"That is three houses and more than ten thousand pounds according to Miss Harlowe before she passed." Which was a lot of money. Her eyes were wide as she peered at him. "I overheard her telling one of her friends as much." Her eyes met his and she peered at him, "I didn't think I would ever marry, either." She knew nothing about love and the inner workings of it all.

"Ten thousand pounds!" Nate's expression lengthened briefly betraying admiration. "It is a great deal of money, Miss. If this should become public knowledge, your door will be battered down by a great many suitors, with a wide range of motives. If you want my legal opinion, you should keep that particular fact under lock and key. Perhaps you could focus your energies on the more pleasant aspects of courting?"

"Like what?" she asked, "I know nothing of courting." The girl stood up and moved to stare out the window for a moment, her hands clasped in front of her. "I've never even been kissed on the cheek, let alone by a man." Her eyes half closed and she turned to peer at him.

Nate scoffed lightly, she was a pretty girl with soft features. Surely some had taken an interest in her. Had she been living in a convent? Apparently. Nate himself was hardly celibate. For him there had been just two ladies in London, but they were long over.

"Like dance cards? concerts? long walks to talk about life? Assuming visible attraction to the other."

She shook her head softly. "I was fostered out, my father is a vicar." She pressed her hands to her plain skirt and smoothed at it. "And then I was a companion for Miss Harlowe until her death. I haven't had time to foster a relationship until now, to be honest." Her gray eyes were honest as they peered into his.

She was in a tough spot, 90 days to find a husband or else it was the workhouse. "I would say now you do have time to remedy that, but apparently you do not have much." He smiled softly, his brown locks shaking. "Perhaps, you can find a gentleman you enjoy the company of first and allow true love, romantic love, to follow later."

"I haven't even met a gentleman I am interested in that is interested back in me," she sighed, "this is most perplexing as to why I must do it this way. I didn't even ask for her money..." And now she would have to write a note to her father letting him know of her quandary. With a sigh, she looked down... Then she said, "And what about you... Do you have a wife?" She was half jesting, the words coming out as a humorless laugh.

Nate let out a derisive snort. One the subject of women, there had only two. Both respectable, one relationship had attraction, but never really took off, her family didn't approve. Wrong class. The other was an older lady who wanted what her husband could not give, and it was she who taught Nate about that sort of thing.

"I am unmarried."

"I was jesting but..." she paused and took a breath, letting it out... "Out of seriousness, are you looking for a wife?"

Nate looked straight at her. "Funny you should mention that, Miss. I have been thinking about marriage. I recently paid for one of those adverts in the paper. You know, lawyer seeks loving wife, stable home, delightful conversation.... That sort of thing." Nate shook his head "No responses yet."