The Counterfeiters · Character

Laura Douviers

A young woman who left her husband for Vincent and now turns to Edouard for help with the child she is carrying.

major

Also known as Laura, Douviers, the Douviers

First appearance: VIII: Edouard and Laura

As a major figure in The Counterfeiters, Laura Douviers is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Pregnant and abandoned by Vincent, she seeks help from Edouard.

In the storyPart I: ParisOpen this moment free

See Laura Douviers in Part I: Paris Book page

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Laura arrives in Paris pregnant, penniless, and abandoned by the lover she followed there, and Edouard's quiet assistance becomes her lifeline. Her husband Douviers, an excellent if unremarkable man, will raise the child as his own — a resolution Edouard finds tidy but which Bernard, who adores Laura, cannot hear discussed so coolly. She is the thread that ties Bernard, Edouard, and Vincent together, and her predicament exposes how differently each man responds to a woman in need.

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The fuller portrait of Laura Douviers sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Laura Douviers in VIII: Edouard and Laura

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Laura Douviers sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Romantic
Other

Character groups

Vedel Pension Circle
Minor Family Members
Protagonist

+15 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this chapter, Edouard articulates the "deep-lying subject" of his novel—the rivalry between reality and rep…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Bernard Profitendieu
friendship · positive
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship. How this plays out →
Edouard
romantic · ambivalent
Vincent Molinier
romantic · negative
Bernard Profitendieu
friendship · positive
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship. How this plays out →
Vincent Molinier
romantic · negative
Bernard Profitendieu
friendship · positive
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship. How this plays out →
Edouard
romantic · ambivalent
Edouard
romantic · ambivalent
Vincent Molinier
romantic · negative

Bernard Profitendieu
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship.
Edouard
Edouard and Laura share a past romantic attachment and a lingering, tender affection despite her marriage.
Vincent Molinier
Laura had a brief, secret affair with Vincent, which left her pregnant and abandoned.
Bernard Profitendieu
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship.
Vincent Molinier
Laura had a brief, secret affair with Vincent, which left her pregnant and abandoned.
Bernard Profitendieu
Bernard helps Laura in her time of need, forming a supportive and chaste friendship.
Edouard
Edouard and Laura share a past romantic attachment and a lingering, tender affection despite her marriage.
Edouard
Edouard and Laura share a past romantic attachment and a lingering, tender affection despite her marriage.
Vincent Molinier
Laura had a brief, secret affair with Vincent, which left her pregnant and abandoned.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Laura Douviers in VIII: Edouard and Laura

In the story

Laura Douviers appears across 20 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Part I: Paris
Pregnant and abandoned by Vincent, she seeks help from Edouard.
Vincent and the Comte de Passavant
Mentioned as the woman Vincent has gotten pregnant and abandoned; she waited for him in vain.
Vincent Meets Passavant at Lady Griffith’s
Mentioned as Vincent's former mistress who is pregnant and has been abandoned; she is weeping in her hotel room.
VII: Lilian and Vincent
Referenced as the woman Vincent has abandoned; Lilian accuses Vincent of being disgusted with himself for chucking Laura.
VIII: Edouard and Laura
Writes a desperate letter to Edouard confessing her pregnancy by another man and Vincent's abandonment.
X: The Cloakroom Ticket
Her letter is found in Edouard's notebook inside the suitcase.
Edouard's Journal: Laura's Wedding
Subject of the wedding; Edouard reflects on her devotion and transposition of love onto Douviers.
XIV: Bernard and Laura
Abandoned by Vincent, waiting in a modest hotel; meets Bernard and later Edouard, breaks down in tears, and asks Edouard to take her away.
XVI: Vincent and Lilian
Laura is mentioned as having rejected Vincent's belated payment with the note 'Too late,' indicating her despair.
XVIII: Edouard’s Journal: Second Visit to La Pérouse
Edouard visits her after recovering his suitcase.
Part II: Saas-Fée
Staying in Saas-Fée, emotionally distressed and seeking support from Edouard.
From Bernard to Olivier
The pregnant woman abandoned by Vincent; she travels with Edouard and Bernard to Switzerland, and Bernard develops deep respect and affection for her.
II: Edouard's Journal: Little Boris
Introduced to Sophroniska by Edouard; the two women seem to get along.
III: Edouard Explains His Theory of the Novel
Feels uncomfortable in her dependent situation with Edouard, suffering from unrequited love and self-reproach; finds comfort in her role as a mentor to Bernard.
Bernard and Laura
Decides to return to her husband Douviers after confessing everything; shares her feelings about Edouard and gives Bernard advice.
Edouard's Journal: Conversation with Sophroniska
Referenced in connection with her parents and the boarding school; Edouard mentions her criticism of his mysticism.
II: Edouard’s Journal: At the Vedels’
Mentioned as having confided in Azaïs about her pregnancy; subject of Armand's scorn.
Olivier and Edouard
Mentioned in Bernard's memory of her words at Saas-Fée.
X: Olivier’s Convalescence
Writes to Edouard begging him to dissuade her husband Felix from challenging the man who impregnated her.
XIII: Edouard’s Journal: Douviers’ Profitendieu
Mentioned; Douviers’ jealousy diminishes when he no longer feels her eyes upon him, and she has returned to him.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Laura Douviers unlock in the free preview.

See Laura Douviers in VIII: Edouard and Laura

See Laura Douviers in Part I: Paris