Unlike Janet and Elena, who had lived long in the gloomy confines of Lunedon, Elizabeth spent her days riding horses, fishing, gardening, and reading in the sunlit Wiltshire countryside. Her skin was a healthy wheat-gold tone, her figure athletic and well-balanced, and her every gesture carried the elegance and confidence of a lively, well-bred noble girl.
In Wiltshire, Elizabeth's idea of "new books" naturally differed from the cheap penny fiction and serialized magazines flooding the streets of Lunedon. As a genuine noblewoman, her reading materials were carefully screened by her parents—limited to morally upright classics or historical literature. Romantic stories or adventurous novels had never graced her bookshelves.
However, Elizabeth had her little tricks. She often bribed her brother to bring back books she secretly desired from Lunedon or other places. For a girl raised in the countryside, these books were her only window to the wider world.
"Look," Elizabeth said cheerfully, cradling a few yellow-covered books as she approached. She gently laid them on the table. "My brother brought these back for me—they're absolutely riveting!"
"I think I've seen books like this before," Janet asked Elena with a puzzled look. "At the train station, maybe?"
"That's right," Elena replied. "There are small vendors at the train stations who sell them—they even have their own little bookstalls. Judging by the yellow covers, these are definitely yellowbacks."
Although brightly colored, these were not illicit books but rather cheap novels sold primarily at train stations, meant to entertain travelers while they waited for their trains. Priced at one to two shillings, they were more readable than the grisly crime-centric penny dreadfuls.
It was obvious that Elizabeth's brother—and probably Elena's cousins too—only remembered her request when they reached the station and quickly grabbed a few titles to fulfill their duty.
Realizing this, Elizabeth puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance. "So they were just brushing me off."
Janet quickly tried to ease the tension. "I've never read books like these before. What are they about?"
Though not noble-born, Elena and Janet were raised under the strict eye of Lady Campbell, who disapproved of reading romance or adventure stories in the open. Smuggling such books home was no easy feat, given that their outings were always supervised by a teacher or parent.
But that was the old Elena. Now, she could simply request packages from outside, and no one—including her mother—would check too carefully. Her contraband books remained safely hidden.
Janet occasionally flipped through stories in women's magazines, which were largely harmless and often full of household tips—something even Lady Campbell didn't oppose.
So, these yellowbacks from train stations were genuinely novel to both Elena and Janet. Their curiosity was piqued.
Elizabeth picked out a book titled 'Jack Wilde' and said excitedly, "I especially love this one—it's the first romantic crime story I've ever read!"
Uh-oh.
Elena and Janet exchanged a concerned glance. From Elizabeth's tone, it sounded like she might be ready to elope with a criminal at any moment.
Taking her older-sister duties seriously, Janet smiled and said gently, "Really? It sounds fascinating. May I take a look?"
Oblivious to their concern, Elizabeth happily handed the book over. Janet opened it and began reading, with Elena leaning in to read along.
After just a glance, Elena recognized it immediately—it was a ''Newgate novel''.
In the previous century, 'The Newgate Calendar' had started as a collection of execution announcements from the infamous Newgate Prison. Publishers later turned these into popular biographies of criminals. Intended to teach moral lessons, they ironically became bestsellers alongside the Bible.
Eventually, authors began using these real-life stories as inspiration for fiction. Criminals were rewritten with sympathetic traits, transforming them into fascinating anti-heroes.
Jack Wilde was one such figure—a real-life thief and prison-break expert with four successful escapes under his belt, though he eventually met the gallows. In this novel, however, he was portrayed as a misunderstood youth with a heart of gold.
Characters like the ancient Chu Liuxiang or the modern Kaitō Kid prove that charming lawbreakers always hold a certain allure. If 'Jack Wilde' hadn't been based on a real person, Elena might have even called it a fine story.
But he was. And Elena couldn't help worrying that impressionable young Elizabeth might idealize criminals.
"This book's quite thick. Could we borrow it for a while?" Elena asked, hoping to reduce its immediate influence.
"Of course!" Elizabeth was generous. "I have several more like it. You can borrow any of them!"
Looking at the pile of yellowbacks, Elena felt dizzy. Had her cousins even skimmed these books before buying them? Maybe they found the stories entertaining, too?
Realizing she couldn't borrow them all, her isolation strategy had failed. While Janet read, Elena turned the conversation.
"Are there other kinds of books you enjoy, besides crime stories?"
Elizabeth pondered, then said, "I do have some romance novels, but after reading these thrilling tales, I've rather lost interest in them." She waved her hand. "If you want to borrow them too, feel free! By the way, do they sell similar stories in Lunedon? I'm worried nothing else will hold my attention now."
Quick on her feet, Elena set a mental trap: "Well, if you're after thrilling content, you might want to try street-sold penny dreadfuls. But I hear they're terribly violent. Neither Janet nor I have read any ourselves, but they must be quite horrifying."
"I see..." Elizabeth looked a bit disappointed. Then she perked up again. "What are you reading these days? Any recommendations? I'll ask my brother to buy them."
Elena's first thought was of her own stash of forbidden novels—definitely not suitable. She hadn't read anything else recently—she'd been too busy writing.
So she pivoted again: "I haven't been reading much, but I recently tried a ghost tour. It was quite the experience."
"Oh no," Elizabeth shuddered. "I'm terrified of ghosts."
Understandable, given the size and age of her manor. But the conversation was dying.
Thinking fast, Elena recalled the inspiration she'd had when first arriving at the manor and said, "Actually, I've read some detective fiction before. Would you be interested in that?"
Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "Detective fiction? You mean stories about catching criminals?"
At this time, detective fiction wasn't a defined genre. Investigations relied more on informants and surveillance than logical deduction.
But that didn't stop Elena.
"Yes," she nodded. "There was one story that really stuck with me. It takes place in a grand manor, where a shocking theft occurs."
She glanced at the gleaming gem on Elizabeth's necklace and continued, "A brilliant lady detective is called to investigate. The client is a dashing gentleman named Alexander. He claims a priceless jeweled necklace belonging to his father has been stolen."
Elizabeth instinctively touched her necklace, her expression startled. The resemblance to her own life was uncanny.
Elena continued to spin the tale, improvising based on modern detectives like Poirot and Holmes. Fortunately, Elizabeth was hearing this style for the first time and missed any logical gaps, captivated by the suspense. "What happened next?" she asked eagerly.
Elena described clues, red herrings, and the gradual elimination of suspects. Elizabeth, immersed in the story, kept asking questions and theorizing.
When Elizabeth finally guessed every suspect, Elena gave a sly smile and revealed the twist: "The thief was Alexander himself! He staged the whole thing to gain access to his inheritance."
Sorry, Roger.
The twist borrowed heavily from Agatha Christie's 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd', a novel famous for its narrative misdirection—a technique that would one day become iconic in mystery writing.
But in this era, the trick was fresh. Elizabeth was astonished. "Wow! I didn't see that coming!"
Elena grinned, then suddenly had a bold idea. "Hey, why don't we become detectives ourselves?"
"Huh?" Elizabeth tilted her head in confusion.
"I mean," Elena clapped her hands, catching Janet's attention, "why don't we recreate a mystery? With such a big manor, we could stage a room as the crime scene. One of us secretly plays the criminal, and the rest try to deduce who it is. What do you think?"
Elizabeth gasped with excitement but then hesitated. "That sounds really hard for me."
Janet added, "Yeah, if I had to play the criminal, I'd be so nervous you'd see through me immediately."
"Okay, let's simplify the rules," Elena said quickly. "We'll all play suspects. One person will be the detective. The detective gathers clues from the staged room and questions us. We all swear we're innocent—no lies allowed. The truth will only be revealed at the end. That way, no one feels nervous!"
Janet nodded. "That sounds more fun—and easier. We could even invite others, if they have time."
"But…" Elizabeth raised a concern. "Where will we get inspiration for a crime story? I don't own any books like 'The Stolen Necklace'. And if we use that one, I already know the answer!"
Elena, relieved to have steered her away from admiring criminals, gave a sheepish smile. "Well… actually, I made that one up myself."