Penelope goes to visit her aunt at Thackers, scene of history revolving around Mary Queen of Scots and young Anthony Babington. Past and present become entangled for Penelope, and in the present, she fears she may be trapped by the past, as she comes to know a brave company of shadows; in the past, her foreknowledge of the tragic outcome in history makes her suspect. The plot is insubstantial, the minutiae of times and customs is excellent.