Day Thirty-Four: "The Other Two" by Edith Wharton

Perception.

This short story by Edith Wharton shows a man struggling to come to terms with his wife's two former husbands, men who are suddenly and regrettably a part of his daily life. In true Wharton style, there is a love triangle of sorts where there is passion and understated intentions that only cause the parties involved more pain than pleasure.

It was interesting to see this man analyze the two former husbands, both of whom were very different from him. And he's not jealous. He's just curious, at least at first but as the subtle hints pile on that his wife has been lying, that curiosity fuels the greater worry. Wharton builds the tension in this piece perfectly.

This was a dense read but it was worth it for the language, to remember what it was like to live in a time of repressed feeling when the words used to describe them were so powerful.