Ladies Must Live

A glittering New Year’s gathering in the country becomes the stage for a subtle social experiment. Mrs. Ussher, a keen observer of people’s hidden potential, throws her modest house party knowing that the most fashionable guests in New York are away. She delights in spotting talent before it shines, offering loyalty and quiet encouragement to those she believes will soon rise in society.

Among the invited are the striking Mrs. Almar, whose sharp wit and disdain for her hypocritical husband make her both fascinating and formidable, and a host of other intriguing personalities whose fortunes hang in the balance. As conversations swirl over tea and dinner, secret attractions surface and whispered plans begin to take shape, hinting at alliances that could change lives. Listeners will be drawn into the elegant yet precarious world of early‑twentieth‑century social climbing, where a single invitation can set the course for love, ambition, and unexpected friendship.