Book 1, Part 2 Summary

William Boot resides in the country at a rundown estate called Boot Magna Hall that is filled with eccentric relatives and a dwindling family fortune. On this morning William waits anxiously with his two uncles for the arrival of the The Daily Beast in order to see if his most recent column has made it to print. Last week's column was printed with errors due to the interference of his aunt who made changes to William's copy without his knowledge. The resulting article created much embarrassment for William along with a stack of letters from irate readers.

The sight of his column in the paper today is an indication that William has escaped retribution and that he can continue with his journalistic career. William's relief is short lived however as the arrival of a telegram from Lord Copper demanding William's immediate...