At his 1875 engagement party, the wealthy Newland Archer is surprised to meet his childhood friend Ellen, beautiful and grown up and now Countess Olenska. Olenska is the cousin of his fiancee May and is considered scandalous by the strait-laced society of the time. Newland, however, treats her well and sends her two dozen yellow roses. Olenska turns to Newland for advice about a possible divorce.[3]