Chapter One - Brothers Feud (not sure if im keeping the tittle)

***
Back in her own room, Katie kept her riding clothes on for they smelled of the stables. She took a deep breath and then sat back at the desk in the corner of her room. Her room was huge to her, for most of her rooms as a kid consisted of a hotel where her and her father stayed for a few days at a time, or sometimes even the stables with the horses. She didn’t mind sleeping in the stables; even though it was cold, she liked it with the horses.
Her father traveled around a lot, working. One day when Katie had turned sixteen he decided she needed the guidance of a woman so he sent her to live with her Aunt and Uncle, whom she had known very little back then. He visited at least once a month for a couple days before his work brought him off to some other place.
For the past three and a half years that was how it happened. Her father was away now, but they expected him back sometime next week. Katie smiled at the thought of seeing her father again. It had been a month and a half since she had seen him, he couldn’t make it to see her last month but he promised to stay twice as long this time.
When her father was around, she could usually get out of her studies and Aunt Margaret wasn’t so harsh on making her behave in a ‘ladylike behavior’. Her father’s visits meant a week off of being something she wasn’t... a lady. This time though, it would mean two weeks off.
A knock on the door brought Katie back from her thoughts; quickly she set her books out and grabbed a pencil making it look as if she were working on her studies, before she answered “Come in.”
The door creaked open and her uncle’s head appeared from the door. Katie set her pencil down in surprise, she had been expecting her Aunt, “Uncle, what brings you here?” she asked.
Ignoring her question her uncle looked at her books then to her and raised an eyebrow, “Expecting your Aunt, by any chance?”
Katie looked at her feet sheepishly and her uncle cackled with laughter, “It doesn’t matter dear, I have someone I would like you to meet, he is in the drawing room and I have come to escort you down.”
Katie looked at him confused, “He?” she asked.
Her Uncle nodded, and didn’t say anything more.
Katie looked down at her clothes; she was still wearing her old tunic over a pair of boy’s breeches. The outfit she usually rode in “Let me just change and I shall be out in a minute.”
Her uncle nodded and with a grin he left the room and waited outside.
Katie quickly changed into a more appropriate outfit for company, yet still casual. Then she opened the door and accompanied her uncle down the stairs and into the drawing room. As her uncle opened the door, Katie walked in and found a man with his back facing her looking at her uncle’s bookshelves. From what she could see of his features he was short, almost as short as her.
The man turned as the door opened to face them and Katie took a moment to study him. His hair was a lighter brown; in the light it sometimes appeared blondish. He was one of those people that seemed short and fragile yet she was willing to bet that starting a fight with him in a fight would prove unhealthy for the opponent.
He grew a small patch of hair on his chin yet the rest of his face appeared clean shaven. The one thing that struck Katie was his eyes; they were of a deep brown colouring and they held no emotion. Some people say that you can tell a lot about someone from looking into their eyes and Katie thought that was true. One look into his eyes and she already knew he was not someone to be reckoned with. Not to mention a look at the pistol hanging from his left side and two daggers on his left.
Her uncle moved in between the two of them, swaying his hand towards the man he began the introductions, “Katie,” he began looking towards me, “may I present Neil?”
Katie noticed that he never said the man’s last name and she briefly wondered why, yet had no time to ask it before her uncle continued, “Neil, may I present my niece, Katie?”
Katie curtsied as best as she could, which from her constant lessons with Aunt Margaret turned her awful curtsy to a semi-normal one, “It’s always a pleasure to meet a friend of my uncle’s,” she answered politely even though that wasn’t exactly true. Most of her uncle’s friends were boring.
The man moved his emotionless eyes from her uncle to her, “The pleasure is all mine, I’m sure.”
Katie smiled and waited for her uncle to continue, “Katie…your father has asked that we get another man to take your last bodyguard’s place…”
Realization dawned on Katie and she immediately shook her head, “I knew something was suspicious! My answer is no. Father promised after Mr. Blake left I would not have to have another bodyguard if I chose not to!”
Her uncle, not at all shocked with the response replied with a sigh, “I know I know, but your father is scared for your safety and wishes it. Who am I do deny him the sense of reassurance that his daughter is safe?”
Katie stared at him, “What is a bodyguard supposed to keep me safe from? Paper cuts?”
Neil cleared his throat and for the first time he spoke, his voice held a hint of amusement, “I wouldn’t joke to much about paper cuts Miss, you can kill a man by giving him a paper cut in the right place.”
Katie turned her deathly stare at Neil, “You think this is funny?” she asked, clearly daring him to say otherwise.
Neil accepted the challenge, “Quite.” He replied trying to hide his smirk.
Katie had half a mind to punch him yet she restrained herself, more because she knew he could probably block it faster than she could punch him, than for the sake of trying to retain her ladylike reputation. Instead she squared her jaw, letting him know that she was perfectly capable of handling the challenge also.
Katie glared at Neil and Neil in return smirked, which angered Katie even more. A second before Katie put her plan of hitting him into action, her uncle interrupted with a clear of his throat, “For the time being, Neil is going to stay here. When your father gets home next week you can take it up with him, understood?”
Katie nodded, yet still kept her death stare on so he knew she was not happy with this situation one bit.
Her uncle smiled, “Well now that, that is settled you can head back upstairs to your studies while I give Neil the layout and then he shall begin his duties.”
Without being excused, Katie left the room and went back to hers. She sat on her bed, not in the mood for school and thought of the day’s events.

***
Neil glanced around the house, studying its every section as they walked through it. Katie’s uncle, Lord Lockdon was blabbering on about how ‘high spirited’ his niece was and ‘my apologies’, yet Neil wasn’t really paying much attention. He was too busy trying to take everything in and get to know his whereabouts. If he didn’t know the house, inside and out, it would be hard to protect the girl, and he wanted to do his job properly.
Lord Lockdon showed him the house, yet Neil wished he could just explore it all himself. It would take less time and he would actually be able to concentrate on his work instead of having to listen to the man.
***
Katie lay on her bed, thinking of ways to ditch her new bodyguard when a light knock came from the door, “Who is it?” she asked sitting up and swinging her legs over the bed.
The familiar voice of Neil’s, came back “Me. May I come in?”
Katie didn’t feel like dealing with him so she replied, “No. My bedroom is off limits to you, if you are to protect me than you can stay just outside the door,” she answered emphasizing protect.
There was a silence before Neil answered, “I am right fine doing that, miss. First I need to check and make sure everything is safe then I will stand just outside the door,” he answered putting an extra emphasizing on the word safe.
Katie sighed, and opened the door, “Afraid there might be a skeleton in my closet?” she asked him.
Neil didn’t respond, instead he walked right and did a quick check of the room. As he finished he went over to the closet in the corner and opened it, “Nope, doesn’t look like any skeletons, no need to be afraid, miss.”
Katie glared at him, since nothing came to her mind that she could spit back at him she decided to focus on something else, “There is no need to call me, miss” she informed him, “Katie is just fine.” Katie hated being called miss it made her feel as if she was a stuck up snob like her mother’s friends.
Neil shut the closet and then started for the door, “I’ll be right out here if you need me…miss” then he walked out and shut the door behind him.
Katie heard him settle onto the chair that was sat outside her door for him. She clenched her fists and then went back to her studies. This next week is going to be a long one, she thought even though part of her liked having someone to banter with.