When Isabella stepped into the Velvet Ballroom, her heart clenched. It looked so much like it did in her own time but held the wonders of lost elegance like a invisible glove.

"Iz?"

She turned to see Seth, standing on the other side of the door, looking as handsome as ever in his borrowed tux. He held out his hand for her, and without pause, she accepted.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just... I feel badly about what's about to happen here tonight."

"I know. Me too."

Posy immediately inched close to Seth, but he kept a hand entwined with Isabella's. After the separation neither seemed to want to lose sight of each other. Tonight was not just about mingling and having fun in the 50's. There was a mystery to solve and a killer to unveil. Sobering facts that reminded them just how much was at stake at the glittering event.

"I'm so excited to be here," Dena gushed. "But it's small potatoes compared to this. With studio contracts going out of the window, we have to look good for producers now more than ever. It's all about being seen."

"Don't worry. After this, we're going to be famous," Posy gushed. "Or infamous according to my mama. She's such a worry wart. Bad things happen everywhere, not just with the rich and fabulous."

"Your mother's a smart woman," said Isabella. "Rich or not, you should always be careful who you trust."

"Tell your lady to not be a spoil sport Mr. Warmaker," Dena nudged him playfully.

Lance Lindstrom's party was definitely high-end exclusive. From the scenery to the people milling about. Everyone either had money or fame on their side if not both. It looked like the Hollywood version of a Gatsby party but 1950s style. Grand, glamorous and way too much going one for anyone to keep up. You just went with the flow and enjoyed yourself. There's no question that no expense was spared to ensure this was the party to be at.

Isabella's great-grandparents swept into the room. Renee in pearls and a sleek dress and Sinclair in a debonair looking tuxedo with burgundy lapels. They looked amazing. Isabella wanted to talk to them, but she knew she couldn't. She shook her head. She had to stay focused. Who knew what horrible things could happened if she made contact. No, they just needed to mingle at the party and maintain focus. Thankfully they had the starlets there to confirm their investment story with anyone who stopped to chat. Lance passed by but thankfully he just waved and didn't stop to ask the pair any questions.

"Care to dance?" Seth asked Isabella.

Isabella cleared her throat and looked up at him. He wore a tiny smirk and held out his hand to her for the second time that evening. "Sure. It'll be a good cover," she said, noting the bit of hurt flash across his face at her words. Seconds later, they were entwined on the dance floor. Young at Heart by Frank Sinatra filled the room as they turned about the room enveloped in the melodic lyrics. She dropped her head to his shoulder and both heard and felt his sigh as his chest rose and fell. Every second had her in heaven. She looked up at him, her cheeks warming. His pinked a bit, too. Yes, this was just a mission. But anything that got him to dance with her was worth every second.

As the song fell into the next, Isabella noticed Beatrice cutting across the dance floor. Isabella's gut told her that she needed to stick close. Yet she couldn't be seen as anti-social. Which meant doing something that made her insides clench. "Distract our new friends for me please, dance...with Posy."

Seth raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. Apparently, he trusted her judgment. Either that or he really wanted to dance with Posy. She didn't believe that though. Not after the way he was holding her just a minute ago. She followed close behind him as he approached the girls. She realized something deep in her gut. These were the starlets that were going to die in the fire the night of Beatrice's death. They were the ones Serena was investigating. Of course. She couldn't interfere. That made her sick to her stomach. She had to focus. They were here only to find out who Serena's killer was, and that was all.

"Hey ladies," he said smoothly. "My dear dance partner needs a moment alone. One of you care to take her place for a bit?"

Posy squealed and rushed over after shoving her own dance partner away. "Me, me, me!"

Isabella did her best to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach and walk away. She had to let events flow naturally. She and Seth going back in time affected things enough already. She had no intention to put anyone, including herself, at risk because she was dumb enough to try and change the past more than they already had. Just focus on the mission.

Isabella carefully got close to Beatrice who stood inches taller than herself near a pillar in the far corner of the room, looking more glamorous than Isabella had seen any woman look in real life. But she was shocked to find that the girls had been right. There was an ice to her that Isabella would have never suspected. She felt it in her bones, on her skin, burrowing into her heart. It was so intense, she nearly stumbled back into another guest to get away. Feigning aching feet, Isabella sat on a chair a table near the pillar Beatrice stood before.

"I never took you for a wall flower," Leonard said, sliding up next to her. "You know they expect us to dance."

"My feet hurt."

So, they used the same excuse to tell lies, that didn't mean Isabella was anything like her. "Well, why don't you sit down?" he asked, eyes flicking to the table where Isabella sat. He frowned when he caught sight of her. Isabella looked away, but still felt the heat of his gaze on her for a beat before he turned back to her great-aunt. "That girl looks so much like you."

Beatrice looked over to Isabella, who sucked in a breath and turned her head. "She does not. She's olive toned and that hair... You need glasses, Leonard."

Isabella tried not to be offended, but it was painfully difficult.

"Now, what do you want?"

"I want to talk to you."

"No, you don't. You want to look good for the press. We all know where you real interest lies these days."

Their verbal sparring intensified. No matter how awful the fight was to witness, she could not interfere. Other guests also stopped to stare at the scene unfolding.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to accuse me of such things!" Beatrice exploded.

"I have every right!" Leonard threw back. "Those letters were wrong and inappropriate."

"Inappropriate? You're joking right. Jack's your brother, and he's been my friend for ages. He writes me letters of comfort, and you lose your head over that?" Beatrice balked, "Grow up!"

Leonard's face burned but he refused to back down. "We all know how Jack feels about you. He might be my brother but if he saw a chance to steal you away, he would. In an instant!"

"And I'm just the hussy to let that happen?" Beatrice hissed, "Never mind the countless mistresses you keep on the side!"

Gasps broke out throughout the party. The very idea of Leonard cheating a complete shock.

"That's...not true at all," Leonard's flustered, "now please stop shouting...it's unbecoming."

"Unbecoming!" Beatrice raged, "you refuse to marry me and humiliate me with your galivanting and have the nerve to talk about decency? You're supposed to love me. Marry me and put all doubts to rest and be a real man. You love me, don't you? Don't you!"

Isabella's attention's cut when she noticed Jack in her peripheral vision inching closer to them. He hadn't been in the room a moment ago. He must have just arrived at the party. He hung back a bit as if he wanted to watch this awful show from a safe distance. Whether to gloat or stare she couldn't be sure. Yet another flashback with the Jack from the present made her shudder. Just then a hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped. "Seth!" she gasped, clutching her chest. "It's you. Sorry."

"It's okay," Seth said also looking over at Jack. "How about we have another dance? I can't be seen dancing all night with other women. People might think of me as a...jerk?"

"Cad probably but sure...not like we can do anything about a lover's quarrel," Isabella decided to just try and enjoy herself for a bit. What could possibly go wrong with that?

They danced and kept their eyes Jack at the other end of the room. "Where is Serena? Do you think she even saw any of this?" Isabella wondered, eyes sweeping the room.

"I don't know. If she shows up, we have to make ourselves scarce. She definitely can't see us," said Seth.

"I didn't think about that, but you're right."

"I'm smart sometimes."

Isabella smiled. "Yeah, who needs Cleo when I have you," she said.

He ducked his head a bit bashfully. "I wouldn't go that far."

Caught up in their conversation and each other, Isabella and Seth, did not notice Renee and Sinclair and bumped into the pair by accident.

Isabella was about to apologize then froze when she saw who they had bumped into. Whoa. She felt an immediate surge of power and light this close to Renee. It was a tugging at her, tickling her skin. When Renee stopped, Isabella was lost for words. She hoped she didn't notice anything. She willed it with everything in her.

Unfortunately, Renee's eyes clapped on to hers. "The diadem queen. You're... you couldn't be."

"I ..." Isabella started but swallowed her words. Her great grandmother's brown eyes bore into hers. "Umm..."

Before a disaster ensued, Seth pulled Isabella away from Renee. "Is that some kind of old time saying? Well it was nice to see you. We're investors in the movie," he said and quickly walked away with Isabella into the nearest crowd.

"She knows. We have to leave. She can't know the truth. That will alter time, and I don't want to go back and find out my parents became nomads or never met. Then I'll start disappearing like Marty McFly or something."

"All right. We can go back if you want. We can figure this out some other way," said Seth.

"There is no other way. We need to wait until we see Serena and figure out what happened to her. It has to be connected to what's going on right now," Isabella insisted.

"I just want to get you back," Seth said but then noticed Posy running off in tears with Grace chasing her. Whatever was going on had to be big. Posy usually radiated happiness and sunshine. "What's happening with those two?"

Isabella felt a pang of jealousy. Why couldn't Posy just fall down a manhole and disappear? What was that all about? She shouldn't mix violence with jealousy. That wasn't her.

Then Elaine and Dena were seen running towards the back of the hotel in tears as well. "What the heck, Seth?" said Isabella. "Those two don't look at all like the crying in public types like Posy."

"Let's check it out. They are our friends, right?"

"Right..."

Since they couldn't go home until they solved Serena's murder and hopefully found a killer. They might as well go see what was happening with their new friends. They looked like they'd seen a pair of ghosts.