As Christopher recovers from shell shock in France, a round of vicious rumors, inadvertently fueled by his brother, Mark, leads to a shocking tragedy at Groby, his family home. Sylvia finds a new admirer, Brownlie, who proves a convenient distraction as the war continues. Edith and Macmaster plan a new life together, even after her husband is released from an asylum. Valentine, whose family has been stigmatized by their pacifist stance and the arrest of her brother, Edward, secures a London teaching job, but falls out of favor with the social-climbing Edith.
