- Fanny suddenly becomes more important in the household since Maria and Julia are no longer around.
- The Grants start inviting her over to the Parsonage more often, too.
- This all started when Fanny got caught in the rain one day near the Parsonage and Dr. Grant insisted she come inside to wait out the storm.
- Mary was thrilled to see her since she had been super bored.
- Mrs. Grant and Mary are nice to Fanny, but Fanny's worried that she's in the way so she becomes extra awkward.
- Mary then offers to play her harp for Fanny, who has never heard it.
- Fanny keeps trying to leave but Mary basically holds her hostage and keeps playing the harp for her.
- After this Fanny and Mary start hanging out more often. Fanny still doesn't like Mary much, though.
- Fanny and Mary are walking outside and Fanny starts talking about how much she loves nature and how fascinating memory is. She finds people's memories mysterious and interesting.
- Mary is totally uninterested in this conversation.
- Mary confesses that she could really care less about nature and landscaping, and that she finds people more interesting.
- Fanny notes that Mary must be bored here, but Mary says she's had a very happy summer and hints that she has hopes for a future with Edmund.
- Mary says that she'd be happy to spend half the year in the country with the right person for company and then laughs about the new Mrs. Rushworth's situation.
- Fanny is alarmed and Mary says that she can't be too hard on Maria because she expects to be invited to Maria's big, fancy house for some rocking parties in the future.
- Fanny silently disapproves of this.
- Mary then says that she's glad Tom is gone so that Edmund can be Mr. Bertram now.
- Historical Context Lesson! The eldest boy and girl always got to be referred to as Mr. and Miss Last-Name, while the younger kids were Mr. and Miss First-Name. It cut down on confusion. Since Tom is gone, his younger brother goes from being Mr. Edmund to Mr. Bertram.
- Mary likes the name Mr. Bertram better since it implies the eldest son, but Fanny likes Edmund better since it's a romantic sounding name.
- Mrs. Grant and Edmund come up and talk with Mary and Fanny.
- The group discuss the Grants' landscaping and their house. Mary notes how many annoyances Mrs. Grant has to put up with in her country home, but Mrs. Grant adds that every home has its annoyances.
- Mary says that having a large income can solve a lot of problems and Edmund is alarmed that Mary values money so much.
- Mary then notes that she can't respect people who are content with a lower social station when they could do better, which is a jibe clearly aimed at Edmund.
- But then Edmund hints at his feelings for Mary and they seem to reach another understanding, or at least an impasse.
- Fanny is uncomfortable and hurries to leave. Edmund walks her home.
- Before they go, though, Mrs. Grant invites them over for dinner and Dr. Grant seconds the invitation.