6 h 3 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A banknote vanishes from a wealthy household, and a young woman’s good name becomes the price of suspicion.
In Wilkie Collins’s My Lady’s Money, Lady Lydiard rules her London home with blunt words and a generous heart. Her young companion, Isabel Miller, has pride but no fortune. When money disappears, suspicion falls on Isabel, whose place in the household leaves her dangerously exposed.
Lady Lydiard’s loyal steward, Robert Moody, wants Isabel cleared. Mr. Troy, a practical lawyer, brings careful method to the search, while the smooth-mannered Felix Sweetsir has interests of his own. Tracing the missing banknote may uncover the truth. But the inquiry also tests who deserves trust—and who receives it simply because they have money.
What you’ll discover
- A heroine under pressure Follow Isabel as she faces suspicion with her pride and good name at stake.
- A household full of tension Meet a wealthy widow whose warmth, power, and quick anger shape life under her roof.
- The trail of a banknote Watch a missing piece of paper turn accusation into a careful hunt for evidence.
- Loyalty put to work Discover how Moody’s care for Isabel gives the search a deeply personal purpose.
- Class beneath the mystery See how wealth shapes belief, while those without money must fight to be trusted.
Who will love it
For readers who love a brisk Victorian puzzle with a clear heroine, a sharp eye for class, and a plot to enjoy in one sitting.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A rich widow keeps a young companion
- A banknote goes missing from the house
- Suspicion falls on the person with least power
- Friends take up the hunt for the truth
- Money, class and the cost of a good name
- A plain plot told with a sharp eye
Who’s who
- Lady LydiardA rich, blunt and warm-hearted widow whose money gives her power over everyone in her house, and whose anger is quick.
- Isabel MillerThe young companion of Lady Lydiard, proud and without a fortune, who must defend her good name when suspicion falls on her.
- Robert MoodyLady Lydiard's steward, steady and loyal, who cares for Isabel and wants her cleared.
- Felix SweetsirA young gentleman of the family, smooth in manner and short of principle, who has his own interests in the house.
- Mr. TroyA lawyer with a calm, practical mind, who brings careful method to a household in uproar.
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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My Lady's Money
by Wilkie Collins · 1877
A banknote vanishes from a wealthy widow's home, and Isabel Miller must defend her good name.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A rich widow keeps a young companion
The story opens in the London of the 1870s, in the house of Lady Lydiard, a wealthy widow with strong opinions and a generous temper. She is used to being obeyed, and she is used to speaking her mind. Her fortune gives her power over everyone near her, from the servants to the relatives who hope to be remembered.
In her house lives Isabel Miller, a young woman who serves as her companion. Isabel is not a servant, yet she is not quite a member of the family either. She depends on the old lady's kindness for her place in the world. Collins uses this position to show how fragile a young woman's standing could be when she had no money of her own.
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What is My Lady's Money about?
It is a short Victorian mystery about a stolen banknote in a rich widow's London home. A young companion is suspected, and her friends try to trace the note to find out what really happened.
Who wrote My Lady's Money and when?
Wilkie Collins wrote it, and it appeared in 1877. By then he was well known for The Woman in White and The Moonstone, and this work is a much shorter tale.
Why is My Lady's Money also called An Episode in the Life of a Young Lady?
The longer title points to the focus of the story, which is one troubling stretch in the life of the young companion, Isabel Miller, rather than the whole of her life.
The author
Wilkie Collins
1824–1889 · English mystery novelist
Wilkie Collins was a British novelist and playwright born in London in 1824. He lived mainly in London and died there in 1889. His novels include The Woman in White (1859–1860), The Moonstone (1868), The Law and the Lady (1875), and The Black Robe (1881).
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