It wasn't quite perfect, but Catherine smiled. She would not expect too much of Ellie. The fact that the girl was trying was enough for now. "Yes, like that. You look so fine when you do that. Couple that with your sweet look and you're sure to catch some gentleman's eye when the time comes, if I'm not mistaken." A lot would need to happen before there was any chance of that, Catherine thought, but it could not hurt to get the girl dreaming.

"Thank yeuw, Miss." Ellie said, blushing at the idea of her attractiveness while trying to pay attention to her accent. "A gentleman at Court?" Ellie's eyes sparkled and her voice lightened as her mind became preoccupied with the notion.

"Oh, well..." Her pale cheeks gained a little colour again. "I suppose that might be a little too ambitious, even for me," Catherine let her down gently. She herself certainly aspired to find a man with an aristocratic title. She meant to be Lady Catherine. But even for her with all her money and looks and manners, it was not as easy as she had once dreamed. "But certainly a well to do doctor, or a minister, or who knows what more you could dream for with a little bit of polishing." A lot of polishing, surely. But Catherine was very bored.

A doctor or a minister? Ellie nodded, her expression elongating as she considered the idea. Could be a lot worse. While not a Lord, a doctor was nothing to sneaze at. And all she had to was sit up straight and not slurp her tea..

Alright. Sounds like fun..

"Could ye help with the polish then, Miss?"

Catherine tried not to smile too much. She hid her smugness behind a dainty sip of her tea. Then she placed her cup back down on her saucer and looked at her would-be pupil as if considering the thing for the first time. "I must admit I have never undertaken anything like it. But I suppose I could teach you a thing of two," she considered with faux modesty. "And I do so like to be of service. Why, my dear, why not? You'd be wasted on a fisherman."

"So, what's the first lesson?" Ellie asked

"Let us finish the books and then we'll do a lesson," Catherine suggested. "It will be very important to improve your reading. You must be diligent about it. Any lost minute in the shop, you must spend improving it." Catherine doubted that Ellie had any real accomplishments to speak of and given how little time the girl had on her hands and how late she was to start her education, it would be hard for her to acquire any. The best she could do was to fix her obvious defects. An illiterate girl could never pass for a fine young lady.

Catherine picked up the last book. The cover read Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. She handed it to her pupil. "This book is about a horse who has many masters during his life. Some people treat him kindly, but some are cruel. I do so love horses and I can't stand it when people are cruel to them."