Ben pulled the car around the circular drive halting it just before the entry way to the main garage when he saw an elderly man poke his head out of the massive oak front door. Ben grinned. “The old man is still truckin’, I see.”
“Who?” Rey asked as Ben pulled the car into park and turned to her.
“You’ll see, come on,” he said, motioning for her to get out of the car with him. The two of them got out as Rey took in Ben grinning widely from beneath his black Ray Ban Wayfarers looking less like a successful entrepreneur and more a son home from college in a gray v-neck t-shirt and black jeans. “Threepio!” He called out to the man, holding his arms up.
The elder man grinned and made his way over. “Master Ben! Oh, what a pleasure it is to see you come home!”
Rey watched as the two embraced and the older man clapped a hand to Ben’s back before turning to the silent observer Rey had become.
“Oh!” Threepio said, surprised to see a young woman. “Oh! Your mother did mention you were bringing your girlfriend home, now that I recall!” He said happily as he came over. “I am Chadwick Threepio the third, caretaker of Varkyino, and you are?” The man asked, holding out his hand for her.
Rey grinned warmly, stepping forward to shake his hand. He was a kind looking elderly gentleman who looked no older than his mid-seventies even though the delicate almost frail British tenor of his voice told her that he was far older. “Rey, Rey Erso,” she replied warmly.
He grinned and turned pointing his arm out to the house, “Welcome, my lady, Rey to Varykino.”
“Thank you,” Rey added as he turned and frowned at Ben who was carrying both of their overnight bags.
“Master Ben, must you carry your things.”
“You’re not a spring chicken anymore Threepio and I can handle two overnight bags, old man. Besides, why don’t you regale Rey with a little history lesson?”
Rey chuckled at the exchange between the two. “I had a feeling your family was disgustingly wealthy but Ben I didn’t realize it was McMansion estate and lifelong Butler wealthy”
Threepio turned to her with a horrified glance. “Butler! Miss Rey, no I am no butler. I have been caretaker of the estate since I came home with Master Anakin after the war. The Naberrie family took me right in.”
“He’s not a butler,” Ben interjected at the same time.
Rey raised her hands up and corrected. “Oh, sorry my mistake. Caretaker wealthy then.”
Ben shook his head. “I mean – where do you think the Naberrie’s got the money for a house like this.”
“Ben this isn’t a house. The Taj Mahal is a house by comparison,” Rey countered.
“The Taj Mahal is a tomb,” Threepio countered, making Rey grin. “The Naberrie family, which was a bright mix of Spanish and Israeli ethnicity heralding from the Sephardic Jewish culture, originally emmigrated from their chosen ancestral home of Malta in the early 1800s with the promise of American religious freedom that brewing antisemitism in Europe had made them consider the move in the first place. Varykino was originally built in 1849, after the California Gold Rush where Mistress Padme’s great-grandparents decided to move. The Naberrie family was wealthy in banking including helping to fund much of the railroads of the early frontier. Although they didn’t know about the underhanded practices and Robber Barons of the day. Here they decided to build their home. Their grandson, Ruwee Naberrie married the young and vibrant socialite, Jobal Thule, who would become parents to sisters Sola and Padme. It was while the girls were young in the 1920s that Jobal herself undertook overseeing the major renovations to the manor to bring it to the twentieth century with full indoor plumbing and electric thanks to the innovations of the Wizard of Menlo Park,” Threepio added, making Ben huff under his breath about what a thief and a charlatan Edison was.
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