Nathaniel was in the library of the family estate when he heard a gentle knock at the door and a second later he saw a familiar face smiling at him apologetically. He nodded at his sister's companion, Miss Annette Guptil, and beckoned her to come in. He stood up from the writing desk, where he'd been sitting for some time, and walked toward her but she waved him off with a little smile and said, "Do not trouble yourself Mr. Wessex. Your sister has only sent me in for a book and I know where to find it."

Nathaniel did not stop though. He continued to walk towards her as she turned and headed to a far wall where the books extended to the ceiling and a rolling ladder was used to procure the books that were beyond one's reach. He felt a little nervous when Miss Guptil rolled the ladder to a specific spot and then began to climb it. She was standing on the 4th rung by the time he had reached her side and took hold of the ladder, keeping it steady.

"Miss Guptil, this is not safe. Allow me to retrieve the book in question?" He asked her gently as he steadied the ladder. He watched anxiously as she reached for a large, heavy volume. "Please," he entreated her fearful that she would lose her balance, fall and hurt herself.

"It's alright Mr. Wessex. I've got it now," she replied though her voice was a bit strained as she tried to pull the volume loose from similar thick volumes that were pressed against it. "It is heavy, to be sure, but I've just about managed it."

Nathaniel sighed and readied himself in the event that the action of pulling it free should un-foot her and he'd have to catch her. "Why the devil has Florence sent you here on such a mission? Does she want you to break your neck?" He asked irritably, which caused Miss Guptil to laugh lightly and good naturedly.

She stopped pulling on the book to turn ever so slightly and look down at him. Nathaniel's worry increased. Twisting like that on the ladder could not be safe. He wished she would just hurry and get down. But, she didn't seem the list bit concerned that she was five feet from the floor and standing on an ancient ladder that could not be trusted.

Miss Guptil graced him with a mischievous smile and said, "I know exactly why she has sent me on this mission."

"Whatever do you mean Miss Guptil?" He asked with renewed irritation. He was not irritated with her but with his sister's meddling for surely she was up to no good.

Miss Guptil was not the least bit put off by his scowl or the change in his demeanour and even laughed lightly at his discomfort as she turned back to the book and finally pulled it from the shelf. The ladder wobbled dangerously and she was forced to press herself, for a moment, against the rungs while clinging to the heavy volume with one hand and the ladder with the other.

Nathaniel felt sick with worry for her and in a commanding voice said, "Miss Guptil, come down right away!"

Any other woman would have been afraid of his tone or hurt by his brisk manner; however, Miss Guptil only responded with a nervous laugh as she made her way down. Nathaniel reached out for her waist the moment she was in reach and he plucked the volume out of her right hand freeing her to use both hands to get down the ladder.

Once she reached the floor and was steady on her feet Nathaniel removed his hand from her waist and said, "Forgive me," in a slightly strained voice. Touching her in such a way was highly inappropriate but under the circumstances quite necessary.

Miss Guptil turned to face him and pressed a hand to her breast. Nathaniel noted she looked a little pale. The incident had unnerved her. When she finally found her tongue she gave him a sheepish grin and said, "Thank you Mr. Wessex. Next time I shall not be stubborn and instead insist you to assist me."

Nathaniel only nodded in response before grumbling, "I will speak to Florence and tell her to stop sending you on foolish errands." He turned the volume over in his hand to discover what was worth Miss Guptil breaking her neck. "What on earth," he asked angrily, "does she want with a volume on the natural History of the Nile?" He watched Miss Guptil cover the smile that broke across her face with the back of her hand as she looked away for the moment.

"If you hand it to me you need never know what plans she had in mind," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"No, no," Nathaniel sighed. "I will carry it for you to Florence." He was not about to let her carry this monstrosity through the halls until she reached the garden, and to show her this he offered her his arm.

Miss Guptil smiled gently at him as she took the proffered arm. "But Mr. Wessex, if you walk the book down you will be playing right into your beloved sister's hands," she told him with a sigh on her lips. She paused a moment to make sure she had his attention before lowering her voice to a whisper and continuing in a conspiratorial tone, "The Gibson sisters and your cousin Marion will be in the garden and there will be no escape. Your sister is determined to marry you off." It was a running joke, of sorts, between the two of them about how Florence tried but failed miserably at being inconspicuous about her match-making. Miss Guptil gave a light laugh and he smiled too now understanding the trap was set for him yet again. 

It was ridiculous that his baby sister made endless attempts to introduce him to every eligible woman in the county, and beyond, for the past two years whether they were truly suitable or not. He'd seen a veritable parade of young, and not-so-young, ladies through the garden doors. And though he managed to turn every one of them away, Florence was never dissuaded from her agenda. She was determined to have him marry and soon.

Nathaniel was too cold and reserved to be considered charming or even approachable in most cases. He had always been this way from his youth. His mother and father had arranged a young bride for him when he was just 22. However, the young woman, who was little more than a child at 17, was so frightened of him and his dark looks that she refused to follow through with the wedding. The engagement was canceled. Nathaniel was not surprised but he was disappointed. He'd taken quite a shine to the girl even if she had not noticed.

Afterwards, his mother concentrated on the marital status of his younger brother and two younger sisters. He was sure that she had always meant to return to match-making him but she had died prematurely after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a carriage accident.

Nathaniel was now thirty and seven and too set in his ways to make any woman a good husband in his own eyes. However, Florence did not agree. But, the young ladies she brought to his attention rarely lasted. They were easily discouraged by his indifference and frightened away by his somewhat sarcastic demeanour.

Miss Guptil, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit intimidated by him and she was very much at ease with him as he was with her. He'd taken a liking to her the moment she'd been introduced to him as his sister's companion three years ago. She was twenty and seven at the time, unwed, as she was now, and resigned to the fact that she was unlikely to wed at her age. Consequently, her behaviour was more natural and relaxed in mixed company than that of other single females. And, she also had a maturity that appealed to Nathaniel that simply wasn't present in many of the young women Florence introduced him to. In fact, the more women he met the more sure he was that none were superior to Miss Guptil.

He looked down at her now and could see she was very amused by his dilemma but her smile was so disarming that he didn't feel the least bit slighted or agitated. Instead, Nathaniel let out a disgruntled sigh and rolled his eyes for a moment, which only made Miss Guptil's grin widen. 

"Is that her plan? And I suppose she'll ask me to share my knowledge of Egypt with her guests?" He said with playful disgust. Nathaniel had traveled all over Eurpoe and the Mediterranean but had loved Egypt and the Nile more than any other place he'd encountered. He could not explain it but he felt an almost spiritual connection to the place. Even now, whenever he thought of going abroad, it was the Nile that he thought of. He often wondered if Miss Guptil would like to travel and if she ever thought of seeing the Nile for herself. He fancied he would make a wonderful guide for her and Florence.

Miss Guptil squeezed his arm in sympathy and then said, "Oh, Mr. Wessex, if only you had ignored me, as I instructed you to, you might have avoided your sister's trap." She sighed playfully as they walked down the stairs to the main floor. Her eyes were full of mirth.

"She's determined I find a wife among the Gibson girls now, is it?" Nathaniel asked. "And do you agree Miss Guptil? Do you agree I should be married off to a Gibson?"

"You needn't do anything you don't wish to do Mr. Wessex," she said with a little smile.

"Would you be sorry to lose my company if I were to marry? I know Florence would not," he stated as he pushed open the Morning Room doors and they passed into the room with its elegant soft blue and white walls. The glass doors to the garden were just ahead.

There was an awkward pause and Nathaniel looked down in time to see Miss Guptil blushing. He realized, belatedly, that the question was impertinent. He was basically asking her to declare any feelings she might have for him.

But, before he could recover and apologize she cleared her throat and responded with, "Of course Mr. Wessex."

She did not look up at him but even so he felt she did not ridicule him for asking such an impolite question. He relaxed a moment, both glad of her graciousness and her response. She would miss him. He slowed down their pace considerably, ensuring that they would not reach the garden doors too swiftly.

"I would miss you as well," he replied to her softly. It was as close to a confession of love that he had ever come. He felt his face turning bright pink!

His response clearly surprised her because she suddenly looked up at him with eyes the size of  tea saucers. He smiled affectionately at her. It was, after all, the truth. He would be loath to be separated from her now. She was as much a part of the family as his own dear sister. Only, his feelings toward Miss Guptil were not strictly brotherly. No, indeed, they were much stronger than that.

As they stood, motionless, in the middle of the room, Miss Guptil smiled sweetly at him and Nathaniel felt a tremendous pull toward her. She was a prize and he would be a fool to let her go. The best way to ensure she remained at his side forever was a proposal. But, would she accept? Perhaps she only thought of him as an older brother and not as a potential husband and lover. He frowned feeling very unsure of himself.

"You don't need to go any further Mr. Wessex," Miss Guptil was suddenly saying. "Just hand me the book and I will make your excuses." It seemed she was trying to save him from the torture his sister would subject him too.

"No, no, Miss Guptil," he answered right away. "I would not miss this opportunity to scare off the Gibson girls with my rapier wit and scintillating conversation." He was being sarcastic, of course, and the both of them knew it. He laughed openly and she grinned at him knowing just what an act he would perform in front of those poor unsuspecting girls.

But then, he gently added an amendment. "That is, unless of course, you are tired of my company already Miss Guptil and would prefer I retire without telling a single tale of Egypt?" He looked at her quite seriously but she only blushed and smiled more sweetly.

"I never tire of you sir. Please, lead the way," she said with tenderness in her eyes.

Nathaniel gave her a genuine smile before walking her the rest of the way across the Morning Room and turning the handle of the garden doors. He schooled his features into a frown and attempted to look cold and disinterested as they stepped through to the garden. This was the only way he liked to greet eligible young ladies these days. At least the kind who were husband hunting.

He knew full well the sour look on his face would disappoint and irritate Florence to no end. But, he thought, what of it? He was not her puppet and she had to know by now that he was never going to make an offer to any of these young ladies. Why she insisted in bringing them by he'd never understand but he was glad to have Miss Guptil on his arm. That was the one blessing of all Florence's meddling.

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