Cynthia
She and Liz had finished lunch about half an hour ago and had been riding in this bumpy carriage since.
"Miss LeHane is one of the most beautiful, interesting, and humorous people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. She and I have been best friends since she moved here a few years ago, I couldn't imagine my life without her! There really aren't any words to describe Cynthia." If this year's Faith was anything like the Faith she knew, Willow would have to agree.
Elizabeth seemed totally enraptured by this girl, talking about her at every opportunity, extolling her virtues, praising her for her core characteristics; something present-day Buffy outwardly avoided, but Willow knew she enjoyed in her spare time.
"... awful Pryce boy had his eyes on her since she first arrived. The snobby bastard seemed desperate to gain her attentions and failed miserably, she would never fall for someone of his... Type? Every night she was meant to be basking in his attentions, she came to me for comfort and understanding." Liz sighed and Willow picked up on more than platonic "comforting" in her tone.
Present day Buffy had always had her full attention on Faith whenever she was nearby. Perhaps these situations were not so different... Willow narrowed her eyes and studied Elizabeth closely: the dreamy lilt in her voice, the dilation of her pupils, how often she sighed when talking about Cynthia, and how rarely she talked about anything else.
"...finally got his way and managed to bribe poor Cynth's bankrupt uncle to sell his niece. She's been so sad as of late, I hardly ever see her smile but when she does- oh Willow you should see it. It's like the heavens have opened up and the whole room brightens. I hope she will be in good spirits today, but as I said before, she rarely is anymore." Lizzy didn't seem so high in spirits herself, perhaps actual spirits might help.
-_-_-
As they approached the looming fortress that was the Pryce estate, Willow found herself once again trapped in a conversation about its owner. Elizabeth seemed to want to make sure that she knew how awful 'Christopher' was. Willow understood completely.
They finally reached the front door and Liz knocked heavily on it. After waiting a moment, it swung open revealing a young man in a penguin suit: the butler. He vaguely reminded Willow of Jonathan. Does everyone have a double here? It was like Dopplegangland all over again.
Elizabeth pushed past him and called for Cynthia, loud enough to be heard by anyone within a ninety mile radius. Soon they heard loud thumping, a click, more thumping, and suddenly Faith's twin appeared at the top of a large staircase. She was wearing a pearly cream dress with light blue accents, her chestnut hair was pinned up with a matching flower clip. She did look beautiful, and Willow glanced at Liz to gauge her reaction. She was smitten.
"Oh Lizzy darling, I've missed you terribly. Who's your friend?" She cooed, looking Willow up and down. "This is Willow Rosenberg. She just arrived from France a fortnight ago. We've become rather close and I had hoped to introduce you two at some point. Of course there wasn't really time with the fast approach of the..." She looked uncomfortable and Willow assumed she meant the wedding. "Here we are." Liz was staring at her shoes and blushing furiously. Willow curtsied as Cynthia approached, the other woman smiled appreciatively.
"Lovely to meet you. I'm sure you know all about me by now, dear Lizzy does love to talk. It's one of the things I love about her." Cynthia smiled warmly, slipping her arm around "dear Lizzy" and resting it on the blonde's hip. She blushed.
"Anyone for tea?" Cynthia offered. There was unanimous approval and they made their way into the parlor.
It featured eggshell walls with cherry paneling on the bottom half of each. A large, Oriental rug lay out on the dark wood floor; two chairs and a seteé were arranged around a large fireplace with a mirror above it. Paintings lined the walls and Willow recognized Wesley's and Faith's faces among the portraits, but the rest were unfamiliar. Large windows allowed sunlight and a great view of the gardens.
The butler entered, tea tray in hand. His eyes were glued to Cynthia as he set it down, hands shaking. Willow covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud and waited for him to leave. He bowed profusely and nearly ran into the door during his hasty exit.
-_-_-
The tea was fantastic, and the biscuits were almost cookie-like. Cynthia entertained them with stories about her life before London, stories of days spent exploring forests and meadows, of nights under the stars, of places far off where the people spoke and dressed in the most interesting ways. Willow recognized some customs and food from Asia and Russia and perhaps parts of Africa, but she couldn't be sure.
Willow had a great time and vowed to return next week, but tonight they had a ball to attend.