When the Baron throws a party for one of his acquaintances, Mameha persuades him to invite Nobu and the Doctor. She and Sayuri will be attending, and she sees an opportunity for the two men—who dislike each other—to begin a bidding war over Sayuri.

At the party, the Doctor starts asking Sayuri about the laceration to her thigh, but several months have passed since this incident and Sayuri realizes that he is fantasizing about her body. She plays up to his desires by offering tantalizing responses, but she feels “half-disgusted and half-fascinated” (282) when imagining what is going on in his mind. 

Their conversation is interrupted when the Baron speaks up, noting that Sayuri and the Doctor seem to be talking about something interesting. He has been drinking, and his topic of conversation quickly turns to his desire to see what lies under a woman’s kimono. Mameha tries to shush him, yet he insists on being forthright and telling Sayuri that every man at the party would pay good money to see her take a bath. Sayuri does not know what to say but is rescued by Nobu, who asks her to escort him to the restroom. 

Later, when most people have left the party, the Baron advises Mameha on what to wear to a blossom-viewing event that they are due to attend the next week.