Chapter 20

At the Goode family salon after the disastrous play, Nora introduces Libby to Shepherd. The chemistry from Nora’s previous encounter with Shepherd has faded, and small talk falters. Shepherd offers drinks, Libby ducks out, and Nora learns Shepherd is Sally’s nephew and Charlie’s cousin, a revelation that complicates Nora’s feelings about Charlie.

Shepherd, friendly and sincere, invites Nora on a trail ride and departs. Uneasy, Nora wanders the house and studies a triptych of intimate nudes. Sally appears, reveals she painted them, and recounts her past: years struggling in New York’s art scene, a sudden break via a renowned curator, disillusionment with fame, and a return home that led to rekindling with Clint.

Libby joins, praises Sally’s work, and presses for the story. The conversation shifts to their mother’s exhausting pursuit of acting, triggering contrasting memories. Libby frames their mom’s life—and Nora’s—as overworked and lonely, saying Nora always puts work first and that this trip is an intervention. The words hit Nora like a judgment, igniting shame and a rising panic.

Overwhelmed, Nora escapes upstairs, finding solace in a child’s book-filled room that reflects Charlie and Clint’s care. Memories of their New York childhood and Nora’s drive to protect that life clarify her motives, even as she feels unseen by Libby. As Nora struggles to breathe, Charlie appears in the doorway, gently asking what happened, anchoring her spiraling emotions.