Violet woke up early on a Saturday, unable to shake her thoughts about the word "Weyward" she found etched behind her furniture.
Contemplating her mother's past and the gold pendant she wears, Violet wonders if her mother's initial was 'W' for her maiden name, Weyward, rather than her first name.
Housekeeper Mrs. Kirkby brings Violet's breakfast, and Violet seizes the opportunity to casually ask Mrs. Kirkby about her mother's last name.
When questioned, Mrs. Kirkby, seemingly uncomfortable and evasive, claims she can't recall Violet's mother's maiden name and warns Violet not to dig into the past.
Violet dresses quickly and plans to search her father's study while he is out fetching her cousin Frederick from the train station.
While heading to the study, Violet thanks her brother Graham for a recent gift and enlists his help as a lookout for their father's return.
Violet offers Graham her share of pudding for a week in exchange for warning her about their father's return.
Inside the study, Violet contemplates her father's trophies, her family's history, and searches for something that belonged to her mother.
She discovers a black feather and a moth-eaten handkerchief with the monogram E.W. in her father's desk, possibly indications of her mother's presence in the past.
Violet senses a connection and start to hear the world with a newfound clarity upon touching her mother's belongings, especially recalling a lullaby and beating heart from her childhood.
Graham's signal alerts Violet to her father's early return, prompting her to replace the handkerchief but keep the feather.
Violet's perception of her surroundings is heightened as she rediscovers her senses and feels aligned with herself again.
Meeting cousin Frederick, Violet experiences a light-headedness and is immediately taken by his green eyes and pleasant demeanor.
During dinner, Violet is fascinated by Frederick's worldly experience, his family's proximity to nature in Richmond, and his aspirations to write or possibly become a doctor after the war.
There's an exchange during dinner about Frederick's potential career as a doctor which is both curious to Violet and slightly awkward.
Violet's father emphasizes the importance of punctuality and appearance in preparation for Frederick's visit. Violet's impression of her cousin grows as the dinner progresses.