That evening, Mr. Burton takes James to his four-story brick house. In the basement kitchen, they meet Delia, a woman who was formerly enslaved. Left alone, Delia expresses displeasure at housing a white boy with them; James retorts that he is unaccustomed to sleeping with servants. She mentions Robert, the butler, and her brother, Ed. When James inquires about Mr. Burton’s family, Delia reveals that their only son died of yellow fever in 1793.

During his first months, James works as an errand boy and cleans the shop. Mr. Burton introduces him to Nicholas, another silversmith, and shows James silver pieces made for trade with Indigenous Americans. Weeks later, Mr. Burton presents apprenticeship papers, insisting that James read them first and explaining that his word is his most valuable possession. James signs as James Smith, feeling guilty for his lies. He begins learning silversmithing from Nicholas.

In the household, James overhears Delia telling Ed that she believes James is hiding something, which terrifies him. Days later, James meets Robert, the butler, who he is shocked to discover is an “impeccably dressed […] well-spoken” Black man (84). Robert informs him that since he lives below stairs, he is considered staff and must clean his own boots and coat. James is outraged but also unsettled by Robert’s sophisticated manner, which contradicts his grandmother’s teachings.

One Sunday morning, Delia’s cries for help startle James from bed. Upstairs, he finds Mrs. Burton, an older woman, laughing and struggling for breath: Malcolm, a large white cockatoo, is attacking Robert, who hides under the table. James helps Robert escape, and James calms Malcolm, who perches on his shoulder. Mrs. Burton introduces herself, and when Mr. Burton returns from church, he is pleased to find his wife laughing. Mrs. Burton invites James to join them for tea. Robert praises James’s handling of Malcolm, while Delia is visibly annoyed.

At tea, Mr. Burton praises James’s artistic talents before leaving to put Malcolm in his cage. Alone with Mrs. Burton, James tells her about his childhood interest in birds, which leads to questions about his family. He repeats his lies about their deaths and grows emotional as he discusses his grandmother. Mrs. Burton confides in him regarding her son’s death,  and her empathy over his losses, real and fabricated, moves him further.

James purchases art supplies and spends a week painting a watercolor of Malcolm, which he gives to Mrs. Burton. She invites him to Malcolm’s room, where she reveals that the bird belonged to her deceased son, Gerard. She is touched to see Malcolm respond warmly to James and suggests that he wear a black eye patch. She also praises his painting and recommends art classes.

James begins having regular Sunday dinners with the Burtons, who share stories of their past travels and note similarities between James and Gerard. In spring 1811, the Burtons move James into Gerard’s old room, outraging Delia. Robert reassures James that he has brought happiness to the household and stops himself mid-sentence as he comments on “people such as oursel—” (96). James discovers a lockable drawer in the room’s chest, providing a safe place for his belongings.

Alone in his new room, James experiences nightmares of Tall Oaks. He recalls a memory from when he was eight. Marshall’s wife, Lavinia, gave James a book called The Illustration of Birds, but Marshall then appeared, expressing loathing for James and verbally abusing his mother and Lavinia’s servant, Sukey. James remembers using painting to escape the stress of his grandmother’s illness and wonders if she screamed when she died in the fire. To combat the nightmares, James begins painting late at night.

On his 15th birthday in February 1812, overcome with homesickness, James decides to write to Tall Oaks. “Repulsed” that Belle is his mother, he writes to Lavinia instead, informing her that he is well and working as a silversmith’s apprentice. He procures a post office box and mails the letter.

Mrs. Burton, often confined by illness, has James bring Malcolm to her room and read to her. She invites him to use the library and tells him to make himself at home. When a lawyer visits regarding Mrs. Burton’s deceased brother’s estate, a dispute arises. The brother left a mortgaged plantation and requested special placement for an enslaved mother and daughter. Mr. Burton argues for finding them a place in the household, but Mrs. Burton insists that all be sold, condemning her brother’s relationship with his enslaved servant and the resulting offspring. James is horrified to learn Mrs. Burton’s prejudice and fears what might happen if she learns his secret. His fear is compounded by his suspicion that Delia has been snooping through his room.

Nearly two months later, a reply arrives from Lavinia. It expresses relief at his safety, regret at Lavinia’s part in deceiving him about his mother, and offers to provide freedom papers if needed. Belle’s note references her hope that he is “living white” and gives a brief update on the rebuilt home and farm. James cannot bring himself to destroy the letter; he cries as he realizes that he cannot return to the people who care for him.

In March of 1814, 17-year-old James learns Mrs. Burton is planning a formal dinner party where she and Mr. Burton will make an announcement. She arranges for James to be fitted for formal attire. James speculates that the party will announce his formal employment in the silver business.

On the night of the party, James is seated in the place of honor. Mr. Burton rises to make a toast: He praises James and asks him to legally become their son. James is flooded with images of his secret past—shooting his father and looking at Belle—and wants to refuse. Mrs. Burton tearfully urges him to accept, and, not wanting to hurt her, he agrees. Delia drops a tray and rushes from the room.

In the study, the family lawyer presents adoption papers for James to sign. James hesitates, feeling “unworthy,” but the Burtons express how much they need him, and he signs the document. When he goes to his room to collect himself, he finds Delia standing over his desk. She pushes past him and flees. James realizes that he left the key to his chest drawer in his room. He checks the drawer and discovers that Lavinia’s letter is gone. He recalls the phrases that could expose him: Lavinia’s offer of freedom papers and Belle’s mention of him passing. He returns to the party, deciding to wait and see what Delia does, vowing that if she exposes him, he will ensure her dismissal.

Following his adoption, James receives a position and salary in the business. By winter 1815, he and Mr. Burton work late evenings organizing the company’s chaotic accounts. One February afternoon, Mr. Burton leaves early, and James stays late to finish. A neighbor’s servant arrives with news of a carriage accident involving Mr. Burton and Ed. James returns home and learns that Ed suffered a severe head injury and will likely die; Mr. Burton’s hip is broken, and his survival is uncertain.

James and Mrs. Burton keep constant vigil at Mr. Burton’s bedside. After two weeks, James returns to the shop. Upon coming home, he finds Robert in the kitchen peeling potatoes because Delia is caring for Ed. Enraged, James declares that they will hire a new cook and that Delia must leave after Ed’s death. Delia overhears and threatens to reveal the contents of his letter if he tries to make her leave; James backs down but warns her that he will see her fired if she exposes him. Ed dies the next day, and Delia resumes her kitchen duties.

Mr. Burton survives for roughly a year. In January of 1816, he tells James to hire more help for the shop, wanting James at home more. One night while James sits with him, Mr. Burton passes away. His last words are a request that James, whom he calls his son, take care of his mother. Nineteen-year-old James is overcome with grief.

Following Mr. Burton’s death, James sinks into “deep lethargy.” Alarmed by James’s depression and weight loss, Mrs. Burton suggests that he take art classes. They arrange for an art instructor named Mr. Leeds to visit for tea. He shows James a detailed watercolor of a beetle painted with a woodcock’s pinfeather, which intrigues James. James agrees to study with him, beginning with lessons on form.

Under Mr. Leeds’s tutelage, James’s mood improves, and his passion for art grows. His new focus on detail influences his silver work: He crafts an intricate silver vinaigrette for Mrs. Burton’s birthday, after which orders from her friends pour in, causing the business to grow. Mrs. Burton encourages James to accept social invitations to meet people his age. He attends a supper but is uncomfortable, particularly when he learns of a rumor that he lost his eye in a duel.

In spring 1822, Mrs. Burton plans a 25th birthday party for James, hoping that he will marry and continue the family line. James feels guilt, knowing that he can never have children due to the risk of the child inheriting features that suggest Black ancestry.

Before the party can occur, however, Robert becomes ill with fever. James finds that Delia has refused to care for Robert, citing fear of becoming sick. Enraged, James hires a nurse. Once recovered, Robert is furious with Delia. James proposes that she be dismissed, and Robert agrees, revealing that Delia spread a damaging rumor about him years ago. Robert also confides that he knew Delia had compromising information about James but trusted him. James confronts Delia, demanding the letter back. She refuses, stating that the letter ensures her continued employment.

That afternoon, James goes to Mrs. Burton to demand Delia’s dismissal but finds her distraught. Delia has told her that James is Black. James challenges Mrs. Burton, asking what it would mean if it were true. He sees a “look of revulsion” on her face (132), confirming his fear that her love is conditional. Heartbroken and furious, he flees the house, resolving to leave. However, he returns to find a note from Mrs. Burton stating Delia has been dismissed and asking for his forgiveness for “questioning [him] about her slanderous accusations” (133). The next morning, James goes to Mrs. Burton, intending to tell her the truth. She stops him, covering his mouth and saying that the subject is closed. He weeps in her lap, relieved, but their relationship is permanently strained by the unspoken truth.

Mr. Leeds’s health declines, and he asks James to take over one of his art classes. James agrees, and holding classes in the house helps ease the tension with Mrs. Burton. On September 4, 1824, Mrs. Burton dies unexpectedly in her sleep. James is grief-stricken.

James inherits the Burton estate and business but feels like an “intruder.” Months pass before Robert persuades him to move into Mr. Burton’s quarters. In spring 1825, Mrs. Cardon, a socially prominent woman who previously purchased two of his paintings, visits his shop. They engage in flirtatious banter, and she commissions an exclusive vinaigrette for her daughter, Caroline’s, 18th birthday. He crafts a tiny silver parakeet with a ruby eye.

When Mrs. Cardon collects the piece, she becomes distraught and confides that her husband has arranged a terrible marriage for Caroline; moreover, Caroline and her husband will be traveling abroad for the first two years of marriage. Moved, James gives her a miniature painting of Malcolm as a gift. She misinterprets the gesture as an invitation for an affair and suggests that they meet. He gently rebuffs her, and she informs him that she will send a dinner invitation so that he can meet her husband.

Mrs. Cardon’s friends begin frequenting the shop, and the business flourishes. That autumn, James receives a dinner invitation from the Cardons, so Robert hires a dance instructor to teach James the waltz and ballroom etiquette. Through Mrs. Cardon’s sponsorship, James begins attending regular social events. Occasionally, he has dalliances with women who make overtures toward him; these serve as substitutes for the marriage he feels is barred to him.

In summer 1828, he attends a dinner welcoming Caroline and her husband, Mr. Thomas Preston, home from abroad. Preston drinks heavily, but James is immediately struck by Caroline’s beauty. After dinner, James and Caroline have a chance to speak alone. Caroline apologizes for her husband’s behavior and praises the vinaigrette and James’s painting of Malcolm, fascinated to learn he paints with a pinfeather. She asks if he will give her painting lessons. Overcome by his attraction to her, he agrees immediately. Mrs. Cardon tries to discourage the lessons, but Caroline insists. James leaves, wrestling with his “uncomfortable fascination” with Caroline.