The First Meeting

Annabel hummed a cheerful tune as she walked uphill, opposite of the large streams direction on her left.

The cascading sun rays made the water shimmer and glisten. The fish darting inside were as visible as the mansion in the far distance. Their scales were a bright silver, and you could even see their gills expand with each breath they took.

As she continued to walk upstream, a continuous little squeak caught her attention.

"Oh my."

She rushed to the water's edge and sat on her knees.

"How did you end up here you poor little thing?"

A wet, shivering, baby squirrel sat digging it's little claws into the rock he was on, trying to hold onto dear life and not get swept away by the current.

"Don't be scared now. I'm going to rescue you."

She slipped off her slip on shoes and bunched up her slightly longer than knee length dress as she stepped into the freezing water.

The squirrel was luckily on one of the few shallow parts of the very large stream, and Annabel was able to reach him in no time.

"It's a good thing you aren't that far away from shore. I can't swim." She smiled down at the squirrel who was edging its way closer to her and holding a paw out. "I got you."

She slowly reached her hand down as to not spook him on accident, and he hurriedly climbed on.

"Here you are. I'll keep you warm. How did you get down here? Where's your mummy?" She slowly made her way back to the shore and slipped on her shoes with one hand, and tried to warm him up by holding him close to her.

The side of the stream she was walking on was the clear, grass field side, with a dirt road not far away, not a single tree was in sight other than the cluster of three trees closer to the far away mansion. There's no way the squirrel had come from there. The only possible explanation was that he was from the forest on the other side. He must have fallen into the water from his nest and somehow, in his panic, swam all the way over to the side she was on.

"Don't you worry. I'll take care of you until you're strong and healthy. Then you have to look after yourself and go back to your friends." She wrapped her thumb around his little body, giving him extra warmth and picked up her bag with her free hand and continued to the mansion.

"You're late." The butler said when he opened the door upon her arrival. He was nearly an entire head taller than her. His eyes were a piercing brown, cold, calculating. His tailcoat went all the way down to his knees. The bow tie sitting just below his chin was more put together than her life ever was and his hair was white and fluffy as snow, although he had it combed and gelled back.

The foyer was one of the most impressive she's ever seen. A large chandelier hung up, rugs rolled out on the polished floors, stairs that led to the top floor, part of its hallway looking down on the foyer. Straight in front, past the round table right under the chandelier were large double doors leading to what seemed to be an extraordinarily large dinning room with a long dinning table. The right seemed to be leading to a living room and to the left were the stairs. Under the stairs was a large closed door that she couldn't tell where it led to.

"I'm terribly sorry, I was just-"

"It does not matter. Master Richard is expecting you in his study. Follow me."

"James! Don't be so mean to her. She's only just got here." A petite round women slapped the butler with a towel and pushed him away so she was standing in front of Annabel.

"Hello dear. I'm Samantha, the cook! Don't mind James, he might seem cold but he's actually really sweet and kind. He cares a whole lot about Master Richard and his kids." Samantha's brown, greying hair was up in a bun with strands coming out of it. An apron was wrapped around her waist and it had blotches of sauce and flour. Her hazel eyes and round figure were inviting and looked very motherly with her plump cheeks and yellow dress.

"I'm Annabel, it's so lovely to meet you." The woman offered her hand to Samantha, but she pulled her into a hug.

"The older kids are with their father in the office, while the twins and the baby are in the play room, drawing. They shouldn't bother you while you're getting-" James, the butler, began to say before he got interrupted.

"Hello."

They all turned their heads to the ground where two five year olds were holding hands with a three year old.

"Hi." Annabel put her luggage down and crouched so she was up to their height.

"I'm Sam, this is my twin Tam and this is our younger sister Margot." He held out his hand looking all professional with his dress pants, waistcoat and tie.

"I'm Annabel." She shook his hand and offered him a smile that he did not return.

"Are you our new nanny?" Tam asked.

"I believe so."

"Then we do not like you." Sam said and Tam nodded. Margot saw Tam nodding and copied her.

"That's alright, everyone's entitled to their own opinions."

They looked her up and down before turning around and leaving.

Annabel watched with amusement as the door under the stairs opened for them, two sets of eyes stared at her before ushering the children in and shutting the door.

*

"Well, how did she do?" Maggie, the second oldest of the Pelton siblings, and only 15, asked the two five year olds.

"She said everyone's en, en," Tam tried saying the word but had a hard time.

"Entitled Tam, it's entitled." Sam said and walked over to his father who was sitting in his fancy armchair behind his desk.

"Enwitelted to their own obenions." Tam proudly said and Margot clapped for her.

"I reckon that's a positive start." Richard Pelton picked up his son and placed him on his lap.

"Indeed it is. The other nannies would get really upset and scold them." George, the oldest Pelton sibling, at 17, spoke up from his seat on the couch.

"Yes, but she did arrive 10 minutes late." Maggie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She did not want a nanny.

"10 minutes is not the end of the world." Her father said.

"It's unprofessional for a first meeting." She shot back and normally, Richard will tell her to watch her tone, but he knew how much each time a new nanny came, her stress will be through the roof, so he let it slide.

A knock on the door told them that James has brought Annabel, so the kids all sat on the couch, from oldest to youngest, and they all sat up straight watching the door like hawks, even Margot.

"You may come in, James." Richard spoke up and the butler held the door open for Annabel and when she stepped in, he closed the door and stepped out.

"I'm glad you could make it." Richard got up from his chair and walked over to her, arm extended. He couldn't help but notice just how pretty she was with her soft facial features, loose braided brown hair and slim body. He wasn't used to seeing anyone other than Maggie with their hair down. Everyone else always put it up or cut it short.

"Thank you. Although I am really sorry for being late." She placed her hand in his and he lifted it up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against her fingers.

She blushed and pulled her hand away.

"Yes, ten minutes to be exact." Maggie grumbled from her seat and George nudged her.

Annabel gave her an apologetic smile when she felt something move in her pocket. Everyone's eyes trailed down to the moving pocket.

"What's in there?" Sam asked.

Margot hoped down from her seat and made her way to Annabel, she closely watched the pocket and tried poking it.

"You have to be gentle." Annabel said and sat down on her knees. "Or he'll get really scared."

"Scared?" Margot asked and Annabel nodded.

Sam and Tam ran over to see what she was pulling out of her pocket.

"This is why I was late. It was a life or death situation, I had to save  him." She opened her eyes wide and exaggerated her facial movements which got the kids even more excited.

"Well go on, what is it?" Even Maggie and George made their way over in the little huddle. Richard peered from on top as she slowly began pulling out a baby squirrel in the palm of her hand.

"A baby squewel!" Margot clapped her hands and the squirrel ran up Annabel's hand in fright and stood at the crook of her neck.

"He's just a baby, so he's still very sensitive to noise."

"What did you name him?" Maggie went back to her seat.

"I haven't thought of a name yet. Would you like to give him one?"

"I can?"

"Of course."

"How about Squeak?"

"Very original Maggie." George rolled his eyes and plopped down beside her.

"I think it suits him well, don't you?" She looked up at Annabel who nodded at her. "See, she thinks so."

"I hope it's okay with you." She looked up at Richard and stood back up on her feet. "He won't stay long, just until he's big enough to take care of himself."

"Of course, now let's discuss what exactly it is you will be doing here and the room you will be given."