Summary

In Chapter 17, Joy feels restless and panicky as she leaves Oxford. On the train, she admits to another passenger that she is falling in love. She evaluates her past – including many men who were older, unavailable, and nothing more to her than conquests. They included a professor who had been married, making Joy question her right to be angry at Bill for his affairs. She has pledged herself to God but continues to make mistakes. She pledges to be happy with the friendship love she has with Jack.

In Chapter 18, Joy immerses herself in the countryside where King Charles II lived in Worcester. She stays with Jack's friend who offers food, information, and books as Joy does research. Joy writes to Bill, asking him for money from a royalty check so that she can buy her passage home. She receives no reply. Joy...