Edmund is waiting in Fanny's special room when she returns home. Fanny is surprised to find him sitting at her writing desk, pen in hand. Edmund tells Fanny that he was writing a letter to her. He stands and gives her a small package and tells her to open it. Inside, Fanny finds a gold chain.

It is for her cross, Edmund says. At first Fanny does not know what to do. Mary had just given her the other gold chain, the one that Henry had bought for his sister. Fanny would much rather wear Edmund's chain. Her feelings for him are so much stronger than for Mary or Henry. She tells Edmund the story of how she acquired the other chain. Then she says she must give the other chain back to Mary, but Edmund will not hear of it. Edmund insists that if Fanny were to do this, it would seem she were ungrateful. Edmund does not want Mary to be upset or hurt. He admits he is touched by Mary's act of giving, and it softens his recent concern about Mary's lack of feelings. She is perhaps more affectionate as well as more empathetic than he had thought.

When Edmund expresses his feelings for Mary, Fanny silently questions if Mary deserves such a good man. Edmund tells Fanny that he is so fortunate to have two such good women to love. This declaration makes Fanny feel uncomfortable. She does not want to share him in this way.

Later, Henry Crawford seeks out William to tell him that the following day he will be traveling to London. He asks William to join him. Henry enjoys William's company, but he is also well aware that making friends with Fanny's brother will draw her closer to him. William is excited about the prospect of going with Henry.

When Sir Thomas hears that the two men will be traveling together and spending the night at Henry's uncle's home, he is thankful for William's sake. Henry's uncle is an admiral in the navy. The opportunity of meeting this powerful man should make for a good opportunity for William's advancement.

Edmund goes to the parsonage to find Mary. He wants to secure two dances with her before the ball. Mary accepts, but Edmund later tells Fanny that Mary has confused him. While Mary agreed to dance with him, she had added that it would be the last time she would dance with him. She said she would never dance with a clergyman.

Though Mary often says mean things to him, Edmund continues to make excuses for her. Edmund thinks that she is a good person at heart. She merely was raised improperly, he tells Fanny. He will help remove the negative elements of her nature.

After Edmund leaves, Fanny dresses for the ball. When she goes to put on the necklace, she finds that the chain that Mary gave her is too big to go through the hoop attached to the cross. So she has no choice but to use the chain that Edmund gave her. As she prepares to go downstairs, she smiles. She is very happy to bring together, in the necklace, the two men she most loves.