Ladies in Retirement

Ellen Creed, the housekeeper for Leonora Fiske, reads a letter demanding she tame her two peculiar sisters or face police eviction. The note hints at social disgrace and harsh consequences if the sisters continue their outlandish behavior. Ellen contemplates the pressure of maintaining order in a house that is already teetering on the edge.

When Ellen is away, Albert Feather appears at Leonora's house claiming to be Ellen's nephew. Leonora lends him money but insists that Ellen not be told about his visit or the loan. The encounter weaves deception into the household's already fragile balance.

Ellen returns with her sisters, and Leonora's patience quickly wears thin as the sisters’ presence drains her resources. Leonora complains that two days have stretched into six weeks, and she orders them to leave. Ellen pleads, fearing her sisters will be sent to an institution if removed.

In a blazing quarrel over the sisters and the mounting chaos, Ellen strangles Leonora to death. The crime isolates Ellen in a web of lies she immediately begins to spin. She tells visitors that Leonora is traveling to hide the murder and avoid suspicion.

Ellen informs visitors and Lucy that Leonora is away traveling and that she has purchased the house. She makes her sisters swear they will never talk about Leonora or the sale. The deception consolidates Ellen's control while concealing the truth of Leonora's murder.

During a terrible storm, nearby nuns come to borrow lamp oil, drawing Ellen away from the others. Lucy is sent to the shed where Albert reappears, flirting with her again and warning her not to reveal his visit. The encounter deepens the tangle of secrets surrounding the house.

Albert enters through the front door, claiming he needs help and a place to stay because he is a wanted thief. Ellen refuses to let him stay and instead buys him a boat ticket out of the country while offering money to start anew elsewhere. His attempt to stay foreshadows looming blackmail and danger.

Albert and Lucy start piecing together what Ellen is hiding, discovering Leonora's wig and a bank signature that doesn't match her records. The mismatched documents and hidden items suggest a carefully concealed story around Leonora's fate. The tension between truth and cover-up intensifies inside the house.

Albert seduces Lucy and tries to locate the hidden money. He has Lucy sit at the piano, wearing Leonora's wig with her back to Ellen, who screams and faints at the sight. The moment exposes the depth of Ellen's deception and heightens the danger for Lucy.

Rather than leave, Albert stays to blackmail his aunt, sharing crimes and pressing her for leverage. Lucy overhears the confrontation and flees the house while neighbor nuns arrive to check on the disturbance. The confession deepens the crisis as the household's lies threaten to collapse.

The nearby nuns warn Ellen that the police are seeking a man matching Albert's description. Albert emerges from hiding, takes the ticket and money, and leaves the house to carry on his life elsewhere. The pursuit of justice closes in on the tangled household.

When Ellen's sisters return from their walk, they report seeing Albert playing tag with two men. Ellen smiles, dons her coat and hat, and tells the sisters she is going to see some men, kissing them goodbye before stepping into the fog. Her departure marks a last escape from the moral consequences of her actions.