Sixteen-year-old Grace is summoned by Finola after being caught kissing Richard. Instead of being angry, Finola cynically advises Grace that she should have seduced Richard and become pregnant to force a marriage, explaining that sex is a woman’s primary source of power. 

Secretly, Finola makes a ruthless offer to her brother, Donal O’Flaherty: If he murders Walter so that Richard can become The MacWilliam, she will help him get Grace. Richard overhears his mother’s plot, finds Grace in the cellar, and proposes that they elope. Separately, Grace’s parents arrive at Rockfleet Castle by ship to end her fosterage. The O’Flaherty chieftain proposes a powerful alliance with Eóin, offering his entire fleet in exchange for Grace’s hand in marriage for his son.

At a feast that evening, Grace’s brother, Donal, shocks everyone by announcing that he has secretly married Nora. Later, Eóin forbids Grace from marrying Richard because he isn’t an heir. He gives Grace one week to choose between Walter Bourke and Donal O’Flaherty. Grace argues fiercely with her father, and when he moves to strike her, she uses her training to block the blow. 

Finola ensures that Richard can’t help Grace by sending him on a two-week hunting trip.