Les demoiselles Goubert: mœurs de Paris

In the ornate rooms of a Parisian townhouse, the sudden collapse of Mr. Goubert’s health casts a bleak shadow over his family. As doctors scramble to intervene, his two daughters, Marceline and Henriette, confront the stark reality of loss while the household buzzes with whispered accounts of the ruined fortune that hastened his decline. The sisters, each reacting in their own fragile way—one composed, the other weeping—are thrust into a world where grief, duty, and the expectations of society intersect.

Against this backdrop of mourning, the home transforms into a solemn chapel: candles flicker, religious symbols are arranged, and servants move in quiet reverence. Amidst the hushed prayers and the careful preparation of the deceased’s chambers, the young women grapple with their uncertain futures, the weight of family legacy, and the social constraints of Parisian life at the end of the 19th century. Their story unfolds as a delicate portrait of resilience and the quiet dramas that linger beyond the bedside.