Pride and Prejudice Fan Fiction

NOTE : To anyone who has already read ch. 24, I edited the bit about the marriage settlement as I misunderstood the item when I first read up on them. However, what Hurst is/was doing is still very much in place.

Unlocked Cage

Previously:

Mr. Darcy folded the letter and placed it, along with the legal papers Mr. Hudson had sent, inside a document case. Considering what he had just read in Mrs. Hudson's marriage settlement, and the name he highly doubted her father had included, Mr. Darcy counted himself fortunate to have no pressing matters to attend to. Therefore, he could offer the aid Mr. Hudson requested.

Dreadful News

CH. 25

Mr. Darcy had set aside looking into the Hudson matter but only for one day because they had been invited to Rosings Park. And, since it was his cousin's place, and they would not be long, he had accepted the invitation. Plus, it would give Mr. Darcy a little more time to ask Charles some questions in regard to his father's train of thought when it came to family dynamics in a way that would not raise suspicion, not to mention to make sure Mr. Bingley's own money had not been touched. However, for now, he simply focused on the gathering.

The summer itself had been pleasant that year, not overly hot and humid. It enveloped Rosings Park in rich colors of green, blue, red and other vibrant colors of blooming flowers and vegetables. It was a day which felt as if a great celebration was going on simply due to the fact so many of the family was being allowed to gather at the de Bourgh place due to Anne having grown so found of Elizabeth and Kitty. It helped that her health had improved thanks to Jane's new doctor.

Anne's eyes turned to her own mother and smiled. Lady Catherine had softened quite a deal over the past couple of years, her manners were quite friendly, especially towards the Bennets. Anne suspected it was because not only had it been Jane's doctor who had figured out Lady Catherine's daughter's the underlining health issues, but that it was Mr. Bennet who had located the doctor in the first place. And it was that changed which now allowed a family gathering that brought together the Darcys, the Bingleys, the Bennets, and Captain and Kitty Wells. The air was rapidly filling with laughter, along with excited chatter that might as well have been a million beavers gathering at a river bend. As if reuniting after building their own dams but wishing to see each other before returning to them.

Anne left off thinking about the reasons her mother had softened, though there were days that were still questionable and looked around at those gathered.

Captain Wells stood beside his wife, Kitty and mingled with their kin, sharing tales of seafaring adventures. And she told tales of life among the officer's wives, some of social events she enjoyed -and some dinners she would have rather avoided. The Bennet sisters, different as they may be, were finding they had more common ground in which they could relate then they previously thought.

Ann de Bough, enjoying a freedom she had not experienced with poor health, loved being the observant hostess, ensured that every guest felt welcomed and cherished. She had attracted the attention of a Duke but she, in the end, had ended up -to her mother's dismay, accepted her own cousin's offer. So, now, she and Colonel Fitzwilliam were a picture of contentment as he watched over three children playing in the gardens they had taken in as Anne's doctor had advised her against trying to have a child.

The advice had been given because while her health had improved, she still had severe problems at 'that time' of the month. Therefore, she too now listened to the children's laughter. And her eyes began to look around at the crowd gathered.

Charles Bingley, with his amiable smile, engaged in light-hearted banter with his wife, Jane, whose beauty and grace were only enhanced by the years of love and companionship they shared. Their children, too, were a testament to their bond, each bearing the unmistakable mark of the Bingley cheerfulness.

As Anne left off thinking of the people gathered and the afternoon wore on, the families gathered for a magnificent feast laid out under the wide-spreading branches of an ancient oak. The table was a sight to behold, full of the finest delicacies the county had to offer. The conversation was lively, filled with plans for the future and taking turns strolling down memory lane of days no longer playing themselves out.

Just as the gathering was winding up, and Mr. Darcy was preparing to pull Charles aside to ask him questions before he would then make his departure, a messenger, breathless, disheveled, and looking more than a little out of sorts, approached the gathering with what might as well have been a million lines engraved upon his face.

"Mr. Darcy, sir," he gasped, bowing hastily. "I bring horrible tidings. Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle Hudson's carriage has been found abandoned not far from the property lines of Rosings Park. The carriage is in horrible shape, and we can find no sign of them or their daughter. They have had to have been attacked. We fear for their safety."

A hush fell over the assembly as the seriousness of the situation sank in. It was no secret of the changes Caroline Bingley had made before her marriage. No one at the gathering could imagine what motive anyone could have for attacking the family. They had done nothing to hurt anyone; their reputation shouted they walked a very tight line in keeping their morals high. The thought of harm befalling Charles' sister and her family was a shock that rippled through the hearts of everyone present.

Mr. Darcy's mouth turned flat; his face took on the look of firm resolution. "We will organize a search party immediately," he turned to Kitty's husband. "Captain Wells, your experience in the military will be invaluable in this matter and will give us great aid. Let us hope and pray we can find the Hudson family safe and unharmed."

And while the group at Rosings Park made plans for a search, a group of men in the shadows -far from Rosings Park laughed. There was no a single soul concerned about the family being found. No, not a soul and all now had extra cash in their hand for doing their job well.