“Let’s just say all applications will be considered seriously.”
“This is a terrible idea, Jadey.”
“Oh, come on—don’t be the morality police.”
“Well, it is a terrible idea morally, but I was thinking logistically. Can you imagine getting a divorce, having to share custody and being apart from Drew and Winnie?” None of Charlie’s brothers and their wives had sent their children to boarding school, a precedent that greatly relieved me; I would have fought hard against sending Ella. “Or how about this,” I said. “Picture Arthur remarrying.”
Jadey shook her head. “I’d slit his throat first. Though wouldn’t it be fascinating to know who he’d pick? I’ve always thought he had a thing for Marilyn Granville.”
“She’s married.”
“So am I.”
“You’re much cuter than Marilyn,” I said.
“I am, aren’t I?” Jadey smiled at me sideways, mock-flirtatiously, but then she frowned. “Too bad Arthur doesn’t think so.”
“Does he know how upset you are?”
“It’s been almost a month since he visited the hospitality deck on the S.S.
so he should figure it out soon.”
“Has he initiated sex and you’ve refused?”
“Has he initiated it?” Jadey said. “Alice, is the pope Catholic?”
“And you’ve said no?”
“Sixteen-year-old virgins say no. I
”
“Jadey, I just worry. Sex is important in a marriage.”
“I don’t even miss it. It had gotten so predictable that I felt like we’d already done it before we started—I had to pinch myself to stay awake. I recently realized I’ve been married to Arthur for almost half my life. Can you believe that? Why didn’t someone tell me that twenty-one was way too young to commit to another person?”
“My doctor says you should have sex twice a week.”
“And you listen?”
“Well—” Generally, I was less forthcoming than Jadey about topics I considered private. There was no one I confided in more, but I also was aware that Jadey’s greatest asset and her most serious downfall was that she was a talker. Years before, for Christmas, Charlie had given her a pillow he’d found himself and been quite proud of, supposedly modeled on one owned by Alice Roosevelt Longworth. It had a white background and said in green print:
IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY, COME SIT BY ME.
Jadey and I had gotten this far into the conversation, though, and it didn’t seem fair to be coy, so I said, “I try for once a week.”
“Do you
it?”
“Sometimes I’m not in the mood beforehand, but I’m still glad after. It makes me feel close to him.”
“Do you always, you know, grab the brass ring?”
“Mostly,” I said. “Occasionally, I’m just too tired.”
“I only can if the kids are out of the house.”
“No wonder it’s not as fun. Maybe you should buy some books or movies or something.”
“You mean
? Is Alice Blackwell recommending
?” She adopted a prim tone. “As I live and breathe—”
“Jadey, come on.” I nudged her. Two men were about fifty feet away, cruising toward us in a golf cart, and there was a 90 percent chance—such was the Maronee Country Club—that we knew them.
“You two don’t use it, do you?” At least she’d lowered her voice a little.
“Charlie looks at magazines once in a while.”
“Doesn’t that
