wasn’t as if we’d just met, we had a history.’
‘No means no. Nothing trumps that.’
It seemed so simple when he said it like that. Hugo’s sense of honour made it simple. She wished that he’d reach out to her, but knew that he wouldn’t. As far as Hugo was concerned, one touch now would make him as bad as Martin and she wished she could find a way to tell him that wasn’t true.
She had to finish the story. Get this over with as quickly as possible. If she could do it without breaking down, that would be a bonus. Nell squeezed her hands together in her lap, feeling her nails dig deep.
‘He...tried it on a few times after that. I rejected him and started to make sure we were never alone together. Then one day he called me into his office, and went through a very comprehensive list of all the things I was doing wrong. All from a clinical point of view, there was nothing personal.’
‘Payback time?’
‘Yes. That went on for a few months, and I started to wonder whether there really was something wrong with the way I did my job. Then he blocked my promotion.’
‘On what grounds?’
‘He said I was an excellent doctor but that realising my full potential meant staying in my current post a little while longer.’ If Martin had criticised her performance, Nell could have fought it. But this had been impossible.
Hugo thought for a moment. ‘He’s done this before.’
‘What? What makes you say that?’
‘He always put you in a position where you felt you were in the wrong, he was married, then his divorce was because of his relationship with you. And he was always in a position of power, your teacher, and then your boss. I’m not saying he engineered all that, but he exploited it. He’s an abuser, and he probably didn’t just do it to you.’
‘But...’ Nell had thought she was alone. The idea that Martin might have done this to other women was horrific, but it did make her feel as if it wasn’t so much her fault. ‘Maybe you’re right.’
Hugo got to his feet, starting to pace. ‘We’re going to stop him, Nell. My mother will refute the allegations and we’ll release the details of my operation. That’ll keep the papers busy for a while, and in the meantime we’ll find a way to shut him up permanently.’
‘No, Hugo. I know that’s not what you want, and this is my battle. You shouldn’t be dragged into it...’ The heat in her heart, at the idea that Hugo was prepared to defend her, was burning too hot and threatened to consume her. He couldn’t be allowed to do this.
‘It’s what works.’ Hugo had obviously made his mind up about this.
‘No, it won’t work. Martin will just find another way to make these allegations...’ If Hugo was so determined to make this sacrifice, Nell needed to find a different approach.
‘If he does, then we’re in a good place to refute them.’ A grim smile quirked his lips. ‘You underestimate the power of good contacts.’
‘It’s not about having power, Hugo, it’s about what’s right and wrong.’
He shook his head slowly. ‘It’s about picking a side, Nell. Allow me to pick mine.’
She stared at him. Hugo was on her side. The thought that he would protect her washed every objection she had to the idea away for a moment. He took full advantage of that moment, turning and walking out of the apartment.
* * *
It was done. Hugo had spent an hour with his mother and the palace press advisor, and a call had been made to the managing editor who had contacted them for comment. The promise of a press release within the next twenty-four hours had oiled the wheels, and Martin Jarman’s story was suddenly dead in the water.
‘I’m proud of you.’ His mother had stopped him as he’d gone to leave, murmuring the words.
‘It’s a matter of principle.’ Hugo had been telling himself that. He was doing this for everyone caught in this kind of situation, and not just for Nell. Not because he wanted to hold her close and keep her safe.
‘Yes, it is. Anyone in your position has a duty to defend someone who...’ His mother paused. ‘You are quite sure that Nell is innocent of these allegations, aren’t you?’
‘Of course I am. I’m perfectly capable of noticing when a woman is trying to seduce me. Nell’s a good doctor, and she acts appropriately.’ His thoughts might touch on the delights of the inappropriate from time to time, but that was his business.
His mother nodded. ‘Your judgement is always sound, Hugo. And whatever you say, I’m still proud of you.’
That was something. Hugo reflected that he wasn’t all that proud of himself at the moment. The idea of having his most humiliating secret blazoned across the front pages of the papers was something he was trying not to think about. While he was still obviously recovering, people might look at him with sympathy. But sooner or later, they’d come around to seeing him as a hypocrite. How could he advocate for a heart clinic when he—a doctor no less—hadn’t seen the signs of his own heart issues?
That was just something he’d have to put up with. Maybe Nell was right. Maybe an admission that he’d made the mistakes that he was urging others not to make would emphasise his human side. But right now Hugo’s human side was cowering somewhere in a corner, and it felt far more comfortable to pretend that there was nothing wrong with him.
He walked back to his apartment, pondering the question. Things had to change—there would be no more battles of will with Nell, no more creative solutions. Even though the alternative sounded dull in the extreme, their relationship from now on would be entirely professional. If he were blameless, that would give Nell the opportunity to prove herself blameless, too.
* * *
Nell had waited for Hugo in his apartment. She’d made a cup of coffee, leaving it untouched while it had gone cold, and then emptied and washed the cup. Then she’d retreated to her own apartment, leaving the connecting door wide open, and switched the television on, hoping it might drown out the clamour of her own thoughts.
This was wrong. She’d been unable to say conclusively that she was entirely blameless in the business with Martin, but Hugo was different. No part of this was his fault, and yet in defending her he was the one who would feel humiliated.
Nell thought for a long time. When he came back, she’d put a stop to all this.
She heard the front door of his apartment close quietly, and hurried to the connecting door, stopping short at the threshold. When Hugo walked into the sitting room and saw her, he smiled.
Nell imagined that this was the smile he reserved for the most formal of occasions, devoid of any emotion other than the one he wanted to project. ‘It’s done, Nell. I’m going to...get some rest now.’
Normally she would have applauded the sentiment. Now, keeping Hugo awake until he’d told her exactly what had been done, and how it could be unravelled, seemed far more important.
‘What’s done?’
‘Our
