Female companion in timeless novel's beginning? (9)
I believe the answer is:
chaperone
This might be a double definition.
'female companion' is the first definition.
(older woman chaperoning a younger one)
'timeless novel's beginning?' is the second definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how one could define the other.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for chaperone that I've seen before include "attendant" , "One overseeing" , "Companion" , "my charges are small" , "Guardian" .)