Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3)

When twelve‑year‑old Janet Holme is dispatched to the remote manor of Dupley Walls, she steps from the familiar corridors of Park Hill Seminary into a world of fog‑shrouded countryside and unfamiliar faces. The stern housekeeper, Mrs. Whitehead, and the nervous servant Chirper greet her with cryptic instructions that hint at hidden duties and secret histories. Janet’s natural curiosity, already stifled by the strict school, awakens as she ponders the identity of the enigmatic Lady Pollexfen and the purpose of her sudden relocation.

As she explores the sprawling estate, strange whispers about a missing manuscript, an ancient Amsterdam edition, and a mysterious diamond begin to surface, pulling her deeper into a puzzle that stretches beyond her own past. Along the way she meets a cast of eccentric characters—travelers on the Scottish Express, a reclusive translator, and a shadowy figure known only as Drashkil—each offering tantalizing clues. Listeners will be drawn into Janet’s first‑act adventure, where innocence meets intrigue and every question seems to open another locked door.