The same day, Hilary came home in the afternoon after she stopped off at the mall for a few hours. When she walked into the living room she found Marcus, Carlton and Will holding Nicky. They were sitting on the sofa watching the end of a basketball game. She let go of her bags and got rid of her jacket.

"Yo Hil, wassup ? I can see you've been buying everything in sight at the mall, am I right ?" Will asked as he got up.

"You got that wrong Will, they didn't have the dress I wanted. I'm in a bad mood now..."

Marcus and Carlton laughed and the young woman walked up to them. "What are you laughing at you two ? And shouldn't you be doing your job ?" she asked Marcus looking down at him. "What's your name again ?"

"Marcus." the young man answered.

"That's right, Martin." she said on purpose just to annoy him. "Could you carry my bags in the pool house, I need to try these clothes on again."

Marcus got up just to face Hilary as she was standing a few inches away from him. They were both glaring at each other, Marcus slightly leaning his head forward as Hilary was shorter than him even if she was wearing heels. "God, how come a woman can be so beautiful and yet so unpleasant", he thought to himself.

"I'll carry your bags if you ask me politely." he eventually said sighing. "And also, my name is Marcus."

Hilary rose her eyebrows and as tension was slowly increasing Carlton stood up in their way just so they wouldn't jump at each other's throats "Okay... guys just let it go, Geoffrey will do it there's no need to argue for this."

"Carlton, I just want him to be obedient and to know his place." Hilary said glaring at Marcus above Carlton's head.

"And I just need you to be respectful and polite, Miss Hilary." Marcus replied.

As Will saw Hilary clenching her fists, he knew that something bad was going to happen. He knew that, when it came to anger, she was just like her father, a bomb ready to explode at any moment. "Um Hil, Carlton and I need to go right now we have to..." he tried to made up something as Carlton was already sweating between Marcus and his sister as he knew he was in danger. Hilary turned around to face Will with an inquisitive look.

"We have to clean the school sports hall !" he eventually said. "Here's Nicky. Carlton, hurry man we're late !"

Carlton and him rushed out of the house leaving Hilary with her one-year old brother in her arms and Marcus who was laughing on the inside. "Okay, If they ran away like this, it's probably because she's some kind of fury or something", he thought. And indeed, she was furious, you could just tell by the look in her eyes that was just full of flames. She was probably already plotting her revenge against her brother and cousin for leaving her alone with a baby and a disobedient butler.

Marcus was about to say something to make peace with her when the the baby just spoke before him.

"Hilawy !" Nicky exclaimed grabbing both of his sister's cheeks in his tiny hands as to force her to face him. He started wriggling in order to draw her attention. The young woman turned her head to her little brother and something in her eyes went from anger to tenderness in a second.

When the baby saw he had her attention he exclaimed again "Hilawy !". The weather girl smiled at him, always amused about the fact that he didn't know how to pronounce her name right. But she did not care because the funniest nam was Carlton's which in Nicky's mouth had become "Cartoon".

"Are you trying to tell me something, Nicky ?" she asked the baby as her mother told her that it was important to talk with him at that age.

The baby gazed wide-eyed at her and started to shake to show how happy he was that someone tried to communicate with him. Hilary sat on the couch behind her and adjusted her brother on her knees.

"Alright Nicky, let's try this again : Hi-la-ry." she said distinguishing clearly the syllables.

"Hilawy !" the baby said again with no difference.

Marcus who was still standing up smiled and tried to say something to the young woman "Listen I..."

Just as Hilary was lifting her chin up to glance at the butler, Geoffrey came in, happier than usual as he had Marcus to do all his dirty work.

"Hello Miss Hilary, Master Nicky and Marcus !"

"Oh hello Geoffrey, could you get my bags into the pool house, please ?" the young woman asked as she was tickling her little brother.

"I'll be glad to do it !"

"I'll do it for you, Geoffrey." Marcus interrupted.

The butler thanked him and disappeared into the kitchen.

Once alone Marcus raised an eyebrow "So you say 'please' to him and not to me, huh ?"

Hilary got up and had a forced smile "I usually don't have to say 'please' with men that are my age but if that's what you need to just do what I ask then fine, I'll say 'please'."

"You don't like me, do you ?" the young man said with an inquisitive look. "Listen, if it's about what I said this morning about 'handling you' and everything, I'm sorry, I was just joking..."

She let out a small laugh "Forget about this, I'm used to my cousin and brother's sarcasm. And if you want to know, it's not that I don't like you it's more that I don't know you, you just showed up in this house this morning and... I don't know, that's just weird !"

"Actually, I was already here yesterday night but you weren't there..." he said carefully.

"Whatever, I don't need a lecture on this. So tell me, what's the point of you being here with us ?" Hilary asked.

"Well, to be short, I've been kicked out of the house by my father and yours offered me a place to stay."

"Oh... I'm sorry about that." she said a little embarrassed "What's your name again ?"

"Marcus Payne."

"Umm, this name does ring a bell, indeed... Anyway, at least I know why you are here." Hilary said giving a kiss on the cheek to her little brother for no reason but his cuteness. "So you're the handyman, right ?" she asked.

"Well, you could say that."

"Do you know how to fix a dysfunctional electric system ? My dad tried to fix it last time there was a power cut but it still does weird things..."

Marcus laughed "Yeah, I can do that."

"Could you do it tomorrow morning..." she hesitated a few seconds but as she saw he was waiting for the word, she eventually added "...please ?"

"No problem, I'll do that for you. How about ten ?"

"More like eleven I have a party tonight and I like to sleep in."

"Fine, eleven then."