Niklaus Mikaelson is one of the richest businessmen in all of England. When Caroline, an American graduate student, needs some extra cash to spend on her year abroad, she answers a housekeeping ad for an estate in the countryside. After all, who wouldn't want to air a millionaire's dirty laundry? AH/AU

Chapter One: Death by Diamonds and Pearls

Caroline Forbes sighed, pulling her too-thin scarf tighter around her neck as she tried to avoid the middle-aged vagrant with whom she shared a bench. Even after two months of staying in London, Caroline still hadn't gotten used to the chill of English air.

Her best friend since elementary school, Elena Gilbert, who she'd been boarding in Oxford, had been living in the UK for over two and a half years now. Lucky, lucky Elena, thought Caroline bitterly. Her friend had had everything handed to her in life: perfect parents, perfect boyfriend, perfect gap-year-in-which-she-met-the-man-of-her-dreams.

It's not like Caroline was still bitter or anything.

The car she'd ordered earlier pulled up to the curb and Caroline was quick to flee the frigid bench and slide behind the glass partition separating her from the driver. Caroline fiddled with the air dials in the back of the car, getting the heat blasting onto her chilled fingers.

It was never this cold in Virginia, where she grew up, but her New York college had known some chilly days. Caroline was on a study-abroad program, or at least that's what she liked to tell herself. Yes, the college had sponsored part of her trip, travel expenses mostly, but the truth was that Caroline had run out of money. She no longer had the funds to keep a full course load at her university.

Her solution? Escape.

She shook her head now, thinking back. When her socio-economics professor told her that traveling abroad would be a good year to take for herself in order to write her senior thesis, Caroline had been so bored that she'd listened.

The first two months had gone well. She'd stayed rent-free with Elena and her live-in boyfriend Matt, but their flat had given Caroline the sense that she was encroaching. She needed new living space, and she needed a job to go with it.

The English countryside whizzed by, the dull greys of the cities turning slowly into the brown stucco of the suburbs and then finally, to the wet green of Britain. Caroline relaxed in the seat, trying not to think about the moment when she would have to hand over her last forty pounds for this car ride.

When it came down to it, Caroline was broke. It wasn't something that she was unfamiliar with, but living in England had drained her resources even more than she'd imagined. That very morning, she'd been sitting in a café, sipping what she was sure was to be her last doppio, when she'd glanced up to see an advertisement posted to a tack board on the wall.

HELP WANTED

Live in Housekeeper to tend estate.

Address and details provided upon inquiry.

Must be respectful of boundaries, good with dogs, horses.

Must have full mental and physical health.

Contact 07129665314 between the hours of 8 and 11am.*

Caroline had scrambled, grabbed her mobile from her bag, and called up the ad at 10:50 in the morning. She'd made an interview appointment with a very stern-sounding secretary named Elise who'd assured her that Mr. Mikaelson would be awaiting her at his estate tomorrow at 11:30 am sharp.

She glanced at her cell phone again, tap-tap-tapping her foot against the car door. It was 10:13, and as far as she could tell, they weren't anywhere close to civilization. She glanced outside the window, met only with the side of the road flying by.

She tapped on the partition. "Any chance we're almost there?"

Her elderly driver turned around to face her. "Not to worry, bonny of mine, we're only thirty minutes out now." The old man smiled and Caroline sat back down, trying not to let her anxiety show. There was nothing she hated more than being late.

The occasional building turned into more and more clusters of civilization, and before she knew it, Caroline and the car were traveling in between small little towns along the roadside. Glimpses of children playing in their yards flew by Caroline. She'd see a market, a flash of a main street. Fields upon fields of undulating grass.

Before long, a sprinkle of rain began to fall on the windshield of the car. The wipers pulsed back and forth, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed as the rain thickened.

"Ahem." Caroline coughed, yet again tapping on the partition. "How much longer?"

"Not a bit yet, darling girl, and I'll have gone as far as I can take you!" The old man spoke cheerily, despite the downpour.

Caroline's eyes widened. "As far as you can take me?"

"Aye, lassie. The Mikaelson place is too steep up a hill for this old gal to climb!" The driver patted the dashboard of the old car like it was a long-lost friend.

Just great. Caroline thought. I'll have to walk up a hill. Now I'll definitely be late. A tremendous crash of thunder split the sky, and Caroline jumped.

"Not to worry though, miss." The old man continued as he turned the car onto a long driveway. "I have an umbrella that you can borrow. I keep it in the car for days such as these."

Caroline closed her eyes, and tried to recall every breathing exercise she'd learned in her yoga classes. Her watch read 10:56… So much for being fashionably early. She vainly hoped that this Mr. Mikaelson fellow wouldn't hate her on sight for being late, but she slowly began to lose hope.

The car turned a corner, and Caroline immediately saw why the old man had not wanted to risk his life's work attempting the drive. The packed gravel driveway that she saw was not only steep, but a corkscrew of neglected potholes and vegetation.

The old man stopped the car at the bottom of the drive and turned around in his seat. The partition slid open, and Caroline reluctantly traded her money for an umbrella that looked to be older than she was.

A gust of wind rattled through her when the old man opened his door to retrieve her bag from the trunk. Caroline pulled her scarf even tighter, trying to blot out the cold. You are strong. You are stoic. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Caroline ceased her mental dialogue and dashed out into the rain, umbrella first.

"Thank you for the ride!" She turned to the old man. "It was… nice."

He grinned at her, already halfway inside his car. "You don't have to lie, dearie. Good luck!" And with that, the old man sped off, leaving only a bedraggled, half-soaked Caroline in his wake.

She checked her watch. 11:07. Shrugging her bag over her shoulders and pulling on gloves, Caroline began to trek up the intimidating drive to the outline of a house that was barely visible in the deluge.

Three steps in, and Caroline realized that she should've worn better shoes. The fresh mud was quick to find holes in her ballet flats, worming its way between her toes instantly. The rain, although unfortunate for her, seemed to be a gift to all of the plants on the drive. She couldn't move without bumping into a leaf that was all too eager to dump rain puddles on her.

The comfortable leggings that had seemed so practical to her that morning were now soaked and clung moistly to her legs like a second skin. Blue button-down shirt, camisole, socks, and even her bra were all sodden, sopping piles of fabric.

Halfway up, Caroline decided to throw the umbrella to the side. The holes it had had in it ensured that her hair was already hanging in damp rivulets, so why bother? She tucked her bag into the little shelter her chest provided and trudged on, stuffed her hands into her armpits, only thankful that it wasn't windy.

Why would anyone want to live up here? Caroline thought to herself. She began to curse the very name Mikaelson as she continued her sodden trek around what appeared to be the last corner of the drive.

The estate, when she first saw it, would have taken her breath away if she hadn't been shivering so hard. She stood still for a moment, appreciating the fine lines of the large manor in front of her.

The faded off-white of the building in front of her screamed of aged grandeur. Sweeping lines made up the architecture of the manor, and high turreted wings cut an impressive skyline against the cloudy sky. Caroline found herself wandering closer to the manor, steps hesitant as her eyes widened to take it all in.

How am I supposed to take care of this house by myself? She thought in wonder. It's huge! The young blonde glanced down at her watch again and groaned in distaste. It was 11:35, and she looked like she had been dragged behind a bus into the Thames.

Caroline tread on heavy feet up to the fifteen-foot doors that she saw at the front of the house, trying to half-heartedly straighten all of her clothes. She sighed as she reached the porch; she looked like a drowned rat and she knew it. So much for a good first impression.

The girl raised her hand to a sturdy brass knocker that looked as if it was from the Victorian Era and pounded it against the door, resigning herself to a long hitchhike back home.

She waited. Ten seconds, nothing. Caroline shifted her feet uncomfortably, trying to ignore the squishing sounds that they made against the steps. She knocked again, letting the knocker fall even harder on the wood. She glanced at her watch, 11:41.

Growing annoyed by the second, Caroline raised a determined fist to the door. She knocked once, twice, three times, and then finally heard a male voice calling out from the inside.

"One second!" The accented tone said. She could hear footsteps approaching the door, and a great thud, as if he had dropped something. "Hell, you're late anyways; I don't think waiting a couple minutes longer would…"

The voice broke off as the door opened revealing Caroline's damp and miserable state. A flush rose to her cheeks as she took in the gorgeous young man in the doorway.

Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me.

XXX

Niklaus Mikaelson had seen some unexpected things in his life, but opening his front door to a beautiful, raid-drenched, and from her expression heavily irritated, young woman took the proverbial cake.

The girl, the one he assumed was late for her interview, was standing in front of looking like she'd just been dragged out of the ocean. Her bedraggled clothes hung from what he admired as an attractive frame.

In all honesty, Klaus had been so distracted with his work that he hadn't even realized it was raining.

"Are you going to let me in, or what?" The girl demanded sharply. He smiled, her American accent meeting his ears.

"Of course, love. Try not to drip on the foyer."

She shot him an indignant look, but he couldn't help but see the small quirk of her lips at his statement. "It's Caroline."

Klaus nodded. "Caroline Forbes, I know. You're late." Klaus ran a hand through his curled hair. "And sopping."

Her lips, a pale blue from the cold pursed. "It's not my fault that you live up in the middle of nowhere."

Klaus chuckled. "No, it's not. But that murderous look makes me assume that you believe it's my fault that Mother Nature enacted her revenge upon you."

"Do you have anywhere that I can dry off?"

Klaus nodded, rolling with her change of subject. "Of course. But be a doll and take off your shoes first, I don't want you tracking mud across my house."

Caroline glared at him, but obliged, following. They stopped outside a large bathroom. The tub was the size of the hottub she'd had in high school, and the appliances were all black and gold, giving it a rustic charm.

"Towels in the cabinet, love. Take your time." And with that, Klaus left, leaving her to her own devices.

Caroline quickly shut the door and stripped, toweling off all of the skin that she was certain would never feel warmth again. She ran the hot water from the sink and moaned when it touched her hands. Never again would she take warm water for granted.

Hearing footsteps from what could only be Niklaus moving around upstairs, Caroline grinned into the mirror. Chances are she wouldn't get this job anyways, who was to begrudge her from taking a quick shower?

Within minutes, Caroline had the faucets off and the showerhead pouring water onto her frozen back. I could definitely get used to this, she thought, watching the steam fog up the full-length mirrors on the wall.

Upstairs, Klaus was rummaging through his sister's closet, trying to find things for Caroline to wear. The clothes she'd had on definitely weren't going to be dry anytime soon, it was the least he could do.

Or at least that's what he told himself. Nik refused to believe that he was being kind just because she was a beautiful young woman. He heard the shower come on downstairs and smirked. If he was a betting man, he would've wagered she'd use it. He'd seen her eyes light up at the sight.

Nik managed to grab a cotton vee neck tee and some yoga pants from his sister's closet and went back downstairs. He figured that those were safer, stretchier options than trying to guess her size.

As he made his way down the hall, Nik paused outside the bathroom door. He could hear Caroline singing and humming softly to herself, and the squeak of her feet dancing against the tiles. The sound of the water ceased, and Klaus knocked on the door gently.

"Caroline?"

She broke off her singing at the sound of his voice, cheeks growing red with embarrassment. "Ahh, yes?"

Klaus smirked at her squeak of surprise. "I've got some clothes here for you." Silence. Nik palmed his forehead in regret for how odd that had probably sounded. "If you want them, that is. I wouldn't want to wear wet clothes; I assume you feel the same?"

Caroline groaned to herself and looked at the indistinguishable pile of dripping fabric on the floor. He keeps female clothes around? She thought to herself. Of course he would, her more devious side realized. Have you seen the man?

It was true. Caroline had been immensely startled when the door to the estate had opened and behind it lay a very young, very handsome, very accented Mr. Mikaelson. The man was devilishly attractive, with curling dirty-gold hair and blue eyes.

She wasn't saying she'd checked out the rest of him as he'd led her to the bathroom earlier, but she wasn't denying it either.

Outside, Klaus was surprised when she reached a hand through and yanked the clothes out of his hands, closing the door again just as fast.

"Easy there, love." He warned. "Wouldn't want you to rip my hand off."

Caroline rolled her eyes on the other side of the door, and had to bite off an inflammatory remark. The man might be her boss for god's sake, she should be civil.

When Caroline was done pulling the clothing over her head and shaking her hair out, she sighed at her reflection in the mirror. She'd looked worse, but barely. At least whatever woman he's been keeping these clothes for has good taste in comfort. The yogas and shirt fit her nicely, and Caroline was warm enough.

She opened the door, to find her would-be employer lounging against the wall across from the hallway. He clapped his hands together as she emerged.

"Perfect. Shall we proceed then?" He asked. "If memory serves me, you came here for an interview, not just to make generous use of my shower."

Caroline smiled despite herself, following him into another room of the house, where a desk and some paperwork dominated the space.

The man gestured at the chair across from his desk where he proceeded to take a seat.

Caroline sat down, uncomfortably looking anywhere but at Mr. Mikaelson. She realized how odd their situation was now. In her life, she'd never been as forward with anyone as she had been in the last twenty minutes. You've only just met the man, yet you've already been naked in his bathroom? Stupid, stupid Caroline. She studiously looked away from him, trying not to blush at the feeling of his eyes on her.

Eventually though the silence, too thick for the usually chatty Caroline Forbes had to be broken.

"So.. Thank you." She finally got out. "For letting me use your bathroom. And the clothes, I guess."

Klaus smiled at her. "You're welcome. I'm sure Rebekah will be pleased that someone finally wore those."

Caroline looked around for pictures on the wall. Surely, he had people in his life, but she couldn't find proof of them anywhere. He must have a girlfriend; why else would he keep women's clothing about. Rebekah. She rolled the name around in her head, trying to picture the type of woman it was attached to.

"So how did you find out about this job, Caroline?"

The blonde tore her thoughts away from the unknown woman and let out a sigh of relief that they were talking. "Um, a coffee shop in Aylesbury, actually."

"Ah I see." Klaus pulled out a clipboard and pen and began putting something down on paper. "I told old Elise that advertising in cities was a good idea, you know."

Caroline gave him a polite smile, trying not to let the deadly curiosity she felt about what he was writing show on her face. "Well, it worked, because here I am!"

Klaus looked up into her eyes at her overly-excited tone. "Yes," he smirked, amusement hidden somewhere deep in his voice. "Here you are."

He went back to his clipboard. "And why do you think that you are qualified for the job?"

"I met all of the requirements for your ad. I'm capable of housekeeping. I love dogs and horses…" Caroline broke off, not wanting to admit how dire her financial situation was.

"And…?" Klaus prompted. "What's on your mind?"

Caroline sighed, looking up at him. "I need the money."

Klaus nodded, and moved his hand more frantically on the page for some time.

"Well then, Caroline." Klaus stated. "How would you like to be paid?"

Caroline gave a start. "Really? You don't even know me, how do you know I'm not some serial killer?"

Nik gave her a petulant glance. "For one, any serial killer worth their salt would have unusual behavior, and unless you count humming in the shower, you check out clean."

Caroline fought to keep the blush off of her face. She knew he'd heard.

"And two," Klaus continued with a softer expression. "You've said it yourself. You need the money, and I, sweet Caroline, need a housekeeper. I can hardly run this estate by myself, look at it."

She blushed at his term of endearment, but nodded. The house was indeed huge. Caroline agreed with him.

"As for three, I've had no other applicants. Don't take that as an insult, love, I just have a hard trouble reaching out to potential employees."

"And lastly." Klaus paused for a breath of air. "As for not knowing you, I'd almost rather prefer it that way. I don't like people, Caroline, unless I'm doing business with them. Hell, I live in an isolated estate in the countryside."

"I know. I had the pleasure of walking up your driveway." She shot back jokingly.

Klaus smiled at her comment, and continued, setting the clip board face-down on the desk. "I'd noticed. What I need, love, is someone who will look after this house. Someone who can look after me, and make sure I don't bore myself to death with work. Someone who can do all of the domestic things that I don't have time for and someone who it won't bother me to be around. Can you do that for me, Caroline?"

His blue eyes bore into hers hopefully, and Caroline felt herself growing warm. He really was stunning, albeit a bit odd in his mannerisms. The dark purple Henley that he wore only complimented his features, and the necklaces poking out around his neck intrigued her immensely. How do they feel? She wondered, mentally picturing herself picking one up off his neck and rolling the beads around in her palm.

Caroline shook herself out of it before answering his question.

"Yes." She replied strongly. "I can do it."

A grin cracked his face, and she observed his perfect teeth for the first time. Klaus walked around the desk to her side of the table and held out his hand.

"Well then, Caroline Forbes, allow me to formally make your acquaintance as your employer. Congratulations."

She held out her hand to meet his. Christ. Maybe it was the effect of her left-over dousing, but his skin burned with hers like slow-burning coals. His calloused fingers held hers in a strong but surprisingly gentle shake, and when his thumb began to draw unintentional circles against the back of her hand, Caroline's eyes flicked up to his with surprise.

The blue eyes she'd seen earlier had darkened, and his lips, full from a distance, drew her gaze, nearly as soft and appealing as the golden stubble that dusted the planes of his cheeks. His brow furrowed in speculation as they held contact, as if she puzzled him. Pull it together, Caroline.

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson." She shook formally, voice weak, and then dropped his hand as if it had burned her, trying not to let it show on her face.

He smiled, curiously examining the blonde and the flush on her cheeks, not unaffected by their moment himself. "Please, love. Call me Klaus." His voice was thick, even to his ears.

Caroline nodded.

Klaus turned to walk out to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder as he went. "Would you like some tea? Wouldn't want you to catch a chill, now would we?"

Caroline nodded, torn between following after him and picking up the clipboard he'd left on his desk. Another day, she told herself, and followed her new employer into the kitchen.

Klaus smiled as he heard her follow him, and set the teapot onto a hot burner. "English Breakfast, or Earl Grey?" He asked, as the blonde walked in the doorway. She was beautiful. Her hair, drying now, was curling into gentle waves around her face. Her blue eyes met his, and he was once again struck with the tug of her allure.

He tried to keep his eyes up, but the man in him couldn't help when they dipped a bit, admiring her form in those damned tight black pants. He would have to be careful. The last thing he needed was complications in his life, especially of the female variety.

"English Breakfast," Caroline answered, as she sat at one of the stools at the counter.

He nodded in agreement, busying himself with the tea. This would be a very interesting employment. A very interesting employment indeed.

A/N So, how'd I do? I hope everyone liked it, or at least didn't hate it. I've decided to write AU, mostly because canon is too difficult while the show is running. And this is just so much more entertaining, no? I'm trying to prewrite these chapters, so that I don't fall behind. Let me know if you liked it, or if there's anything you'd like to say, comments you'd love to make. Thank you!

*I'm not English. Unfortunately, that made me really unaware of how to format telephone numbers, but when I looked it up, I was assured the format for mobile phones is 07xxx xxxxxx. So let me know if I was wrong, I'll gladly accept the criticism.

** Again, not English, but I've been looking at pictures of estates, and I took inspiration for Klaus's house mainly from the Mentmore Towers, more commonly seen as Wayne Manor in Batman Begins. Sorry for any discrepancies.