Connie and Hilda journey towards London, where they are going to meet their father. They argue about Connie’s affair, and Connie accuses Hilda of being a hypocrite, since she is going through a divorce. When they get to London, Connie finds the city cold and unattractive; she prefers her life at Wragby. Connie’s dissatisfaction continues as she travels with her sister and father onwards to Paris, and then Venice. Connie is unmoved by these cities, and disgusted by the other tourists and their focus on indulging themselves.

Connie, Hilda, and their father stay at a residence called the Villa Esmeralda. She dislikes the other tourists they spend time with and prefers to be alone. Connie encounters her former lover Michaelis, who is also visiting Italy, but she no longer feels anything for him. Eventually, Connie realizes that she is pregnant as a result of her affair with Mellors.

Meanwhile Connie receives worrying news from Clifford. The whole village is gossiping about Mellors: Bertha, the wife of Mellors, turned up abruptly at his cottage and tried to seduce him. He rejected her, but the event still caused a scandal. Mrs. Bolton also sends Connie a letter explaining that Bertha was very angry because she found perfume and cigarettes in the cottage, and deduced that Mellors had been with women there.