At breakfast in 1968 Hemston, Frank tells Beth that Gabriel Wolfe has returned to Meadowlands after his divorce and is now living there with his son. The news shocks Beth so deeply that she can only answer with a single word. Frank notices Beth’s reaction at once, kisses her, and promises that Gabriel will not be allowed to cause trouble for them.

As Frank explains that the whole village was talking about Gabriel’s move, Beth wonders why Gabriel would come back to a place he once hated. Frank jokes bitterly about Gabriel’s absent family and assumes Gabriel will eventually sell the estate and return to a glamorous life elsewhere. Beth silently measures the difference between Frank’s grounded, hardworking life on the farm and Gabriel’s public image as a celebrity, which makes Gabriel’s return feel even more disruptive.

The tense moment is broken when Frank’s younger brother, Jimmy, pounds on the door and stumbles in asking Beth for aspirin for another hangover. The brothers joke easily with each other before heading out to work, and Beth observes their physical resemblance and familiar daily rhythm. A brief mention of the medicine box, once stocked for a child, hints at a loss in Beth and Frank’s past.

Once Frank and Jimmy leave for the morning milking, Beth faces the usual mountain of farm chores but cannot settle into them. Instead of starting the washing and cleaning, Beth makes fresh coffee, puts on Frank’s old jacket, and sits outside looking across the fields. The chapter ends with Beth fixing her gaze on Meadowlands, showing that Gabriel’s return has already pulled her attention and emotions back toward the place he inhabits.