Mrs. Breen and her much older husband, Mr. Breen, are shockingly invited to attend Lady Donner's First Feast to eat human flesh with her and other Victorian London elites. At dinner, Mrs. Breen is reminded of her family's lower status and is glad to have come so far. Though Mrs. Breen knows her husband wants a male heir, she thinks that by being accepted into high society, their two-year-old daughter Sophie will now have the chance to marry up and may even host her own First Feast one day.

On the carriage ride home, some lower class boys throw a rock through the window. Most of them run, but one is caught and asks them if they have eaten human flesh tonight. Mrs. Breen says that they have. The boy tells them that he will have blood for blood then. Mr. Breen says the boy will hang for this, but Mrs. Breen says no. At first, it is out of pity. But then she remembers her grandfather's constant attempts to climb the social ladder and hardens herself. She tells Mr. Breen that hanging is too dignified and watches as the coachman beats the boy to death.

Mrs. Breen calls on Lady Donner to thank her for the invitation. She and the other ladies discuss the anti-cannibalism pamphlets and rumors that the House of Commons will take up the issue. Lady Donner and Mrs. Breen grow very close after this, and Lady Donner takes a liking to Sophie after accidentally meeting her on one of Lady Donner's visits to the Breens. Mrs. Breen and Mr. Breen continue to try for a male heir, but are unsuccessful.

When the next London Season comes around, Mrs. Breen is expecting an invitation to the First Day feast with the First Families. But her invitation is to the Second Day Dinner. Mrs. Breen, feeling her friendship with Lady Donner has been slighted, writes back declining the invitation and citing a prior obligation. Mr. Breen is uncharacteristically furious and tells her she must write back apologizing. Mrs. Breen refuses and tells him he will have no heir from her.

Mrs. Breen's daily visits with her other high society friends are declined. When she runs into Lady Donner, Lady Donner acts as if she's never seen Mrs. Breen. Mrs. Breen falls ill and the Breens retreat to the countryside. Mrs. Breen slowly recovers, but isn't welcomed back to the lower class circles she used to be in because she turned her back on them when she was friends with Lady Donner. Shunned by her husband, she decides to spend more time with Sophie until she finds an anti-cannibalism pamphlet in the governess' book and fires the governess.

Mr. Breen tells Mrs. Breen they will return to London for the start of the next summer Season, and Mrs. Breen wallows in her loneliness once they're back. One day, she receives a personalized invitation from Lady Donner inviting her to the First Day Feast and imploring her to bring Sophie. The Breens buy new dresses and get their clothes tailored to look their best. On the day of the feast, Mr. Breen gives Sophie a rare and genuine compliment on her attire, which is perfected by a blue ribbon Lady Donner gifted her. Lady Donner also approves of Sophie's beauty and greets them warmly, before a housemaid leads Sophie to play with the other children.

At dinner, there is a debate on the morality of consuming human flesh and whether or not the government will outlaw it. Most of Lady Donner's guests consider it moral since in their eyes the lower classes are given to them by god like animals. The flesh they eat is very rare, with some blood staining people's mouths, and gamier than usual. Lady Donner, looking directly at Mrs. Breen, says it should be since it was taken wild. Lady Donner asks Mrs. Breen to stay a bit after the other guests have left, insisting she attend more events with her next week. Lady Donner gives Mrs. Breen an oddly heavy hatbox tied with Sophie's blue ribbon. Mrs. Breen doesn't need to open it to know that it is Sophie's head.

Mrs. Breen correctly guesses that it was Mr. Breen's doing. He admits that he made a deal with Lady Donner via discreet letters while they were in the countryside. Mrs. Breen says she wishes he had told her so that she wouldn't have had to worry so much about whether or not they would be accepted back into society. Mr. Breen apologizes, and Mrs. Breen vows to give him the heir he wants that night.