This chapter opens with a letter from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra, dated May 9.
Just as a reminder – May 9 puts us back in time a bit. May 9 is the day after Jonathan Harker cut himself while shaving and discovered that Dracula doesn't reflect in mirrors.
Mina writes to Lucy apologizing for not having written sooner, but says it's hard to find the time with her job as an assistant schoolteacher.
She says they'll be together soon by the sea for vacation.
Mina tells Lucy that she's been practicing writing in shorthand and at typing on a typewriter so that she'll be able to help Jonathan (Harker) in his work after they're married.
She's keeping a journal in shorthand everyday to practice.
She tells Lucy that she's gotten a short letter from Jonathan saying that he'll be returning in about a week.
She asks Lucy to write her back with news – especially about a certain good-looking someone.
Lucy writes back promptly, describing all her social engagements and parties.
Apparently Lucy is of a higher social class than Mina – Mina has to work for a living, while Lucy gets to be a social butterfly.
Lucy says that the good-looking person Mina asked about must be Mr. Arthur Holmwood, who is an upper-class, rich, good-looking guy.
She says they've also been introduced to a friend of Holmwood's named Dr. Seward, who is also good-looking.
Dr. Seward visits them a lot now, Lucy says.
Lucy confides to Mina that she's in love with Arthur Holmwood, and says that she can't wait for Mina to join her on vacation at the seaside so that they can gossip and chat in person.
Lucy writes to Mina again – this time it's dated May 24. For reference, that's a few days before Harker tried to send letters to Mina and Peter Hawkins in secret with the Szgany.
Lucy tells Mina that even though she's almost twenty and has never been proposed to previously, she's actually had three proposals of marriage in one day!
She accepted one of them, but had to refuse the first two.
The first was Dr. John Seward (a.k.a. Jack Seward to his friends). He proposed and was refused – he was disappointed, but took it pretty calmly and promised to be her friend for life if ever she needed anything.
The second was an American from Texas, Quincey P. Morris. Quincey Morris is also a friend of Dr. Seward and Arthur Holmwood.
He asked her to marry him, and she refused as she did with Jack Seward. She admitted to him that she loves someone else, and Quincey Morris promised to be her friend for life.
Lucy is so emotional as she writes about it to Mina that she can't bring herself to describe the third proposal – Arthur Holmwood's – in any detail.
Suffice to say that she's engaged to Arthur and is happy about it.