Parliament meets and George wins election for the Chelsea districts, but the enormous cost of political life drives him into increasing desperation, especially when his grandfather’s death fails to bring the inheritance on which he had relied. Meanwhile Glencora encounters Burgo again at Lady Monk’s party and comes dangerously close to eloping with him, only to turn back at the last moment and admit to Plantagenet that she still loves her former suitor. Realizing that he may lose his wife, Plantagenet begins to place his marriage above the political advancement he has long desired, while George becomes more aggressive toward Alice as election expenses and financial pressures mount. When the old Vavasor’s will confirms that George has been denied the fortune he expected, his political ambitions and his engagement to Alice begin moving rapidly toward disaster.
