Page 35 of New World Tea Company
Chapter 13.Netherfield Journals
Fitzwilliam Darcy watched as Charles Bingley talked with the Netherfield steward. His friend could make anyone feel at ease and share information with him. And the man was glad when Bingley asked about the grain harvests from two years ago rather than the most recent years.
‘Miss Elizabeth was correct, and the harvests were more in line with the neighbour’s harvests. The last tenant neglected his tenants and did not provide enough labourers for planting or harvest.’Darcy glanced toward a print on the wall while thinking,‘An excellent mind in a woman. I must speak with her again about books.’
“Sir, can I put your team into a harness to pull the ploughs this autumn?” asked the steward.
Charles looked confused, and Darcy came to his rescue, “Mr Bingley’s team of carriage horses are not trained to pull the plough, Jackson. The ploughman would have nothing but trouble getting them to obey his commands.”
“That’s too bad,” the steward replied. “Two more teams would have helped a great deal with ploughing.”
“Next harvest, Mr Bingley’s teams will pull wagons to the barns. They can work together to pull big wagons or work separately with regular wagons,” Darcy said.
The steward nodded and said, “Netherfield’s got only regular farm wagons. But I’ll make certain there are two more readied for next harvest.”
Charles asked, “Darcy, do your horses work during the harvest?”
“The carriage horses pull hay wagons in summer at Pemberley when I am present. But they never pull ploughs in the fields.”
“There are so many things that I do not understand and depend upon others for their knowledge and expertise,” Bingley confessed.
“And do you worry about someone taking advantage of you here?”
Charles replied, “Yes, there are many things in managing an estate that are similar to business.”
Motioning toward the journals on the desk, Darcy said, “Then you must read the past records for Netherfield. The books will include the number of labourers, days of ploughing, and the number of fields for each month…each week. And that is another reason why we must survey each farm in person with the steward and tenant–they must understand that you know these numbers. When it rains, we must ride out the next day and look for which fields flood or wash.”
Darcy continued, “And I suggest you keep your own journal of daily questions and decisions.”
“Do all estates use these journals?” asked Charles.
“I believe the successful men do. The land in Britain has been farmed for thousands of years, and each manor house needs to know what crops grow well in the fields, when is the best time to sow seed, and harvest the corn.”
Bingley inquired, “Is this also done in the house? By the lady of the house?”
“In the largest homes, the housekeeper keeps a journal, though the lady has access and input for planning meals and expenses. Here at Netherfield, without an owner in residence, I am certain Mrs Hobbes keeps the household journal. She knows where the dishes are stored, and the silver is hidden.”
“Caroline and Louisa never speak of keeping a journal at Olive Street.”
“Old Mrs Hurst probably has it and works with the housekeeper on matters in Mr Hurst’s home,” explained Mr Darcy.
“I suppose that happens when a mother and daughter-in-law are in residence.”
Darcy did not say more and allowed Bingley to keep his thoughts to himself. However, both men wondered how prepared the Bennet sisters were to manage a house such as Longbourn.
‘Caroline will never enjoy such a task,’Charles knew.‘But I shall ask Louisa.’
Darcy told himself,‘Nothing Miss Elizabeth has seen or read could prepare her to manage my home in Mayfair, let alone Pemberley’s staff of fifty maids, footmen, and gardeners. No, she would never fit as the mistress of my estates.’
Then he admitted,‘It did take me a year–two years–to truly understand all that I had to manage in my holdings. Even with a lifetime to prepare and my university studies, there was much I had to learn.’
Surprised by his internal argument, the gentleman wondered,‘Why am I thinking of such?’
~~~
During his next visit to the Bennet home, Mr Bingley asked about the estate books at Longbourn and any journals on the household accounts. The conversation began in the hallway of Longbourn when the gentlemen came to shoot partridges again. When the hunters returned from walking over the fields with a brace of birds, Jane had the household books in the parlour and displayed their contents for Mr Bingley’s view while he took tea with the Bennet family.
Unfortunately, Caroline had imposed on Louisa, and the two ladies had travelled to Longbourn to call on Mrs Bennet while the men were shooting. During their visit, Miss Bingley made several cutting remarks about ladies dealing with kitchens, pantries, and receipts.
