The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Evelyn goes to France and meets director Max Girard. He offers her a part on the condition that she can be topless in the film. She accepts and offers another alternative: She’ll be topless, but the camera will pan slowly down and the scene will end right before it reaches her nipples. It works and Evelyn becomes an “international sensation” (160).

Three articles come out within a month of each other: Singer Mick Riva proclaims he wants to marry Evelyn, Evelyn lands the titular role in Anna Karenina, and Don marries Evelyn’s former costar Ruby, Evelyn is invited to Mick’s performance and takes Celia and Harry. She enjoys herself so much that she forgets who and where she is and holds Celia’s hand. A woman in the crowd sees. A few days later, speculations on the true nature of their relationship surface. 

To stop the rumors, Evelyn plans to go on a public date with Mick, but Celia resents the idea. Celia would rather come out, hoping the world will accept them, but Evelyn is adamant that they would be ostracized—or even arrested. Mostly, though, Evelyn is not ready to give up the stardom she just got back; Celia, though, would “give it all up” (170) to be with her.