In this weeks chapters, JA tells us twice that LS is illiterate. However, we learn that she is in correspondence with EF - she waves his letter under ED's nose!

Although I've read S&S several times before, I was still surprised when I read this and more so following the correspondence. The Price family in MP are are literate and I thought them to be JA's lowest family on the social scale.

In this context it seems that illiterate does not mean that they can't read and write - I'm inclined to think it means they haven't read much and have only basic literacy skills.

It also set me thinking a bit about the Steele girls background - we aren't given much. They seem to have spent a lot of their time at their Uncle's in Plymouth - EF must have met them quite a number of times before entering on a secret engagement!? This makes me think that perhaps their parents are dead? There is some mention of LS being used to manage on a small income, I think. the rest of their times seem to be in visiting friends and family ("being invited about"). They had engagements in Exeter, but these gave way before an invitation to Barton Park. And they went to London to stay with some relations - presumably because they got taken up by the Middletons!

I think they are described as being only moderately genteel, so where exactly are we to put them on the social scale??