Angels at the Ritz by William Trevor
"Angels at the Ritz" by William Trevor is a short story set in the outer suburbs of London during the 1970s, focusing on a middle-class couple, Gavin and Polly Dillard, as they attend a spouse-swapping party hosted by their close friends, Malcolm and Sue Ryder. Although the Dillards have avoided participating in such parties in the past, they find themselves entangled in a complex web of attraction and loyalty on this particular evening. The atmosphere is lively, with well-dressed guests mingling, dancing, and consuming food and drinks, but underlying tensions soon emerge.
As the night unfolds, both Gavin and Polly grapple with their feelings toward their friends’ intentions and the implications of infidelity. Polly experiences discomfort as Malcolm makes advances toward her, while Gavin faces pressure from Sue. The story explores themes of fidelity, desire, and the dynamics of marriage, illustrating how social conventions and personal choices intersect. Ultimately, the Dillards' experience at the party forces them to confront their own values and the strength of their relationship, leading to a nuanced understanding of love and loyalty amidst temptation.
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Angels at the Ritz by William Trevor
First published: 1975
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The early 1970's
Locale: Suburbs of London, England
Principal Characters:
Gavin Dillard , a thirty-eight-year-old manPolly Dillard , his thirty-six-year-old wifeMalcolm Ryder , the host of a partySue Ryder , Malcolm's wife
The Story
"Angels at the Ritz" is set in the outer suburbs of London in the 1970's. Gavin and Polly Dillard are about to attend a spouse-swapping party. Although spouse swapping has been practiced in the suburb since the 1950's, the Dillards have never participated in it before now. They usually simply leave before the game begins at about one o'clock in the morning. This occasion, however, proves to be a little different.
The party the Dillards have been invited to is hosted by their oldest and closest friends, Malcolm and Sue Ryder. The Ryders have never participated in the spouse-swapping game, in which partners are chosen at random, and Polly wonders why they are starting now.
On the night of the party, the Dillards leave their two young children with a baby-sitter. As they set out, it is eight-thirty on a rainy November night, and they decide in advance not to stay long at the party. When they arrive, about sixty well-dressed people are in the spacious house, standing around in groups as tape-recorded music plays. The Dillards know most of the guests. Food is served and wine flows. Then dancing begins.
Polly dances with a man whose name she does not know, while Gavin drinks and chats with Jack and Sylvia Meacock and a woman in an orange trouser suit. Sue joins them and soon takes hold of Gavin's hand, which makes Gavin feel uneasy. He reminds himself that he is in love with his wife and could not bear to hurt her. The thought of another man making love to his wife or of himself being expected to make love to another woman fills him with distaste. Meanwhile, Malcolm is attempting to seduce Polly. Taking her into his den with the excuse that he is fetching brandy, he kisses her. They both pretend that the kiss was merely an expression of friendship, but Polly feels apprehensive.
As Sue dances with Gavin, she reminds him of a special occasion in the past, an evening that Gavin, Polly, Sue, and Malcolm spent together in 1961 at the expensive Ritz restaurant to celebrate Polly's birthday. In his den, Malcolm begins to caress Polly's leg, tells her that he has always been sexually interested in her, and then starts talking about sex. He admits that he has not always been faithful to Sue, but Sue knows about his affairs. Now they are planning to approach that aspect of their marriage differently.
Sue puts on some music that reminds them of their evening at the Ritz, which prompts Malcolm and Polly, who have emerged from the den, also to recall that night. Polly also notices that Sue is trying to seduce her husband, and for the first time in her life, she dislikes her. At the same time, Malcolm asks her to dance again, and it is clear he has not given up on his attempt to seduce her. Polly realizes that the Ryders must have decided in advance that this would be their strategy. They wanted to bypass the game of chance in which the men threw down their car keys and the women were blindfolded as they made their choices. The plan was for Malcolm to drive Polly home and make love to her while Gavin remained at the party. When it came time to play the game, Gavin and Sue would not participate, so they would be available for each other.
Gavin resists Sue's plan, and they exchange harsh words. Gavin and Polly drive home, and Polly is pleased that her husband has rejected their friends' idea. Gavin feels he should return to apologize to Sue. Polly says it is not necessary, but then when he still seems troubled, she allows him to go back and apologize, which he does after he has taken the baby-sitter home. Polly knows very well what she is permitting her husband to do; however, as she goes to bed she is resigned to it and not unhappy. She has rejected the spouse swapping because it was distasteful to her, her husband has stayed loyal to her, and the unfaithfulness that she has permitted him seems a fair reward for his constancy.