The third volume follows John and Di as his determination to convert long-standing promise into action collides with an all-absorbing attachment; he resolves to pursue a public career while seeking clarity about Di's feelings. Social rituals — hunt balls, house parties, and an elaborate ice carnival during an unusually severe winter — bring family tensions, shifting intimacies, and the weight of reputation into sharp relief. The narrative traces how decisions made in public and private contexts begin to define the characters' paths and the relationships that will shape their futures.