Cleo and Ezekiel's Secret Love

Lady in the Lake

This emotional flow follows the hidden relationship between Cleo Sherwood and Ezekiel Taylor.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Dry-Cleaned Gifts Dry-Cleaned Gifts from "Lady in the Lake". Dry-Cleaned Gifts Ezekiel Taylor gives Cleo beautiful clothes, altered to fit her, and an ermine stole.

Dry-Cleaned Gifts from "Lady in the Lake". Dry-Cleaned Gifts Ezekiel Taylor gives Cleo beautiful clothes, altered to fit her, and an ermine stole.

Dry-Cleaned Gifts Ezekiel Taylor gives Cleo beautiful clothes, altered to fit her, and an ermine stole. The gifts are romantic but also evidence of his wealth and secrecy. Context EZ Kleeners makes it easy to rework garments from his stores and his wife's closet. Cleo treasures the clothes because they mean he loves her. Significance The clothes become Cleo's identity and her fatal ambiguity. She is not a kept woman; she believes she is becoming his queen.

Man of La Mancha Tears Man of La Mancha Tears from "Lady in the Lake". Man of La Mancha Tears Ezekiel takes Cleo to New York to see Man of La Mancha. He cries at the end when the woman insists that the man she loved still lives.

Man of La Mancha Tears from "Lady in the Lake". Man of La Mancha Tears Ezekiel takes Cleo to New York to see Man of La Mancha. He cries at the end when the woman insists that the man she loved still lives.

Man of La Mancha Tears Ezekiel takes Cleo to New York to see Man of La Mancha. He cries at the end when the woman insists that the man she loved still lives. Context Cleo watches him and realizes he knows his own weakness. He will not leave his wife or defy Shell Gordon. Significance The play is a prophecy: Ezekiel chooses the dream of honor over real happiness. Cleo sees her fate in the story.

Gordon's Edict Gordon's Edict from "Lady in the Lake". Gordon's Edict Shell Gordon tells Ezekiel Taylor to end the affair, and tells Thomas Ludlow to handle Cleo if she will not go quietly.

Gordon's Edict from "Lady in the Lake". Gordon's Edict Shell Gordon tells Ezekiel Taylor to end the affair, and tells Thomas Ludlow to handle Cleo if she will not go quietly.

Gordon's Edict Shell Gordon tells Ezekiel Taylor to end the affair, and tells Thomas Ludlow to handle Cleo if she will not go quietly. Context The political machine requires a respectable facade. Taylor agrees to be discreet, but the relationship only deepens underground. Significance Gordon's control over Taylor is absolute, and Cleo becomes a threat. The love between Cleo and Ezekiel is real, but it is no match for Gordon's power.

Green and Yellow Green and Yellow from "Lady in the Lake". Green and Yellow Cleo chooses her New Year's Eve outfit, a green blouse and leopard pants, and enters into the plan that will fake her death.

Green and Yellow from "Lady in the Lake". Green and Yellow Cleo chooses her New Year's Eve outfit, a green blouse and leopard pants, and enters into the plan that will fake her death.

Green and Yellow Cleo chooses her New Year's Eve outfit, a green blouse and leopard pants, and enters into the plan that will fake her death. The colors become part of a psychic's vision. Context She is afraid but determined. The green is jealousy, and the yellow is the cowardice of the man who will not save her. Significance The colors are a private accusation. Cleo sacrifices her name to protect Ezekiel, and the apparatus of his political career erases her.

Wife's Domain Wife's Domain from "Lady in the Lake". Wife's Domain Hazel Taylor confronts Maddie at her door and refuses to discuss Cleo. Her marriage to Ezekiel is a fortress that Cleo could never enter.

Wife's Domain from "Lady in the Lake". Wife's Domain Hazel Taylor confronts Maddie at her door and refuses to discuss Cleo. Her marriage to Ezekiel is a fortress that Cleo could never enter.

Wife's Domain Hazel Taylor confronts Maddie at her door and refuses to discuss Cleo. Her marriage to Ezekiel is a fortress that Cleo could never enter. Context Hazel knows more than she says. She is angrier at Cleo's presumption than at her husband's infidelity. Significance The wife's domain becomes the final barrier. Ezekiel chooses respectability and cannot leave Hazel, even for a love that climbs over his own walls.

Missing Love Missing Love from "Lady in the Lake". Missing Love Maddie imagines that Ezekiel Taylor and Cleo found each other again in New Mexico.

Missing Love Maddie imagines that Ezekiel Taylor and Cleo found each other again in New Mexico. She cannot verify it, but she wants to believe in a love that beat the odds. Context There is no listed phone number for Taylor anywhere in New Mexico. He vanished after selling his business, and Cleo's true fate remains unknown. Significance The unresolved love story is the book's deepest mystery. Cleo and Ezekiel may have found a second chance, or they may have lost everything; Maddie chooses to believe in the former.

late 1965

two weeks before New Year's Eve 1965

December 1965

New Year's Eve 1965

July 1966

October 1985