My Lady's Money (1877), a novella by Wilkie Collins, centers on the mysterious disappearance of a five-hundred-pound banknote from the desk of Lady Lydiard, a warm-hearted but eccentric noblewoman. Suspicion falls on Isabel Miller, her innocent young ward, whose reputation and happiness are suddenly at stake. Determined to clear her name, Isabel's devoted admirer Robert Moody, Lady Lydiard's steward, enlists the help of Old Sharon, a shabby yet shrewd amateur detective. As romantic entanglements with the wealthy farmer Hardyman complicate matters, secrets and social prejudice threaten justice. Ultimately truth prevails, exposing the real culprit and uniting true hearts.
