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Nellie wasn't shaken in the least by those words. After all, even if she hadn't received much education, she still believed herself to be capable and intelligent.
"Isn't that right? It must be quite difficult for you to train maids."
"It's not all that difficult, madam."
He answered kindly, with a faint smile lingering on his lips.
Good heavens, how polite he is!
Yet whenever he was with me, he always acted as though he were a moody teenager.
This was the first time Nellie realized he could respond so courteously.
The middle-aged lady smiled elegantly and added to Chester.
"All the noisy chatter in Fitz Street comes only from outsiders, you see."
"You must be very proud to live in Fitz Street, madam."
"Of course. Aren't you as well, Mr. Coleman?"
"Not particularly."
Chester's face showed no expression at all. Yet somehow, he seemed like a man holding back his anger.
"I used to live in Whitedale…. Fitz Street is humble and homely, which I find pleasant. The yard is small, making it easy to maintain."
Whitedale? That's where the former president lives!
Nellie was startled to hear the name of a place she had only ever seen in newspapers, a district where the truly wealthy resided.
While she was staring at Chester in astonishment, he continued speaking in a detached tone.
"And this is Miss Nellie McKay. She's not a maid but a professional caregiver whom I was fortunate to hire. She's helping me with my rehabilitation. She has also worked with war veterans on their recovery, hasn't she?"
"……"
"Isn't that right, Miss McKay?"
"Y-yes, that's right…."
In truth, her only real caregiving experience was looking after an elderly woman with dementia. But Nellie simply nodded. She felt it would be unwise to contradict him here.
"It has been a delightful conversation, madam. I wish you a pleasant afternoon."
Chester removed his hat to bid farewell, as if he had no further intention of speaking. The same faint smile still curved his lips.
"Miss McKay, let's go."
But once he turned away, his face became frighteningly blank.
When they returned from the walk, Chester's expression remained rigid and unchanged.
Without even changing clothes or turning on the radio, he just sat blankly on the sofa.
"Did something unpleasant happen, Mr. Coleman?"
In the end, the one feeling stifled had to speak first. She couldn't bear the thought of watching him sit there like a stone post until the end of the day.
After giving George her water, Nellie began brushing the dust off her fur. George closed her eyes, seemingly pleased, quietly accepting her gentle strokes as she smoothed her coat.
"Miss McKay, are you not angry?"
"I'm not."
"Not even offended?"
"Not at all. Why should I be offended?"
"……"
Chester raised his scarred brow, staring at her. His expression clearly said he couldn't make sense of her words.
"Normally, when someone says something insulting, people get angry and snap back. Miss McKay."
"My goodness, Mr. Coleman! Are you saying that, instead of siding with a neighbor you've known for years, you actually defended me?"
Chester looked utterly dumbfounded.
"We've crossed paths less than twice. She's practically a stranger to me."
"Still! You stood up for me just now. I'm really touched…. Honestly, I always thought you never considered my feelings, since you're always scolding me."
Nellie clasped her hands together, her face brimming with genuine emotion. Her words made Chester's face twist into a grimace.
"I do have a sense of basic decency, Miss McKay. Did you truly take me for a heartless man?"
"When you live under the same roof, sharing meals and time together, I suppose you grow fond of one another, don't you?"
"……"
"So the wedding should definitely be in the backyard, right?"
"……"
"Or should we hold it in the chapel instead?"
"Stop derailing the point, Miss McKay. Are you truly unaffected? If someone worries about you, at least…."
Chester was about to raise his voice, something rare for him. But Nellie answered calmly, her expression serene.
"It really doesn't bother me, Mr. Coleman. It's true I haven't had much education, but I'm not ashamed of that. I think I'm capable as I am. And well… education is something I can always pursue later, isn't it?"
Even with Nellie's cool response, Chester continued to fume, as if he himself had been the one insulted.
It was the first time she had ever seen him so riled up, usually, he was nothing but languid and listless.
"That woman belittled you, Miss McKay, and demeaned your profession as well."
"That's true. But still, you stood up for me, Mr. Coleman."
Nellie reached out and took his hand. Chester flinched, his body trembling slightly, but he didn't pull away. His faint warmth seeped into her.
"So, I'm fine. From now on, no matter what anyone says, you'll be on my side, won't you?"
Chester lowered his gaze to the small hand resting lightly on his own. Compared to his large, scarred hand, hers looked so small and delicate.
He stared at their joined hands for a moment, then raised his head. His young caregiver was smiling at him as if to say, "That alone is enough for me."
"……"
Sometimes, when she looked at him with that expression, Chester wondered if his young caregiver might actually be older than she claimed. For someone so much younger than him, she often wore a face of surprising maturity, almost as if she had transcended worldly concerns.
"You will, won't you, Mr. Coleman?"
"Stand by you no matter what anyone says? That I cannot promise, Miss McKay. It would depend on the circumstances."
"Couldn't you at least phrase it more nicely? We had such a good moment just now."
"You're mistaken."
"Woof! Woof!"
Just then, George barked between them.
It was as if she were saying, "Enough already, stop squabbling and go your separate ways."
Even though she was just a dog, her weary gaze managed to convey the message. To George, now well into her middle age, their bickering probably looked like nothing more than children's quarrels.
"……"
"……"
Suddenly awkward, Chester rose from the sofa.
"I'll go change my clothes now."
"Go ahead. I have things to do myself."
Nellie quickly stood and headed upstairs, carrying George to return her to her room.
George stayed quiet in her arms until they reached her quarters. When she set her down in the room labeled "George," she trotted inside on her short legs.
Nellie crouched in front of her and began to speak softly.
"George, did I act too childish back there?"
George only looked back at her with her shiny eyes.
"That's why you barked, isn't it? To tell me not to pick fights with Mr. Coleman? No matter how distant he is, he's still your master, is that it?"
No matter how much she asked George, there was no way she would answer. She couldn't even tell if she was listening properly.
"But still, I was really happy. Because Mr. Coleman stood up for me."
Nellie whispered as she lowered her head deeply. Her ears had turned red.
It was the first time Nellie realized what it felt like to have someone take her side.
That strong, comforting feeling? How could she even explain such a thing?
"George, don't you think so too?"
At her rambling words, George only tilted her head.
Just the fact that there existed someone willing to stand up for her, that alone was enough to make her unbearably happy. It even made her feel like crying, something so unlike her usual self.
But there was nothing to cry about, and no reason to cry. Not since her grandmother had passed away.
The days felt long, the years felt short. Survival was always pressing at her heels, and Nellie McKay—left all alone in this world—felt like such a fragile being.
If not for the work of looking after old Mrs. Hudson, who had dementia and whom nobody else would care for, Nellie would have had no job at all. Without it, she would have had to turn to rougher, harsher work.
Illegal, dangerous work….
Even when Mrs. Hudson hit her, cursed at her, or shoved her out of the house screaming to bring back her only son, Nellie never cried.
That was just her job. There was no room for grief in it.
So why was her heart aching so much now?
Nellie whispered softly, making sure no one could hear.
For Nellie McKay to sound weak, it had to remain unheard.
"George… you wouldn't know this, but that was the first time anyone has ever stood up for me. So…"
Nellie remembered the feeling of his hand against hers. As his caregiver, she had held and brushed against that hand countless times before.
"So when Mr. Coleman started teasing, the words just slipped out before I knew it. I really wasn't trying to pick a fight with him."
She ran her hand once more over George's smooth fur.
He had told her she might face the same thing again, but somehow… Nellie felt sure that Chester would stand by her side when it happened. The thought stayed with her.
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