Suzette and the other enslaved people on Rosedew know that Françoise’s death will mean that they will all be sold and separated. In the living quarters for enslaved people, many people ask Suzette for news about Françoise, but she knows no more than they do. When Françoise finally dies, Suzette pleads with Oreline and Narcisse Fredieu, begging them to keep her family together rather than selling them individually, but these appeals are initially unsuccessful since neither can afford to do so. Suzette even goes to her godmother Doralise and asks her to persuade Eugene Daurat to buy his two children, but Doralise tells her that she does not have as much power over Eugene as Suzette believes.

Philomene, now nine, has what she calls “glimpsings”—visions of the future. She tells her grandmother that she has had two visions about Clement, her boyfriend. She is afraid to tell Suzette because Suzette is consumed with worry about the impending sale. Suzette doesn’t like Clement because he has brown skin, unlike Philomene’s “buttermilk” skin. Elisabeth gently corrects her, saying, “Philomene, sometimes Suzette gets beside herself over color. His brown doesn’t make him bad, and your yellow doesn’t make you good” (112). Elisabeth believes the visions mean that Philomene and Clement will be together, albeit with some of the troubles that come with enslavement.

She tells Philomene a story, explaining that before Elisabeth came to Rosedew, she had two boys that were conceived when her enslaver raped her. She says that she “became his thing when he wanted” (113). However, her enslaver sold her away from her children because his wife resented Elisabeth. Elisabeth encourages Philomene to find happiness with Clement and not to fear having children because “[f]amily stays family no matter where they are or who they are” (115).

With Françoise’s death, tax assessors comb the plantation to value it and the enslaved people on it. When the enslaved people group themselves by family during their valuation, the overseer and assessors reorganize them by oldest to youngest. The overseer describes each person by their skills and productivity. That night, Gerasíme tells Elisabeth despairingly that everyone on the plantation has “dollars on” them. Elisabeth reminds him that it was always so. They take comfort in the time they have shared together as family, and they agree that if they are separated, they will not remarry. They fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Auction day arrives. As executor, Eugene Daurat hires an auctioneer because he feels squeamish about performing this service himself. The attendees treat the auction as a necessary part of the system, occasionally seeing some sales—a mother kept with her child, an older woman purchased by someone she once nursed—as acts of generosity. Among these is the sale of Suzette, Philomene, and Palmire together to Oreline. When Eugene Daurat buys Gerant but not Philomene, she confronts him, identifying herself with her first name and his last name and predicting that everyone in his life will abandon him. The auction ends. Tademy includes a bill of sale listing each person sold by their name, price, and guarantee of fitness for labor. The bill of sale includes a paragraph that describes the sale of the land as well.

As Eugene leaves, he feels guilty but tells himself that he did the best he could for his enslaved children: He brought them gifts and visited when he could. He also reasons that the law only allows emancipation after the enslaved person turns 30 and leaves the state within in a year. He is unwilling to face the prospect of returning to France with his children. He comforts himself with the fact that Gerant will serve as his house servant now. Things are tense between Eugene and Doralise. He believes that he has sacrificed much to be with her; he signed over his property to prove his love and lost status with his white neighbors when they found out about the transfer. (Marriage between them is legally impossible.)

Suzette, Palmire, and Philomene move to Oreline and Ferrier’s small farm, where all the indoor work and field work falls to them. Suzette cannot reconcile herself to the separation from her family; she experiences deep depression. Gerasíme lives on a plantation four hours away; they only see him when plays his fiddle at nearby plantations. One Sunday, a reunion of sorts occurs when Suzette, Philomene, and Palmire get permission to visit Narcisse Fredieu’s farm, where Elisabeth now lives. Elisabeth braids Philomene’s hair, and the two talk. Philomene shares a glimpsing in which her entire family is together again and seated around a table, with Suzette on one end and Elisabeth on the other. In the vision, the table is replete with food that belongs to them.

Doralise brings Gerant to join the unofficial gathering, and this briefly lifts Suzette’s depression. However, she feels uneasy about the possessive way Narcisse looks at Philomene. Suzette worries about Philomene constantly, as the woman is bold and defiant and has even taking to calling Eugene Daurat “Papa.” Hoping to comfort her mother, Philomene shares her vision of the family sitting around the table. Suzette wants to believe in this vision, but when cholera kills Palmire, Suzette’s depression worsens. Philomene quietly takes over most of Suzette’s duties. Suzette has run out of hope—the “future was too heavy for her to carry. It was up to Philomene now” (145).