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“Er, of course I do. You know what I am like first thing in the morning.”

A basin was on the nightstand, a damp cloth and a towel beside it. Louisa Hurst was painting the picture everyone expected to see.

She did this for three weeks, paused for the week of her courses, and then repeated the actions for the next three weeks. She slept in her own bed, as was expected during her off week, but the courses never came. That was because in addition to the fiction of constant congress every night with her husband, she was actually doing the deed with a handsome new footman, at least twice every single day. As soon as she missed her courses the footman immediately resigned and left for Canada with £50 in his pocket. He was never seen again.

“Husband, you will be delighted to know that I am with child. I have not felt the quickening but I have missed my courses. You are to be a father.”

It was absurd that Hurst puffed up his chest when he had not lain with his wife, intimately, for more than a year. But he woke up with her beside him every morning so he was obviously the father. Perhaps what was even more absurd was his continued drunkenness. He had recollections of sleeping with his wife from early in their marriage but none from the last two months. Yet when faced with the choice of not drinking and remembering the enjoyment of the marriage bed, or drinking himself into a mindless stupor, he chose the latter.

“One thing is I would like to visit your parents at the estate.”

“You would? Why?”

“I am finding the air of London is disagreeing with me in my current condition. I do not want to risk the baby.”

“I am not sure I can leave London at present.”

“I understand. I am willing to return to Yorkshire on my own and you can join us when you are able. Is that acceptable to you?”

David Hurst was very pleased at the prospect of becoming a father, but suspected that if he returned to the family estate his own father would be all over him regarding his responsibilities, both current and future.

“That is an excellent solution. The health of the baby must come first. I will ensure that you are safe on the journey north. I will join you as soon as I am able.”

They both knew that would not be for many months.

--

“What do you mean you are returning to the Hurst estate?”

“Which part of the sentence did you not understand sister?”

“I understood it all, what I am more concerned about is that you are abandoning me.”

Louisa noted that, as usual, it was all about Caroline.

“Our brother remains in London. And I have to listen to your daily tantrums about my husband. With my returning north it will be one less tantrum for you every day.”

Charles Bingley snorted at his sister’s witty retort.

“I do not have daily tantrums!”

Neither of her siblings made note of the irony between her words and her behaviour.

“This is most upsetting. What am I to do?”

‘Continue to delude yourself that Mr. Darcy is about to propose to you.’

Louisa did not need an hour of ranting so said the sentence in her mind rather than out loud.

Two weeks later her husband saw her off for the four day journey to his parent’s estate. They never saw each other again.

--

When Peter Napier tripped he had been saved from almost certain death by Elizabeth Bennet breaking his fall. Without her there to take the impact he would have perished on the street, bleeding out before everyone from a fractured skull. David Hurst proved this very point by similarly stumbling, his reason being drunkenness rather than old age, before splitting his head wide open when it cracked upon contact with the pavement. He was dead three minutes later. He had been dead as soon as he hit the ground, it had just taken him three minutes to bleed out.

His drunkenness had ruined Elizabeth’s life. She had been saved by the love and kindness of Peter Napier. Hurst might not have committed suicide but he killed himself nevertheless.

Louisa Hurst did not expect his demise to be so soon, it was less than a month after her departure. She had happily settled into life on the Hurst estate. The manor was not huge but it was comfortable. She had not mentioned her pregnancy yet, she wanted to wait for the quickening, but when news of her husband’s death reached his parents she immediately told them.