![]() ![]() ![]() A tacit gentleman’s agreement prevented the press from exposing FDR’s infidelities, but how on earth did Hick and Eleanor get away with it? ![]() The idea of an extramarital lesbian affair being conducted in the White House while FDR himself carried on flirtations (and more) with younger female employees who adored him has proved a bit of a head-spinner to later generations. Of course, Hick would like more of that attention for herself. “Everyone used it without wanting it and no one ever gave it a moment’s thought.” “Eleanor’s love was like some shabby old footstool,” Hick reflects. And Eleanor’s instinctive, unstinting generosities toward family, friends, and strangers often rub Hick the wrong way, in part because she thinks these people are using the first lady. But even the private quarters of the White House can turn abruptly into public space. Hick, quitting her AP job after growing too close to Roosevelt to cover her objectively, moves into the White House. ![]() The problem in pursuing their relationship is one of logistics. But both suffered early losses of a parent, and both have an intense commitment to exposing and fixing social and economic injustices in Depression-battered America. They may come from wildly different backgrounds, with Roosevelt’s wealthy upbringing in stark contrast to Hick’s childhood poverty. Strong sympathies soon emerge between the two. ![]()
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