The book was heavy, the paper thick, the print small. Ellie kept changing the position of her arm and moving the book closer to her, then further away, just to get comfortable.

"It.. is.. a.. truth... " Ellie began slowly unsteadily "uni.. uni.. " she continued stumbling over the next word.

Christine watched and gently took the book from her. "if I may? It might not be the most lady like, but large books like this, I find there's no need to be lady like." She showed her how she would read it. She placed it on the desk and leaned over, resting on her elbow with her chin in her hand and her other arm draped over the book, her fingers helping her keep her place. "See if this works." She slid it back to her. "And don't worry about saying the entire word in one go. Say each part and perhaps it'll be a word you recognize. U..ni...ver..sal..ly..."

Ellie nodded at Christine's instructions. She was so helpful and pretty too. Sitting across from her employer Ellie had a chance to study her good looks, poise, and etiquette. "U..ni...ver..sal..ly..." she sounded out each letter of the word she did not use very much.

"Universally" oh she recognised that word. "It is a truth universally ack..now..led..ge, acknowledged." Ellie restarted the sentence to get practice. When she reached a word she thought she knew but had trouble with, she sounded it out, just like she had been shown. She was pretty good with sounding out her letters.

"that a single man in pos..ses..si..on, pos..ses..sion, oh possession.. of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Such a posh sentence sounded funny to Ellie's ears.

"Is that true?" Ellie asked looking up from the book.

Christine had her chin in the palm of her hand as she watched Ellie read and sipped her tea. There was a small bit of pride that came to her seeing the girl progress so well before her eyes. She did that. She helped her get better at reading, and she'd master it in no time.

"Hm?" She blinked as she had let her mind wander for a brief moment. The brunette shook her head, and glanced to a random stack of books. "That isn't true. Fortune does not make one suddenly want, nor lack of fortune. I suppose, it would be better to think that if one wants, having a fortune makes it easier to act upon such a thing. People also think one strange if they have a fortune and do not marry and produce an heir to keep the fortune in the family. Like it matters what becomes of your riches when you pass on." She smiled brightly towards her. "What do you think?"

Ellie was too young to think seriously of the courting and marriage that the book suggested. Having someone close she could care about would be nice, but after what Anne Ward had said about boys, their intentions, not to mention those eel-guzzlers, Ellie was unsure.

"Money 'elps keeps yer belly fully and yer head dry. The more of it ye 'ave, the longer ye stay out of the work'ouse."

The bookstore owner leaned on her arms to get closer to Ellie and stared into her face with a deadly serious look. "That is indeed important. But once you have the money secured for a simple life, do not obsess. I have never met a happy rich person." She had met very few rich people in her life, to be honest. "And never think, just because you have money, that you need marriage. Only marry if you are in love, or so desperately poor and a rich man comes along. Then poison his tea." She winked and settled back into her seat and went for her tea cup and realized it was empty. "I'll make another. Want some?"

Young Ellie stared earnestly at Christine as the older woman imparted her wisdom. Serious stuff, marry for love alone. Her delicate eyebrows raised and her mouth opened in shock at her suggestion of poison, but then she caught the wink. Ellie was still getting used to Christine's sense of humour. Ooh more tea.

"Yes, please."

The woman stood with a flourish in her step as if she were about to waltz upon a stage, but turned before she could leave the room. "Also, love is a fickle thing. So do not rush. And if you love someone others say is forbidden, but they love you in return..." she shrugged and winked again. "Love isn't a sin. Just keep it to yourselves and be 'mere roommates'."

With her imparting wisdom,  she stepped out of the room and to the kitchen to make another pot of tea and hummed merrily to herself. If she ever discovered someone and invited her to be her own roommate,  would Ellie notice and wonder? She decided even if she did, she wouldn't say a thing.

Ellie's brows creased, what a strange idea love being forbidden.. maybe you really had to be older to understand. The girl dismissed the thought and handed off her tea cup before returning to the book she had been reading.

"'ow ever little known the feelings or views of such a man... may be on his first enter, enter-ring a ne..ig..h.bo..ur..hood - neighbour hood , this truth is so well.. fixed in the minds ..of the surroundin' families, that he is considered as the right full property of some one or other of their daughters."

Her voice was steady as she worked her way through the text, though quiet, as if she didn't want anyone to her reading aloud.

As Christine heated the water, she poked her head back in. "See what I mean? The idea of people seeing someone as fresh meat to line their pockets with the rich fool's money. " She laughed lightly and returned to the kitchen.