Miss Read’s ill health paves the way for her decision to retire, and even though she is loath to do so, she imagines the horror of collapsing in front of the children, as had happened to Miss Clare some years ago. Henry Mawne loses his wife, which reignites his romantic interest in Miss Read, but he faces competition from a handsome new arrival to the area, John Jenkins. The school roll is bolstered by two batches of orphans, but problems with one family soon become obvious to Miss Read.