“Aye, sir, that he has,” replied the groom. “He is rarin’ to go, no two ways about it!”
Darcy grinned at the lad and mounted his horse.
“Come on, boy!”
They galloped along the countryside for a time, then he eased Brutus down to a trot. As Darcy admired the scenery, he wondered at the warm temperatures lingering about. Although these temperatures had made for very pleasant weather, it was most unusual for this time of year. If he were to hazard a guess, he would say a storm was on its way.
After a good long ride, Darcy returned to the stables. He dismounted and gave Brutus an affectionate pat. “Get some rest, old boy.”
After returning to his bedchamber for a change of clothes, Darcy descended the stairs and met Bingley as they both entered the breakfast room.
“So, what is the plan for today?” Bingley asked.
“I think it would be a good idea to meet with the steward to discuss the tenants.”
“Very well, shall we begin after breakfast?”
“I am at your disposal,” replied Darcy.
Bingley summoned a footman. “Please inform Mr. James that we shall be in the study after breakfast to discuss estate business. We would appreciate it if he could join us at his earliest convenience.”
After the footman left the room, Bingley turned back to Darcy.
“Darcy, what say you to going into Meryton after luncheon?”
“I think it a fine idea, Bingley. Would you mind if Georgiana came along? It would be a good outing for her.”
“Not at all! She is very welcome!” Bingley assured him.
Just then, Georgiana walked into the breakfast room. After preparing a plate, she joined them at the table.
“Georgiana, would you like to go into the village today?” Darcy asked. “Bingley and I were thinking of going after luncheon.”
“Oh, yes! I should like that very much!” she replied enthusiastically.
“Excellent!” Bingley said. “There are a variety of shops to explore, Miss Darcy.”
“That sounds wonderful! I am looking forward to it.”
When they finished breakfast, Georgiana went to practice at the pianoforte while Bingley and Darcy headed to the study. They found Mr. James there, awaiting them.
After they exchanged greetings, Bingley moved to stand behind the desk. "Darcy recommended we go over the situations of the tenants. Can you tell us about them, as well as any concerns I should know of?”
“Yes, sir.”
Mr. James explained the situation of each of the tenants. The owner of Netherfield had approved Bingley's having access to some information in the estate books and tenant records for reference.
“Since there is no master or mistress living here on a regular basis, Mrs. Oliver and I try to keep an eye on the needs of the tenants. The Miss Bennets are a tremendous help in that regard. In addition to looking after their own tenants at Longbourn, the three eldest girls also visit Netherfield’s tenants. They coordinate with Mrs. Oliver and myself in providing help with sewing, food baskets, medicinals, and the like.”
“I met Mr. Thomas Bennet. His estate borders Netherfield, does it not?”
“That is correct,” Mr. James confirmed.
They continued working with the steward through the morning. At a quarter past eleven, they decided to stop for the day. The steward excused himself, leaving Bingley and Darcy in the study.
“I say, it is uncommonly good of the Miss Bennets to look in on Netherfield Park’s tenants, is it not? I cannot think most ladies would do so,” Bingley said.
“No, they would not. Some ladies do not even visit their own tenants, let alone their neighbor’s tenants,” Darcy replied.
