Linda bears another child, a daughter, and despite Dr. Flint's protests, both children are baptized. She names her son Benjamin, after her favorite uncle, and her daughter Ellen, after her father's mistress.
With two children to care for, Linda's life is even more challenging, because Dr. Flint begins to use her children to punish and control her. After again refusing to sell her and her children, Dr. Flint offers to buy their freedom if Linda will consent to live with him as his mistress. When she refuses, he threatens to send her and her children to live on his son's plantation. Linda finally succumbs to — as the lesser of two evils — go to the plantation.
Linda and Ellen leave for Mr. Flint's plantation. Ben is ill so Linda leaves him behind with her grandmother. At the plantation, Linda resolves to work hard, but adamantly resists being "broken in." Because her new duties — which include preparing the household for the arrival of the new Mrs. Flint — are extremely demanding, Linda is forced to leave Ellen on her own for most of the day. After a terrifying incident during which Ellen is nearly killed by a snake, Linda realizes that she can no longer care for her daughter and sends her back to live with her grandmother. When Mr. Flint objects, she tells him that Ellen is sick and he lets the incident pass.
Over the next several weeks, Linda, accompanied by a young man from the plantation, sneaks home several times to visit her children. During one of her visits, she reveals her plans to escape, but changes her mind when her grandmother reminds her that her first responsibility is to her children. But when she accidentally learns that Dr. Flint plans to send her children back to Mr. Flint's plantation, she renews her resolve and begins to plot her escape.
