A NOTE OF EXPLANATION is a previously unknown and unpublished story by the celebrated writer Vita Sackville-West. It was discovered only recently in a miniature book within the library of Queen Mary's dollhouse (the largest and most famous dollhouse in the world, created in 1924 and located in Windsor Castle). Written in a witty and effervescent style, the story is about a time-travelling sprite who lives in the queen's dollhouse. It is being published for the first time in a beautiful cloth-bound hardcover edition, fully illustrated by contemporary artist Kate Baylay in a style that perfectly captures the elegance of the 1920s.