1789年，法國籠罩在動盪不安的革命風暴下，誰也沒想到不過短短四天，法國的命運竟因而改變：路易十六即將被送上斷頭台，宮廷裡的王公貴族人人自危，來自奧地利的瑪麗安東尼皇后(黛安克魯格飾)與她最信任的讀書侍女希朵妮(蕾雅瑟杜飾)也在這當中，瑪麗和密友娜伯德(維吉尼亞拉朵嫣飾)在逃離的最後時刻決定互換衣服，讓娜伯德坐上自己的馬車出宮．．．

Dull and plain Catherine lives with her emotionally distant father, Dr. Sloper, in 1840s New York. Her days are empty — filled with little more than needlepoint. Enter handsome Morris Townsend, a dashing social climber with his eye on the spinster's heart and substantial inheritance.