BS

Willow awoke to a muffled voice and dim lights. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and tried to sit up, big mistake. White hot pain streaked through her skull and she swayed, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. She craned her neck to glimpse her rescuer and met pair of large hazel eyes set above rosy cheeks and framed by honey blonde hair. Where had she seen those eyes before?

"Buffy?"

"Close, my name's Elizabeth." The woman introduced herself cheerily, her english accent seeming strange coming out of Buffy's mouth. "You had quite a fall miss, how are you feeling?" Elizabeth inquired.

"I'm okay, I guess, apart from the major pain in my head and the waking up in a stranger's house." Willow replied. "If you don't mind, where am I?"
"London" Elizabeth replied, laying Willow back down on the bed and turning to wet a rag.
"England?"
"Is there any other?" The nurse asked, chuckling softly as she pressed the cool rag to Willow's forehead.
"What year?"
"Lord, you must've hit your head harder than I thought, it's 1879." She shook her head. "What should I call you miss?"
"Willow." The nurse cocked an eyebrow expectantly.
"Rosenberg."
Elizabeth looked puzzled, "I didn't know missus Rosenberg had a daughter."
"Huh?"
"Lillian Rosenberg is your mother right? Her brother lives in a big house on a hill just north of here. So sorry to hear about your mum's passing. How did you escape the fire?" The blonde had been scurrying around the room while she talked, but stopped in front of Willow's bed as she asked this last question.

"I was out um.... Horse...back riding? Yes, horseback riding... In France. Yep, I was in France and that's why no one knows about me or knows that I exist so don't ask anybody about me because they won't know anything. Because I was in France." Willow beamed and nodded her head vigorously in an attempt to make the story seem very true and not at all made up in the last thirty seconds.

The nurse made a small 'hmph' noise and turned back to her work. "I must say miss, those French people must dress quite strangely. Fitted slacks and undergarments as overclothes, what an utterly bewildering outfitting." She tutted softly to herself, and began opening drawers and unfolding things. Willow watched her closely, slowly realizing that she was in serious trouble here.

"What're you doing?" She asked.
"Finding you a suitable dress for this evening. What with the engagement party and all." Elizabeth states rather matter-of-factly.
"Engagement party?"
"Isn't that what you came here for? The lovely Miss Lehane is to be wed to that awful Mister Pryce." The young woman's face darkened for a moment and she curled her lip, but it quickly brightened again when she seemed to find what she was looking for.

"Ah yes miss, this is the dress for you!" She held it up and Willow agreed. The dress was beautiful. It was a deep forest green color, embroidered with curling vines and leaves. It's neckline was scandalous to say the least in her own time, and Willow found she quite liked the idea of this being socially acceptable.

After that evil corset and weird 'knickers' were on, Elizabeth helped her into the dress. She left her hair down, and wore a simple silver chain around her neck with a small emerald-like stone that she was told belonged to her 'mother'. When it touched her skin, she felt a magical connection to the pendant. Willow inspected it in the light and saw something dark swirling in its depths. Thanks mom.