Her little project was coming along nicely. Ellie would never be in the same league as as any of the girls she had gone to school with, and she was a long way away from anything like a doctor’s or minister’s wife. But there was time. And there was progress. After the initial hiccups, singing lessons were going well. And Catherine did see improvement in the younger girl’s manners. She held teacups properly without instructions nowadays and she didn’t blurt things out as often. And despite these changes, she had remained just as innocent and sweet. The truth was, Catherine had rather come to enjoy Ellie’s company. Ellie might not be interesting – she certainly didn’t know anything that was interesting and she didn’t have connections to write home about – but she was honest, selfless and worked hard to get what she wanted, and these were qualities Catherine admired.
 
It was a gloomy Saturday morning when the carriage pulled up in front of the book shop where the girl worked and a footman helped young Miss Catherine Ennington down. The little bell above the door announced her unexpected visit. Catherine looked paler and wearier than usual, but she was smiling to herself.