I do not own Pride and Prejudice. Thank you again to ElizabethAnneSoph my beta. This is two chapters in one because I feel that they flow better together . Hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review. This is set in 1820/1821. There is a reason for this as will come apparent in chapter 20. This chapter is set around late August 1820. 2 weeks till my 20th Birthday. I've now plotted some more chapters and the timeline. Please stick with it. It will hopefully get better as I get better at writing down my ideas.

Last time: Darcy received a letter from Elizabeth concerning his daughter. Darcy is still in London but preparing to come back to his daughter.

Wickham

A few weeks before the Netherfield ball was due to take place Lydia burst into the drawing room of Longbourn House with a dashing officer.

"This is Mr Wickham. Isn't he delightful? And very handsome in is red coat." Lydia gushed. The man was tall with well-built muscles. Rich brown/black hair that had a slight curl. He wasn't your normal militia man. He had good breeding just by looking at him and the way he stood and carried himself. He had engaging blue eyes.

"Lydia remember your manners." Jane reprimanded sternly.

"Oh very well. Mr Wickham this is my sisters Jane, Lizzy, Mary and Kitty and a guest of Lizzy's Miss Hanna Darcy and Mr Collins our cousin" They all curtsied to the officer.

"Miss Darcy." Mr Wickham bowed to Hanneli who was sat next to Mary at the table painting.

"Ickham. Lilibet Me want ook with Unc Dave. Me want ook with Unc Dave. Me like Unc Dave. Other Man mean." Hanneli said. She jumped down from the table and went to Elizabeth's legs.

"Shall we go and find him Hanneli?" Elizabeth asked getting down to her eye level.

"Yes pwease." Hanneli said reaching her arms out. Elizabeth picked her up.

"Excuse us Mr Wickham." Elizabeth curtsied.

"Is Miss Darcy the daughter of Mr Darcy of Pemberley?" Wickham asked.

"Yes she is. She's staying with us while Mr Darcy is away. She's a little madam." Lydia said taking hold of Mr Wickham's arm. She was bowled over by officers from the first time she saw a redcoat at the age of 12. She was determined to marry one and this one would be the man she had decided. No matter the cost.

"Is Mr Darcy courting Miss Elizabeth?" Mr Wickham asked

"No he is not. Who would want to court Lizzy? Mr Darcy is very rugged and horrible looking. Do you know Mr Darcy Mr Wickham?" Lydia enthused

"I have been connected with his family since I was a child. My father was his father's steward." Mr Wickham replied. He looked at Mr Collins.

"You know Mr Darcy. Why his Aunt is my patroness. Have you ever met her Ladyship? She is the best of women. The best woman in the country." Mr Collins said enthusiastically. He couldn't smile wider or be more proud.

"I have not had the pleasure of meeting her. Lady Catherine never came to Pemberley. I was his confident when we were younger until he met his wife."

"His wife. What is she like?" Jane asked.

"She kept him on the straight and narrow. They married at 18. He was wild though. I am surprised he had a child with his wife. Hannah was a woman of loose morals but then she had to be married to Darcy. They lived mostly apart Hannah with her male entourage and Darcy with his harem of women. I was surprised to hear that Darcy had a baby. He must be a terrible father. What is Miss Hanna like?"

"She is delightful. She never complains and is eager to learn." Mary said.

"She can't be Mrs Darcy's then if she is delightful Miss Mary."

"We heard the rumours about Miss Hanna. Miss Bingley mentioned that Miss Hanna might be illegitimate at the recent Assembly. Are these rumours the truth Mr Wickham?" Kitty said. She felt bad if the rumours were true. She liked Miss Hanna. She was a sweet child. Her godfather was a sweet man. If Lydia could fall in love with an officer so could she but she would fall in love with a better man. She'd changed since she had seen the handsome Colonel Fitzwilliam. She had become more reserved like her elder sisters. She'd taken on many household duties such as cooking and looking after the vegetable garden. She'd started sewing curtains for her room. She'd made Hanneli a dress. She had become more domesticated since that short visit. She wanted to spend more time on accomplishments and become a well-read well known young woman. She had made a decision. She wanted to be called Cathy and not Kitty. Kitty was a childhood nickname. Cathy was more dignified and more grown up.

She would take advice from her elder sisters now and not be taken in by Lydia. She would set a good example for young Miss Darcy. Examples should be shown at a young age and not when children are older. If she never married she would be a governess and set good examples to other children. She couldn't figure out what it was but there was something about Miss Hanna that she couldn't decipher. Since she'd been here the household had changed and now with Mr Wickham being in the neighbourhood. Someone who had known his wife and said all of those things about her something was not right. Why would Mr Darcy leave his daughter with strangers? Kitty didn't understand. She could see that Elizabeth was becoming attached to the child. They all were apart from Lydia and her mother. They thought that Hanneli should leave and force Mr Collins to propose to Lizzy. Kitty knew that Lizzy would never accept him. She had feelings for someone else. Her eyes glimmered whenever Mr Darcy's name was mentioned. She wished they would mention Colonel Fitzwilliam's name more often. He was a hero. He saved Miss Hanna from her great aunt who just by one meeting Kitty knew she didn't like. Miss Hanna didn't get her sweet and endearing personality from her great grandparents on her paternal grandparent's side.

Everyone wondered what Mrs Darcy was like. Kitty had decided not to believe Mr Wickham and would encourage her elder sister's to do the same but they never listened to her. She was just the other silly sister but she would prove to her father and sister's that she had changed. The first part of this would be to announce her new name at dinner.

Dinner

"I want to tell you all something." Kitty said. They just kept eating.

"I will no longer answer to Kitty. I want to be called Cathy." Cathy added. She stopped eating and put her spoon down until they listened to her.

"Kitty eat your soup. I won't have you talking during dinner." Mrs Bennet rushed. She didn't like Kitty very much. She was the awkward 4th daughter. Who she knew wouldn't amount to much. She didn't have Jane's looks, Lizzy's personality or Lydia's height.

"Mama I want to be called Cathy." Cathy stressed.

"Why? Kitty is a fine name." Mrs Bennet pushed the comment away.

"It is fine if you are a child but I am not a child anymore. I am out and I am 18. Mama how can I go about the county looking for a husband being called Kitty? Cathy is more dignified and more grown up. Men might look at me if I was called Cathy." Cathy said.

"I think that Cathy is very dignified. It is a good name and I will call her it from now on. Miss Cathy Bennet. It suits her more than Miss Kitty Bennet." Mary said proudly.

"Thank you Mary."

"Cathy you can be called whatever you like. It is your name and since the incident with Miss Hanna I feel that it suits you more than Kitty." Jane said. She was proud of her little sister for taking on more tasks in the household and not being as giddy as she once was. She'd stopped following Lydia in everything that she did. It was a change for the better in Jane's mind. Elizabeth couldn't comment as she ate all of her meals with Hanneli in her room. Cathy knew that Elizabeth would have no objections to her changing her nickname.

"Mama you will never believe what Mr Wickham told us about Mr and Mrs Darcy." Lydia said

"What is it Lydia?"

"He said that Mr and Mrs Darcy lived separate lives before she died. They had lovers. Miss Darcy may not be legitimate! He knew Mr Darcy growing up and his father was Mr Darcy's father's steward." Lydia gleefully said.

"The rumours are true then. I knew it! How dare he look down on us when the child is illegitimate. Miss Bingley was right! I knew a woman like that could never be wrong. We should cast the child out immediately Mr Bennet" Mrs Bennet gushed without pausing for breath.

"We will do no such thing Mrs Bennet. The child is staying here. I don't care about her parentage. She is a sweet child and will do well. I enjoy her company as do Jane, Lizzy, Mary and Cathy. She will stay here until Mr Darcy returns. There will be no more discussion on this subject. Now eat your meal. I am planning on taking Lizzy and Miss Hanna out on Nellie and Flora with me. Lizzy needs to practise and Miss Hanna seems to like Flora. She told me that her father often takes her out on horseback. I cannot believe that she is only three years old. She acts twice her age." Mr Bennet said.

"She might not be three Mr Bennet many people lie about their age even children. Mr Darcy could have told you a lie and asked his daughter to keep it for him."

"Enough Mrs Bennet. I know what you did Mrs Bennet and I do not approve of it. I may have been away on the farm but I heard of what you did with Mr Collins and allowed Miss Hanna to almost be kidnapped. I do not approve of what you did." Mrs Bennet opened her mouth but Mr Bennet stopped her. "If you say another word about Miss Hanna Darcy then I will cut the household allowance and yours and Lydia's personal allowance." Mr Bennet got up and slapped his napkin down onto the table. Mr Collins had remained unusually quiet during that exchange but he realised then that he must marry Miss Lizzy to separate her from the child she had become attached to. The sooner the better.