Her first act each morning is to raise her head from the pillow and peer through the window, always hoping to see the British countryside.  And every morning for the last six weeks Emily sees only fog.  Not the wispy fog she is used to from the North Carolina mountains.  Not even the fog that rolls in and softens the view of the village of Ocracoke.  No.  This is an obliterating fog that not only mocks her need to see beyond her hand but also sneers at the thought that England could ever have anything but fog in the fall.

Foggy London Town becomes rain-soaked English fields and mud-drenched roads as they leave London for Oxford, where Doug has been offered a six-month internship.  Emily and Doug have now been in Oxford for two months, and she has yet to get more than a glimpse of the sun.

On top of that, the weather has given Emily a nasty cold which goes to her chest, and she is bedridden for six weeks.

No matter how many ways he tries to placate her or how many gorgeous flowers he brings, Emily is still miserable.  Doug is able to go outside and experience life, while Emily feels as if she is experiencing something closer to death, bottled up in this stifling room with the cloying odor of daisies and mums.

Dan, of course, is sympathetic.  “Let me build a fire in the fireplace to brighten up the bedroom.”  “See, I brought a bouquet of daisies for your own private sunshine.

Finally, she is permitted to leave the bedroom; Emily thrills at the potential of actually stepping outside, even if it is into a fog-laden courtyard.

“Doug,” Emily whispers excitedly the following morning. Instead of going down to the B&B’s restaurant, let’s eat on the veranda.  The fog will then be a boon holding us together, instead of a separating deterrent.

Doug, however, has other plans.  He ties a scarf around Emily’s eyes, guides her down the stairs, then out into the waiting courtyard.

“Prepare yourself, Em.” He reaches up to remove the scarf, and with “Ta-da!” flings his arms wide to show her the waiting world.

Bronze! Purple! Yellow! Scarlet!  The trees surrounding the cottage are boasting their full autumn regalia, shining in a world ablaze with color!  Fall has come to England, and Emily glories in it.