Belle recalls the story of her real mother and how she came to the plantation. The Captain saw her at a slave auction, where the auctioneer warned him that she was difficult. Undeterred, the Captain bought her and brought her home.

When they first arrived, Mrs. Pyke, the Captain’s mother, was ill, and Belle’s mother used her knowledge of plants and herbs to make her well again. From that moment on, Mrs. Pyke became very fond of Belle’s mother. A relationship soon developed between the Captain and Belle’s mother, who quickly became pregnant. She gave birth to Belle but died of a fever shortly after. Mama Mae gave birth to Ben at roughly the same time, so she was able to nurse both Ben and Belle.

Belle’s reverie is interrupted by Mama Mae’s pointed questions about Ben. It is obvious that there is an attraction between Belle and Ben, and Mama Mae knows it presents several problems. The Captain has made it clear that he will give Belle her free papers soon and take her up North to find a suitable husband for her. For now Belle has been able to put off the Captain, insisting that the plantation is her home and the slaves of the kitchen house are her family. Mama Mae warns Belle that Ben will be punished if the Captain finds out about their growing romance.

As the holidays are ending, Mama Mae worries that Miss Martha will sink into another one of her depressions because her sister and the Captain will be leaving within weeks of each other. The Captain had married Martha with the hope that she might run the plantation as his mother did during his absences at sea. He had long ago promised Martha to give up his work on the ocean and return home, but that has not yet happened.

Mama Mae hints that Rankin, the overseer, will be harder on the slaves, especially the outdoor ones who live in a separate area known as the quarters. Martha tends to take more and more of her drops when the Captain is away; the drops are laudanum, a strong opiate, and they render her useless, sleepy, and distant. Mama Mae also expresses her dislike for Mr. Waters, Marshall’s tutor. Marshall often seems upset after the lessons, and Mama Mae wonders why Mr. Waters locks the door when he’s working with Marshall.

By early spring, the Captain has departed and Martha has remained surprisingly upbeat; before summer arrives, both she and Dory learn that they are pregnant. As the pregnancies progress, Fanny takes more and more care of Sally, who begins visiting the kitchen house on a daily basis and brings joy to everyone.

One day Lavinia and the twins come across Mr. Waters and Marshall in the woods having an argument. Mr. Waters threatens to take his little sister, Sally, in his place. Marshall warns the girls to run away and flies into a rage when the tutor tries to grab Lavinia’s arm. The girls bring Papa George, followed by Ben, and they attempt to help Marshall.

In the early fall, Dory gives birth to a healthy baby girl named Sukey, and all of the members of the kitchen house pitch in to help. One day Sally is playing on the swing and begs Marshall to push her, but he refuses. When she tries to goad Mr. Waters into forcing Marshall to do it, he gets angry and begins pushing her. He pushes her too hard and, before anyone can stop him, the swing flies too high and Sally comes off it. She falls to the ground and breaks her neck.

Belle has to help Mama Mae deal with Sally’s body before the doctor arrives. Mama Mae makes Belle wash the child and put her in nice clothes, and Belle weeps the entire time.