Upon Darcy's return to Netherfield, he had a meeting with Bingley and Mr. Holmes, who served as Netherfield's steward, in the library to discuss. The three gentlemen discussed the necessary repairs required for the fence that bordered Longbourn, as well as the dispute between tenants.

According to the tenant of Netherfield, one of his newborn sheep had passed through the fence and entered the property of the tenant of Longbourn. However, the tenant of Longbourn vehemently disputed this claim and argued that the sheep belonged to him.

Following a lengthy discussion, it was decided that due to Bingley's non-involvement in the damage caused to the fence, both the proprietor of Netherfield and Mr. Bennet would be required to share the cost of repairing the fence equally. Additionally, Mr. Holmes offered to suggest the tenants of Netherfield and Longbourn that the sheep be marked with a different mark, and the wool be divided equally between the two tenants. Darcy agreed that this would be a fair and reasonable solution to prevent further disputes from arising in the future.

After Mr. Holmes had left to attend to his duties, Darcy noticed that Bingley was lost in thought and asked him, "Do you agree with the solution Mr. Holmes proposed?"

Bingley let out a deep sigh and replied, "Honestly, I don't see the point of the meeting. I am just leasing Netherfield, and Mr. Holmes is the steward. It is his duty to manage the estate, not mine!"

Darcy looked at him in surprise, and after an awkward silence, he replied, "Bingley, if you decide to purchase Netherfield, you will make these kinds of decisions every day. A good landlord should always pay attention to his tenants' complaints and take necessary actions." He looked him in the eye and added, "Mr. Holmes is an experienced and competent steward and can assist you with the administration of the estate, but you will be the owner and the decisions have to be yours."

"That is precisely the problem," Bingley explained, "To be frank, I have doubts about what I want to do. I have seen many landowners lose large sums of money due to bad decisions and poor harvests. I am not sure if I am cut out for this kind of responsibility and risks."

Darcy nodded in understanding and during their conversation, the two friends delved into the various concerns that were troubling Bingley. They spoke at length about Bingley's lack of experience, doubts and fears regarding the prospect of being the master of an estate. They also talked about the challenges that many landowners faced in maintaining their wealth and status. Furthermore, they acknowledged that, indeed, some landowners had become impoverished in the last few decades. However, Darcy pointed out that this was mainly due to their inability to adopt new and more efficient farming methods, lack of investment and debts. On the other hand, some landowners like Darcy were thriving and getting wealthier by the day because they were constantly investing in and studying ways to improve productivity and profitability.

After their conversation, Bingley was still feeling quite unsure about his decision to become a landowner. He was grateful for Darcy's help and advice, and he knew he had several months ahead of him to make a decision. He had the possibility to extend the leasing of Netherfield for at least one more year.

That same afternoon, Bingley decided to accompany Darcy and Mr. Holmes to Longbourn. His main reason for going was not participated in the discussion regarding the fence and the tenant's dispute but to see Miss Bennet again. He could not get her out of his head, and he longed to spend more time with her. He knew he had a tendency to fall in love with beautiful blonde women and forget them a few weeks later, and he hoped that by spending more time with Jane, he could gain a better understanding of his feelings for her.

As the three gentlemen arrived at Longbourn, they were greeted politely by Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth. Bingley expressed his disappointment when he learned that Miss Bennet was unwell and was not at home, and subsequently, Elizabeth accompanied them to Mr. Bennet's bookroom. To the surprise of Darcy and Bingley - Mr. Holmes was already aware of Miss Elizabeth's growing responsibility in the administration of Longbourn - Mr. Bennet invited Elizabeth to join them in the discussion.