TALW95
In a grand old house that's seen better centuries, teenage Algernon Pennworthy IV has recently inherited the family estate-a crumbling mansion brimming with ancient books, structural sighs, and an ever-expanding collection of unpaid bills. Too young to drink and too indifferent to try, Algernon is now the legal master of the household, a title that comes with more cobwebs than power.
Enter Martha, the family's long-standing maid, whose dry wit and emotional imperviousness have survived generations of Pennworthys. She remains not out of loyalty, but because she once borrowed a book from the library and refuses to return it until she finishes chapter two.
Adding to the household entropy is Edwin, Algernon's cousin, who was sent to "help" but mostly lounges around writing poems no one asked for and attempting to fix the plumbing with existential philosophy. He's slightly older, marginally wiser, and infinitely more dramatic.
Together, Algernon, Martha, and Edwin stumble through the rigors of inherited responsibility, tax collectors, baffling social invitations, and the suspiciously rising price of biscuits.