A Lost Lady

A man confronts Ned and Marian as they leave a formal party, accusing Ned of having an affair with the man's wife. The confrontation escalates, and the man shoots Ned dead, cutting short Marian's engagement and plunging her into shock. This sudden violence sets Marian on a path of grief and upheaval.

Marian travels to a resort in the Canadian Rockies to cope with her emotional withdrawal after Ned's death. She hopes the secluded mountain setting will help her begin to move on, but the memory of the tragedy lingers.

While walking on the resort grounds, Marian falls from a ledge and injures her leg. Dan Forrester and his dog Sandy discover her and rescue her, initiating the first meaningful connection between them.

Dan begins visiting Marian every day, trying to comfort her as she remains overwhelmed by Ned's death. She remains emotionally withdrawn, though his kindness plants the first seeds of hope.

Before returning home, Dan asks Marian to marry him. She initially refuses, telling him that she does not love him yet, still haunted by her fiancé's death.

In a final moment of hesitation, Marian changes her mind and accepts Dan's proposal, and they marry soon after. However, soon after the wedding, they begin sleeping in separate bedrooms, signaling continued emotional distance.

Dan and Marian move to Chicago, where Dan heads a successful law firm. The move marks a new chapter as Dan tries to provide stability and care for Marian.

Dan pampers Marian, building her a country mansion and showering her with attention. His efforts aim to lift her depression and give her a sense of home and security.

Pilot Frank Ellinger makes an emergency landing on the Forrester estate. Mistaking Marian for a servant, he grabs and kisses her, which she angrily rejects with a slap and leaves, though the moment unsettles her.

Marian and Frank meet again at a social event. She rejects his advances, but Frank persists, rekindling a potential dilemma for her.

Dan travels to New York for three weeks on business, while Frank sees Marian daily. During this separation, Marian gradually falls in love with Frank, complicating her marriage.

When Dan returns, Marian reveals that she loves Frank. Dan is devastated and cannot sleep, though he must face an upcoming corporate trial the next day.

At the trial for his corporate case, Dan suddenly collapses and suffers a heart attack. The event shocks Marian and reframes the stakes of their relationship.

Despite Frank's pressure, Marian refuses to leave Dan's side and remains by his hospital bed. In the aftermath, she realizes she truly loves Dan and tells him so.

Having chosen loyalty over an abandoned romance, Marian confesses her enduring love for Dan, cementing the emotional arc of her journey.