Read Online The Friend of Women and Other Stories by Louis Auchincloss - Free Book Online

Wall Street office? The lawyer wished to present her with Ralph’s terms for a consent divorce. When I protested that she needed her own lawyer and not an old schoolteacher, she insisted that she could get hold of counsel later, that this was simply to hear Ralph’s demands. She wanted a friend to be with her, someone, so to speak, to hold her hand.
    So I went.
    The lawyer, Stanley, I think his name was, received us in a large, threatening paneled office with a million-dollar view of the harbor for any who had the heart to look at it. I had not. He was the sort of grave, staring attorney who took pleasure on behalf of a rich client to “crush the serpent with his heel,” a legal John Knox who carried his stern morals into his practice whenever his high fees allowed it.
    â€œI take it that Mr. Hazelton is here as your friend but not as your counsel,” he opened, eyeing me with evident disapproval. “However, there is no reason why I should not outline for you both your husband’s proposal. It will also be contained in this memorandum, which you may deliver to your attorney.”
    The horrid man then proceeded to air his horrid client’s conditions for submitting to the jurisdiction of the state of Nevada, where he chose to establish her temporary residence. This was clearly intended, without stating it, to indicate his client’s willingness to consent to a plea of incompatibility in a Reno court. Mr. Stanley now went on to give us an idea of the evidence that his client’s detectives had gathered. There was no mention of a corespondent’s name, nor did Cora ask for one. Her only alternative, the lawyer implied, to a thunderous scandal would be to sign a separation agreement waiving her rights to any settlement and apply to a Reno court for a divorce on grounds of incompatibility.
    She and I left the office without commitment. Despite the early hour, I took her to a bar and ordered two whiskies.
    â€œOf course you’ll fight it,” I muttered.
    Slowly, she shook her head.
    â€œTell me he’s bluffing, Cora!” I begged.
    â€œI can’t tell you that.”
    I dreaded to hear her mention Eliot’s name. I knew that he and Letty had been having difficulties about the running of the magazine. He had made little secret of his growing restiveness at her stubborn retention of the veto power that she had in the publications and foundation that her father had created. I had never trusted Eliot since the business over Alfreda’s baby; indeed, I actually detested him. He had not hesitated to make himself the lover of one of his wife’s most intimate friends. Could he possibly have had it in mind to add the second to his collection? Could a man really be so wicked? And why?
    â€œYou told me, Hubert, that if I married Ralph for the reason I did, I’d be wicked. I sneered at the word. But you were right. I was wicked, I am wicked. And, as you predicted, I’ve been in hell.”
    â€œBut you’ve been working, Cora. You’ve been doing a job, and doing it darn well. What happened?”
    â€œEverything was all right until Eliot started paying attention to me. He didn’t at first. He was even standoffish. I think he may have disliked Letty’s pushing me on him. But gradually he began to talk to me. And then one day he took me out to lunch. It seemed perfectly natural. Everyone in the office knows that Letty and I are best friends. She usually works at home, but she has an office at the magazine, of course, and never comes in without speaking to me. And after Eliot assigned me the job of helping him with the new column, we lunched together frequently to discuss it. And then... and then...” Her voice trailed off, and she ended with a shrug.
    â€œOh, Cora, how could you? With your dearest friend’s husband?”
    â€œWell, I did, Hubert.” She wiped the sudden tears from her eyes and faced me. “You know how winning