Patch walks through Central Park with Charlotte on a warm day in New York, feeling overwhelmed by the city and briefly wishing he could escape its pressure altogether. Charlotte, by contrast, moves through Manhattan confidently and aggressively, glaring at strangers who crowd them and even taunting a truck driver, which shows how comfortable she has become in this world while Patch remains uneasy.

Charlotte leads Patch to the Plaza, and Patch is struck by the building's grandeur. Charlotte jokes about her grandmother's money and inheritance, making clear that Mrs. Meyer has brought her into a level of wealth and privilege that still feels foreign to Patch. Inside, Sammy meets them at the champagne bar in formal evening wear and begins ordering expensive drinks, turning the moment into a display of social ease that only deepens Patch's discomfort.

Charlotte tries to imitate the adults by asking for stronger drinks, and Sammy encourages the performance while Patch objects because Charlotte is only twelve. The exchange highlights Patch's protective instincts and his unease with the environment, even as the others treat it like a game. When Mrs. Meyer arrives, elegant and composed, she sends Charlotte away to change, signaling that the evening's formal event is beginning in earnest.

Left with Sammy, Patch admits his insecurity indirectly and considers retreating to his hotel rather than facing the night ahead. Sammy steadies him by reminding Patch that he is enduring this for "them" and for "the girl," which Patch understands as both Charlotte's future and Grace's memory. By the end of the chapter, Patch stays, still alienated by the luxury around him but choosing to go forward despite his anxiety.