It is night and it is raining. A woman, unnamed, knows the woods and finds her way to a predetermined place where she will bury a sack in a box. She feels great remorse and wishes she had confessed earlier, but it’s too late now. She buries the box. The deed is done. She hears birds chirping, and a horse whinnies in the distance. These sounds will forever be with her, reminding her of what she has done.

Alice Edevane, a 16-year-old girl, is sitting in the upstairs bathroom in her family’s estate, Loeanneth, looking down at the lake. She spots Mr. Llewellyn, an old family friend, near the stream with his easel. She’s looking for someone specific but can’t see him. There is a lot of action as musicians and caterers set things up for the party. Suddenly, she spots who she was searching for. She waves to him, but he doesn’t see her. They both know they shouldn’t exchange such conspicuous greetings.

The man is Benjamin Munro, a 26-year-old from London who was hired a year ago to help the gardener on the grounds. Alice is infatuated with Ben. She has learned a lot about him from being very observant, because Ben is not one to blather on about himself.