Preserving the past will be the key to protecting the future. Edward Chase is the ultimate insider, the gatekeeper to a Washington, D.C. institution. He's the concierge at the Willard Hotel where the well-heeled and well-connected come to be seen in proximity to power, two blocks from the White House. From his privileged vantage point he has watched history unfold, from Andrew Jackson's inauguration to the Kennedy funeral to Michelle Obama's garden. His timelessness is required for the job he has to do. Hotel guest Catherine Parker has just walked into the ornate lobby unaware she's been selected for a critical date with destiny. Her arrival sets in motion a series of events that should have happened 151 years ago, on the night Abraham Lincoln was shot. Journeys like this one are the linchpin of Chase's mysterious existence, and they forever change the lives of the guests he chooses for each important mission through the annals of American history. As tears open up in the fabric of history, it will be up to these everyday citizens to ensure the original timeline is not disturbed because the consequences could be catastrophic. Chase will travel with them to the past in order to preserve the present, and Catherine Parker is first on his list. "Good morning," he says to the businesswoman. "Welcome to the Willard."