Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

Episode: The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor: Part One
Host/Narrator: Hugh Bonneville
Release Date: November 20, 2025
Podcast Network: NOISER

Episode Overview

This episode launches the two-part tale of “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor,” where Sherlock Holmes investigates the sensational disappearance of Lady Hattie St. Simon—vanished without a trace immediately after marrying into the upper echelons of British aristocracy. Narrator Hugh Bonneville sets a tone both engaging and classic, guiding listeners through the introduction of the baffling case that is soon to grip Holmes and Watson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Case: The Disappearance of Lady Hattie St. Simon

• Summary: Holmes and Watson are presented with a high-profile mystery: Lady Hattie, new wife to Lord Robert St. Simon, vanishes hours after her wedding, shocking London.
• Notable Insights: The case features elements of intrigue fit for society gossip—a secret message in a bouquet, jealousy, and a sodden wedding dress.

2. Watson and Holmes Review the Press ([02:14] - [07:38])

• Context: Holmes returns to find Watson surrounded by newspapers, already familiar with the particulars.
• Dialogue:
  • Watson: “Here is a very fashionable epistle… Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a fishmonger and a tide waiter.” ([02:51])
  • Holmes: “My correspondence has certainly the charm of variety… the humbler are usually the more interesting.” ([02:58])
• Case Timeline via Press Samples:
  • Arranged marriage reported between Lord St. Simon and Hattie Doran, a Californian heiress.
  • Nuptials at St. George’s Hanover Square—private, well-attended by the elite.
  • Notable tension: an unidentified woman (later named Flora Millar) attempts to interrupt the wedding breakfast, is forcibly removed.
  • Hattie leaves breakfast reportedly unwell and disappears, last seen hurriedly exiting wearing an ulster and bonnet.
  • Flora Millar, a figure from Lord St. Simon’s past, is later arrested in connection.

3. Character Backgrounds and Traits ([07:38] - [17:29])

• Lord St. Simon:
  • Heritage: Second son of Duke of Balmoral, bearer of ancient Plantagenet and Tudor bloodlines.
  • Not wealthy by aristocratic standards; admits the American dowry is an “important addition.”
• Hattie Doran:
  • Only child of a California mining millionaire.
  • Described as striking, strong-willed—a “tomboy” with an impetuous and nature-born spirit, not schooled in traditional refinements.
  • “She is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her resolutions.” – Lord St. Simon ([18:07])
• Maid Alice:
  • Close confidante to Hattie, also American, perhaps a little too outspoken for British lords.

4. Initial Client Meeting: Lord St. Simon’s Account ([17:29] - [32:11])

• Lord St. Simon’s Testimony:
  • Met Hattie in San Francisco the year prior, bond rekindled upon her visit to London.
  • On the wedding day, Hattie was cheerful until a minor bouquet mishap at the church, after which her mood darkened:
    • “She dropped her bouquet as we went towards the vestry… There was a moment's delay but the gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again… she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause.” ([21:47])
  • Breakfast at Lancaster Gate follows, Hattie excuses herself, then vanishes.
  • Flora Millar: Former danseuse, known to Lord St. Simon; attempted intrusion on wedding day, later seen with Hattie in Hyde Park.
• Possible Motives/Theories:
  • Jealousy as a motive—either Flora’s or Hattie’s.
  • Lord St. Simon floats the notion of sudden nervous breakdown or madness brought on by the social pressure of her new role.
• Holmes’s Methodical Approach:
  • Probes for details—maid relationships, relevance of American slang ("jumping a claim"), and the bouquet incident.
  • Presses on holes in Lord St. Simon’s story, gently mocks class anxieties.
  • Holmes lets slip to Watson (and the client): “I have solved it.” ([31:45])
    • Lord St. Simon: “Eh? What was that?”
    • Holmes: “I say that I have solved it. Where, then, is my wife? That is a detail which I shall speedily supply.”

5. Cliffhanger and Teaser for Part Two ([32:05])

• Preview:
  • Holmes and Lestrade pursue different leads regarding the wedding dress found in the Serpentine and a dropped bouquet.
  • An unexpected visitor at Baker Street promises heartbreak.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is just possible, however, that that also may not be wanting in this new investigation.”
  – Sherlock Holmes on the significance of Lord St. Simon’s status ([03:23])

• “She is what we call in England a tomboy with a strong nature, wild and free… She is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her resolutions.”
  – Lord St. Simon describing Hattie ([18:07])

• “I have solved it.”
  – Sherlock Holmes drops his bombshell prematurely to Lord St. Simon ([31:45])

• Watson quips about the flood of society marriages:
  “There will soon be a call for protection in the marriage market, for the present free trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home product.” ([09:39])

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:45 | Hugh Bonneville sets the scene; outlines the case’s main details | | 02:14 | Holmes returns, Watson summarizes the newspaper accounts | | 07:38 | Holmes examines Lord St. Simon’s pedigree; intro to Hattie Doran’s background | | 14:01 | The press account of the wedding, disappearance, and arrest of Flora Millar | | 17:29 | Lord St. Simon arrives at Baker Street, begins giving personal testimony | | 21:47 | Lord St. Simon details bouquet incident; Holmes focuses on “common looking” stranger in the pew | | 25:53 | Discussion of Hattie’s maid, American slang, and social differences | | 29:30 | Flora Millar’s background and relationship to St. Simon; motives explored | | 31:45 | Holmes: “I have solved it.”—cliffhanger | | 32:05 | Preview for next episode |

Tone & Style

The narration remains steeped in the classic, reserved wit and dry humor of the original Holmes tales, brought to life through Bonneville’s warm yet stately voice. Holmes is as analytical and sardonic as one expects, Watson is loyal and sharp. The episode balances careful investigation with lively dialogue and sharp social commentary, all while slowly building intrigue for part two.

Summary

Part One of “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” sets up a finely-spun puzzle of love, jealousy, and social ambition. Holmes methodically parses the clues: a high-society wedding, an agitated bride, a suspicious ex-lover, and a disappearance tantalizingly public yet private in its motives. The episode closes on Holmes’s confident assertion that he already knows the answer, enticing listeners to return for the dramatic reveal in Part Two.

Ideal for both Holmes aficionados and newcomers seeking classic deduction wrapped in Victorian intrigue.