The Swans of Fifth Avenue

To celebrate his return from the Soviet Union, Truman gathers the swans for lunch at Le Pavillon. As Babe watches Truman hold court, she revels in the knowledge that she’s the only one he told the “whole story” to, that he is now, securely, her friend. Truman leads a game that involves guessing the plastic surgeries that other women have had. Slim notices how much Babe trusts him, and, on reflection, realizes that she cannot do the same. Truman is a lot of fun, she knows, but even his fun has a “dark undercurrent.” Their entire social circle has been wondering about Truman’s relationship with both the Paleys. Still, Slim can see that Babe is happy and resolves to be happy for her.

The plastic surgery game is interrupted by the entrance of Ann Woodward and her mother-in-law Elsie. Truman demands to know more about the rumors he heard about Ann shooting her husband. After a subtle look from Babe, the swans tell the story of “The Murderer and the Martyr” (124). Much like Diana Vreeland’s story about Babe and her sisters in Chapter 4, Ann’s story is presented as a third-person narrative with multiple parenthetical comments from particular swans. The gist of the story is that Ann came from a working-class background and worked as an actress in New York. She had an affair with Bill Woodward, whose family came from old money, and ended up marrying his son, Billy. The marriage was fraught and sometimes violent, and Ann had trouble adapting to high society—though she did make friends with the Duchess of Windsor. After one of the Duchess’s parties, where Ann had talked at length about her fear of “prowlers” in Oyster Bay, Ann had shot and killed Billy, claiming that she thought he was an intruder. Elsie, herself a widow, caused the entire incident to be hushed up and now makes a point of being seen in public with Ann.

The swans are divided about this outcome. Slim thinks Ann should be in jail, but Babe says she admires Elsie for keeping the murder a “private matter.” As the swans prepare to leave, they all go over to the Woodwards’ table to greet Elsie, but only Babe acknowledges Ann. However, as they walk away, Truman turns to Ann and whispers, “Bang! Bang!” Though he is mimicking a gesture that Pamela made during the swans’ recounting of the story, Babe is horrified. Slim pulls Babe aside to warn her about Truman, but Babe brushes aside Slim’s concern.

Back at lunch at La Côte Basque, Slim claims she tried to warn Babe about Truman. Gloria’s mind, however, has begun to wander. She thinks about how lovely it is to be rich, but also about how memories of her difficult childhood keep coming back to her in the midst of her current luxury. Her mother was a seamstress, and her father was a journalist; neither made much money. Gloria worked at a dance hall and saved her money to buy the creams and other accoutrements that would draw the attention of the wealthier men. She slept with many men, learning from each of them how to mold her appearance and become more attractive. She finally married one and left him in Paris. She worries about having told Truman an indiscreet story about her current husband, Loel Guinness, and worries that it will appear in one of his books.

Slim draws Gloria back into the conversation, ranting about how she helped Truman get a film deal for In Cold Bold, only to be repaid by being made into the “bitch” and “blabbermouth” of “La Côte Basque 1965.” (Indeed, the most salacious parts of the story come from the fictional character Lady Ina Coolbirth, generally recognized as representing Slim.) Slim thinks to herself about her past friendship with Truman, but decides he never had the power to hurt her. Slim’s heart had already been broken when fellow swan Pamela stole her husband. Slim thinks back further to the time before she came to New York, when she mingled with Hollywood actors and directors and was pursued by Ernest Hemingway.

As the swans continue to drink, Pamela thinks about her past life in England and the utility of her first marriage to Randolph Churchill, son of the UK prime minister. Even now, though, New York is better than London or Paris. An inappropriate comment from Slim interrupts Pamela’s reminisces, and the swans go back to excoriating Truman and speculating about how Bill Paley will exact his revenge.

Chapter 8 is narrated from the perspective of Bill Paley, whose main characteristic is hunger. He is eating or thinking about what to eat next almost constantly, to the point that Babe has made sure that his bedrooms in all their homes have a pantry attached to them; even his office has a small kitchen. As he prepares a sandwich late in the afternoon, Bill thinks about his personal and professional lives. He had been both clever and lucky in building CBS. But that success couldn’t transcend the social barriers erected against his Jewish heritage; Babe has been particularly valuable as a way of moving up in society, and in return he gives her financial stability and access to the entertainment industry.

Babe also keeps Bill from getting bored. As he sees it, this is why she brought Truman into their lives and invited him to Kiluna Farm. He’d been skeptical of Truman at first, but over the course of that first weekend he came to appreciate him, both for his effect on Babe and for the conversation the two men had later that night.

As Bill finishes off his sandwich, he remembers that Babe had promised substantial food offerings at that night’s party to celebrate the publication of Truman’s latest book, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As much as he dreads the event itself, Bill looks forward to seeing Truman himself—a rare kind of friendship in Bill’s life. Of course, he also wouldn’t mind meeting some of Truman’s female friends, especially Carol Marcus.

At the party, Bill and Truman stand together to survey the scene. Bill admires artists and writers, since his talents lie elsewhere, but he also sometimes feels shy around them. One of the nice things about being friends with Truman is that Bill is not expected to actually read his book. The two men talk about Truman’s next book, and CBS’s television programing. Truman toasts them as being two “titans” at the height of their powers.

A woman approaches them, claiming she was the inspiration for Holly Golightly. Truman rebuffs her, noticing that Bill’s gaze follows her as she walks away. Bill claims that he wouldn’t want to be in a book, but, according to Truman that puts him in the minority. Babe appears between the two of them, and Bill and Truman exchange an unexpected glance of recognition in their mutual admiration—and perhaps ownership—of her. Babe, thinks Bill, hides her emotions around him, but he notices that Truman’s attention makes her blush. As the buffet is being brought in—the buffet that Babe has arranged to suit his tastes—Bill decides to leave early and follow the woman who had come up to them earlier.

On the morning after the party, Babe wakes up early after an unusually good night’s sleep on the sofa in the drawing room. She is fully made up and composed by the time Bill wakes up, but only the young waiter who brings the coffee to her room appreciates her. Several hours later, Truman arrives. He feels lonely and hollow after the party, and Jack doesn’t seem to care. Babe gives Truman the sympathy he craves. Still, at least Jack loves Truman, Babe says, feeling Bill’s neglect more strongly than usual. She thinks back to when she first met Bill, but wonders if they ever loved each other. She does her best to protect Bill from the sting of social rejection related to his Jewish heritage, but her heart doesn’t race when she sees him. Her heart races for Truman, though, and she impulsively reveals that her therapist said they should have an affair. Truman must let her down gently: If he could physically love any woman, it would be Babe, but he is only attracted to men.

The apartment becomes oppressive, so Truman suggests going to a movie—not one in the CBS screening room, but in an actual downtown cinema. On the way, Babe insists on stopping at Tiffany’s, where Babe had designed a display evoking Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They then go to the Lower East Side to see the Disney version of Pinocchio. Babe is self-conscious, watching Truman more closely than the movie. Truman begins sobbing during the song “When You Wish Upon a Star,” confessing to Babe that he wishes he could’ve been a “real boy” for his mother, and he wishes he could be a “real boy” for Babe. Babe, however, reflects that Truman’s “queerness” makes him who he is.

Truman and Babe make a surprise visit to Kiluna Farm that evening and spend the night. Truman insists on sharing a bed with Babe. Truman strips down to his boxers, and he takes off Babe’s makeup. She tells him about the car crash: The boy was drinking, and her father stayed with her at the hospital, giving her more attention than he ever had before—he was determined to “save” her face. Truman calls Babe “beautiful.” He doesn’t see any scars—he just sees her.