From Time to Time

Near the end of World War II, teenager Tolly is picked up at a rail station by Mr. Boggis and taken to Green Knowe. He quickly learns that his soldier father, David, has been reported missing in action rather than confirmed dead. The uncertainty weighs on him as Christmas approaches.

Tolly travels to Green Knowe, the grandmother's country estate in Cambridgeshire, to spend Christmas. His mother remains in London awaiting more news about David. The holiday atmosphere is strained by the weight of wartime news.

Mrs. Oldknow confesses that she is financially strapped and may be forced to sell Green Knowe. Tolly pleads for the estate to stay in the family, showing his attachment to the ancestral home. The threat of losing the house adds tension to their stay.

The grandmother recounts the Oldknow lineage, focusing on Thomas and Mariah’s ill-fated marriage and their gambling past. She recalls an angry letter accusing his wife of being a commoner, a wound she later regrets. The tale crosses into the 19th century and hints at buried secrets.

That evening, Tolly sees and hears a ghostly young girl, later identified as Susan, the blind daughter of Lord Thomas Oldknow. Mrs. Oldknow confirms Susan's lingering presence in the house. The apparition marks the start of the supernatural events that follow.

The next day, while climbing a tree on the grounds, Tolly hears a girl and an adolescent boy giggling and finds an old spur hidden in a hollow. His grandmother recognises it as belonging to Seftan, the eldest child of Thomas and Mariah. The relic ties the present to the house's haunted past.

Butler John Caxton voices wariness about Jacob, the African boy Captain Oldknow brought home. Jacob’s presence in the household suggests hidden tensions and possible misdeeds from the past. The conversation foreshadows the dangers lingering within Green Knowe.

Tolly discovers he can travel between the present and the early 19th century inside the old manor. Some people in the past can see and communicate with him, while others remain oblivious to his presence. The time-travel ability builds the bridge between two eras.

Susan becomes his guide across the centuries, bridging the centuries and revealing family secrets buried for generations. She can speak to him across time, and Mrs. Oldknow begins to perceive the ancestral spirits too. Their alliance unlocks crucial truths about Green Knowe.

During the adventure, a terrible fire breaks out; a tale of stolen jewels surfaces; and there are threats that the servant Fred could be sold into a press gang. Tolly and Susan navigate the danger, trying to safeguard the estate and uncover the truth. The stakes rise as past and present collide.

With Susan's help, the lost treasure is finally located, revealing the long-hidden secret behind the house. Susan confirms that John was responsible for the fire, and he likely perished in the blaze. The revelation shifts the balance toward saving Green Knowe.

Though Green Knowe is saved, Tolly learns that his father David has fallen during the war. The news casts a somber tone over the house's victory. The family endures, held together by memories and the ghosts of the past.

Mrs. Oldknow welcomes Tolly's mother into the family, acknowledging the changed circumstances. The household begins to heal old wounds and rebuild its sense of belonging. There is a renewed sense of unity at Green Knowe.

Tolly is comforted when his father's ghost appears, assuring him that everything will be all right. The spectral visitation provides closure and a fragile peace for the boy. The tale closes on a note of loss tempered by hope.