The bookstore was a quiet and tranquil place this morning.  The kitchen scrubbed, her mistress' chamber tidied, Ellie was at a loose end. There was still the daily shop to do, but that would be after lunch.  The luckiest - or as some would malign - the laziest maid in Whitby took the opportunity to carry on with her reading of Pride and Prejudice as Miss Christine had instructed, to better herself.  It was a thick tome, but the tale from the recent past was engrossing. 

Ellie was folded in the front window of the shop probably drawing stares from passers-by. Her blue work dress billowed around her as she read, oblivious. 

"MY DEAR HARRIET, "  Ellie read aloud softly, paying special attention to her pronounce her 'H's', just like Miss Christine and other well-to-do ladies did. She continued the text on the page: "You will laugh when you know where I am gone, and I cannot help laughing myself at your surprise tomorrow morning, as soon as I am missed. I am going to Gretna Green -"  "Oh no.. Lydia-- no " Ellie's reading skills were coming along, she now did not have to sound out every letter but the occasional longer word, and could begin to dig into the story behind the words, in this case poor Lydia Bennett. Young Ellie had heard about that place and knew it was a damned place, but the young maid's vocal concern could not save this Bennett sister.