Snippet #2495711

Esther had been dealing with Rowena and her expectations for her gown that evening for the good part of a week now, and frankly she was growing weary of it. It always seemed like her little sister was changing her mind and wanted more added to it, Esther on the other hand was just fine with wearing the same gown she had worn for the past several months. Her sister would go on, about how her shabby gown was probably the reason she wasn't married yet. Not that Esther was in a hurry to do that sort of thing, but she didn't see how her gown had anything to do with whether a man enjoyed her company or not.

"Essie, I need some ribbon for my hair, do you have anything." Rowena went rifling through her ribbon drawer drawing her attention from the book in her hands.

"Essie which do you think," she held two colors up, one that would make the green of her dress and the other was more of a off-white.

Esther looked over the two ribbons her sister had picked, then stood up from her window seat. She took each ribbon from her sister and smiled. "Row why don't you wear both we can always braid it it into your hair I'm sure that would be lovely, the green will bring out your eyes wonderfully and the egg shell color well it goes good with just about anything. It's entirely up to you dear but I think that would be just beautiful, surely you'll catch someones eye with that". Esther placed the ribbons in her sisters hand and smiled. "I'll be back in a moment I'm going to go make sure father doesn't have something else that needs to be done before I start getting myself ready". She pecked Rowena on the forehead and then headed to her fathers study.

She heard a male voice coming through the door and she thought nothing of it really, her father often would have someone over to talk business with. Mr. Linford had always been very comfortable with his daughters so it was nothing for her to gently wrap on the door and then walk in. However when she stepped in she was surprised to see Mr. Nash, a young man she had not seen since her sister Eliza's wedding. He was very well to do in the shire, but she knew the list her father had sent out invitations to and Mr. Nash was not one of them.

"My apologies Mr. Nash, Father". Esther curtsied trying to be apologetic. "I didn't mean to interrupt, Father did you invite Mr. Nash to the ball tonight? Surely you must have forgotten. I apologize if my father offended by not sending you an invite Mr Nash, and I would like to personally invite you myself. Dinner should be around five, and dancing should start around seven". Esther started to go on, not really noticing her fathers worried look.

"Esther enough now, why did you interrupt us? Mr. Nash is a busy man you should not be wasting his time with your idle chatter". Esther stopped herself when she heard her father reprimand her behavior. She found it odd, he would never say such a thing unless she was truly in the wrong.

She looked at her father then to Mr. Nash, then down at the floor, "I'm sorry father, I'll take my leave then. I just wanted to make sure I didn't need to do something else before Rowena and I started getting ready". She curtsied again and swiftly left the room and closed the door behind her.

After his daughter left the room Thomas rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this all to get out of hand, if you can give me a little more time. I'm going to get you what I owe, feel free to take my daughters invitation if you like, that's all I have to offer right now. I've been trying to contact my brother in London in hopes that he might be able to help me, if I don't have to arrange marriages for my daughters I'd rather not. It was bad enough that Eliza felt obligated to marry Mr. Bellview. I just want my daughters to be taken care of Mr. Nash and to be happy, I could really care less about the pomp and circumstance. I've just been a fool of a man for too long and it caught up with me, I know you're a businessman and I'm not asking pity for myself. However I ask pity for my daughters for having such a man for a father". He looked up at Mr. Nash from his desk.

Esther knew she should have done it, but she had stayed just outside the door and eavesdropped ever so slightly. She gave a slight gasp, her hand reaching up to her mouth she knew her parents where having some financial troubles but this sounded much worse than she had thought before. She swiftly walked down the hall to Rowena's room knocking lightly before entering. "Row.... we need to talk, I've heard something dreadful".