The People at Blooms-End Make Ready
- Mrs. Yeobright badgers Thomasin out of her funk and enlists her in Operation: Clym's Visit.
- The two women clean the house and prepare Clym's room.
- They then head outside to gather ferns and apples.
- Thomasin talks about her situation and is upset that she's being labeled as a scarlet woman when she hasn't done anything wrong.
- Her aunt kind of brushes her off with an "oh well, tough luck" and the two head off to gather some holly.
- Thomasin defends Wildeve and her situation, but her aunt tells her to come off it and tell the truth.
- Thomasin refuses to say whether or not she regrets getting involved with him and both women agree that the only thing to do now is to marry the guy, whether she even really wants to or not.
- Then Thomasin asks her aunt to keep everything a secret from Clym for as long as possible since she doesn't want him to think badly of her.
- The two agree that the Christmas party should go forward as planned too.
- Later the two women set off down a highway to meet Clym on his way home.