The mirror appears in an attic in the country. Daniel is on his way to met his father, step-brother Fergus and half-sister Mandy for the first time. The reception that he receieves is less than welcoming. After Mandy gets upsets and runs to the attic, Daniel follows her, in the reflection of the mirror he sees a girl. Mandy gets in the way and they inadvertantly go through to the year 1867. They get back only, later on, for Mandy and Lily become trapped and they spend the night in the du Lutrelle barn before the mirror is knocked back into alignment.

Aunty Lily decides to go through the mirror to try and steal the crown that the de Lutrelle family keeps hidden. Fergus goes through the mirror to try and help Constance, but gets side-tracked by the gold-fields. He trades a pocket knife for a land lease with one of the miners. After Lily's attempt to steal the crown is thwarted by Daniel and Constance, she moves the mirror when she returns through, with both Daniel and Fergus trapped.