Something New opens the adventures at Blanding Castle and introduces some of P.G. Wodehouse's beloved recurring characters and locations. Both Freddie and Aline are pleased with the arrangement when they become engaged. The engagement gives them both, who come from affluent and illustrious families, a greater social status.But Freddie starts to worry that past letters he wrote to an ex might endanger the engagement. Freddie hires a shady fixer to get the letters out of desperation. American millionaire J. Preston Peters, who is the father of Aline, extends an invitation to Freddie's father, the Earl of Emsworth, to visit his residence. Peters tries to impress Emsworth with his extensive collection of beetles while the two men chat casually there. But when Emsworth mistakenly steals Peters' most valuable beetle and puts it in his pocket, a passive-aggressive confrontation develops.Peters has suspicions about the other guy, but he is hesitant to approach him out of concern for their children's relationship. As an alternative, he posts a prize for its return, encouraging a gang of greedy thieves to take the beetle for themselves. Aline and Freddie battle to keep their engagement alive in the face of conflicting dads, a gang of robbers, a dubious fixer, and a missing beetle.