Mama and Albert return from town with the land claims, and Sarah writes a letter inviting Jimmy Reed—a family friend briefly introduced in Chapter 1—and his fiancée, Ruthanne McIntosh, to travel from New Mexico Territory for a visit. The family’s house is almost complete, and together they travel to Tucson for more building materials, a stove, and some shoes for Harland.

At the dry goods store, Mama buys Sarah some material for a much-needed new dress, but Sarah longs for the expensive premade velvet dresses she sees in the Sears and Roebuck catalog. Savannah declares that Sarah does not need such fancy clothing. While Sarah admires Savannah’s simplicity and goodness, she nevertheless knows she wants a velvet catalog dress like the one that belongs to the mysterious woman in The Duchess of Warwick and Her Sorrow By the Sea.

Captain Jack Elliot visits the Prines twice in Chapter 5 but does not bring Sarah’s book to either unannounced visit, which annoys her. Between his visits, Jimmy Reed arrives in Arizona Territory; his engagement to Ruthanne has dissolved, and he plans to start a horse ranch near the Prines’ farm. Sarah and Jimmy spend a couple of days together in Tucson, and she is pleased that he treats her like a lady.