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Darcy allowed Cadmus to munch on the grass that ran along the path where he waited for the Bennet ladies to appear.

He found his mind drifting back to last night, which had been a dramatic frenzy worthy of the stage.

He witnessed broken vases, screaming, and recriminations.

Darcy was deeply concerned for his friend as he watched Bingley struggle to keep his sister in check.

An excited voice called out, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Mr. Darcy! How are you an’ Crumpet this morning?” Kiernan was pleased to see his newest friend and favorite horse.

It surprised Darcy when he realized they had come upon him without notice. “Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mary, Master Kiernan. A good morning to you all. We are both doing well today, Kiernan.” Darcy bowed to the group.

Elizabeth bit her lip. She did not want to discourage Mr. Darcy, but it was just too funny. “Crumpet, Mr. Darcy? I would have thought he would have been something more like Agamemnon or Zeus.” She restrained her laughter with effort.

Darcy smiled at the expressions on Miss Mary’s and Elizabeth’s faces.

“Well, I told Master Kiernan that when my sister first met my horse, she decided he was too sweet and renamed him Crumpet. It is now a bit of a joke between us now that she is older. I do still use his other name, which is Cadmus.”

Elizabeth recalled two likely references for such a name. “So, did your noble steed get his original name from the fact that he excels, or are you fond of the tale of the Phoenician prince?”

Darcy halted in surprise at her query. “I found he excelled at everything I asked of him and so I chose that name. Though, I will admit that he also has a princely air about him. I must profess that I have rarely come across anyone who knew the references of which you speak.” The more he learned about Miss Elizabeth, the more he wanted to know.

“I am rather fond of Greek and Roman legends, and I have dabbled with learning Greek. I would have loved to learn more, but my father has refused tutors.” As soon as she spoke, she started doubting herself.

Should she have disclosed such information?

Elizabeth continued along the path, wondering if gentlemen really disliked women who read.

Doubting herself was something that she did not do often, and she never appreciated having to muddle through the feeling.

Kiernan had been waiting for Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth to end their conversation. He noticed his opportunity and quickly spoke up to ask his question. “Mr. Darcy, may I pet Crumpet today?” He had politely kept his hands behind this back lest he pet him before he had permission.

Darcy smiled at the boy but looked after Elizabeth as she hastened down the path. “I would be happy for you to pet Cadmus. Or, if you wish, you could ride him into town.”

“You don’t think he would mind?” Kiernan had never even dreamed of riding such a wonderful horse.

“No, I am quite certain he would be happy to have you ride him.” Darcy helped the boy put his foot in the stirrup after he shortened it and swing his other leg around.

All the while, he kept glancing up the road at Elizabeth.

Had he given her a dislike of him? Had he once again said the wrong thing?

Kiernan’s smile knew no bounds. “I am so very tall!”

“Are you comfortable up there, or do you want to come down?” Darcy wanted to make sure Kiernan felt comfortable atop the very tall horse before he led the horse forward.

Kiernan felt as if he could conquer the world from this high up. “I am fine where I am, Mr. Darcy.” He was not holding the reins, but that did not dampen the pride in his voice.

Darcy tried to keep his attention on the overjoyed boy before him.

“You have a very good seat, Kiernan. You will ride by yourself in no time.” He clicked his tongue to get Cadmus to follow him.

Darcy walked down the path, the smell of damp earth and pine surrounding him, desperately searching for a way to make it up to Elizabeth. But what was he trying to make up for?

Mary had watched all the previous interactions with curiosity.

There was definitely something developing between her sister and Mr. Darcy, but it seemed as if neither was aware of it yet.

She whispered a silent prayer that whatever it was would end up bringing them both joy.

“Mr. Darcy, my sister said that you were interested in setting up classes for the children at your estate. How many families do you think might be interested?” Mary wondered how a gentleman who cared for his tenants might go about fulfilling the needs they would have.

He was happy to explain things to Miss Mary. “We currently have thirty-two tenant families with several vacancies on Pemberley land. I am trying to decide how to identify which children are interested in learning and which can be exempted from their family’s responsibilities.”

Mary responded to Mr. Darcy’s question with some of her own.

“Do you visit the families yourself, or perhaps your sister? How do you check in to make sure that they have all they need? We found it was easier to bring up the plan for lessons during one of those visits.” Mary watched Lizzie silently walk slightly in front of them on the path.

She was definitely ruminating on something.

The thought that he might go visit the tenant families himself was something Darcy had never contemplated.

“I have little direct interaction with the families. My steward has all the direct contact, and my sister is only fifteen. She does not have much contact with them either, at least that I know of. Is that something that the woman of the estate might do? I know my mother found any dealings with the tenants to be far below her.”

Mary did not want to offend him but found his unfamiliarity with such matters odd.

It was possible that things worked differently in the upper echelons of society.

If that was the case, Mary was happy to remain on the periphery.

She enjoyed interacting with the tenants of Longbourn.

“I can say nothing about the larger estates like yours, but here in Meryton, the ladies at the estates visit all the families regularly. They see if the homes are in repair and if they need food and clothing. In small communities, they also check to see if they need remedies for various ailments.”

This thought caused Darcy confusion. “Would not a competent steward see to all those things? I often talk with him about certain needs, such as when there is damage after a storm.” Darcy was fairly confident he was taking care of all those families at Pemberley, but what if he did not know the right questions to ask?

Elizabeth had not walked so far that she could not hear what Mr. Darcy was discussing with her sister.

She found herself drawn back into the conversation.

“What you are overlooking, Mr. Darcy, is that a someone else may not see what you see. A family may be too proud to tell your steward they are struggling, but is he noticing the ragged clothes and wan faces which might tell a different story? Does he speak with the woman of the homes? A mother will get what her children need where a husband may not care or be too proud to do so.” She spared a glance back at Mr. Darcy before continuing.

“I know you are not married, but it is important to know that a woman may confide in another woman what she will not to a steward or the master of the house. She may speak to a woman about the difficult time she is having with her pregnancy or the baby that will not get well.” Elizabeth was still questioning how Darcy may view her reading habits and felt less charitable than usual.

She knew she was getting heated, but she had spent so much of her life in the company of someone who was indifferent to anyone’s needs, she couldn’t help but express her feelings.

The bottom seemed to drop out of Darcy’s stomach. He had never thought about any of those scenarios. “That is not something I had ever considered. I hope no one is suffering from my lack of foresight.” Darcy started thinking of ways he could amend the situation.

Darcy’s quick reaction, paired with his regret that he had not been more knowledgeable, was palpable.

It filled Elizabeth with a deep sense of guilt for assuming the worst of him.

“You have been following the same customs as your parents, unchanged since their time. It is possible that someone was seeing to the things that your mother was not. A housekeeper, perhaps? Regardless, maybe you should contact your steward or housekeeper to see if those kinds of things are being taken care of.”

Darcy was glad that Elizabeth was once again talking with him.

It almost distracted him from discovering he might have problems back at Pemberley.

“That is a good idea. Do you feel that at fifteen, my sister would be too young to help? And how do you organize such an endeavor?” Darcy felt that his problems were now multiplying.

Mary felt the need to speak up, as Elizabeth seemed to struggle with something.

“Mama had us helping by twelve or thirteen. We try to see every family twice a month. We all go in pairs, and everyone has their day to go out. You might find it best if your sister goes with a companion and a groomsman. We always bring something for the family, whether it is a treat for the children or something we know the family needs. I would imagine it would be different with as many families as you have, but in principle, it would be the same.” Mary eyed Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.

They both seemed to be confused. She hoped that if there ever was any kind of attachment between herself and a gentleman, she wouldn’t look so lost. She felt a sudden warmth in her chest when she thought of Mr. Goulding, but she forced herself to push the feeling away.