[Nurumaiel]

"Oh, Miss Piosenniel," said Angelica. "If there's one thing you don't want, it's my children coming with me. There'd be no point in bringing me to the Inn at all. I'd do nothing but chase the little ones." She looked back at the door as she heard a triumphant scream from Fosco. "But I do worry about Merimac taking care of all three of them... he is busy..."

"Why not leave one twin here, and take the other one?" Pio suggested. "You're husband will have less children to take care of that way, and you won't have to worry about chasing the twins around the Inn."

Angelica looked startled. "I never though of that before, Miss Piosenniel," she said thoughtfully. "But I'll have to take Prisca. Fosco can cause just as much trouble on his own."

Angelica went into the house and soon came out, holding little Prisca in her arms and trying to keep Fosco from climbing up her skirts. "Mummy, Prisca and I weren't done playing yet! Mummy, I want to go for a ride, too! Mummy, is that the Elf? Mummy, I want to hit the Elf with pudding!"

That was enough for poor Angelica, who turned bright red and, setting Prisca down next to Pio, dragged Fosco back into the house, pushed him through the front door, closed the door, and fishing a key out of her apron pocket, locked it.

Then she turned to Pio, still red, and burst out, "Oh, Miss Piosenniel, you won't mind, would you?"

Pio smiled and shook her head, so Angelica leaned against the front door and laughed and laughed and laughed. Then she climbed up onto the wagon once more, and, with little Prisca in between them, they set off for the inn.