Part 1: Chapters 7-8 Summary

Malcolm's Stepmother. Garland, Malcolm's father, returns from his three year honeymoon to Europe with his very young, very pregnant wife. Malcolm is shocked to see that he is about to have a sibling, but not as shocked as Garland is to learn his only child has married and made him a grandfather twice over. Over dinner, Alicia tells stories about their wedding trip, expressing herself with such honesty and openness that Olivia cannot help but admire her. Alicia is exactly the kind of woman Malcolm claims to dislike, a woman very much like his own mother. However, as the evening continues, it is clear that Malcolm is taken in with Alicia's outgoing personality.

Olivia overhears a conversation between Garland and Alicia when everyone retires to their rooms that night, and finds herself jealous of their easy intimacy. The next...