In chapter 7 of Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pierce, Tom has already gone through the back door at midnight and entered into another time. He has been upset by having to be with his aunt and uncle for a while because his brother is sick with the measles, but now, something so interesting has occurred that he no longer wants to go home. He has seen the boys and Hatty. He has experienced a different world. He has entered into a mystery, and now, he is not willing to give that up.

In chapter 7, then, Tom is writing to his brother, Peter, about everything that has happened to him so far. His uncle then makes the comment that it is useless to write a long letter to someone with the measles since that person's eyes are bound to be weak. Tom quickly writes "Private" and "Confidential" across the letter and draws on the seal. He certainly doesn't want his mother to read his letter to Peter.

Tom's aunt sees him shiver when he thinks how close he has come to telling his aunt and uncle about the midnight garden. She takes his temperature and remarks that if he were to catch the measles, he would be away from home for several weeks rather than merely ten days or so. Tom suddenly realizes how close he is to never seeing the garden again, and he changes his mind about wanting to go home. He quickly tries to convince his aunt that he does indeed have the measles, but no fever.

Tom does not want to go home. It is no longer a relief to him to think about leaving his aunt and uncle's apartment. He wants to stay and discover more about the mysterious garden and its occupants.