Miss Esther Darcy knew more about her parents' love life than most girls would ever want to, but to her it was just so perfect. From the time she could speak she had here parents tell and retell how they met and hated each other and fought over Aunt Jane and Uncle Charles and all of the trouble with Mr. Wickham and through all that managed to find a love that had nurtured her all of her life and gave her twelve brothers and sisters. Now at the age of nineteen, a year after coming out into society, she was looking for the the same and nothing but the deepest love would ever force her into matrimony.
Esther was taking breakfast with her siblings, her parents took dinner alone in their parlor and her Aunt Georgiana and her family took theirs alone as well. She sat between her eldest brother, the seventeen year old Malcolm at the head of the table, and her youngest brother, Arthur who was only two and still needed attention when eating. Across the table from her was her nearest sister Charlotte with her nose stuck in a book as always, next to Lottie the oldest group of boys, Charles, William and Bennet discussed their plans for the day. After Arthur the youngest sister, Alice, who was very proud to be eating all by her self now and after Alice was Elizabeth, Amelia and Jane all of whom where very focused Eliza's sampler which she had been working on for the past two days. At the very end of the table sat Bingley and Isaac the most rambunctious boys in the house who drive their mother and Mrs. Reynolds up the wall.
"Essie" A small voice whined, Arthur leaned over the small tray on his highchair grabbing for a piece of toast, "Essie, help."
"There you are my dear,"
"Esther?" Eliza pleaded looking down at her sampler, "Esther how do you fix this stitch?
"Just like this love."
"Esther, do you remember when Charlie and Joshua are coming up?" Charles shouted from the other side of the table, "Oh and Aunt Jane and Uncle Charles and their girl."
"Aunt Jane, Uncle Charles, Charlie, Joshua and Elinor are coming up in two weeks."
"Esther, can we be excused?" Bingley shouted running out the door, with Isaac by the hand.
"Thank you, Esther!" Isaac added
"Miss Darcy?"
"Yes, Mrs. Reynolds." Her temper short
"You and Master Malcolm are needed in parlor, we have guests and your parents are not to be disturbed."
"Of course Mrs. Reynolds."
Malcolm rose from his chair and folded his newspaper, for a boy of only seventeen he had all the seriousness and stoic of his father.
"Who on Earth good it be that couldn't wait for Papa to finish his tea, honestly." Esther pushed aside her chair and took Malcolm's arm.
"Keep your temper, if it fell down to us it must be something that cannot be ignored, something important." Malcolm had always been ready for his personal time to shine to prove to his father that Pemberley would be safe with him. Mrs. Reynolds showed them to the parlor where they were met by a young man, about their cousin Charlie's age, and a group of seven or eight young women all ranging in ages from Esther's to Bennet's. All of them were dressed in rags or near rags at most all dingy and dank.
"Master Malcolm Darcy and Miss Esther Darcy." Mrs. Reynolds annonced to the guests and then left them in the parlor.
"I don't believe we've been introduced, Mr.?" Malcolm stuck out his hand to shake ever the gentleman.
"Ah" The man took it, "It's Wickham, George Wickham." Malcolm quickly retracted his hand and a few moments of silence ensued, Malcolm wondering whether calling for Papa's help would be worth Papa knowing that he had let a Wickham into the manor.
"Obviously not the elder, I am his son, your aunt Lydia's son and these are my sisters." He spoke calmly and clearly not at all how either Darcy expected a Wickham to be, "We are desperately in need of your help."
"You and your family have desperately needed our help before," Malcolm forced halfway between fear and anger, "Why should we believe you now."
"We have no where else to go, please."
"And I suppose that your parents will want in on this help?" Esther spoke up, she had heard what the elder Mr. Wickham had done to her dear Aunt Georgie, and she wasn't going to give him anything without a fight.
"No," he seemed stern, almost the image of her grandfather Bennet, "they're both dead, my father for thirteen years now and my mother just recently disappeared. You are they only family we know how to find, the Bingley's are constantly moving, Aunt Mary has no room and Aunt Kitty's husband is a clergyman who wants nothing to do with the children of scandal. I don't want money, just a place for my sisters to stay until I have found a job and a home for us."
"Malcolm, show the girls to the guest wing and make sure they are probably settled in," though Malcolm was the heir he had little to no power over his elder sister and he obey by taking the eldest Miss Wickham's, who introduced herself as Julia, arm, "I will take Mr. Wickham to see Papa about the finalities of this matter."
Malcolm and the girls all left immediately all the girls trailing behind Malcolm and Julia, single-file like a line of ducklings.
"You could call us the Bennets if it makes you more comfortable, I know what my father did to your family and I wouldn't expect you to forgive me right away." George spoke quickly hardly taking time to breathe, "If it's the christian name that bothers you please call me Edward, my middle name."
"Sir, don't worry," Esther laughed, "A son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity. I will allow you your own righteousness and your own wickedness. Come, Papa doesn't like to be interrupted at breakfast, though I am sure he will make an exception for such an intrigue."
"I certainly hope so, Miss Darcy."