Bertie Wooster and Jeeves must endure the psychological torture of aunts and uncles, all the while saving business deals and rescuing couples from romantic troubles. Bertie Wooster finds himself at the center of another aunt's dealings this time, and in between another on-again, off-again feuding romantic couple. This time it is the snarky, cool-headed Aunt Agatha, who lives with Uncle Percy at Bumpleigh Hall, who summons Bertie on a mission. Only it isn't Bertie's help that she wants (nobody ever wants Bertie's help), but that of Jeeves. In this respect she is like Aunt Dahlia, the only difference being that Aunt Dahlia is warm and friendly, and Aunt Agatha is most decidedly not.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
Uncle Percy wants to discuss a merger with an American millionaire named Mr. Clam, and wants Jeeves' help in arranging a secret meeting. Meanwhile, Aunt Agatha has told Bertie to deliver a gift from her (a brooch) for the clever and pretty Florence Craye, who is Aunt Agatha's step-daughter but also happens to be Bertie's one-time fiance, now engaged to the thick-headed and envious Stilton Cheesewright, who is the village policeman. Florence is at Bumpleigh Hall when Bertie arrives there with two friends, a romantically-attached couple named Zenobia and George. When Bertie settles into a discreet cottage (the better to help Jeeves maneuver a secret meeting for Mr. Clam and Uncle Percy), it is promptly burned down by Florence's well-meaning but bumbling younger brother Edwin, who accidentally sets it alight while trying to clean it. Uncle Percy blames Bertie and he is forced to stay with George in his cottage instead of going down to Bumpleigh Hall. Jeeves' attempts to help Uncle Percy are interrupted when he has to buy a replacement for the brooch that Bertie meant to give to Florence, but lost in the fire.
George is the next one to lose favor with Uncle Percy. Mr. Clam and Uncle Percy arrange to meet secretly in a shed, but George mistakes Mr. Clam for an intruder and locks him in, driving Mr. Clam into a rage and a panic and infuriating Uncle Percy. Meanwhile, Edwin further complicates matters by finding the initial lost brooch and delivering it to Florence, while mistakenly telling her that it was a gift from Bertie (it was actually from Aunt Agatha). As he delivers this brooch right in the middle of a lover's tiff between Stilton and Florence (Jeeves later tells Bertie that this happened after Stilton cruelly kicked Edwin), Florence drops Stilton like a hot potato and goes raring after Bertie again. To Bertie's chagrin, Florence tells him that she will marry him. In an effort to make Florence mad with him the way she got mad with Stilton, Bertie kicks Edwin in the seat of his pants. But as Edwin has just messed up a favor he tried to do for Florence, Florence ends up approving of Bertie's actions. This even wins Bertie the approval of Uncle Percy, who is heartily sick of Edwin's do-gooding. Meanwhile, Jeeves re-arranges the secret meeting between Mr. Clam and Uncle Percy by having them meet in disguise at a fancy dress ball in a neighboring town - something Aunt Agatha would never approve of. Uncle Percy thinks this is a splendid idea, however and dresses up as a sailor. Meanwhile, Jeeves steals Stilton's policeman uniform for Bertie to wear as his costume to the ball. The evening goes well, and Uncle Percy finally strikes his deal with Mr. Clam.
In the morning however, Stilton tries to arrest Bertie for stealing his uniform but forgot to bring a warrant for Bertie's arrest. When Bertie tries to escape, he finds that George accidentally did another locking job, this time locking Uncle Percy in the very garage that Bertie was running to in order to escape Stilton. Uncle Percy has been about to call of the wedding between Zenobia and George due to George harassing Uncle Percy this whole time, but is stalled at the unexpected arrival of Aunt Agatha, who would be furious to know that Uncle Percy attended a ball in the town. Jeeves comes up with a clever plan to manipulate Uncle Percy: he advises him to tell Aunt Agatha that he was in George's cottage because he was discussing George and Zenobia's wedding plans, not because he was sleeping off a hangover in the car. Uncle Percy agrees, and when Stilton tries to arrest Bertie, Uncle Percy tells him to shut up and refuses to sign the warrant. This makes Stilton resign from the police in rage - the very move that warms Florence's heart, because she hated being engaged to a policeman. So Stilton and Florence are reunited, and Zenobia and George have the blessing to marry, and Uncle Percy gets his business deal - and all because Jeeves lied about Aunt Agatha's return. Once again, Jeeves saves the day, and all is happy in Wodehouse land.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked its depictions of quiet English country life in Edwardian villages of the time period.
Best scene in story:
When Florence encountered Bertie in a book shop and thought he was reading important philosophy books and Bertie didn't even know what she was talking about. It's funny because it's rare to see a dumb guy and a smart girl interact in fiction.
Opinion about the main character:
I love his sweet and amiable nature.
