An utterly enchanting, eerie novel that sits alongside The Children of Green Knowe and Moondial, and has been described as the very best time-travel novel for children. Illustrated by John Broadley - shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year. When Penelope visits an ancient farmhouse, she finds herself travelling back in time and watching helplessly as tragic events bring danger to her friends and the downfall of Mary, Queen of Scots, whom they are seeking to rescue from prison.Penelope knows the tragic end that awaits the Scottish queen but she can neither change the course of events nor persuade her new family of the hopelessness of their cause . . . Caught between present and past, Penelope is torn by questions of freedom and fate.To travel in time, Penelope discovers, is to be very much alone. And yet the slow recurrent rhythms of the natural world, beautifully captured by Alison Uttley, also speak of a greater ongoing life that transcends the passage of years.