At an elaborate dinner, Cordelia is paralyzed by the bewildering array of flatware and the enormous lobster centerpiece blocking her view of her mother. Hester discreetly taps the correct fork, saving Cordelia from disaster. Cordelia commits the social faux pas of thanking servants and struggles to make charming conversation with the Squire, who chats easily with Evangeline about his northern family holdings. Evangeline mentions her late husband's unfinished projects, hinting she desires a steadier man, while continuing to angle for the Squire's affections.

The next morning, Cordelia goes down to breakfast hoping to avoid her mother's wrath. The Squire reads aloud from a newspaper about a horrific axe murder at the Parker estate in Little Haw—Edward Parker killed eight people, including family and servants, with no sign of forced entry, and calmly admitted his guilt to police. Recognizing the implications, Cordelia faints dead away, falling from her chair.

Hester revives her with smelling salts. When Cordelia stammers that her family is from Little Haw, Evangeline enters wearing one of Hester's old dressing gowns. Cordelia flees to her room under her mother's tightening grip. Evangeline downplays the connection, claiming they rarely visited the town, and dismisses her daughter's reaction as adolescent dramatics.

Hester probes by asking Cordelia's age again; Evangeline insists she is seventeen. Hester plays the harmless old woman to deflect suspicion, but inwardly resolves to act—certain now that Evangeline is responsible for the Parker massacre, though still uncertain how she will stop her.