The Maid's Secret

The narrative returns to Gran’s diary. 

As Flora’s classes continue, she works hard and ignores the taunting of her classmates. At home, her father is much changed, and it is clear that his business empire is near collapse. Uncle Willy does the work of many servants due to the reduced staff. Reginald also puts Willy in charge of preparing for the Braun Summit, a critical meeting to be held at Gray Manor with Magnus Braun and his board, a last-ditch attempt to keep Braun from taking over Reginald’s business.

One day, worried about the potential loss of her family’s wealth and status, Flora seeks solace in her father’s library. She runs into John Preston there, busy returning the books he borrowed. The two exchange hostilities, but then John apologizes and points out that he and she, perpetual targets of their classmates, should team up for moral support and work together to get the top grades in their class. Although keenly aware of how attractive she was beginning to find John, Flora is insulted that he would presume to be so friendly and familiar. She makes it clear how inferior she considers him, and they part angrily.