The first paragraph of Lady Audley’s Secret describes Audley Court in vivid detail. The “avenue of limes” creates a lasting image of a row of lime trees, forming a path to the Court (7). We get the sense that Audley Court is a swanky place right off the bat, “rich with fine old timber and luxuriant pastures” (7). This is supported when “the cattle looked inquisitively at you as you passed… and unless you were going to the Court you had no business there at all” (7). We have not learned about the house, but it’s likely that Audley Court is a fancy estate. Just from reading this first paragraph, we can infer that LAS will feature a family of wealth. The opening sentence begins with, “It”, as if Audley Court is prestigious enough that opening with its name is not necessary. Reading further into that line, it foreshadows the potential reclusiveness of the Audley family. Why would one have “no business there at all” (7)? Are they hiding something? This phrase introduces a mysterious aspect to the story. The “high hedges” could be symbolic of the guard the family has up. The title of the book, Lady Audley’s Secret implies that Lady Audley will be withholding something important. There is foreshadowing in the first paragraph, but nothing is made clear. We’re left to speculate about the dynamic of the Audley family, as well as the nature of Lady Audley’s secret. The opening paragraph of LAS introduces two apparently main themes of the novel, as well as uncertainty about them.