“Get that burly one we saw at breakfast,” Aunt Julie requested of Sally, the head housemaid who was standing nearby for assistance. “I want him up on the ladder next. Best backside in the estate, and I am in desperate need of the view.”

A fit of coughing began from the three footmen before them, and Elinor pointedly turned her face into the wall. “Saints and angels, kindly plead our case before the Lord so that the whole of the family is not judged for my aunt’s eccentricities…”

“Oh, tush,” Aunt Julie scoffed loudly, revealing the truth of her hearing abilities despite having spent years claiming to be deaf. “The Lord blesses the elderly with the freedom to speak as they will, and handsome servants with particular assets are evidence of his merciful benevolence to us.”

“Are they indeed?” Elinor asked, turning her head to look at her aunts. “I had no idea.”

Aunt Beatrice eyed her in return. “You seem flushed, Elinor. Are you quite well?”

Elinor nodded and turned fully, putting her back to the wall instead. “Quite well, thank you.”

“Of course she’s quite well, Bea,” Aunt Julie blustered as she waved a hand in Elinor’s direction. “The girl could hardly be otherwise when she’s been kissed utterly senseless by that delicious Mr. Sterling.”

Elinor fairly hiccupped with shock. “Pardon me?”

Her great-aunts cackled uproariously. “Oh, that was a good one, Jules!” Aunt Beatrice crowed. “A perfect dart, and right on the target!”

“I told you!” Aunt Julie insisted, holding out a hand. “I told you. A crown, if you please, sister.”

“Gladly!” Aunt Beatrice reached into the pocket of her skirts and withdrew an aged reticule that jingled. She stuck her fingers in and pulled out a shiny coin and placed it rather delicately in her sister’s palm. “Money well spent, and money well earned.”

Elinor glared at them both. “I despair of you both, you know that?”

“We do,” they said together with matching sage nods.

“And you’re content with that?”

“Quite,” Aunt Julie quipped, closing her fingers around the coin and waving her closed hand in the air. “Quite content.”

Aunt Beatrice coughed into a lace handkerchief. “We’ll die one of these days, you know, and then you’ll all miss us very much.”

“I’m sure we will,” Elinor remarked dryly. She put a hand to her flushed cheeks. “That was uncalled for, you know.”

“Most of what we say is uncalled for,” Aunt Julie reminded her. “It’s why we say it. Besides, love, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Elinor raised a brow at that. “Don’t I?”

“‘Course not,” Aunt Beatrice retorted. “The man is a handsome devil, and cheeky enough to keep you on your toes. And so thoughtful. He even fetched us some punch last night, in lieu of our not dancing.”

That made Elinor smile despite the ridiculous idea of her great-aunts dancing. “Sweet.”