Despite Eu’s outburst, while I was gone, Constance managed to calm down her three visiting sisters. By the time I’d dropped Eu into her bedroom and returned, our guests were saying their farewells. Thinking my presence could only make things worse, I stayed in the back hall and listened until they were all out the front.

The moment the door shut behind them, Progress came stomping back towards the rear of the house. “That little monster! She’s going to ruin Grit’s reputation!”

"I assume you mean Eu, not Congress?" Obviously, I had my own feelings on the matter.

"Father! Of course I mean Eu!"

As she passed, I gave Progress a nod along with Swift who was following, wide-eyed, behind her, “You and Swift try to explain to Eu what she should have done instead. I’ll need to talk to your mother once she comes back in.”

Grit had followed Constance out the front door. After all, it was in his best interest to make himself visible and put his best foot forward. He was hoping his aunts would give a good report to their servants, friends, and acquaintances. Even if our family now had a bad reputation, perhaps he could overcome that through his own actions.

I waited in the front hall until I heard the coach roll away. After that, I opened the front door to welcome the others back inside.

“That could have gone better,” Constance mused.

“What will happen now?” asked Grit.

“Well… Confidence didn’t seem to care what Eu said about her. According to her, the foulest words of a squire’s bastard daughter are still meaningless.”

Confidence held the most status and power, but I knew she wouldn't be the most problematic. “What about Congress?”

Constance gave me a long look before responding. “We weren’t going to convince her anyway. Her ties aren’t as strong to our family as they are to her husband’s. The question is whether she’ll start any new rumors. I doubt it. She wouldn't endanger her own position over us. It'd be like cutting off her own nose to spite our face!”

There was no need to mention Conscience. Although she’d probably give a glowing report, she did that for everyone and for every reason, so it didn’t make much difference. Nobody gave an ear to her opinions anymore, not even her own servants. Even if she could convince her husband to support us, it wouldn’t matter. This was women’s business so her husband mattered even less than she did.

Grit moaned, “I’ll never get married!”

Given his despair, we both chuckled before I answered. “That’s not likely. Even if we can’t make a match with a family of the same status, women are just as willing to marry upwards as men.”

“You’d marry me to a freeman’s daughter?”

I patted his shoulder, “Just wait and see what happens. We’ll wait to make any decisions until you’ve proven yourself. After all, you haven’t even met your Knight-Master yet.”

“Lord Heft? How will that help?”

“He’s a just man. He may not approve of MY supposed behavior, but he’ll see you for who you are.”

“Yes father, but…”

“He’s a baron. His wife’s the daughter of a viscount. She has more influence than ANY of your aunts. If you can get a good report from her, even indirectly, that would make a big difference. In other words, you still have a chance to prove yourself.”

“But… It takes years to arrange an engagement! By the time I’ve completed my squire training, I’ll be an old man!”

Again, we laughed to ourselves. “Will you be as old as me then?”

His eyes widened as he tried to eat his words, “No, Father! I mean, yes… but, you aren’t old!”

“Nice try…” I gave him a grin. “Now, let’s check on your sisters.”

When we got to the back of the house, we found a strange sight. Eu was kneeling in the hallway, with her head bowed low, on the floor in front of Progress. Swift was off to one side eagerly observing the unexpected scene. It was almost as if Eu regretted her actions?

Progress had accepted Eu's apparent submission without missing a beat. “Euphoria! When someone of higher status speaks to you, it is best to say nothing!”

“I understand.” Eu bowed her head lower.

“The exception is if you are asked a direct question. In that case, you must reply, which means you must find a polite and positive way to give whatever answer they seek. You must not lie, but it is expected that you will present your evidence in the best possible light.”

“I’m sorry.” Eu bowed again.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You KNEW our aunts were higher status than us. But, you still insulted them? What were you thinking?”

“I won’t do it again.”

“You won’t do it again? Why did you do it in the first place?”

“I understand.”

“WHAT do you understand?”

“Yes, mother.”

Suddenly, I realized that Eu was reciting the lines that Grit had told her to use when Constance was scolding her. Unfortunately, they didn’t work in every situation. Definitely not when it was Progress instead of Constance before her.

As one might expect, Progress didn’t approve of Eu's response. “WHAT DID YOU SAY???”

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I won’t do it again.”

“Am I wasting my breath?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Agh! I feel like an idiot!”

“Yes, I understand, mother.”

Progress threw her hands into the air and stomped away. As she pushed past us in the hall, she gave me an angry look. “You need to teach that girl some sense!”

That comment was a step too far and disrespectful, so Constance reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Progress. Take heed. You are speaking to your father. As a squire, he represents the Duke, who represents the King, who represents Heaven itself.”

In moments, I saw her face blush red, then wash out to white as she realized what she had done. “Father. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it!”

The whole situation was ironic. She was using almost the same words as Eu, but I could see that while Eu was quoting them by rote, Progress was sincere. “You are forgiven. But learn from this. Were you angry? Rage is what drives the boar onto the spear.”

“Yes, I was angry." She hung her head. "I was a fool.”

Constance gave her a smile. “As he said, we have already forgiven you. You were only doing what you feel is right. However, you will learn that a calm heart will serve you better.”

“Thank you, mother.”

“For now, let us handle this problem. Take Swift elsewhere and try reciting scriptures together to calm down.”

“Yes, mother.” Progress retreated gracefully back to her room. She didn't even have the energy to stomp. Grit and Swift went with her, leaving us alone with the more serious offender.

Constance took up position in front, while I stood at her arm to add my approval to her words. Instead of shouting, this time, Constance didn't raise her voice at all. In a way, that was even scarier. “Euphoria. Do you have an explanation for your actions?”

Eu had closely watched our exchange with Progress and apparently she had learned a new excuse. “I was angry. I was a fool.”

Constance did not even smile. “That’s a good strategy - quoting your sister. But do you even know what those words mean?”

Eu tilted her head in confusion, not sure what to try next.

Constance sighed and tapped my arm. Apparently, it was my turn? “Euphoria, do you even understand what you did? By insulting his aunts, you undercut Grit’s opportunities for a future wife.”

“Wife? Grit has a wife?”

“Not yet. That’s the point!” I found myself raising my voice, but when Constance squeezed my arm, I pulled it down again. “He needs his aunts to arrange a good match for him.”

“His aunts will find him a wife?”

“They won’t now!” I answered her with a definite negative, knowing my confidence in that fact was an exaggeration.

Eventually, understanding seemed to cross her face. “Grit will have no wife?”

I crossed my arms and said nothing.

“Poor Grit! He will grow a beard and be an old, sad man like you!”

This time, I couldn’t even laugh. Instead, Constance did the laughing for me. First Grit, now Eu? I suppose the stress followed by this absurdity had addled Constance. She kept on giggling madly, turning away to hide her face.

Her laughter was unexpected and contagious, so eventually, I felt myself smiling as well. “Wife, does my beard make me look old?”

While still shaking in amusement, she answered me logically. “Husband, only women and children have no beards. I could hardly marry you without one.”

I wasn't done. “Wife, does my beard make me look sad?”

“Only when you spill food on it.” She couldn't stop giggling. In the meantime, Eu’s eyes got rounder and rounder while she watched us enjoying this moment together.

Realizing we were making a scene, I turned back to Eu, “Err hem... so… you don’t like my beard?”

“It’s a beard!"

What kind of answer was that?

However, she seemed to understand now. "Grit can’t have a wife without a beard?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. You saw Master Wit? He’s shaven his chin indicating that he will remain a widower. Otherwise, given his status and wealth, he’d be getting constant offers.”

“Poor Grit!” Eu hung her head sadly. “He has to grow a beard? Poor, poor Grit!”

We were getting further and further from the original topic. I tried to get us back on track. “Stop worrying about Grit’s beard! What you did today… you’re ruining his chances. But, in the future, you’ll be deeply tied to him as your brother. Someday, he’ll be the heir to the family name. It’s in your best interest to support him!”

She didn’t seem to be listening. “A beard? No! It can't be! Grit will be a beard-man!”

I sighed and put a hand to my forehead. “First, it’s mustaches, now it’s beards. What do you have against facial hair?”

She didn’t answer my question. Instead, she tilted her head to the side in deep thought. Then, her eyes widened and she began counting out thoughts on her fingers. “Before, you said that someday, I will need to have children. For that, I must have my own family. To do that, I must be married. But, now, you say to marry, that men must grow beards? So then … I must marry a beard-man?”

“Well… obviously! How else did you expect it to work?”

"A beard-man! Nooo!" Eu collapsed in a perfect example of overwhelming horror, falling as if she were already dead onto the floor.