The Dangerous Paradise
Summary
In the opulent, high-stakes social theater of the early 1920s, Ivis Van Astor finds herself caught in the tightening vice of familial obligation. Her aunt, a woman of formidable will and archaic sensibilities, has orchestrated a matrimonial merger between Ivis and a suitor whose primary attribute is his advanced age. To circumvent this desiccated fate, Ivis engineers a sophisticated ruse, employing the services of Horatio Worthington to masquerade as her legal spouse. Her objective is not merely escape, but the strategic provocation of Norman Kent, a man whose perception of Ivis is limited to that of a saccharine, infantile socialite. By adopting the mantle of a 'married woman,' she seeks to ignite a forbidden romantic spark within Norman. The charade migrates to the coastal enclave of Newport, where the salt air fuels a dangerous game of flirtation. However, the architecture of her deception collapses when Norman uncovers the artifice. Rather than confront her directly, he pivots into a theatrical counter-stratagem, staging a faux duel with the 'husband' that culminates in his simulated demise. The ensuing trauma serves as a crucible for Ivis's conscience, forcing a reckoning with her own manipulative hubris. The resolution, characterized by a sudden pivot toward the farcical, sees Norman’s miraculous 'recovery,' the aunt’s unexpected romantic entanglement with the hired help, and the restoration of social equilibrium through the very artifice that initially threatened to shatter it.
Synopsis
To avoid marrying the elderly suitor her aunt has chosen for her, young socialite Ivis Van Astor decides to hire Horatio Worthington to pose as her husband. She hopes that as a "married woman" she will pique the romantic interest of Norman Kent, who perceives her as a sweet young thing. Ivis and her hired husband go to Newport, where she begins to flirt with Norman, who discovers her ruse and decides to teach her a lesson. He stages a duel over Ivis with Horatio and pretends to die. Once Ivis is properly chagrined, Norman "recovers," Ivis' aunt falls in love with Horatio, and all ends happily.
