[Primrose Bolger]

Ginger finished up the few rooms there were left to do and hurried back down to the kitchen. She was near to bursting with her news about Wren and Tim and Miz Rosebank. She rushed from the stairs to the kitchen’s door, waving at a few customers who had tried to give her their meal orders. ‘Buttercup’ll be round!’ she’d said hastily to them as she hurried by.

The doors flew open with a loud bang as she flew threw them. A moment of guilt assailed her, knowing Cook did not like her walls scuffed by the doors in such a manner. ‘Cook!’ she called out, throwing caution aside. This news was much too urgent to care about the condition of the wall paint.

‘Cook?’ she said again, but this time in a questioning voice. The kitchen was empty. Pans of rolls had been set by the stove to finish rising, clean lined towels carefully covering them. The big cauldron of thick mutton, vegetable, and barley soup was bubbling lazily on the hob.

‘Oh!’ Ginger huffed in an exasperated manner. ‘Here I am with a bit of good news and no one to tell it to!’ Her glance fell on the slightly opened back door . . .