Summary
The narrative unfolds around Philip and Cynthia Grey, a recently married Bostonian couple whose union is steeped in a suffocating propriety. Cynthia, a paragon of Back-Bay reserve, embodies a quiet domesticity that leaves their home devoid of passion, a reality Philip stoically endures. This staid existence is disrupted by the arrival of Peggy Nash, a vivacious blonde whose presence injects an unexpected, and perhaps unwelcome, dynamism into Philip’s life. Confronted by this burgeoning distraction, a perturbed Cynthia seeks refuge and independence in Paris, the fabled "Wickedest City," with the intent of securing a discreet divorce. However, Paris proves to be less a haven for quiet dissolution and more a vibrant crucible of self-discovery. Under the charismatic tutelage of Henri de Briac, who offers himself as a comprehensive guide to the city's (and his own) delights, Cynthia sheds her dowdy constraints, embracing a newfound joie de vivre. Her transformation is swift and exhilarating. Meanwhile, Philip, gripped by a sudden realization of his wife's value, pursues her to Paris, determined to reconcile. Hot on his heels, Peggy also arrives, setting the stage for Henri to orchestrate a delicate, and undoubtedly complicated, realignment of these four entangled hearts.
Philip and Cynthia Grey are a pair of recently-wed Bostonians, and Cynthia is properly Back-Bay no-action quiet and dowdy, and Philip resigns himself to the quietness (no action) regularity of their home. But then along comes a blonde, Peggy Nash, who adds some action to Philip's life. Cynthia is somewhat upset at this turn of events, and decides to go to Paris--the Wickedest City in the World--and get a quiet divorce. Cynthia soon finds out that Paris is a really gay city, especially after Henri de Briac shows up and offers to be her guide to the delights of Paris (primarily him). Cynthia quickly sheds some of her dowdy clothes and ways and starts having what was once quaintly described as a gay old time. Philip then shows up in Paris, deciding that he wants Cynthia back as his wife. Peggy shows up right behind him, and soon it's up to Henri to make the pairing arrangements for the foursome.
