The Countess Charming
Summary
In a delightful subversion of Edwardian social mores, the affluent yet earnest Stanley Jordan finds himself inadvertently ensnared in the insidious web of high society's vindictive machinations. A casual slight against the formidable Mrs. Vandergraft at a Red Cross benefit precipitates his swift ostracization from the gilded confines of the country club, a realm he had just begun to navigate alongside the captivating Betty Lovering. Fueled by a righteous indignation and an audacious spirit, Jordan orchestrates an elaborate, gender-bending metamorphosis, re-emerging as a resplendent, enigmatic Russian Countess. This meticulously crafted persona not only grants him unbridled access to the very circles that scorned him but also serves as a conduit for a most peculiar brand of philanthropic larceny. Systematically pilfering the opulent homes of the city's elite, he channels their purloined treasures directly into the Red Cross Fund, transforming himself into a benevolent, if unconventional, purveyor of justice. As the community reels from the escalating thefts, and a determined detective closes in on the elusive Countess, a dramatic feigned demise sets the stage for a poignant revelation. Betty, drawn by genuine concern to the Countess's supposed deathbed, unmasks not a dying noblewoman, but the very man whose affections she cherishes, exposing the intricate tapestry of love and retribution woven beneath the elaborate disguise.
Synopsis
Wealthy young bachelor Stanley Jordan attends a Red Cross Benefit at the country club, where he meets and falls in love with Betty Lovering and unwittingly offends social leader Mrs. Vandergraft. Discovering that the Vandergrafts have initiated a campaign to ostracize him from the club, Jordan, incensed, decides to get even: he disguises himself as a Russian Countess and returns to the club, where he is wined and dined. As a member of society, he is welcomed into the homes of the rich, where he proceeds to steal their valuables and donate them to the Red Cross Fund. The series of thefts alarms the neighborhood, and a detective is hired. Just as the detective is closing in on the Countess, it is announced that the Russian has been a victim of assault and is lying on her deathbed. Betty, concerned, calls on the Countess, only to discover that she is none other than Stanley Jordan, the man she loves.
