- Marian pulls Walter aside and says they need to talk.
- Before the conversation can get under way, a little boy arrives with a letter for Laura.
- An old lady gave it to him, and Marian doesn't recognize the handwriting.
- She tells the boy to take the letter to Laura.
- Marian then drops a bombshell for Walter: she knows he's in love with her sister but he needs to cut it out because Laura is engaged to rich dude named Sir Percival. They'll be married pretty soon.
- Walter has a hissyfit until Marian tells him to calm down and just deal with it.
- She also tells him that Laura isn't overly thrilled about getting married to Sir Percival, but she promised her dad on his deathbed that she'd marry the guy, which we guess means she has to. (Because otherwise her dad's vengeful ghost might hunt her down?)
- Walter remembers Anne mentioning a baronet and starts jumping to conclusions about Sir Percival.
- Marian reveals Sir Percival is a baronet.
- Coincidence? In this novel, we think not.
- Also, Sir Percival Glyde is probably the most stuck-up name we've ever heard. Just saying. Two strikes against you, buddy.