In which Maisie navigates the shifting alliances and subdued tensions of her increasingly complex household, observing with a child's quiet acuity the affectations and undercurrents of affection between her mother, stepfather, and governess. Amidst visits from an imposing stranger and the subtle manoeuvrings of adults burdened with their own desires and disappointments, she becomes aware of the delicate balance that sustains her daily life and the unspoken fears that hover just beneath the surface.