Elaine waggled her fingers. "All right, I'll take it to her," she replied. "Anyway, I think I've already topped Starling in her approval, so we're all right."

She passed the letter back. "Good neighbor. I'm probably going to regret this. It's probably confessing his eternal devotion to Barbara."

Elaine raised an eyebrow. "Um. I've seen them in the same room together. I don't think so," she replied, as she stuffed the letter into her bodice. "They bicker like an old married cat-and-dog."

She wrinkled her nose at Elaine. "I've seen them in the same room together too. And they talk the way Mother talks to my father. As if they know each other too well to either trust one another or hate one another."

"Yes, that," Elaine agreed. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry about her being competition, all right?" she added cheerfully. "Anything else you want me to do while I'm gone?"

"No. I might go out-of-doors for a little while and see what's going on." She glanced down at herself. "That will require wearing more than this, I fear."

Elaine laughed. Loudly. "Maybe a shirt?" she suggested. "Not that you don't look nice like that. You do."

She rolled her eyes and propped her hand on her hip. "The guard will be delighted, I'm sure."

"Put some clothes on," Elaine crowed back cheerily, blowing the older girl a kiss as she skipped out of the room.