La femme assise

Elvire Goulot, raised in the leafy suburb of Maisons‑Laffitte, grew up with an almost obsessive fascination for horses. The vivid images of the three snow‑white steeds pulling her lover’s troika linger in her memory, a symbol of both freedom and the glittering world she longs to belong to. Though never religious, she is deeply superstitious, and her dreams are forever tangled with notions of love and destiny.

At fifteen, Elvire is drawn into a scandalous liaison with a much older, charismatic doctor who introduces her to a life of sensual indulgence. After a fleeting escapade in Monte‑Carlo, a seasoned lawyer from St. Petersburg spots her and offers a tempting invitation to Russia, promising a role as a cherished companion to a grand‑duke. Accepting the offer, she embarks on a journey that thrusts her into the opulent yet treacherous courts of Petrograd, where ambition and desire begin to clash.