Jane Actually

it says here he’s already checked in and let me email you his contact information and let me forward you his picture so you can recognize him and the password for his portable terminal and you’re all set.”
    Albert thanked Stephanie for her help, although he was a bit overwhelmed by it, and then immediately used the terminal to access all the information she’d just provided. He didn’t need Stephen’s information, but he did use the terminal to send him a text saying he’d arrived at the hotel. Then he sent Jane an email saying he’d arrived.
    He also looked at the schedule included in his virtual goodie bag—really just a lot of attachments to his confirmation email. There wasn’t much going on yet. Although he had much in common with the women at the AGM—and it was mostly women—he had no interest in the first group activity that afternoon, a visit to a doll museum. He hoped that he might meet Stephen or even better Jane soon, although he supposed it was possible Jane might be interested in a doll museum.
    He decided to spend some time in the dealers’ rooms. There were three rooms and from the listing, he thought one room mostly sold books; one sold clothing, posters and knickknacks; and the last said it sold Texas curiosities.
    Naturally he went to the book room first. He remembered his first time to an AGM in 1992 and before the discovery of the afterlife. He was just a lonely ghost then and all he could do was look at the book covers and try to get a sense of the content and hope he could find someone reading a copy. Of course at that time, much of the Jane Austen fan fiction was very casual and some of it was just Xeroxed copies. Looking at the wealth of fan fiction today was very different, as was the young lady holding a portable terminal who stood beside a table heavily laden with books. He caught the field and realized her terminal was set to anonymous access.
    Beryl says:
    No, I haven’t read that one yet. Who did you say wrote it?
    Albert looked at the ID badge the woman wore that identified her as a vendor. It said Beryl and he realized she was in conversation with someone, and since no one living was around, surmised it was another disembodied person.
    susannovick says:
    Karen Amon-something. She’s English. It’s from the viewpoint of Charlotte Lucas and how she’s dealing with being married to Mr Collins. I wish I could remember her last name.
    BertieFromHants has joined.
    BertieFromHants says:
    It’s Aminadra, I think. Karen Aminadra. I read it, it’s very good. I got a little uncomfortable with where I thought it was going, but it never went there.
    Beryl says:
    Well thank you, sir? I’ll look into that Susan, it might be an author we want to pick up.
    susannovick says:
    OK, ta Beryl.
    susannovick has left.
    Beryl says:
    Bye Susan. So, thank you, Bertie?
    BertieFromHants says:
    Yes, Albert Ridings. You’re welcome. This is your table?
    Beryl says:
    Yes, the Longbourn Circulating Library. Everything is 10 percent off.
    BertieFromHants says:
    Oh, good, it’s just I don’t buy many physical books. Sometimes for my grandchildren.
    Beryl says:
    Oh, we’ve got several good books for children.
    She walked to the other end of the table and opened a book with brightly coloured drawings.
    Beryl says:
    It’s a Cinderella/Mansfield Park mashup, with Fanny Price as Cinderella. Well it’s a natural isn’t it?
    Albert had to admit Beryl was a good saleswoman, for he bought two books for his great-great-granddaughter and learned of another that he would buy as an e-book from Beryl’s website. The books would be mailed, of course.
    He spent almost thirty minutes talking to Beryl and was joined by another woman asking if Beryl had an audiobook available. Albert thought he should excuse himself while Beryl helped a living customer, but Beryl introduced the woman to Albert and they held a strange conversation with Beryl as their intermediary.
    Albert left the room thirty-five dollars poorer but with a warm glow. It was the first time since his death that he’d actually bought something from a person in a real-time exchange, rather than over the Internet. If he did not have Jane’s and Stephen’s company to look forward to, he would be happy to deem the AGM a success already.
    Once outside, he made for the terminal he’d earlier used to register and found that he’d received an email from Stephen.
    Albert,
    Glad you made it here safely. I’m in the hotel bar with your roommates.