is pregnant, Tessa immediately treats the baby as a problem to be removed, first suggesting abortion abroad and then adoption. Tessa makes clear that Gabriel does not know, says he was relieved by the breakup, hints that Louisa is a better match for his future, and gives Beth a large check. In return, Tessa asks Beth not to tell Gabriel about the pregnancy and, if Beth keeps the baby, to hide the father’s identity; Beth agrees only to escape the encounter.

Leaving Meadowlands, Beth finally accepts that her romance with Gabriel is over and that the grand setting around the Wolfe family was an illusion. She keeps the pregnancy secret at school, but on the last day of term Sister Ignatius summons her and tells her she will not be allowed to return next term. The headmistress reveals that a wealthy visitor, clearly Tessa, donated to the school and pushed for Beth’s removal before rumors could spread, though she also tells Beth she believes Beth is strong enough to survive the damage done to her.

A few days after Christmas, Frank Johnson visits Beth and takes her to see two abandoned nestlings in an oak tree. He offers Beth the chance to care for them, and she accepts. The shared task becomes the start of regular time together, as Frank calls on her after work, they talk for hours, and Beth finds comfort in his steadiness and in the simplicity of his life on the farm.

As their connection deepens, Beth asks Frank whether he loves her, and Frank honestly says yes, though he would settle for friendship. Later, when Frank prepares to kiss her beneath the oak tree, Beth stops him and tells him she is pregnant and intends to keep the baby. Frank does not recoil; instead, he accepts the news, assumes the other man will not be involved, and opens his arms to Beth, turning her feared confession into the beginning of their bond.