The following morning, some miracle saw Mr Bennet still thinking about his estate, he had not simply forgotten about his decisions of the night before. At the breakfast table, he read the paper with a different eye than he usually did. Less interested than usual in what antics he could laugh at, he looked through the agricultural section. He could see the prices crops were selling for, and some of them he had an idea he actually grew. Knowing the price over time could be a useful thing, he thought. He saw an article that was talking about something called the "Norfolk four-course system". That sounded interesting and must be more or less current as it was in that day's newspaper. He had not noticed any mention of it in his books. He wondered where he could find out more.

Mrs Bennet came into the room and gave him a cold eye. "Well! I was planning on visiting Meryton this morning but if my pin money has been cut there is probably no point!," she said with an angry tone. "Now, now, my dear" he replied, "I am sure this will work out. I have been giving it some thought, and I thought I might attend upon your morning calls to our neighbours today, that I might discuss with them what they are doing on their land. If you were thinking of visiting, that is?"

Mrs Bennet gave him a conciliatory look. He was actually trying to make a change? That was new. Yes, she agreed, she could make calls.

Jane and Elizabeth entered the room. "Good morning, Papa, good morning, Mama" they said in charming unison. He was sure they practiced that.

The girls helped themselves to breakfast from the sideboard, giggling together over something only they understood. When they came back to the table with their plates, their father said "Girls, this afternoon I am going to call on our tenants, 'do the rounds' as my father used to call it. Would you like to come with me? Meet the people who allow us to live like this?"

Both girls looked intrigued and nodded vigorously.

Mrs Bennet raised an eyebrow. "Visit? The tenants? Is that wise, Mr Bennet?"

"Oh, yes, my dear. My father was adamant that a good landlord knew his tenants well and supported them when they were in need, visiting regularly to be ahead of any problems. That is how you keep the best tenants, he always said". Mr Bennet looked somewhat shamefaced "I suppose I really should have thought about this more in the past. We do have a farm vacant since the Maguires left 2 years ago. I should look at getting someone in there. Might have to give it rent free for a while if the fields aren't up to scratch. I wonder what state they are in".

Mrs Bennet raised an eyebrow, "Some of our tenants left? Are they allowed to do that?"

Mr Bennet looked at her, amused, "yes, my love, of course they are. The tenants are just that, tenants - this country hasn't had serfs in centuries. They move on whenever they like. It isn't often they do - either their situation has to be very bad, or sometimes things like family issues mean they have to move. It's a lot of work and money to move, so mostly an estate's tenants stay put. Equally, of course, we could throw them off the land. But it's hard to find good tenants, so if you have good ones, or even adequate ones, a landlord is generally willing to go the extra step to help them when needed so they will stay". How do I even know that? he wondered. I must have listened to something my father said!

~~ HoL ~~

Later that morning Mr and Mrs Bennet went out calling. The Gouldings at Haye Park were her first destination, which suited him as it was clear to see their fields were in fine condition, even if the estate was smaller than Longbourn. Would a smaller estate make it easier, Bennet wondered to himself. Probably not. It's probably about the actions, not the size of the actions.

The Goulding's butler admitted them and, leading them to the sitting room, announced them. Mrs Goulding was there in all her finery. "Thomas! Fanny!" she cried, "how lovely of you to call!" Then she lifted a perceptive eyebrow. "But, Thomas, I expect you don't want to take tea with me. Shall I have Horace called?"

"Ah, my dear," replied Thomas, "you know me so well. Is he in his library?"

"He is," the lady graciously nodded. "It sounds like you know the way?"

"I do," he smiled, "shall I toodle myself along then?"

"Do that," she said. "I am sure he shall be pleased to see you".

Bennet left the room, proceeding through the house. When he knocked on the door, a cry of "Come!" was heard from within and he entered.

"Thomas! How good to see you." The older man stood up and came over to shake Bennet's hand. "It's unusual to see you out and about. Is something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all. I was just wondering how you were doing. When Mrs Bennet said she was making calls this morning, I thought I would join her and see how you were."

"Excellent, excellent" smiled Mr Goulding.

The two men sat in front of the fire. Thomas knew he didn't have a lot of time - a morning call only lasted 15 minutes. He would be fetched quite quickly.

"So, how is your land doing? How have your crops been this season?" Bennet began abruptly.

Horace Goulding gave him a speculative look. Everyone knew me was an indolent landlord.

"That's an interesting question, Thomas, and not one I really expected from you. Is there a problem?"

"No, no," Bennet demurred, and then inspiration struck. "I was thinking that, in the neighbourhood, we never get together and share thoughts about our land. What we've tried that works well, as well as those efforts that don't work at all. I thought it might be a good idea, so of course I started with you, Sir!"

"Oh! Well, yes, that's probably a good idea. But… not much new happening here. I instituted the Norfolk system some 20 years ago and the standard rotation seems to work well here in Hertfordshire - for us, anyway. The turnips don't sell for much, as I'm sure you know, but the land is so much better the following season.

This Norfolk system? Again? I really must find out about that! But I at least remember what turnips are good for!

"Yes, they sell adequately for livestock feed, I find," Mr Bennet replied, only dissembling a little bit. He was sure he had grown turnips at some point.

The conversation devolved into inconsequential chit chat until a maid came to tell them that Mrs Bennet was ready to leave.

Bennet got up and made his farewells.

The other calls that morning were similar. Everyone was using this Norfolk system. How had he never heard of it? And he was starting to worry he would actually have to run these get togethers he had fibbed about! Although the concept was sound, he mused.

He and Mrs Bennet went home.

~~ HoL ~~

After luncheon, Bennet collected his girls, and they took the buggy out.

At least Bennet knew where all his tenants were - he had to collect the rent each quarter after all.

First, he stopped at the Jackson farm. Mr Jackson was out in the fields; Mrs Jackson was surprised to see him. But the girls were delighted to see the 2 youngest children, the older ones helping their father in the fields. The children played while he chatted briefly with Mrs Jackson. He hoped the other husbands weren't out in the fields!

Fortunately, at the next stop, the man of the house was home.

Geoffrey Cutts was an older man who had remarried to a younger woman when his first wife passed away. There were 3 boys from his first marriage, and his new wife was now obviously pregnant. He had been a tenant at Longbourn all his life, having taken over from his father. As a long time tenant, he knew the land well, spending every day out on it.

"Good afternoon, Mr Bennet! Unusual to see you out here!"

Why does everyone say that?

"No, surely not Mr Cutts, I am sure I see you every now and then".

Cutts didn't push the issue.

"Its fluke you have caught me" Cutts said, "the new missus is expecting. First births are the hardest - you're an experienced father, you understand, I'm sure. So, I have been dropping in throughout the day to check the little woman is well," Cutts continued, explained his presence.

"Indeed! I can understand that" Bennet nodded, "but I wasn't aware you had remarried - congratulations!"

Cutts nodded with a small smile "It's been a year now, but I haven't been up to the big house in a while".

"Is she doing well?"

"She is! The midwife is happy with her". Cutts was pleased with the enquiry.

"Good to hear. Do let us know if we can help out at all when her time comes" I can be neighbourly!

"Why thank you, Mr Bennet. That's very friendly of you".

"So, I was wondering… I've always thought your farm was well run, and I haven't been happy with how the home farm has been performing recently. I'm just not getting the same production out of the fields as I used to," Bennet confessed.

"Ah!" Cutts brightened up. "I've noticed you're using a three-field crop rotation and allowing your fields to lie fallow. My father put our fields onto the four-field system, oh, 30 years ago now. We don't let the fields lie fallow, we plant a secondary crop in the off years, and it puts plant food back into the fields. Better result than leaving it fallow, and actually returns a profit. I can recommend it".

This Norfolk system again? Does everyone know about it but me? But - 30 years we've been missing out on it! What was father thinking?

"Interesting. Thank you, I'll look into it". They talked a little longer, then Bennet collected the girls and they took their leave.

The girls and he checked in with the other tenants "we may as well 'do the rounds' properly, now we've started" he said to them and then they headed home.

Bennet had much to think of.

"Papa," said Jane, with shining eyes "can I go with you whenever you 'do the rounds'? These are my tenants! I have to know them properly!"

"Certainly, poppet, certainly!" Well, looks like we'll be checking in with the tenants regularly.

Bennet made the needed changes. To his surprise, he found he enjoyed it - he felt healthier when he was up and around the estate a bit. And he found that, with the amount of planning he had to do, more time than he had expected was spent with his feet up in his library.

It was a slow process, but over the next 5 years, he not only recovered the 30% the home farm had dropped, but he increased it by another 50%.

Time moved on and the children grew taller, as they tend to do, but life was good at Longbourn.

A/N - I wasn't expecting Mr Bennet to become the comic relief, but somehow it happened! its interesting how characters really do stand up and make demands about how they will be written - I've seen other authors commented similarly and thought it exaggeration, but... they really do!