Page 13 of Master of Netherfield
“Have your daughters attended school?”
“No,” Mr Bennet replied quickly. “I wish to keep them at home, and I see to their education myself. Jane and Lizzy both are very conversant in French and some Latin though mathematics is a challenge to us all. We read extensively and our middle daughter Mary who is twelve years shows some interest in the pianoforte.”
“My girls will all sew and know how to care for the tenant families as well,” Mrs Bennet added. “Elizabeth prefers to spend her time with her father’s books, but I shall get a needle in her hands someday.”
“Do you have a large library, Mr Bennet?” asked William. “I fear Netherfield lacks anything printed in the last fifty years!”
“I do have some quality books. We shall look them over after dining and I can introduce you to our bookseller in Meryton. He is an excellent man with connexions to shops in town and the University dons who are forever purchasing books from families in need of cash.”
“My family library in Pemberley is excellent but my father would not wish me to cart books between our homes.”
“Then you will have to build a good library yourself,” Mr Bennet said. “It is a very satisfying thing I must admit. The books are much like a friend you have had for many years.”
The evening continued with pleasant conversation regarding more books, the escapades of the Bennet daughters, crops and the ever-continuing wars with the French.
“I do not understand these wars,” Mrs Bennet complained at one point during supper. “Why should Bonaparte want to invade England? We have no desire to invade France, do we?”
William answered, “Monsieur Bonaparte has imposed his will upon all of Europe except for Britain. We threw him out of Egypt, but I fear it will take the Russians and Austrians with our armies together to bring him to bay. Weshall not bow to the French.”
“Has your first week in Hertfordshire pleased you Mr Darcy?” asked Mr Bennet. He steered the conversation away from politics though he was pleased that Fannie made the effort.
The young man nodded and glanced between his host and hostess. “I am most pleased with the folk hereabout. It has been my good fortune to be born into a family of some consequence with great responsibilities. Unfortunately, my situation attracts...shall I call them grasping friends? And very often it attracts families anxious to marry off their daughters.”
Mr Bennet watched his wife closely and noted that she seemed affected by the shy, young man’s words.
“I understand that fathers and mothers wish to see their daughters settled but many of them see marriage as only a business transaction–what do they expect their daughter to speak of with the husband they select from a hat for thirty or forty years of married life?” William asked.
Francis Bennet took that moment to look down the table to her husband of eighteen years and realized how fortunate she was to have him–Thomas Bennet was pleasant and humorous. He did not mistreat her, and he cared for their children more than many other husbands she knew.
Likewise, Thomas Bennet smiled at his wife as her pleasant face softened with concern for their young guest at some other point in the meal.
“Mr Bennet, I find myself in need of cows,” William said as they waited for the dessert to be served.
“Come again?” asked his host.
Grinning at the quizzical expressions on the faces of Mr and Mrs Bennet, William explained. “I have invaded my dairy at last and I found two milk maids who have no milk. There are six cows at Netherfield, and they are all dry at once. The girls assured me the cows are all with calf, but it may be two or more months before they drop the calves and begin to produce milk again. I found my cook having to buy butter from Mrs Goulding when she has any to spare.”
“My dear, how is our dairy set?” Mr Bennet asked.
Mrs Bennet nodded for Mr Hill to bring in the cake as she said, “We have eight cows presently and we are feeding extra milk to the pigs and to the chickens. There are three heifers that freshened this spring, and we could spare two cows for Mr Darcy.”
“Excellent!” Mr Bennet said. “I enjoy settling all questions and discussions of livestock so easily.”
“But what price would you ask for your two cows?” asked William.
Bennet looked at his wife who shook her head, telling him she had notion of the price of cow.
“My wife who runs the dairy will not sell you any cow, Mr Darcy. We shall loan you two cows until your dairy begins to produce milk again.”
“But I cannot accept such a gift, sir.” Turning to Mrs Bennet, William said, “Madam, you must allow me to make recompense for milk and butter for my household for months.”
“Mr Darcy, I have an idea,” Mrs Bennet said. “The Netherfield dairy has a very good bloodline. Perhaps if my husband were to have his pick of the calves this summer–a young bull or a goodly heifer from your dairy that would improve my dairy–that would be ample payment for the milk for these months.”
Mr Bennet nodded and grinned while Mr Darcy thanked Mrs Bennet for her generous offer.
**++**
After their guest departed, Mr Bennet retired to his library for a final thimble of port before checking that the doors were locked and the candles all snuffed. At the top of the stairs, he checked the bedroom of his eldest daughters and then the nursery where the four younger girls still slept.
