After waking up early, Stevens waits for the guesthouse’s owner to check him out. While waiting, he thinks about the letter he received from Miss Kenton. He still refers to her as Miss Kenton, even if she is technically to be referred to as Mrs. Benn after her marriage. However, her letter suggested that “her marriage is finally to come to an end” (34), and Miss Kenton mentioned that she was staying with a friend rather than her husband. Stevens believes that Miss Kenton regrets her past decisions as she is now alone. To him, the sad details of the letter are confirmation that a return to her position of housekeeper at Darlington Hall would be “a great comfort to her” (35).

Stevens’s memories are kindled by an anecdote from Miss Kenton’s letter. In 1922, he hires Miss Kenton at the same time his father William came to work at Darlington Hall. The positions they took were made vacant after the previous underbutler and housekeeper ran away to get married, an act that Stevens considers very unprofessional, especially as the employees in question were experienced enough to know how to handle their departures better.