▁navigate ▁these ▁comp lications ▁with ▁mixed ▁success . ▁His ▁in ability ▁to ▁reci proc ate ▁Rach el ' s ▁aff e ctions ▁ultimately ▁def uses ▁their ▁affair . ▁She ▁agre es , ▁much ▁to ▁Brad ley ' s ▁satisfaction , ▁to ▁be ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁his ▁friend . ▁Christian ▁mean while ▁starts ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁Arnold , ▁drawing ▁her ▁att ent ions ▁away ▁from ▁Brad ley . ▁Indeed , ▁Arnold ▁inform s ▁Brad ley ▁that ▁he ▁int ends ▁to ▁leave ▁Rach el ▁for ▁Christian . ▁Yet ▁Brad ley ▁fails ▁to ▁give ▁proper ▁attention ▁to ▁Pr isc illa , ▁who ▁path et ically ▁altern ates ▁between ▁desp air ▁and ▁h yst er ical ▁optim ism . ▁Only ▁Francis ▁remains ▁a ▁constant ▁anno y ance ; ▁the ▁former ▁ps y cho anal yst ▁is ▁implicitly ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Brad ley . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁however , ▁Brad ley ▁cannot ▁escape ▁falling ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Julian . ▁He ▁priv ately ▁v ows ▁never ▁to ▁conf ess ▁or ▁seek ▁to ▁real ise ▁this ▁love , ▁but ▁he ▁cannot ▁contain ▁himself . ▁He ▁prompt ly ▁bl ur ts ▁it ▁out ▁to ▁Julian ▁herself , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁emb ark ▁on ▁a ▁brief , ▁inten se ▁affair . ▁He ▁ste als ▁away ▁Julian ▁to ▁a ▁r ented ▁sea - side ▁c ott age ▁to ▁e va de ▁Rach el ▁and ▁Arnold , ▁who ▁both ▁condem n ▁the ▁relationship . ▁But ▁he ▁also ▁neglect s ▁pressing ▁needs ▁at ▁home . ▁Pr isc illa , ▁left ▁without ▁any ▁compan