The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy

The
SECRET LETTERS
of
MARILYN MONROE
and
JACQUELINE KENNEDY

A Novel

W
ENDY
L
EIGH

ALSO BY WENDY LEIGH

Jeannie Out of the Bottle, with Barbara Eden

Life with My Sister Madonna, with Christopher Ciccone

True Grace: The Life and Times of an American Princess

Prince Charming: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story

One Lifetime is Not Enough, with Zsa Zsa Gabor

Arnold: The Unauthorized Biography

CONNECT WITH WENDY LEIGH ONLINE:

Website:
www.wendyleigh.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/wendyleighauthor

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/thewendyleigh

The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy

All Rights Reserved © 2003 by Wendy Leigh

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

For information, address
[email protected]

www.wendyleigh.com

Published by Wendy Leigh Books

About the Author

Wendy Leigh has published fourteen books, including three New York Times bestsellers. She has been married twice (once to a professional gambler) and divides her time between America and England, where she lives in a penthouse overlooking the River Thames. She appears regularly on British and American television talking about her books and commentating on Hollywood, love, sex and relationships.

Critical Acclaim for

THE SECRET LETTERS OF MARILYN MONROE AND JACQUELINE KENNEDY

“Wendy Leigh’s imagined correspondence between two fabled goddesses of the twentieth century is utterly fascinating. The idea may seem preposterous, but I began to think I was reading the real thing.” –
Dominick Dunne

“Leigh captures the writing voice of these two icons almost pitch-perfectly in nearly every sentence….Strong, warm and engaging”
- Kirkus Reviews

“An audacious example of epistolary eavesdropping – revealing, entertaining and compelling,”
- John Madden, Director of Shakespeare in Love.

To Dr. Erika Padan Freeman

NOTE TO READER

This is a work of fiction. Although many of the events discussed in the letters actually occurred, the letters themselves are the product of the author’s imagination. This novel has not been authorized or endorsed by the estates of Marilyn Monroe or Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

PATRICE RENOIR

Apartment 1

The Renaissance

1600 La Brea

Hollywood, California 90069

Richard Winchester

Winchester Literistic

17 Sutton Place

New York, New York 10021

June 1, 2002

Dear Mr. Winchester,

Forty years ago I made Marilyn Monroe a sacred promise.

I kept that promise. I waited 40 years, and now I am writing to you. I was Marilyn’s friend and the morning before she died, she gave me something.

Do you ever come to the Coast?

It will be worth your while.

Best regards,

Patty Renoir

P.S. I read about you in
Variety.

R
ICHARD
W
INCHESTER

Winchester Literistic

17 Sutton Place

New York, New York 10021

Patrice Renoir

Apartment 1

The Renaissance

1600 La Brea

Hollywood, California 90069

July 3, 2002

Dear Ms. Renoir,

Thank you for your letter of June 1. Unfortunately, at the moment I have no immediate plans to visit California.

However, if you would care to send me your manuscript, I should be delighted to read it with a view to representation.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Richard Winchester

PATRICE RENOIR

Apartment 1

The Renaissance

1600 La Brea

Hollywood, California 90069

Richard Winchester

Winchester Literistic

17 Sutton Place

New York, New York 10021

July 10, 2002

Dear Mr. Winchester,

You’ve got it all wrong. I couldn’t write my way out of a paper bag! I didn’t write anything. Josephine (whoever she might be) did—for nine years—lots of letters, all to Marilyn, addressed to her alias, “Martha Marshall.”
^*
Marilyn wanted it that way. All she said was that the letters came from a friend called Josephine and that they both wanted to keep the letters a secret. I never asked why. I just agreed. You didn’t ever say no to Marilyn. At least, I didn’t.

So the letters kept coming. Most by mail. Some Marilyn got when
she was away on a trip, or living in New York, and gave to me to take care of. I kept all the letters in a big maroon and gold Max Factor box I got one Christmas. Never read any of them either. Marilyn knew I wouldn’t. She trusted me, you see, because of what I always did for her.

Well, anyways, the day before Marilyn died, a big box arrived for her from Washington. Recognized the writing—as same writing on the Josephine letters. Called Marilyn, still had my phone then, and she came running over, all excited. But when she read the letter that came with the box, she crumpled it up in a ball, flung it across the room and started crying like there was no tomorrow. I’d never seen her cry before. You see, she always saw me just before she was about to see Mr. G, so she was always happy, thrilled because she knew she was going to see him soon.

She cried for about twenty minutes. Cried like a baby. Shook all over. Skin covered in red blotches. Kept popping Nembutal like they was candy.

Never opened the box. Ran out the door. Next thing I knew, she was back, with sealing wax. Helped her seal the Max Factor box and the one from Josephine.

She was still crying. Then she begs me to keep the boxes safe. “Keep them safe, Patty,” she says. “But if anything ever happens to me, promise me you won’t open them till 40 years after I’m gone.” 40 was her age then. “After that,” she said, “what’s in them belongs to you. But not till then, Patty, not till then. Promise me.” So I did.

I’m old now, Mr. Winchester (72 on October 10), and I’ve got no more pulse left in my legs. Can hardly walk. I don’t want to end up in some flophouse in Watts or someplace. I’ve got no one, you see. Nothing. Only the two boxes, and a letter from a woman called Josephine.

Please come see me before it’s too late.

Patty

__________________________

*
Marilyn relished applying nicknames to friends, lovers, and acquaintances alike and using aliases for herself.

See Susan Strasberg,
Marilyn and Me
(New York: Warner Books, 1992): “Mom was ‘Black Bart’ in her pointed black sun hats and black muumuu; my father was ‘the great white father’; a press representative was ‘Sybil’ for sibling rivalry; Marlon Brando was ‘Carlo’; her friend Norman Rosten was ‘Claude’ because he looked like Claude Rains. Marilyn’s nom de plume for herself was ‘Zelda Zonk.’”

WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM

July 13, 2002

Imperative that you call me collect at 212 758 6211 right away.

Best regards,

Richard Winchester

PATRICE RENOIR

Apartment 1

The Renaissance

1600 La Brea

Hollywood, California 90069

Richard Winchester

Winchester Literistic

17 Sutton Place

New York, New York 10021

July 13, 2002

Dear Mr. Winchester,

I don’t have a phone and I hate pay phones. Besides, I’m scared that the phones are tapped. Marilyn told me so.
^*

Come to California,

Patty

__________________________

*
Re: Marilyn’s phones being tapped, see Anthony Summers,
Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe
(New York: Macmillan, 1985).

VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS

RICHARD WINCHESTER

Winchester Literistic

17 Sutton Place

New York, New York 10021

Patrice Renoir

Apartment 1

The Renaissance

1600 La Brea

Hollywood, California 90069

July 18, 2002

Dear Patty,

I am delighted that I shall, in fact, be in Los Angeles later this month. I’d like to invite you to have dinner with me at the Beverly Wilshire on the evening of July 30. I shall, of course, send a car for you—at eight.

In the meantime, I am most curious about your friendship with Marilyn Monroe, how it came about, what special service you did for her, and the true identity of Mr. G.

By the way, I think it best that you don’t discuss our impending meeting (or the letters) with anyone, don’t you?

Looking forward to seeing you on July 30 at the Beverly Wilshire.

With warmest regards,

Richard