Early autumn

The Pentland estate, once a cornerstone of Boston society, opens its doors to a lavish ball meant to showcase its dwindling lineage. Eighteen‑year‑old Sybil Pentland, freshly back from Paris, is presented to the polished world of New England elites, while the ancient halls echo with a spirited, out‑of‑place negro band that betrays the house’s rigid decorum. The evening teeters between exuberant display and a quiet desperation as the family clings to fading grandeur.

Into this mix appears Sabine Callendar, a striking woman returning after twenty years of exile, her magnetic presence eclipsing the young debutantes. Her daughter Thérèse, a curious outsider from Durham, observes the clash of old‑world propriety and the restless energy of the gathered guests. As the night unfolds, hidden ambitions and old grievances begin to surface, hinting at choices that could reshape the Pentlands’ future.