The Purple Parasol

Sam Rossiter, a freshly graduated lawyer with soaring ambitions, finds himself thrust onto the Empire Express bound for the Adirondacks. He's been hired by the aging millionaire Godfrey Wharton to quietly investigate the sudden romance between Wharton’s glamorous young wife and the rising stage star Everett Havens. Though he’d rather be climbing the corporate ladder in New York, Sam must navigate a delicate social scandal and the uneasy politics of high society.

The journey carries him from the glittering world of the Four Hundred into the cool mountain resorts where the lovers plan to escape. As Sam watches the elegant debutante and the charismatic actor from a distance, he wrestles with doubts about loyalty, ambition, and the moral gray area of his assignment. The tale blends witty social observation with a touch of intrigue, inviting listeners to consider what it means to be a man caught between duty and desire.