Meanwhile, Margaret and Dixon (Mrs. Hale's loyal maid) are planning how to keep Frederick's upcoming visit a secret from everyone in the town. They decide that Martha, the local girl they employ to help with the housework, will have to be given her holidays during this time because there would be no way to keep Frederick's presence from her and she would talk. They decide that they will temporarily hire Nicholas Higgin's younger daughter Mary to help around the house, as they can trust her not to ask questions or gossip about their business.
Frederick arrives late one night and his presence is greeted with mingled joy and fear for him. Mrs. Hale, who is extremely weak, manages to grab his hand and refuses to let it go. He spends hours sitting by her bedside, only moving during the doctor's visit when he must stay out of sight. Margaret is relieved by his presence, not just for the happiness it brings their mother, but because he manages to raise Mr. Hale out of his depression- temporarily, anyway. Unfortunately, Dr. Donaldson's diagnosis is grim: he says that Mrs. Hale has only days- perhaps hours- left. This proves true when Mrs. Hale dies the following night.
While they are discussing this, Frederick mentions that he was almost seen the day before by someone who had come to visit Mr. Hale- a tradesman, he thinks. Questioning him, Margaret is startled to realize that he means Mr. Thornton; it turns out that he came by to offer his assistance in any way but Dixon, fearing for Frederick, denied him entrance to the house. It is also at this time that Frederick tells them of a girl in Spain to whom he is engaged and plans to marry the following year. He suggests that his father and Margaret should come to Spain to live as well, but Mr. Hale says that he cannot go... his wife will be buried in Milton and he will not leave her. Margaret tells Frederick that he should try to clear his name, for his fiancee's sake if not his own. She urges him to, on his way back to Spain, stop in London and consult with Henry Lennox who is a solicitor as well as Edith's brother-in-law. Frederick agrees to do this and they begin making plans for him to leave the following evening.