Ellie picked up her book and headed to the entrance to the kitchen. "Love and treating others well are important to you, isn't Miss?"

Christine nodded and smiled to her as she prepared the leaves for some fresh tea. "I feel like i've never known enough love in my life, and I've felt that neglect. It makes me want to be different, while I also sometimes feel like wanting to hide from the world at the same time. So when I help, it tends to be the little things."

"I'm sorry you feel that way" Ellie said. Her family might have been poor and large, but her mother showed she loved them through her baking.

Christine smiled and shrugged as she brought over the cups and merely waited for the kettle to whistle. "Don't worry about me. I'm making a life for myself that I want. And I'm lucky for what I have now. My childhood was only so many years, I have all the years ahead of me to do something better, right?"

"Plenty of time, Miss." Ellie added with a smile. Christine was older than she, so Ellie had ages of time herself.

Christine nodded and nearly jumped as she heard the kettle whistle. She laughed a bit and took the kettle off the stove to pour their tea. She looked to her as she grabbed her cup to return to the other room. "Ready for some more reading?"

"Families and girls chasing rich men with money? Alright." Ellie asked, summarising the plot thus far. Ellie was in some ways glad she wasn't rich. When the time came she could marry for love, not out of desperation or greed.

Christine laughed lightly as she sat down and looked for her usual ball of fluff, but he was gone. Perhaps hunting miss between the rows. "Yes. Where we left off."

Progress had been slow. Ellie's voice was at times unsure of the words, yet Christine had been quick with a gentle voice correcting her mistakes. Most of the words were easy.

"In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet's visit, and sat about ten minutes with him in his library.

He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more... fortunate, for they had the advantage of.... ascertaining - ass-cer -tain-ing from an upper window that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse."

This Mister Bingley seemed a nice gentleman.

Christine watched and listened to her student. "You're doing incredibly well. I think soon enough, you'll not need my assistance at all. But you are very bright." She gave her a warm smile as she sipped her now cool tea.