September 12, 1908

London, England

Chapter 1 opens with Clementine Churchill describing herself as an “outsider” on the morning of her wedding. Staying at Lady St. Helier’s house, Clementine wakes up early and encounters Mary, a maid, who helps Clementine disguise herself. After she changes in the pantry, Clementine catches a bus to her mother’s house. Questioned by the bus driver who recognizes her from the newspapers, Clementine knocks on the door and sees Nellie, her sister. Shocked, Nellie asks why Clementine has arrived on her wedding day.

September 12, 1908

London, England

Over tea, Nellie questions Clementine about calling off the wedding. Reassuring her sister that she will marry later in the day, Clementine touches her sister’s hand, remembering the needlework they used to do together to make ends meet. Clementine claims that she needs to settle her nerves. She recalls their elder sister Kitty, who died at 16, with Nellie and Nellie’s twin brother Bill. Clementine describes her first meeting with Winston Churchill at Lady Helier’s. Clementine had to borrow the appropriate clothes and white gloves from her sister and mother to attend a formal dinner with her patroness. Clementine was late and Winston was even later, and the butler sat them together.