William watched as Eliza was fascinated with all his parent's home had to offer. And deep inside it pained him to know she loved all of such wealth and excess. He'd left that life behind for a reason, and now right before his eyes the girl he loved was becoming drunken with all that glitz had to offer.

His eyes were diverted by the sound of his name. "William!" A girl's voice called out.

At first, he didn't recognize exactly who it was. But there was something familiar about it. When he turned he saw her coming toward he and Eliza. His stomach sank at the sight of her, she'd grown significantly since he'd last been home. Being the same age as him, she was now very much a woman. He questioned if her feelings for him had ever wavered.

"Lydia." William breathed out. The blonde finally made his way toward him, almost breathless from all of the walking required on those grounds.

"William! You've finally returned." She remarked. "I can't remember when last I saw you."

Eliza, who had walked off to get a better look at the plants noticed her standing next to William. She looked off from a distance as they spoke and quietly wondered if she was a relative of some sort. The girl was pretty, the kind of girl that one would describe as an American kind of beauty. She'd yet to convert to the modernized way of living, wearing long blonde curls that were waved at the root. Her dress was significantly long, and it was a light pink color with soft, feminine fabric. A flower was pinned to the high neckline of the dress.

"We all questioned if you'd ever come back." Lydia told William. "A bunch of rumors whirled about what you were up to in New York."

"They're probably true." William admitted to Lydia. She paused, then laughed for a moment.

"Well, of course they aren't." She said. "They say horrible things about you. I know you, I know you wouldn't do any of those things."

"You don't know what I'm capable of, Lydia." William cleared his throat.

"You were my high school sweetheart, and college before you left." She reminded William. "I knew you better than anyone in this town."

William shut his eyes for a moment, not prepared to go back down memory lane.

"And you know, I must say I was pretty shocked when you up and left out of no where." Lydia told William. "You hadn't even said goodbye."

"I had my reasons." William answered her, finally looking at her. She noticed his annoyance with her, and so she tried to sweeten the conversation.

"You're just as handsome as when you left, even more handsome!" She commented. "And your blue eyes are just as I remember them."

"I don't believe they'd change." William looked off at Eliza, who shyly lifted a hand and waved at the two from where she stood.

"Oh, I haven't seen that one before." Lydia commented. "Some of these new hires get so comfortable with you. They talk to you as though they're your friend!"

"She's not hired here." William told Lydia, then waved Eliza over. Lydia looked like a deer in headlights. She couldn't fathom what Eliza could possible have to do with William or The McGills.

Eliza walked over with such grace and elegance, it made Lydia squint at her. She questioned who exactly Eliza thought she was. She stood next to William, unsure of what to do or say. And William placed a hand on Eliza's back.

"Lydia, this is Eliza." William told Lydia. "She's very dear to me."

Lydia stared at William, then Eliza. She did so a for a few moments before forcing a smile. "Well. It's definitely interesting to meet you."

"And it's a pleasure to meet you." Eliza held our her hand for a shake, but Lydia didn't offer her hand. William moved his hand from Eliza's back and gripped her by the waist. Eliza wondered why he was so adamant about being outspoken of their connection. She didn't wish for there to be a ruckus.

"I would never have thought..." Lydia stared. "I mean— she surely is a character, William. It's just, after me. I would've never thought!"

"Lydia, it's been great seeing you but if you'll excuse us, I have to show Eliza the rest of the grounds." William said as he began walking Eliza away from Lydia.

"You know, I'd love to join you." Lydia walked behind them and caught up. "I haven't truly seen these grounds since, well, you know."

"When you've seen them once, you've seen them a thousand times, Lydia." William mumbled toward her. "How did you know that I was back anyway?"

Lydia stopped walking and seemed dejected. She tried to force a smile, but the tears in her eyes were unmistakable. "Well, your father told me you had returned. In fact, he went as far as to say you wished to see me. That you couldn't wait to rap about your time away."

"You'll have to excuse my father, he's old and hardly knows what he's talking about." William told Lydia. In that moment, Leonard made his way over to them.

"Mr. William, your father is looking for you inside. He says you must come at this moment." Leonard told him. "Or else."

William took Eliza's hand and began walking toward the house.

"I apologize, but he also clarified he didn't want you to bring any guests by any means." Leonard said, as he delivered the message sorrow was in his eyes.

Slowly William let go of Eliza's hand. "I'll be right back."

"Please do." Eliza said as he and Leonard walked off. Now all who said were Eliza and Lydia. Eliza stood for a moment in silence, then looked off toward the garden. She attempted to walk back to the flowers alone, but Lydia quickly joined her.

"Eliza, is it?" Lydia asked.

"Yes." Eliza exhaled. "And you are Lydia, am I right?"

"You've got it." Lydia answered. "I must say, you are such a sight. Where did you meet William?"

Eliza thought back to the night at the club where they first met. She sang smoothly to the crowd as he watched on, drinking liquor that surely should not have been in possession. And their eyes locked at just the right moment. She blinked as she pushed those memories back into her mind.

"We met in New York." Eliza answered vaguely. "Did you grow up with William?"

"His family and my family have been friends for decades. My family's compound isn't too far from here." Lydia told Eliza. "We both were bred in the same environment. And so we meshed well together. In the natural order of things.

Eliza thought to herself that there was nothing natural about Lydia. The way she spoke sounded peppy and cheerful, but her spirit was intrusive.