Confused?? Did he, or didn't he??

IMHO -

GW was a real "Ladies' Man," at least by reputation.

I don't think he actually did anything, but he probably spent more time away from home trying to find some peace and quiet than Katherine would have liked.

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway. John Wayne

I think he did. He was playing around with Camille while he was still technically married to Kathryn.

I think Kate got all snooty and social and GW got even, only he miscalculated. I took it that the way he said lipstick on my collar mean he thinks a small case of adultery was not enough to break them up.

It really is pretty vague about what actually happens. All that we're allowed to know is that she assumes he cheated or was too friendly with some other woman and she left him 2 years earlier then started being "social" with other men on her travels (like the governor).

It's really implied that she still loved him and still wanted to be with him but she seemed determined to make his life miserable in payback for what she thought he'd done to her.

It's actually a really sexist conclusion, the way they ended it. Whether or not he did actually cheat on her, he obviously wasn't a very good husband in the first place which ultimately led her to leaving. In the end, he saw it fitting that the whole spanking thing was justified by her treating him so miserably for the last 2 years. They pretty much portray G.W. as the victim when really they were both in the wrong.