1986 - James Huxley, the only son of the Earl of Dorley, loves to spend his time in the attic of the manor house reading fantasy books. In 1986, his summer plans include rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so when his father tells him they will have a guest for the summer, and that he expects James to entertain her, James balks, until he sees their guest - a lovely girl his age named Mia. At sixteen, James has never had a girlfriend, but he falls head over heels for the seductive American.
They spend the summer wandering around the grounds of the manor house, getting to know each other, and exploring the old ruins of a keep behind the house. Mia, who has had some experience with boys, pursues James, and after an awkward misfire, they finally consummate their relationship and begin spending most of their time on the divan in James' attic.
Sometime before Mia's departure, they go to the local festival where Mia is given a gift by the "witch of the woods," a gold disk with a cottage etched on its surface. James thinks the witch and her "charms" are rubbish, but Mia likes it and puts it on, mindful of what the witch said when she gave it to her.
"If you ever find yourself in dire need, put it on and let the disk lead you to the cottage."
On Mia's last night at the manor house, James begs her to marry him, so she doesn't have to go back to New York, but Mia, who believes they are too young to marry, vows to return the following summer when they will be old enough to get jobs and a flat of their own. James falls asleep with his arms around Mia, but when he wakes up in the morning, both she and the disk are gone...
