[piosenniel]

Cook, Buttercup, and Uien . . .

‘Where is Derufin, Miss Bunce?’ Uien asked. Buttercup and Cook looked at each other and then away. Cook snorted and pointed her thumb toward the door to her rooms just off the kitchen. ‘He’s in there, Master Derufin is, and probably sawing logs on my clean quilt!’

Uien looked at her, a perplexed expression on her face. ‘Sawing logs? What a mess that would make.’ She tilted her head as if listening for the sound of saw against wood.

Cook laughed at her expression. ‘Figure of speech, my dear! I’d call him a “poor man” save for the fact he did this to himself.’

Buttercup butted in, wanting to get in on the conversation. ‘She means to tell you he’s sleeping off the drink he managed to down last night with Mistress Zimzi’s brothers. Last night of freedom and all that nonsense. He looks like death warmed over, at least he did an hour or so ago when the brothers brought him into the kitchen and left us to deal with him.’

‘I’ve given him some willowbark tea, fed him, and made him lie down for a while,’ said Cook. ‘The handfasting’s not til later this afternoon; we hope to have him back on is feet by then.’

‘Either that,’ said Buttercup with a knowing nod, ‘or Cook will string him up by the thumbs for ruining the day.’ Buttercup looked at Uien and chewed her lip a bit, trying to remember something. ‘Say . . . Uien . . . wasn’t it you that had a sort of healing gift?’ she nodded toward the closed door behind which the snoring and bedraggled Derufin lay. ‘You think you could do a little Elven magic and set him right again?’

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Cook sends Berulo out with a plateful of food and a mug of hot tea . . .

Before Uien could answer, a young Hobbit lad poked his head in through the doors. ‘Anything else needs to go out to the yard,’ he asked, his eyes fixed on Cook.

Cook motioned for him to come in. It was a Hobbit just out of his tweens from Bree. Very polite, Cook thought approvingly. Ma must have taught him some good manners, indeed! Berulo Rushlight was his name, he said, going on to say that the tables and chairs were all moved and arranged. And how he was a bit hungry now, but if there were anything else needed he would be happy to do that first.

‘I think the ladies will finish the rest of the getting ready for the party,’ Cook told him. ‘You’ve done enough, I think. And it’s much appreciated.’ she got up from her chair and got a clean plate from the cupboard. A few moments later, and she had it piled high with thick ham and cheese sandwiches, a juice apple, and had given him a hot mug of tea laced with honey to wash it down. ‘You go on out to the yard with the other lads and relax a bit and enjoy yourself. Eat up, drink your tea, and listen to the music. I’m sure they’ve tapped the kegs by now . . .’ Berulo nodded at her, a grin on his face. ‘We can think about cleaning up and hauling the tables back in once the party’s all done. For now, just enjoy yourself, Master Rushlight!’