Small Pleasures

Jean receives a letter from Brenda, one of the other women on Gretchen’s ward at St. Cecilia’s. Brenda remembers Gretchen and Martha fondly and shares that Martha was a bit of a bad influence on Gretchen. Many times, the pair hoarded their pain and sleeping medications to take all at once for recreation. Brenda also writes that Jean should contact Kitty, the fourth woman on the ward, who lives in an iron lung—a medical device to help polio survivors breathe.

Jean goes back to Alice’s diary entries and realizes that when Margaret was conceived, Gretchen might have been medicated and likely unconscious.

Howard appears, unannounced, at Jean’s home. As Jean joins him in his car, he reveals that Gretchen has left him for Martha and moved into her flat on Luna Street. This news shocks Jean, so Howard decides to take her for a drive while they talk. Gretchen pleaded with Howard to forgive her, but she loves Martha and always has. Howard admits that he has always known. He asks Jean to give Gretchen some money from him. Jean agrees, feeling responsible for the dissolution of the Tilbury marriage because of her role in reconnecting Martha and Gretchen.

Roy Drake asks Jean for an update on the “Virgin Mother” story, and Jean tells Roy that Gretchen just left Howard. Roy teasingly tells Jean to be careful of Howard and notices Jean blush. She tells Roy honestly that she’s been enjoying their family dynamic, particularly being a would-be aunt to Margaret, since she doesn’t have a child of her own. Roy tells her he understands.

As Jean walks down Luna Street, she thinks that her reflection does not match the woman she feels she is—her appearance shabby and middle-aged. When she arrives at Martha's, Gretchen isn’t there. Martha invites her in, telling her that Margaret was named after Gretchen and Martha. As they talk, Jean realizes that Gretchen is hiding in the bedroom. Gretchen comes out, Jean noticing how beautiful she is even amid upheaval. Martha rushes to defend Gretchen, but Gretchen wants to talk to Jean alone.

Gretchen asks Jean not to be angry with her. She’s always loved Martha, but they split up when Gretchen found out she was pregnant—Martha didn’t believe it was a virgin birth. When Gretchen read the article in the Echo on parthenogenesis, she wanted to prove to Martha that Margaret was conceived without a father so they could be together again. Jean, feeling angry that Gretchen lied to her, doesn’t know that she can trust her. Jean adds that Gretchen is making a terrible decision for Margaret—particularly because Gretchen will take Margaret to live with her at Martha’s house.

This wounds Gretchen deeply. Jean realizes she’s overstepped her bounds and she apologizes. Gretchen accepts and asks whether Jean will take care of Howard for her. Jean agrees—feeling newly guiltless about her love for him.

Jean writes to Howard to inform him of her visit to Martha’s, agonizing over what she should say. She throws her first letter away, writing instead a very short note to let Howard know Martha’s address. She receives no reply, which surprises her and makes her wonder whether she had misread Howard’s feelings toward her. She spends her evenings as she always has, with her mother, though she gazes at her emerald brooch every night. One evening, Jean steps outside to have a cigarette and finds a letter from Howard. He would like her to join him for lunch to continue their friendship despite Gretchen’s departure.

In a “Pam’s Piece” article titled “The Joy of Mail,” Jean writes that though letter writing is dying out, to receive handwritten mail is still exciting. It also gives the recipient the ability to decide when to respond—unlike the telephone.

Jean writes to Howard that she’d be glad to join him for lunch. She also writes to Kitty and calls the boy’s prep school where St. Cecilia’s used to be, feeling that she’s lapsed on her investigation into Gretchen’s claims.

At home with her mother, she is excitable and optimistic—working on chores around the house with new fervor. She tells her mother she’ll be joining Howard for lunch and, when her mother asks whether that’s appropriate since he is married, Jean snaps at her. Then, they ignore the argument and Jean’s uncharacteristic behavior.

Howard and Jean have lunch at a small Italian bistro, where Jean is amazed by the dishes and their presentation. Conscious of the time, she refuses dessert, but agrees to walk with Howard before getting back to the train station. When the street comes to a dead end, they kiss and agree to see each other again. When Jean returns home, the lights aren’t on, and the curtains are still open. Her mother is lying on the floor, underneath the laundry tub Jean had set aside to finish later.

An ambulance takes Mrs. Swinney to the hospital. Jean feels a pang of regret for not having been there, as well as resentment because her mother would never have attempted to do the laundry if Jean were home. In the emergency room, the staff takes Mrs. Swinney back and Jean waits for a while before walking across the street to get cigarettes. When she returns, she asks to see her mother, but visiting hours are over. Jean returns home anxious and exhausted.

Jean returns to the hospital bearing a gift from Mrs. Melsom, lavender-scented soap. Mrs. Melsom picked it because Mrs. Swinney prefers lavender—something Jean didn’t know. Jean’s mother tells Jean a man visited her on the ward in the middle of the night. When Jean reports this, the attending nurse suggests Mrs. Swinney is just disoriented from the morphine. The nurse isn’t sure when Mrs. Swinney will be released. Jean spends her evenings at home how she pleases, though with a shade of guilt.

One evening, she revisits Alice’s diary and discovers entries about a patient named “V.” In the entries, Alice only includes vague details about temperament or V’s tolerance for medication. Finding only one entry about V prior to Gretchen’s admission to St. Cecilia’s, Jean is confused, since none of the women she’s interviewed has mentioned someone named V.

Jean writes to Howard to let him know of her mother’s accident; the next day, he replies, telling her he’ll wait near her house for a half an hour in case she would like to talk. Jean reads his response in time and joins him outside in his car. Howard kisses her hand but, because they feel observed by passers-by, they resolve to go to Howard’s house.

Once there, they kiss, and Howard asks Jean if she’d stay. She agrees. Sensing her hesitation to have sex in his marital bed, Howard sets up a place for them on the floor in the sitting room, a room Jean’s never seen before. They have sex; afterward, Jena is surprised that Howard doesn’t immediately leave to get dressed and smoke a cigarette. Jean asks whether they’ll tell Gretchen; Howard won’t deceive Gretchen if the topic comes up. Jean asks whether he and Gretchen ever had sex. In the beginning of their marriage, they did, but eventually stopped.

Jean and Howard describe the first moment they knew they loved one another. Jean realizes that her freedom is contingent upon whether her mother stays in the hospital.

Jean catches up on chores at home after spending much of her time at Howard’s for the past week. While visiting her mother, Jean has noticed that Mrs. Swinney is still quite disoriented, but in a better mood. She hopes her mother gets well, but not too quickly so she can keep seeing Howard freely.

As Jean is getting ready to ice a cherry cake, her doorbell rings. It’s Margaret, with her rabbit, wet from the rain. She’s run away because she hates Martha and doesn’t feel welcome there. Jean holds Margaret as she cries, wondering who she should call. She decides to call Howard. While they wait for him to get off work, Jean runs Margaret a bath. Jean realizes that her freedom with Howard will be interrupted should Margaret go back to live with him. Suddenly, Margaret shrieks. Jean rushes to check on Margaret and sees that Gretchen’s skin graft has been rejected.