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Back The Fall of Valor Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Introduction by Michael Bronski
  2. BEGINNING
  3. II
  4. III
  5. IV
  6. V
  7. VI
  8. VII
  9. VIII
  10. IX
  11. X
  12. XI
  13. XII
  14. XIII
  15. MIDDLE
  16. II
  17. III
  18. IV
  19. V
  20. VI
  21. VII
  22. VIII
  23. IX
  24. X
  25. XI
  26. XII
  27. XIII
  28. XIV
  29. XV
  30. XVI
  31. XVII
  32. XVIII
  33. XIX
  34. XX
  35. END
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. V
  40. VI
  41. VII
  42. VIII
  43. IX
  44. X
  45. XI
  46. XII
  47. XIII
  48. XIV
  49. XV
  50. XVI
  51. About the Author

“Do you think that makes her any less attractive to your husband? Men are always titillated to their finger tips in the presence of a young bride. Now I don’t mean for one second that she and your husband are actually having an affair, but they’ve known each other for some time and he’s interested in her, and she knows it. It’s the only reason Bill and I can think of for their moving in on you like this. Cliff seems to realize it too, or else why would he go to such lengths to be so damned broad-­minded about it? He’s positively ostentatious in trying to show that it’s all right with him, just so nobody else will notice. The way he goes on about Johnnie-­and-­I-­this or Johnnie-­and-­I-­that, as though he and your husband were bosom pals, whereas in reality they haven’t the remotest thing in common or even the faintest reason for liking each other. My god, he talks as though you two wives didn’t exist. It’s pretty obvious.”

“That’s just his way, perhaps.”

“Of course if you mind my butting in, I’ll shut up.”

“I don’t mind, really. I only—”

“As I said, we’re concerned because we like you, and I thought it wouldn’t do any harm to air the thing, just between you and me. Bill and I are happily married—completely, I think—but even so, there have been several times in the past few years when his eye has been caught by a pretty girl and I’ve had to pretend I didn’t notice. It’s the only thing to do. They always come back. These momentary flirtations mean nothing. The boys are beginning to feel their age and they don’t like the idea. It helps some if they can sort of make believe they’re having one last romance with a young girl before the long freeze sets in for good.”

“I appreciate your interest, but—maybe you’re imagining all this.”

“Maybe I am. I hope so. But Bill and I have noticed you’re unhappy and we thought it was because of Billie.”

“I— This is difficult to talk about, really. It seems so unfair to John—behind his back . . .”

“To hell with him. Think of yourself first, why don’t you? Then maybe he’ll think a little more of you and less of Billie. Me, I never for a moment let Bill Howard lose track of the fact that I’m the most wonderful woman he ever met. So I’m a complete fraud, you see, but at least it works. Bill does think so—and will to his dying day. . . .”

XVII

XVII