Since Eddie’s death, Sallie has been unable to sleep: She blames herself for failing to protect him. She reflects on Eddie’s belief that “everything is connected” (133), desperately trying to piece together what happened but finding it impossible, as he left behind no note, only a book with an underlined poem that speaks of love, cruelty, and death. Sallie feels that everyone who loved Eddie contributed to his demise by putting their own needs before his. She regrets failing to recognize his pain and not stopping Seymour from leaving. Aunt Faye enters the room, attempting to convince Sallie to eat. She mentions that Mary, the eldest daughter, is on her way to claim her inheritance and encourages Sallie to find the strength to move forward, not just for herself but for those who still need her.

Sallie recalls her first encounter with Mary, which was shortly after Eddie’s birth. Mary invented a dark fairy tale for Sallie in which Sallie’s mother Annie was “a whore” (136) who bewitched the Duke and lured him away from Mary’s mother, Belle, “the princess” (135).

After inheriting the Big House and Kincaid Holdings, Mary moves into the Big House with her husband, Reverend Phillip Canon.