"Oh, yes," he agrees, "but one could only 'take someone on as a companion' or a governess--someone of one's own class, or nearly, of good but poor family. For the lower classes to aspire to such accomplishments would have been... discouraged." His mouth tightens slightly, as he remembers how much flak he'd taken merely for improving his accent and posture, and then he blinks in surprise. "Whist? No. I meant one person reading aloud while others used their hands productively." He looks meditative. "I'll probably have you do that as I brew some of the longer and more mechanical orders."
And Sev looking all long-suffering and pretending he's rewarding himself for hours of study with pages of Dickens instead of the other way around. :D