Pride and Prejudice Fan Fiction

Unlocked Cage

Previously:

"My poor girl." Lady Catherine pulled up a chair next to the young mother and allowed Mrs. Hudson to lean her head on Lady Catherine's shoulder. "You will see your family soon."

Louisa's Revelation

Ch. 28

Mr. Darcy reentered Rosings Park after having gone to Hoare's Bank and Child and Co. Bank. His face was solemn and unsurprised to see Mr. Hudson sitting in a chair with his left ankle wrapped and propped up on a stool. The man also had crutches leaning against the sofa. No one expected, due to their lack of understanding of how to properly treat Mr. Hudson's severe sprain, that the gentleman would be able to walk without them for at least six months.

"I take it, Mr. Darcy, you have indeed found something wrong with my wife's records?" Mr. Hudson asked, grateful Mrs. Hudson and Rosie were outside walking with Miss Anne and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who would soon wed.

"Yes, and what I found was made possible by…" Mr. Darcy held up Mrs. Hudson's legal papers. "This."

"Those are forged, are they not?"

"Yes, Mr. Bingley never intended Mr. Hurst to be in charge of your wife's money until she married."

"That explains his efforts to undermine any real offers of marriage that came her way, and of doing what he could to destroy her chances of getting employment." Mr. Hudson sent up praises to Mr. Bennet and Lord Bryce for their letters of recommendations. "And it certainly tells me why men attacked my family." Mr. Hudson went to stand, wishing to go after Mr. Hurst himself, only Mr. Darcy lifted his hand.

"Royal officers already have Mr. Hurst in a cell, Mrs. Hurst is co-operating with the law and telling them everything she knows which, in spite of popular belief, is not nearly as much as many thought but is enough to lock her husband up real tight. If you want I can discuss the matter with your wife." There was no need to say why; both men knew what position it would put Mrs. Hurst in.

Mr. Hudson stood up and set his jaw hard. "I will discuss the matter with my own wife. But do not expect a whole lot. I have other…history…in regard to Louisa Bingley Hurst…and she did not do herself any favors by closing her eyes to most of his stunts though I do believe what you say...for her reaction the other day tells me she honestly did not know about this latest stunt nor of what Mr. Hurst did in regard to her father's home." He then left the room.

Mrs. Hudson, unaware her husband was now heading her way, sat down on a garden bench, unsure what to think over what she had just been told. No, it did not shock Caroline, but it still came as a surprise. Her mind turned to her sister Louisa.

Caroline knew that Charles and Jane had put Netherfield up for sale. She was fully aware Louisa would not be welcomed to go, for her treatment of Mrs. Bingley had been horrible. And, sadly, Caroline realized that there was no way on earth Mr. Hudson would even consider allowing her to stay in their family quarters. Therefore, Mrs. Hudson's own mind began to churn as to the card that had already been played but now shouted its question loud enough to truly be heard.

It was the action of tossing around what to do in regard to her sister that found Mrs. Hudson sitting, alone, with Mrs. Hurst in the same drawing room Caroline had taught Mrs. Wells while she was still unmarried and living at home with her parents. That is, it did after Caroline had talked to her own husband after he had found her sitting on the bench.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bennet will leave us alone while we talk." Mrs. Hudson spoke as one of the Bennet's servants left the room. However, the door was not quite shut tight. A fact missed by Mrs. Hurst but planned by her sister's husband for a good reason.

Turning to her sister, Caroline got straight to the point. "You hung around the snobbish girls, Louisa, had your nose in the air, there is no question. But even you were beginning to snap out of it. So, why on earth did you not stand up to Mr. Hurst from the start? Why did you even marry him? You were to marry a Mr. Bailey from London. A businessman, and a merchant of extreme wealth and decent enough standards, I heard father bemoaning your choice one night."

"I…Mr. Hurst..." Louisa wrapped her arms around her waist, started not only rocking and shaking so hard that it not only shocked Caroline, but Mr. Bennet as well -who could see her through the slightly cracked door. He as doing it at the request of Mr. Hudson.

"What did he do to you?" Carolin asked instinctively knowing the answer, but dreading hearing it.

"Bailey and I, we slipped..." Louisa took a deep breath. "I do not know how Mr. Hurst found out for it was not me that is for certain and it was not Mr. Bailey for though men talk, Bailey was an exception to the rule. I just know it and you cannot convince me otherwise. Anyhow, Hurst..." again she took a deep breath. "He forced himself…" She hung her head, paused, and, while unable to finish that particular sentence. "I found out..."

"Go on." Her sister knew when Louisa was telling a tale and when she was not; this was no act.

"I discovered I was with child; Mr. Hurst figured it out at the same time as I did. Everything shouted it was not Mr. Hursts though I could not prove, I turned to leave the room to go to Mr. Bailey; but Mr. Hurst stopped me. Insisted I had been the one to encourage him and that if we did not marry, he would tell father about what we had done, and that Mr. Bailey would not have me anyway." By now the dam had broken, and real tears were spilling down her face as fast as any floodwaters down a riverbed and over its banks.

"What happened to the child?" Caroline had found out about the child and now wondered whose child it really was.

"Mr. Hurst wanted me to do whatever I could to encourage a miscarriage and I refused. We fought and -miraculously I won the right to have the child. He got the banns read, we married and moved out of the area. And on Kent's birth he looked like our side of the family, but Mr. Hurst could not stand the sight of the child. So, even if Mr. Hurst had been the one to sire the child, I was made to give him up, and then we moved back to where you and Charles were living."

"So, where is the child now? If there is a chance the boy is Mr. Bailey's he has every right to know. Maybe, the boy's appearance has changed by now."

"Yes, he does, but Kent would be eleven by now. Would that not do him more harm than good?"

"Maybe, but Mr. Bailey still has a right to know."

"You are right, but what am I to do? My poor choices of allowing Mr. Hurst to put me under his thumb, and treating people the way I felt about those choices, has ruined me." Louisa wrung her hands. "How can I expect anyone to even hire me... even as a maid?" She hid her face in her hands.

"I will see him hung!" Mr. Bennet marched into the room; He did not doubt Mrs. Hurst for he, like, Mrs. Hudson could tell Mrs. Hurst was not acting.

"It has been a little over ten years, and I married him." Louisa sighed. "Without proof of what I have said, and how I have acted over the years, I doubt anything like that could be done."

Mr. Bennet's own eyes might as well have turned to fire. "I think with the forged legal papers of your sister's, and your testimony of a forced marriage that alone will prove Mr. Hurst's word is no good; not to mention there are plenty of witnesses who would testify against his ethics. I do think one thing would help you immensely."

"What is that?"

"Divorce Mr. Hurst."

"I am more than willing to do that, but where would I live? Who would hire me after the way I have behaved?"

"Here, with Mrs. Bennet and I; one of our maids just got married. You can have her job. " He then pointed out he too thought this Mr. Bailey still had a right know and to go check things out if he so desired.

"I will take the position you offer and..." Louisa sighed. "I do not think Mr. Bailey will want to talk to me, but if he wishes to know anything...I will tell him face to face; the gentleman deserves that much."