Georgiana was nervous. Since the abrupt end to her stay at Ramsgate, she had only left her home to attend weekly services. She was so ashamed of her naivety, she was certain anyone who saw her would be able to tell how close to ruin she'd been.

Now she stood on the streets of London, her steady companion, Mrs. Annesley, by her side. Fitzwilliam had suggested she go shopping in an attempt to alleviate the gloom that had befallen her, and, eager to please, she complied. The rush of the people bustling around her made her head spin. She scurried to a nearby shop in which solicited little notice. In fact, she herself had not realised it was an establishment until she noticed, through a window, a few figures moving about. Mrs. Annesley, though dubious about the class of the establishment, suggested to her charge that should should enter the establishment. "We are, after all, meant to take you shopping."

Georgiana smiled a timid smile and stepped inside. She was immediately in awe. While nowhere near as nice as the shoppes she was used to frequenting, it held its own unique charms. The shelves sagged under the weight of the items it was tasked with holding. Never had she seen so many books.

Mrs. Annesley stood next to the door, a place from which she could see nearly every crevice of the store. In taking root there, she hoped to provide Georgiana with a small bit of space while still keeping an eye on her. It was a sentiment her charge greatly appreciated.

Reading had never been a favourite past time of Georgiana, she much rather preferred her hand at the pianoforte, but her brother was an avid reader and she wished to be more like him. She let her fingers float along the spines of the books, reading the name of each as she touched it.

Her turn about the store ended when she gently collided with another patron of the store. Georgiana was wholeheartedly embarrassed, stammering an apology to the woman. In return, the woman let out a hearty laugh, much to the surprise of Georgiana. "Please do not be offended," the woman said, suppressing her glee as best she could. "I dearly love a good laugh, but I do not laugh at you! Please, you need not apologise. As you can see, I am quite unharmed. I am quite aquatinted with the distractions induced by novels."

Georgiana blushed. "I am afraid I am not well acquainted with such distractions. I do not read much, I am afraid."

The woman mockingly gasped. Her lightness of air put Georgiana more at ease. "Indeed, that is a tragedy! If you do not read much, may I inquire as to your reason for stopping here?"

Georgiana searched for the hidden malice in the statement that she was accustomed to hearing from the other ladies of society she had met, but found nothing but interest and amusement. "I have an older brother who has a great love of reading in what little free time he has. I suppose I thought I should like to share that trait with him."

"Well, what do you like to read?"

Georgiana furrowed her brows. "What ever do you mean? Books, I would suppose." She blushed and stammered out, "I am sorry, that sounded quite rude. I suppose I do not know what you mean." The woman laughed again, and Georgiana was in awe at how easy this woman flouted social graces. She became even more flustered than before and dipped into a curtsey. "I am Miss. Georgiana Darcy. My apologies for not introducing myself earlier."

The woman stopped her laughing, her face now sporting a good natured smile. She returned the greeting, dipping into a curtsey. "I am Miss. Elizabeth Bennet," she said, in a friendly sort of mockery, "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss. Darcy." Then her face contorted into one of mock seriousness. "Now, I'm afraid we must give you a quick lesson on literature, for I fear you do not know what you do not understand how many types of books there are!"

Georgiana stared up at her like a wide eyed child on her first day of school. This having been the longest conversation she'd had since Ramsgate, she was afraid to continue it but unwilling to let it end. Miss. Bennet was being so nice. "Oh, please do!"

Elizabeth noted the poor girl shaking like a leaf, and wished to set her at ease. "Well, I shall not keep you long, as I believe that is your companion by the door there keeping an eye on you, as she should, though bit of a heavy eye I might say." Georgiana paled slightly, and Elizabeth knew she had mentioned something she'd aught not to. "So, let us start our lesson before I am forsaken of your company and forced to wait what is likely to be another half hour for my uncle to finish his conversation with the owner, for you see they are quite the gossips."

They weren't at all like gossips, they just had a great deal to speak about and very little sense of time when doing so. Still, the joke had the intended affect, and Miss. Darcy covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "Please, Miss. Bennet, do teach me."

"Well," she began, unsure of where to start, "there are mysteries and histories and journals and poems and romances, for a start. Many more, but those are the most interesting. And once you have chosen one of those it becomes a matter of trial and error; of finding what you like to read and what you do not." Elizabeth laughed again. "Perhaps I have overestimated what there is to teach, for I have just said it is a process of learning about yourself and what you prefer."

Georgiana took a moment to soak up what Miss. Bennet had said. She first thought that she should not like romances as they would remind her too much of of the hurt she had so recently suffered, but then she remembered that the bad men, the men who play girls' hearts for money do not get love in novels. That thought comforted her; the thought of a bad man being forced being revealed to everyone as such and he never being able to hurt an innocent girl, so in love with the idea of love that she would elope, again. Rather than voice all of that, she simply said, "I think I should like to read about love."

"Ahh," Elizabeth said, moving an inch closer to the girl. "Well, would you like to read about true love or fake true love?"

Georgiana gave her a funny look. "Whatever do you mean, fake true love?"

"Well, I have found that there are some very silly ideas of what love is and how it happens. Now, as I have never been in love, I cannot say for sure that love does not happen like some novels say, but I must tell you, I would never want a love as turbulent as that of a Radcliffe couple. And they barely even know each other in most cases!" Elizabeth huffed. While there were several girls who enjoyed the fantasy of it all, she was not one.

Neither, it seemed was Georgiana, as she quickly replied, "I only want to read the truest of love stories. People who know each other! A love that wont fade with time and has no ulterior motive."

Elizabeth smiled. "Those, are my favourites too, and difficult to find." She turned around, re-familiarizing herself with where books were situated in the store. She motioned for Georgiana to follow her and headed towards a particular shelf, knowing what she sought would be there. She pulled a thick tome from the shelves and handed it to the girl. "Shakespeare's sonnets. Since you said you were never quite the avid reader, I figured these would be good for you. This way, you can read a couple sonnets, not as lengthy as a novel, and then you can force your brother to read them so you both can discuss it."

Georgiana smiled: first at Miss. Bennet, then the book, and then at Miss. Bennet again. "That is a very good idea. And I think I have heard Fitzwilliam talk about Shakespeare with our cousin."

Elizabeth smiled. "Now, you must be sure when you discuss to be nice about his opinions, but never ever concede if you do not agree."

Georgiana smiled. "I can not image disagreeing with my brother. He is never wrong."

"Oh, I am sure he is wrong far more often than you think," Elizabeth said, but did not press the subject. "Now, I believe you should be going. Your companion is waiting, and she looks quite certain I am holding you here against your will!"

Georgiana nodded, dipped into a curtsey, and turned to leave. She turned on her heal, however, and said, "Miss. Bennet?" Elizabeth smiled at the girl and quirked her head to the side, indicating Georgiana go on, which she did in a quiet stutter. "May I call on you? After I have read some of the sonnets, I mean."

"Oh, please do! I am residing with my aunt and uncle on Gracechurch street for two weeks more. After that I return to my father's estate in Hertfordshire."

The younger girl hesitated a moment longer, before paying for her book and returning to the busy streets of London with her companion by her side.

For those of you concerned about Mary Marry Quite Contrary, it will continue. This is just a story I'm doing on the side when I hit a block on MMQC.