Money for nothing

In the sleepy village of Rudge‑in‑the‑Vale, where the high street is as quiet as a summer afternoon and the only bustle comes from a lone chemist’s shop, the pace of life is gently unhurried. Chas Bywater, the ever‑busy pharmacist, runs the town’s gossip mill, dispensing elixirs and stories with equal enthusiasm. Recently, a dramatic mishap at the stately Rudge Hall—an Elizabethan oak blown up in a spectacular explosion that nearly claimed the lives of Colonel Wyvern and his friend—has set every tavern talking.

When the wounded colonel steps into Bywater’s shop, the pharmacist sees an opportunity to dig deeper than the usual small‑talk. Their conversation crackles with sharp wit and veiled tension, as Bywater senses that the “little accident” may hide a far more tangled tale. The stage is set for a charmingly tangled investigation, where village loyalties, idle chatter, and a dash of danger intertwine in true Wodehouse fashion.