Helena Cranston Timeline and Summary

•  Back
• More 

• Before the book starts, Helena's parents and sisters have died. Her dad was killed by a cat, and her mom and two older sisters drowned. Now Helena lives with her two younger sisters, Louise and Beatrice, and their brother, Lamont.
• Helena learns that her human family, the Upstairs Cranstons, are moving to England; she's scared about the future.
• When Lamont get his tail bitten off by a snake, Helena sews it back on.
• Helena visits Aunt Fannie Fenimore to discuss her family's future. She sees her rough past in the crystal ball and she sees a big ship predicting her future.
• Helena decides she and her siblings should cross the Atlantic Ocean with the Upstairs Cranstons, so they pack themselves into Camilla Cranston's trunk.
• On board the ship, Helena and her siblings meet Nigel and the Duchess of Cheddar Gorge.
• During the lifeboat drill, Helena nearly flies overboard.
• When Helena and her sisters are invited to tea with the Duchess, they learn that the Upstairs Cranstons are making a bad impression. Together they add the Cranstons' names to Princess Louise's party guest list.
• Helena attends Princess Louise's shindig and watches as her sisters save the Upstairs Cranstons from being kicked out.
• After the party, Helena escapes the ship cat and meets little Lord Sandown. She also saves him from a mean nanny's spanking.
• On her way back to Camilla's room, Helena discovers Olive kissing the ship doctor. Ooh la la.
• During the mice gala dinner, the Duchess asks Helena to take a new cool job: assistant mouse-in-waiting to Princess Louise. Helena says she'll do it.
• Helena also makes plans for Beatrice's future wedding—though she adjusts these plans when Beatrice decides to marry Nigel instead of Lord Peter.
• While living in Buckingham Palace, Helena is super busy as assistant mouse-in-waiting. She gets to be the maid of honor in Beatrice's wedding, and then Lord Peter asks her to dance. It looks like there might be romance on the horizon for Helena.