Poor Smedley Cork is a bird in a gilded cage, yearning to escape to freedom. When his wealthy brother died, the terms of his will required his widow to take care of Smedley for the rest of his life. And the widow, Adela Cork, follows the terms of the will to the letter, providing room and board for Smedley but nothing more. Plus she makes him drink yoghurt everyday, something Smedley deeply resents,
But Smedley has a plan. Before the Corks bought their mansion, it used to be the home of a Hollywood star who was known for the many lovers she entertained in her bedroom. She died in a plane crash and the Corks bought the mansion fully furnished with all her belongings. Rumor has that she kept a diary that has never been found. Smedley has a plan to search the premises for this diary and then sell it for $50,000. And thus gain his freedom from his hated gilded cage.
But there are snags. Mainly Wilhemina, who has loved Smedley since she was a young woman and a Smedley running free with $50,000 in his pocket is not a Smedley who would be willing to settle down and marry "Bill," as Wilhemina goes by. Second is a larcenous butler who also knows about the diary and feels it will be much better off in his hands than in Smedley's. And finally, when the diary is found, there's Adela, who has snatched the diary right out of Smedley's hands and locked it up in safe. She also wants that $50,000 to pay, as she says, for all the money she has spent maintaining Smedley in her home. She's not a very nice person. But all will come out right in the end, although probably not the way that Smedley was hoping for.
This is a typical Wodehouse plot, just reworked with different characters. But even though the plot is quite familiar and predictable, it still is a good, funny read.
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