Podcast Summary

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories (Noiser)

Episode: The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor: Part Two
Host/Narrator: Hugh Bonneville
Date: November 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode brings the conclusion to "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," unraveling the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of Lady St. Simon moments after her marriage to Lord Robert St. Simon. As London society buzzes with gossip, Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade are drawn into a web involving transatlantic romance, mistaken death, and heartfelt reunions. The episode focuses on how Holmes pieces together the scattered clues to reveal the deeply human story behind an apparently scandalous affair.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Holmes’ Initial Deduction and Lestrade’s Frustration

• [00:33 – 03:00]

  • Holmes claims he has essentially solved the case even before speaking to Lord St. Simon in detail. Lestrade arrives agitated, having spent the day "dragging the Serpentine" in search of Lady St. Simon’s body.

  • Lestrade presents Lady St. Simon’s wedding clothes, found near the lake, believing it points to Flora Miller’s involvement, supported by a note found in the dress.

    Quote [03:50]:

    • Lestrade: "Who ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clue seems to slip through my fingers."
    • Holmes (on Serpentine search): "Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in the one as in the other."

2. Holmes’ Superior Reasoning

• [04:00 – 07:30]

  • Holmes critiques Lestrade’s assumptions and mocks the notion that finding abandoned clothes equals a body’s presence.

  • Lestrade is convinced Flora Miller sent the note that lured Lady St. Simon away, but Holmes is more interested in the reverse side of the note, which is part of a hotel bill.

    Quote [06:55]:

    • Holmes: "By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body is to be found in the neighbourhood of his wardrobe."

3. The Assembly: Holmes Prepares for the Truth

• [11:12 – 13:30]

  • After Lestrade’s departure, Holmes arranges for an elaborate supper for five guests, hinting to Watson that the true explanation will soon be revealed.

  • Lord St. Simon arrives, perturbed and anxious over the humiliation ahead.

    Quote [13:42]:

    • Lord St. Simon: "What will the Duke say when he hears that one of the family has been subjected to such humiliation?"
    • Holmes: "I can hardly see how the lady could have acted otherwise though her abrupt method… was regrettable."

4. The Dramatic Reveal: Hattie Doran’s Confession

• [15:08 – 23:28]

  • Holmes introduces Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hay Moulton. Hattie Doran (the missing bride) recounts her past engagement and secret marriage to Frank Moulton in America. She believed Frank dead after hearing news of an Apache attack, which left her deeply unwell. She agreed to marry Lord St. Simon only under that false belief.

    • During her wedding to Lord St. Simon, she suddenly recognized Frank in the pew. With a note smuggled via her dropped bouquet, Frank signaled to Hattie, who quietly left the house to meet her first and true husband.

    Notable Quotes:

    • Hattie Doran [15:20]: "I know that I have treated you real bad and that I should have spoken to you before I went, but I was kind of rattled..."
    • Hattie Doran [19:03]: "But you may imagine what I felt when just as I came to the altar rails, I glanced back and saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the first pew. I thought it was his ghost at first."
    • Hattie Doran [20:01]: "As I passed his pew on the way out, I dropped my bouquet over to him and he slipped the note into my hand."
    • Hattie Doran [22:41]: "It is likely that we should have gone on to Paris tomorrow only that this good gentleman, Mr. Holmes, came round to us this evening..."

5. Reactions and Resolution

• [23:28 – 25:00]

  • Lord St. Simon is hurt but maintains dignity, refusing to forgive Hattie or join the supper, departing with cold formality.

  • Holmes displays both sympathy for St. Simon’s position and warm hospitality to Mr. and Mrs. Moulton.

    Quote [24:46]:

    • Holmes: "It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr. Moulton, for I am one of those who believe that ... someday [we will be] citizens of the same worldwide country."

6. Holmes Explains His Methods

• [25:56 – 31:00]

  • Holmes reviews his reasoning with Watson:

    • The bride willingly entered the ceremony but quickly repented—suggesting a sudden, dramatic change caused by seeing someone, likely from America.
    • A detail in the hotel bill tipped Holmes to Francis H. Moulton’s recent stay at a luxury hotel (deduced from the prices), and the forwarding address led him straight to the reunited couple.

  • Holmes encourages Watson to judge St. Simon mercifully, given the difficult ordeal.

    Quote [26:22]:

    • Holmes: "Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result when viewed, for instance, by Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard."
    • Holmes: "The whole situation became absolutely clear... She had gone off with a man, and the man was either a lover or was a previous husband, the chances being in favour of the latter."

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Lestrade’s frustration and Holmes’ playful rivalry

  • Lestrade: "I've wasted time enough... I believe in hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories." [09:44]
  • Holmes (to Lestrade, as a parting shot): "Lady St. Simon is a myth. There is not and there never has been any such person." [10:06]
  • Lestrade, departing, taps his forehead three times, exasperated by Holmes’ confidence.

• Hattie Doran’s emotional confession

  • Hattie Doran: "We can command our actions, but not our love." [18:54]
  • The scene captures Hattie’s turmoil and the intense emotional core of the story.

• Holmes’ remarks on Anglo-American friendship

  • Holmes: "I am one of those who believe that ... someday we will be citizens of the same worldwide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack with the stars and stripes." [24:46]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |:-------------:|:------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:33 | Recap from Part One and setup for Part Two | | 02:00 | Holmes, Lestrade, and Serpentine clue discussion | | 06:55 | Holmes’ sarcastic rebuttal about clues and wardrobes | | 11:12 | Holmes prepares for the supper and grand reveal | | 13:30 | Lord St. Simon confronted with the truth | | 15:08 | Hattie Doran begins her narrative | | 19:03 | Hattie describes seeing Frank at the altar | | 20:01 | The note exchange via bouquet explained | | 22:41 | Hattie recounts disposing of her wedding clothes | | 23:28 | Lord St. Simon’s stoic reaction | | 25:56 | Holmes elucidates the solution for Watson | | 30:00 | Episode winds down with Holmes' philosophical remarks |

Language and Tone

• The episode maintains a tone faithful to Conan Doyle’s original—wry, humane, and keenly observant.
• Holmes is characteristically sardonic when sparring with Lestrade but compassionate when dealing with the fundamentally personal aspects of the case.
• Hattie's narrative is forthright, emotionally direct, and earnest, underscoring the story’s romantic twist.
• Lord St. Simon’s pride and bitterness are palpable, especially in the episode’s final exchanges.

Conclusion

This episode deftly transforms what society believes a scandal into a deeply human story of love, misunderstanding, and reunion. Holmes’ brilliance is not simply his logic, but his sensitivity to the emotional truths at the heart of even the most perplexing mysteries.

Preview of Next Episode

At the close, Holmes and Watson are teased with the next case—the adventure of the Six Napoleons, promising another blend of the strange and the deadly in Victorian London.

[For those who missed the episode, this summary encapsulates the major developments, Holmesian logic, and emotional core of a classic case in the Sherlock Holmes canon.]