Firelight

In 1837, Elisabeth Laurier agrees to bear a child for an anonymous English landowner in exchange for £500 to pay her father's debts. They meet over three nights at a coastal hotel and strike a discreet agreement. The decision sets in motion a liaison that will change both their lives.

During their meetings, detachment gives way to a growing, passionate bond as they kiss and share intimate moments by the firelight. They exchange guarded conversations, masking their true emotions under secrecy. The connection becomes the emotional core of their arrangement.

Nine months later Elisabeth gives birth to a girl and, as agreed, hands the daughter over to her English landowner. She mourns the separation while maintaining the composure required by the agreement. The moment marks Elisabeth's permanent physical separation from her child.

Over the years, Elisabeth never forgets her daughter and begins a journal of watercoloured flowers and plants. She adds a page for each holiday and the daughter's birthdays while they are apart. The journal becomes a tangible record of longing.

Seven years after the birth, Elisabeth takes a position as the new governess to the child Louisa on the Godwin estate. She knows Louisa is her daughter, yet she keeps the truth hidden. This decision sets the stage for the complex family dynamics that follow.

Charles rejects Elisabeth and demands she leave immediately. Constance intervenes, allowing Elisabeth a month to find a new place, while the family weighs how to keep their secret. Elisabeth agrees to keep the arrangement and vows to avoid harming Louisa.

Louisa spends spare time in the lakehouse, and Elisabeth begins watching the girl and the estate more closely. Their unspoken bond grows as Elisabeth hides her true maternal role while observing Louisa's behavior. The lakehouse becomes a symbol of Louisa's imagined mother.

As Elisabeth teaches Louisa and keeps her secret, she and Charles move toward a dangerous closeness. They discuss future plans that would never be possible given their circumstances. The affair deepens despite the risk of exposure.

Charles announces that the entire estate is being appraised for sale to cover his debts. The looming sale heightens tension and forces decisions about loyalties. Elisabeth remains determined to guide Louisa toward a path of self-determination.

On a bitterly cold night, Charles considers his wife's fate and allows Amy to die by exposure. He later confesses that he killed Amy, a revelation that fills Elisabeth with guilt but leaves them emotionally entangled. Their relationship survives in spite of murder's shadow.

At Amy's funeral, Constance realises the depth of Charles's feelings for Elisabeth. Elisabeth confronts Charles, who confirms the killing of Amy, cementing their complicated, guilt-ridden bond. The family unit is fracturing under the weight of truth.

Louisa finds Elisabeth's illustrated journal dedicated to 'My English Daughter' and confronts her mother. Elisabeth confirms that Louisa is her daughter, forcing a redefinition of their secret relationship. The revelation binds them more tightly together while deepening the moral conflict.

After the estate is sold, the three depart on a snowy day to begin a new life as a family. They leave behind the Godwin estate and step into an uncertain future together. The final moment marks the creation of a fragile, chosen family.