Sibyl joins Rand and Connie in the kitchen, Connie noting that her mother looks dull, as if her aura—one of Sibyl’s favorite words—has been diminished. The family sits in the den in near silence, a blanket wrapped around Sibyl. As evening falls, a couple of state troopers show up at the house to question Sibyl. Though Rand wants the men to visit later, as Sibyl is in a state of shock, the officers tell him that they want to get Sibyl’s memories while they are still fresh. Sergeants Rhode and Tilly come into the den and ask Sibyl to tell them what she witnessed during Veil’s birth.

As Rhode and Tilly ask questions, Rand wonders if Sibyl should have an attorney present. However, Sibyl tells Rand that she doesn’t need an attorney, as she has nothing to hide. She answers all the officers’ questions until they have 11 pages worth of notes. Rhodes asks Siby to sign the affidavit, and she complies, despite Rand’s reservations. Connie will later wonder if the officers did Sibyl a disservice by questioning her without an attorney present. However, the officers’ move to take Sibyl off guard will end up working in Sibyl’s favor. During the trial, Stephen (Sibyl’s attorney) will stress that Sibyl was not read her Miranda Rights, arguing that the state was biased against Sibyl from the beginning.

Sibyl’s journals recall the second time Charlotte visited her. Charlotte looks at photos of the babies Sibyl has delivered, using them to show Foogie how his little sister may look. Foogie insists that he wants a baby brother. Sibyl remembers Asa saying that he doesn’t care about the baby’s gender; all he wants is for the baby to be healthy. Since Charlotte is doing well, Sibyl is sure Asa will get his wish.

After the troopers question Sibyl, Rand decides that his wife may need an attorney. Sibyl and Rand go to Montpelier to meet lawyers the next day, leaving Connie by herself. Rollie drops in before lunch. She and Connie spend their time listening to the voice messages on the phone, many of them from journalists requesting an interview, and others from members of the MANA, the Midwives Alliance of North America, offering help and support. After Rollie leaves, Tom Corts drops in unexpectedly. By now, he and Connie have been going steady for four months. Connie thinks that he may be disappointed in her shabby clothes, but Tom clasps her in a warm hug, comforting her. As they sit in the den, Tom is careful not to ask Connie about Charlotte’s death, focusing instead on Sibyl’s well-being.

Sibyl describes the night that the state troopers showed up at her house to arrest her. The irony is that she had expected to be arrested in her youth, when she would call police officers “pigs” and smoke marijuana all the time. That she is being arrested now seems like a joke. Stephen tells the officers that handcuffing Sibyl is not necessary, but the officers do it all the same. The oddest part of the handcuffs is not the metal circles, but a garden-hose-like sleeve circling each bracelet, as if to protect the wrists.

A 36-year-old lawyer named Stephen Hastings takes up Sibyl’s case. Stephen is a relatively high-profile attorney from Burlington, known for favorable verdicts in sensational cases, such as a not-guilty outcome for “the power company executive who was accused of drowning his wife in Lake Champlain” (123). Rand later tells Connie that he and Sibyl took to Stephen instantly when they met him on Saturday. Stephen tells the Danforths that Bill Tanner, the state attorney, will want a case against Sibyl and could even suggest that Charlotte’s death was intentional. However, he assures Rand that Tanner won’t even be able to arraign Sibyl on the charges. Nevertheless, it is important to start building a defense for Sibyl.

Stephen’s hunch proves prophetic. The Sunday newspapers are filled with one-sided, grisly accounts of Charlotte’s death, with doctors’ testimonies emphasizing the danger of home births. It seems a public opinion is already forming against Sibyl. More ominously, Anne has not responded to any of Sibyl’s calls since the night Charlotte died. On Monday, Stephen shows up with a photographer to capture Sibyl’s injuries. He asks Connie to step out with him to the kitchen to give Sibyl privacy as the photographer shoots the lacerations on her thighs. Connie likes the fact that Stephen talks to her as if she were a grown-up. She is also impressed by his savvy dressing and confident manner. Meeting Stephen bolsters Connie’s hopes about Sibyl’s future. That night, she goes to sleep confident that her mother has found the best possible lawyer.

Later, however, a particularly painful moment twists Connie’s faith in Stephen. When Sibyl’s trial is well underway, Connie spots Stephen, Bill Tanner, and the judge, Dorset, having a quick breakfast in the courtroom before the day’s session begins. Connie can hear the men talk about the trial as they munch on bananas and dry cereal, Tanner complimenting Stephen on his work and Stephen insisting that Tanner will win. Connie is shocked not because Stephen is fraternizing with Tanner, their enemy, but because for the men, the trial is just dispassionate work, while for the Danforths, it is their entire life.