Isabella enjoys that her pregnancy gives her an excuse to decline various social invitations. She receives a letter from Richard Fay, the man she flirted with during her visit to Boston as a young girl. Fay has enlisted as a soldier in the Civil War and asks Isabella to help a young woman he has met. Isabella enjoys aiding those who need it.

Isabella and Jack visit Jack’s family. Later, she decides to host a party on New Year’s Day, 1863. However, no one attends, and Isabella feels lonelier than ever. She hopes that motherhood will provide a new sense of purpose.

By the spring of 1863, Isabella is advancing in her pregnancy. She continues to be very interested in botany, and her father-in-law praises her for being creative and thoughtful.