' s ▁affair ▁with ▁Den ny ▁she ▁pret ends ▁to ▁be ▁uns us pect ing . ▁At ▁first , ▁it ▁seems ▁that ▁Nancy ▁and ▁Den ny ▁might ▁become ▁friends ▁because ▁Ernest ' s ▁secretary ▁is ▁invited ▁to ▁the ▁Wright s ' ▁place ▁every ▁week end ▁as ▁Nancy ' s ▁four - hand ▁partner ▁at ▁playing ▁the ▁piano . ▁But ▁since ▁the ▁prepar ations ▁for ▁a ▁Thanks g iving ▁dinner ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁she ▁starts ▁to ▁treat ▁Den ny ▁more ▁like ▁a ▁servant ▁than ▁a ▁friend . ▁Their ▁relationship ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁f ract ious ▁and ▁sometimes ▁ma ud lin . ▁In ▁fact , ▁Nancy ▁uses ▁Den ny ▁as ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁substitute ▁for ▁her ▁friend ▁Anne . ▁She ▁actually ▁does ▁not ▁look ▁for ▁a ▁real ▁friend , ▁but ▁someone ▁whom ▁she ▁can ▁" c ult iv ate ▁and ▁n urt ure ", ▁as ▁if ▁Den ny ▁like ▁D aph ne ▁was ▁Nancy ' s ▁daughter ▁and ▁not ▁equal ▁in ▁age . ▁ ▁Ben ▁Wright : ▁At ▁first ▁sight , ▁the ▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁amateur ▁poet ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁minor ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁But ▁as ▁the ▁story ▁develop s ▁the ▁reader ▁is ▁granted ▁a ▁greater ▁insight ▁into ▁Ben . ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁he ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁secret ▁cr ush ▁on ▁Anne , ▁an ▁old ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁Jon ah ▁Bo yd ' s ▁wife . ▁Anne ▁takes ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁and ▁intr ig ues ▁with ▁Ben ▁to ▁ste al ▁Bo