Summary
In the opulent, suffocating corridors of early 20th-century high society, Gilberte Brigard, affectionately yet dismissively dubbed 'Frou Frou,' exists as a creature of pure kinetic energy and surface-level shimmer. A byproduct of her father M. Brigard’s hedonistic milieu, she is a vibrant contrast to the somber domesticity expected of women in her station. When the stoic Henry de Sartorys seeks a matrimonial alliance, he bypasses the dutiful Louise—who harbors a silent, agonizing devotion for him—to claim the mercurial Gilberte. This union, built on a foundation of misaligned temperaments, inevitably fractures. Five years of performative motherhood and domestic stagnation leave Gilberte feeling like a ghost in her own foyer, especially as Louise surreptitiously assumes the mantle of matriarchal authority. The return of the smitten Count Paul de Valreas ignites a dormant desperation within Gilberte. Her flight to the decaying grandeur of Venice is not merely an act of adultery, but a frantic attempt to reclaim an identity swallowed by the shadows of her sister’s competence. The ensuing tragedy—a fatal duel and a slow, agonizing descent into physical and spiritual frailty—leads Gilberte back to the threshold of her former home, seeking a final, desperate reconciliation before the light of her vivacity is permanently extinguished.
Synopsis
Vivacious little Gilberte, known as Frou Frou, is the daughter of M. Brigard, a retired merchant, who has as his companion in a life of gaiety, Comte Paul de Valreas, a much younger man. Both the Count and Henry de Sartorys are in love with Frou Frou, and when De Sartorys asks for the hand of Frou Frou, M. Brigard refers him to Louise, the elder daughter, who is in charge of the household. To Louise, who loves de Sartorys, comes the first anguish of her life, when he confides his love for Frou Frou. However, she confers with her little sister who agrees to marry De Sartorys. Paul also asks for Frou Frou's hand, but Brigard refuses, stating he is too jolly a companion to be trusted as a son-in-law. Five years pass, and although Frou Frou adores her son Georgie, the calm role of a homemaker does not suit her, and on one of Louise's visits she realizes her own place has been usurped, as both De Sartorys and Georgie go to her for advice. Paul still loves Frou Frou, but she fights against her growing attraction for him, and begs him to go away. Finding she is no longer necessary for the happiness of her husband and son, after a furious tirade against Louise, she leaves and joins Paul in Venice. Paul's mother receives her, and the next day, De Sartorys, who has followed, finds her, and despite her pleas, fights a duel with Paul, in which Paul is killed. Out of the loneliness and sorrow of the ensuing months her soul is chastened, and she returns to ask her husband one last favor, that she be allowed to die in the house she entered as a bride. Although Louise also pleads for her he at first refuses; but when Frou Frou, formerly so light-hearted and care-free, pleads on her knees, he can no longer deny her, and the two meet in a tearful embrace. Her life closes with a semblance of happiness, as she gives to Louise the two that are closest to her, her husband and son.
