It was admitted by all her friends, and also by her enemies— who were in truth the more numerous and active body of the two— that Lizzie Greystock had done very well with herself.

The Eustace Diamonds

The beautiful Lizzie’s relatives, spurred on by the intransigent family lawyer, Camperdown, argue that the diamonds are an heirloom, and on no account can be retained by her. The dispute colours all Lizzie’s subsequent relationships – with her cousin Frank, her new lover Lord Fawn, and her admirer Lord George. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie is driven to increasingly desperate behaviour in an attempt to retain her jewels.