The main character of Françoise Bourdin's novel is a charming thirty-two-year-old Frenchwoman, Pascale Fontanel. She succeeded as a doctor, but failed in her personal life. Changes in her destiny begin after the funeral of her mother and the move to Peyrol, an ancient estate that belonged to several generations of the Fontanel family. From fleeting interactions with different people, Pascal concludes that people in the area are wary of this name. Pascal is perplexed, because she always knew that she belonged to a glorious dynasty of doctors who worked a lot for the benefit of local residents. But one day, in a drawer of an old dressing table stored in the attic, she discovers a strange document and decides to get to the bottom of the truth...