The Trial
- Enough time has passed that snow is on the ground now. Briony has been in jail and on trial for this time.
- She is sick and Dr. Rannigan said she should be in a warm bed instead of a cold jail cell, so the judge gave her permission to stay at home with her father under the condition that he take responsibility for bringing her to court engagements. But Briony refused.
- Briony is certain she will be hanged because she has confessed to everything openly.
- As the trial begins, Judge Trumpington and the Chime Child both speak on how candid Briony has been. The Chime Child speaks of her failure with Nelly, and she also says that after hearing Briony's story she has more questions than answers.
- The Chime Child's first question is about how Briony would judge herself, which Briony answers by saying she would hang herself.
- The Chime Child responds by asking Briony why she thinks she should hang. Briony points out the obvious here—that she murdered her stepmother—but the Chime Child points out that Stepmother was an Old One.
- Judge Trumpington points out that Old Ones can be killed only after a trial; people are not to take matters into their own hands. The Chime Child agrees, and points out that they are at a trial now, suggesting that they put Briony's stepmother on trial.
- This suggestion causes a long discussion about whether or not this unorthodox request should be allowed, but the Chime Child convinces them to give it a try so as to avoid unnecessarily hanging another girl.
- Eldric rises from the crowd of spectators and says he can help. Displaying a trust and willingness to bend rules, Judge Trumpington and the Chime Child allow it without question.
- Eldric explains to Briony that he wants to do what she did for him with Leanne—he wants to write her story to help uncover the hidden truth.
- They start with Briony's illness from back in the time when Stepmother was still alive. Briony describes feeling worn down more day-by-day, and Stepmother suggesting that writing would be healing for her. The writing made her feel more worn down, however, but she continued to do it for her stepmother.
- When Eldric asks Briony to talk about the library fire, she thinks about two different sets of memories in her mind. Eldric, somehow knowing this is the case, tells her to tell the first memory that comes to mind.
- Though she thinks this is untrue, she tells a memory of bringing paraffin to the library and covering the piano and books in it. She lit a match and watched the stories burn. When she heard her stepmother coming, she pushed her own hand in the flame; Stepmother told Briony she wouldn't tell on her.
- Briony mentions that her stepmother didn't tell many of the evil things Briony did, and Eldric asks her what evil she's talking about. When Briony refuses to tell, he says he will. She insults him and tries to punch him, but she fails so she resorts to putting her fingers in her ears and not listening as Eldric tells her secrets.
- After he is done telling, Briony's father stands to reveal two important truths. First, Rose has been the way she is since birth, no injury caused her mental state. (Briony thinks that her father is lying, of course.) Second, he found out that his second wife was a Dark Muse a year into their marriage, which is why he stopped coming home. He did not know that a Dark Muse could feed on girls as well.
- Eldric now suggests that Briony misunderstands her powers, and that she is not a witch at all.
- Briony, predictably, objects to this and yells for everyone to hear that she is a witch because she has second sight.
- This time, Rose comes to Briony's defense. She reveals to the court the secret she has been keeping (and teasing us with) all this time. Briony is not a witch—she is a Chime Child, born between the midnight chimes and so not on either day. When Rose found the records book that showed this, Stepmother made her promise not to tell anyone or she would hurt Briony. This last bit of evidence frees Briony from guilt, but leaves her feeling more confused and surprised than ever.
- Briony walks out of the courtroom in a daze, past Leanne who is desperately pleading to get to Mr. Clayborne—as she passes Leanne, she thinks that Leanne is near death and continues walking into a cold alley.
- She looks up and Eldric is calling for her.