- We're brought back to Maud Bailey's apartment in Lincoln, where she's trying to work on a conference paper as Roland Mitchell sits in her living room.
- It's now October, and Roland has been camping out in her apartment for weeks.
- As Maud works on her paper, Roland is busy writing lists of words. As Possession's narrator tells us, Roland would rather be writing poems, but for now it's only words that are coming to him.
- Out of the blue, Maud gets a phone call from Euan MacIntyre, who invites the two of them to dinner.
- When Maud and Roland arrive at the restaurant that evening, they find Euan waiting with Val and Toby Byng.
- Roland is glad to see Val looking so healthy and happy, and Val announces that she and Euan are engaged.
- As they dine together, Euan and Toby explain why they've asked Roland and Maud to come.
- As Euan and Val see it, Maud may actually be the rightful owner of Christabel LaMotte's letters to Randolph Henry Ash, and she may even be the true owner of all of the Ash-LaMotte correspondence.
- Maud doesn't know what she should do. There are a lot of practical matters to consider, and a lot of conflicting interests in play.
- Back at Maud's apartment later that night, Maud and Roland are just starting to have their first little tiff when Maud receives another unexpected phone call. This one is from Beatrice Nest, who sounds frantic.
- As Beatrice explains, she's just overheard Mortimer Cropper and Hildebrand Ash having a secret, shady conversation in the basement of the British Museum. They seem to be planning to dig up Randolph Henry Ash's grave.
- Maud tells Beatrice that she'll call her back with a plan, then she and Roland discuss what they should do. They decide to get in touch with Euan MacIntyre and then to head to London ASAP.
- When Maud calls Euan the next morning, he suggests that they "all go to London," to "have a council of war" (24.152).
- Soon, our heroes head out. While Maud is going to be staying with one of her aunts, Roland decides to spend the night in his old apartment, where he can "think [his] life out," and get some much-needed time alone (24.159-61).