Illicit

Anne Vincent champions independence, arguing that marriage kills love and leads to unhappiness. She believes relationships should preserve individuality rather than foster emotional dependence. Dick Ives II and his father, Dick Sr., press her to consider marriage, setting up the central conflict.

Both Anne and Dick carry prior entanglements, and the social circle suggests complications will endure. Margie True admits she still loves Dick, reinforcing the unresolved past in their circle. Dick tells Margie that she will find someone who loves her as much as he loves Anne, underscoring the fragile love triangle.

Anne and Dick continue to see each other late at night and take weekends away together, avoiding formal commitment for now. The period is marked by a growing bond and shared private moments that test their resolve. The arrangement carries the risk of public scandal if their relationship becomes known.

Word leaks about their weekend escapes, and Dick pressures Anne to marry to avoid gossip and social disapproval. To preserve appearances, Anne reluctantly caves into the idea of marriage. The move marks a shift from private seclusion to a publicly sanctioned union.

With the news now public, Anne receives a telegram from her ex-boyfriend Price Baines asking to visit. Dick resists her meeting with Price, fearing renewed complications, but Anne goes ahead anyway. The encounter opens the door to Price's continued influence over Anne's decisions.

Price earns Anne's attention by insisting he is still in love and warns that she will be unhappy if she marries Dick. He urges her not to take the step, though Anne has already decided to marry. The tension highlights the competing claims on her heart.

Anne and Dick marry and begin to behave like a conventional married couple, attending social events and visiting friends. They struggle to reproduce the private romance they enjoyed in earlier days and often drift apart in everyday life. The romance feels supplanted by routine and social obligation.

They tire of each other, avoid one another, and quarrel over trivial matters. The couple's marriage increasingly centers on appearances rather than deep connection. The friction foreshadows their eventual need to re-evaluate what matters in their relationship.

Anne tells Dick that they should separate for a time in order to salvage what remains of their feelings. At first, the separation appears to rekindle the romance and remind them of their original attraction. The decision itself carries a costly risk.

Price Baines returns into the picture, and Dick becomes resentful and begins to look at Margie True with renewed interest. Margie confesses that she is still in love with Dick, compounding the strained dynamic between the couple. The interwoven loyalties set the stage for further emotional turmoil.

Price begins to woo Anne aggressively, testing whether she will abandon Dick for him. Dick's jealousy and shifting loyalties add tension as both men compete for Anne's affections. The love triangle intensifies while the separation continues.

The separation ultimately proves transformative: Dick and Anne realize there are no substitutes for each other, despite the costs involved. They come to understand that their bond is irreplaceable, even if keeping it costs them dearly. The story resolves with a renewed sense of mutual commitment born from hardship.