‘I said no.’
The Duchess’s cup clattered back into its saucer and she stared at Nellie as if she had just sprouted wings. ‘You did what?’
Nellie shrugged. ‘I turned him down.’ She looked at her cup, picked it up, then put it back in the saucer. ‘It wasn’t right. I’m not right for him. He’s not right for me.’
Arabella folded her hands in front of her on the table and leaned forward. ‘Look at me, Nellie.’
Nellie raised her eyes and sighed. The Duchess just didn’t understand. She was a lovely woman, but she would never know what it was like to be Nellie, to have had to struggle for everything she had achieved, then for some man—well, Dominic Lockhart—to throw that all in her face and assume that all she’d ever really wanted was for some man—well, Dominic Lockhart—to take her away from the life she’d created for herself. A life she loved and was very proud of.
‘And why did you say no, Nellie?’ She waited for Nellie’s answer. None came.
‘Is it because he’s rich? Is that why you said no?’
‘No, it certainly is not,’ Nellie shot back.
Arabella sent her a knowing look. ‘That’s it, isn’t it? Oh, Nellie, you’re such a snob.’
Nellie felt her eyes grow wide in disbelief at what she had just heard. ‘Me? A snob? How can I be a snob? How can someone from my background, with my position in society, ever be called a snob?’ She laughed to emphasise just how ridiculous that suggestion was.
‘You are. You always look down your nose at people who were born wealthy.’
‘I do not,’ Nellie gasped out, barely able to contain her outrage.
Arabella tapped her lip with her forefinger. ‘Well, let’s see. When you first saw Dominic, you made fun of him because he was awkward with his fiancée. Is that right?’
‘Well, yes, but...’
‘If you’d seen one of the local lads and his fiancée dancing awkwardly down at The Hanged Man, would you have made fun of them for sport?’
‘No, but that’s different.’
‘How?’
‘Well...well...’
‘Because Dominic Lockhart and Lady Cecily are rich and the local lad isn’t.’
Nellie crossed her arms, refusing to accept that was true.
‘And if you had offended one of the local tradesmen by doing a rude impersonation of him in front of his employees and he wanted to reprimand you for it, would you make him do it in a place where he felt uncomfortable and out of place, liked The Hanged Man?’
‘No, I suppose not,’ she mumbled.
‘But you did that to Dominic Lockhart. Why?’ The Duchess held up her hand before Nellie could explain. ‘Let me answer that for you. Because he’s rich and you wanted to put him in his place.’ The Duchess picked up a scone and, smiling smugly, smothered it in jam and cream. ‘See, Nellie, you’re a complete snob.’
‘Oh, all right, perhaps I was a bit hard on him because I saw him as someone from a privileged background. But that’s not why I don’t want to marry him.’
‘So, what else do you object to about Dominic Lockhart apart from his excessive amount of money?’
Nellie shrugged. ‘There are lots of other reasons.’
‘Are you not attracted to him? Well, we know that you are. You’re so hopelessly attracted to him that you kissed him and came very close to making love to him when you probably shouldn’t have. So, is he not clever enough for you?’
Nellie gritted her teeth together, reluctant to answer, but the Duchess continued to stare at her, her eyebrows raised as she waited for an answer.
‘It’s not that. Yes, he’s definitely clever enough.’
‘Oh, so is he not the one person whose company you prefer to all others? Is he not the man you constantly think about, dream about?’
Nellie shrugged again. ‘Well, yes, he’s attractive and I do enjoy his company.’ Despite herself Nellie smiled at just how much she did enjoy his company. ‘And, yes, I suppose I do think about him all the time and wish I could be with him.’ With each word she heard her voice grow softer.
She looked up at the Duchess and forced that soppy smile off her face. ‘But that’s not why I can’t marry him,’ she said, her voice once again becoming firm.
The Duchess turned her palms upwards and shook her head as if waiting for Nellie to explain why she wouldn’t marry a man who she was so obviously in love with.
‘I can’t marry him, Arabella. I just can’t.’ She looked around the room, then leaned forward to talk quietly. ‘I can’t be like these women. I don’t want to have servants and be an idle display case for my husband’s wealth, dripping with jewels and filling my days with pointless activities to stave off the boredom, while downstairs battalions of servants slave away from morning to night.’
‘Then don’t be.’ The Duchess shrugged as if it was all so simple. ‘I married a duke, but I don’t live like an idle duchess. I have my career. I still have the life I love along with the man I love. Did you tell Dominic that you wanted to keep your business, that you didn’t want to change your life?’
‘No, but he said he wanted to take me away from my life and give me a life of luxury. He told me I’d never have to work again, as if working is such a shameful thing that no one would want to do it.’
‘But did you tell him you didn’t want that sort of life?’
Nellie shook her head defiantly, causing the Duchess to sigh with exasperation.
‘Nellie, he fell in love with a strong, independent woman.’ She leant forward. ‘He didn’t fall in love with a woman who wanted to be waited on day and night and lead a life of idleness.’
‘Well, that’s not what he said. He reminded me of our class differences, as if he was doing me a big favour by dragging
