Dr. Jordan has a dream: Grace is standing in the yard of the prison, wearing a white dress. Dr. Jordan appears, wrapping her in his coat. She leans into him.
Mrs. Humphrey awakens him. As she's setting a tray down, she faints.
Dr. Jordan revives her, and she lies in bed. Dr. Jordan asks what's become of her hired help. She had to let a girl go and owes her three months wages. Her husband disappeared two days ago and took all their money. She hasn't eaten since her husband left and there is no food left in the house.
Dr. Jordan brings her some food he has purchased. He says he'll advance her two months rent.
Dr. Jordan arrives at the governor's house, where Grace is mending lace. He asks her if she's had any dreams.
We see Nancy in the garden, waving. She puts her hand to her throat and starts to collapse. Grace responds that she supposes she's had dreams, but can't remember any at the moment. She says she'll try to remember if it will help Dr. Jordan with the trouble he's in.
Grace continues telling him about Mary Whitney. Mary does an impression of Mrs. Parkinson as they follow her around the house. Grace describes her as a fun-loving girl. Mary talks more about the rebellion. She tells Grace her grandmother was an Indian, and that she dreams of running off into the woods. She tells Grace she could come with her. Mary says she'd like to scalp Mrs. Parkinson. Grace tells Dr. Jordan it was just their way of talking; no harm was meant.
In Grace and Mary's room, Mary teaches Grace a game with an apple peel. You peel it in one piece and throw it over your shoulder, and it will spell the initial of the man you are to marry. As Grace peels, Mary tells her about the life she envisions for herself.
Grace tosses the peel over her shoulder. It lands in the shape of a J, and Mary says Grace will marry Jeremiah, the peddler who's coming tomorrow.
Mary tries three times to peel an apple, but is unable to peel any in one piece. She says it's just a foolish old wives tale, seeming to brush it off, but Grace looks concerned. The two go to bed, but both lie awake in the dark.
The next day Jeremiah arrives, with children singing and banging pots. Mary tells him they need to make a new woman of Grace. He and Grace make eye contact.
He spreads his wares across a table. The maids all browse. They beg him to read palms or do magic tricks. He concedes and does a trick.
The girls all leave, and Jeremiah calls out to Grace, commenting that she only bought four buttons. He says, "Five for luck," and starts to hand her another. He reads her palm as he does so.
He tells her there are sharp rocks ahead, a disaster. She will cross water three times. She will have much trouble, but all will be fine in the end. He says, "You are one of us," and touches the side of his nose.
Mrs. Honey calls for Mary and Grace to come, and they leave Jeremiah.
The girls are making alterations to Grace's new dress, and Mrs. Honey remarks on what a difference the new dress makes. A man stops at the doorway and stares, then continues on his way.
Grace is tossing and turning in bed. Mary tells her if she needs to use the privy outside, she must wait until it is light, as it is not safe. Grace does it anyway. She hears footsteps. Mary opens the door, chastising her.
Dr. Jordan asks why she shouldn't be allowed to go alone to the privy at night. Grace replies that a girl should never let her guard down, something Mary taught her. He asks if she always felt that, or if she felt it more so after the murders.
We see Grace raising her hand, her fingers covered in blood. She screams. Mary covers her mouth and tells her to hush so she doesn't wake the whole house. Grace is panicked, explaining this is why she had to go to the privy. She says this is how it began when her mother died. Mary explains she is a woman now. She shows Grace how to use a belt.
Grace thanks her for being such a good friend. Mary tells Grace she will be a beauty and will soon start to turn men's heads. She says the gentlemen are worse, because they think they can get whatever they want. She says they'll promise you anything you want, but Grace must be very careful and never do anything for them until they have performed what they have promised. She says that if there is a ring, there must be a parson to go with it.
Grace asks why, and Mary explains men are liars by nature. She tells Grace she is a good girl.
Mary and Grace are doing the washing. Grace playfully splashes some water on her, and the two begin chasing each other. They run outside, the back into the house. Grace grabs her and the two fall with a thud.
Grace, still laughing, shakes Mary to wake her up. Mary is unresponsive. Grace starts to get upset, but then Mary opens her eyes and shouts, "Boo!" Grace begins to cry, telling Mary to never scare her like that again. She says she couldn't bear to lose her.
George Parkinson, the man who paused in the doorway in a previous scene, enters, singing. He says he wanted to introduce himself to Grace. He asks if Mary has been making her feel at home, and the two agree. He says no one can make a person feel at home quite like Mary can. Mary and George share a look.
After George leaves, Mary explains he's the oldest son of the household, just home for Christmas.
They decorate for Christmas. Grace and Mary exchange gifts. Grace gives Mary a needle case she made with the ribbon she bought from Jeremiah. Mary gives Grace an embroidered handkerchief. Mary said it was her mother's, which she gave her just before she died. Grace tells Mary she mustn't part with it, but Mary tells Grace she's her dearest friend and she wants her to have it.
They serve Christmas dinner. Mary and George share another look, which his mother notices. Mrs. Parkinson asks Mary to take a look at a tear in her dress right away.
The servants eat their meal, singing as Mrs. Honey brings out the figgy pudding. Grace tells Dr. Jordan it was the happiest Christmas she's ever had.
George stays home after Christmas because he is sick. Mary brings him something, although Grace reminds her Mrs. Parkinson wants him to be alone to rest. He gets better by February, but because he'd missed so much of the college term, he plans to stay away until the next. He has time on his hands and is being waited on by all.
Mrs. Parkinson tells George she won't have him fraternizing with the servants when he's there to rest and recover. Grace overhears.
As Grace and Mary trudge through the snow, Grace asks her to wait up, but Mary says she's in a hurry. Mary warns her to beware of icicles, as she once heard of a woman who was killed by one.
Grace tells Dr. Jordan that by this time, she had noticed a change in Mary. Mary arrives in bed late and won't tell Grace where she's been.
Grace and Mary watch George and a young woman depart in a carriage. While Grace and Mary are doing the laundry, Grace tries to be playful, but Mary refuses. Grace asks if there's trouble, but Mary pretends not to know what she's talking about.
Suddenly, Mary vomits. She asks Grace not to mention it again, but at night, she vomits again in bed. Grace says it seems Mary is in need of confiding in someone; she saw her mother in this condition very often.
Mary says he promised to marry her. He gave her a ring, and she wanted to believe him. She thought he wasn't like other men, but now he won't even speak to her. Grace asks who, but Mary says she cannot say.
Mary is worried she will be turned away. Grace says she'll do anything for her. She suggests a workhouse, but Mary says no. Grace offers to deliver the baby herself and says they could give it away. Mary says that won't work because she'll start to show soon. Grace tells her to speak to the man one last time. They get back into bed and Grace puts her arms around Mary.
Mary goes to talk with the man. He gives her five dollars and says he doubts the baby is even his. He threatens her reputation if she tries to make a scandal of it. He tells her if she wants a quick end to her troubles, she should drown herself. Mary sobs in Grace arms, saying she truly loved him.
Grace and Mary are walking in town to a doctor "who helps whores." Grace doesn't understand what kind of doctor it is. Mary asks Grace if she's sure about lending her her savings, and Grace says of course. Mary hands Grace a note, which reads, "I Mary Whitney do declare that, if I die all my things are to go to Grace Marks." Grace begs Mary not to go to this doctor. They go anyway. Mary tells Grace to leave.
Sitting in the hallway, she hears Mary screaming. She beats on the door. Mary runs out, sobbing. At home, Grace helps her into bed. Mary explains the doctor took a knife and cut something inside. He said there would be pain and bleeding but all would be right after that. She tells Grace she must go back to work or Mary will be found out. Grace doesn't want to leave her, but Mary insists.
Grace stares at Dr. Jordan, saying she can tell he thinks it was wicked. She says she thought so too, but she figured it was either one corpse that way or two the other.
At night, Mary asks Grace to tell her a story. She tells the story Mary told her, about the rebellion. Then Mary asks Grace to recite the speech she taught her. They say it together at first, but Mary stops partway through. At the end, she moans in pain. Grace rests her head on the bed.
In the morning, Grace wake up after spending the night lying on the floor. She wakes up to find Mary dead. Two other maids knock and discover her. They see the blood on the sheets and run out to fetch someone. Grace asks Mary if she's pretending
Mrs. Honey and Mrs. Parkinson arrive. Mrs. Parkinson asks Grace why she didn't tell her. Grace says Mary told her not to, and she thought she would be better in the morning. Mrs. Parkinson asks who the man was, saying the scoundrel ought to be exposed and made to pay for his crime. Grace explains she was engaged to a gentleman who would not marry her and that Mary said Mrs. Parkinson would not like it if she found out who it was. Mrs. Parkinson says they will not discuss it any further. They will say Mary died of a low fever.
Grace laments to Dr. Jordan that she knew Mary wouldn't be pleased with the lies they planned to tell about her. She says it was the doctor who killed her, or more specifically, the unknown gentleman. She says the murderer isn't necessarily the one who strikes.
Grace stares at Mary, and sees her blink. It seems to be a figment of her imagination. Mrs. Parkinson tells the girls to clean up the mess and orders them not to speak of Mary's death until she looks "more respectable."
The three girls start to take off the sheets. Grace washes Mary's face with a cloth. She hears Mary's voice saying, "Let me in." She jumps up and opens a window.
Grace, in a voiceover, says she must have heard Mary wrong. She must have said, "Let me out."
Grace scrubs the bloody clothes and faints.
She's in bed, and the maids and Mrs. Honey try to wake her up. She doesn't stir. They sing to her later that night.
She awakens the next morning. She repeatedly asks for Grace. The maids tell her she is Grace and Mary has died, but Grace panics, saying she must search for Grace. They tell her she's had a shock. She faints again and wakes up a day late, at night.
This time, she remembers what happened. She also recalls the game with the apple peel, and how it came true for Mary: she would never marry anyone.
She tells Dr. Jordan she has no memory of anything she said or did during the time she was awake between the two long sleeps, which worried her. She tells Dr. Jordan that the happiest time of her life was over and done.
Miss Lydia knocks at the door and asks if they need anything. Dr. Jordan says they don't and asks her to please close the door. Their session ends.
In a voiceover, Grace says the doctor wants knowledge from her, knowledge gained from a descent into the pit. We see the trapdoor and the stairs that Nancy was thrown down.
The guards usher Grace back to the prison as Dr. Jordan watches.
