Constance and her mother have their photo taken and when it is developed there is a mysterious figure in the background. The children have been hiding the mirror so that Lily can't go through. Fergus scans the photo negative into the computer to try and find out who it is. While Gervaise works down in the cellar strange things are occurring. The ghost then appears to Constance and writes to ""Beware"". They discover that the ghost is that of Charles Jamieson who built Limerick house in 1842 when he came out from Ireland. They find out from a local New Zealander, who tells them that he died in the cellar. The ghost was warning them of a cave in happening in the cellar, luckily Constance goes through the mirror in time to save her mother from being crushed.
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.