[piosenniel]

‘Are you alright?’ Derufin asked, crouching alongside the Hobbit, his hand on her shoulder.

Cook looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes . . . she was laughing! ‘Oh my stars, Ferdy!’ she said, looking toward where the lad stood, mortified, next to his father. ‘You needn’t have run out of the kitchen once you’d told me her name!’

Tomlin and the other three lads had crept closer. This was turning out to be quite an interesting turn of events. They looked at Cook, then turned as one to Ferdy, questioning looks on their face. Cook, however, seeing the tinge of red creep up young Ferdy’s neck, hustled the lad and his father to a more private place, a ways away from the others. She gave Ferdy’s four friends her ‘look’ of warning; they backed away toward where Jinniver and Derufin stood, just as perplexed.

Ferdy had by this time begun to tell his father what he and Cook had talked about. Cook nodded her head as Ferdy made his explanation. He ended with a somewhat anguished plea that he didn’t mean to have some lass like him and what was he to do.

‘Now Ferdy, you didn’t tell your Da, yet, who the lass was you liked,’ prompted Cook gently.

There was a gasp as Andwise heard the girl’s name. Then his lips began to twitch and he chuckled and shook his head. Ferdy, flabbergasted at this reaction, threw his hands up in the air. ‘Well there’ll be no help from you two, I can see.’ He said stomping his foot in an irritated manner.

Andwise put his hand on Cook’s arm, as she had begun to chuckle again. ‘Oh, my dear lad. Even your sweet Mother is chuckling a bit over this!’ Cook nodded her head yes at this. ‘You’ll be needing no help from either of us, it seems for speaking to the lass in question.’ Ferdy rolled his eyes and sighed. He was about to make some further protest when Cook spoke up.

‘You’ll be needing no help, Ferdy,’ Cook went on, ‘because the two lasses are one in the same. If you’d stayed to hear me out, you’d have known that!’ Ferdy looked at her, stupefied. ‘It’s Ginger, lad,’ Andwise spoke, telling him briefly how Cook had come to him. ‘Ginger’s the one . . . and apparently the only one for you.’

Ferdy, by this time was gawping like a fish out of water. Tomlin, Gil, Fallon, and Ferrin had crept close enough to hear what was going on. And now they ringed him, Gil clapping him hard on the back to make him breathe.

‘Good one, Ferdy!’ cried Tomlin. ‘She’s a sweet catch!’ laughed Fallon. Gil, who fancied himself the expert on romance in their little group put his arm round Ferdy’s shoulders saying that perhaps he should give him a few pointers. Ferrin rolled his eyes at this offer. ‘Don’t you listen to him, Ferdy! He talks big and that’s about all there is to it.’

Cook and the others drew off, letting the young men sort out this new status for one of their own. Derufin and Jinniver were quickly filled in on what had transpired, both smiling as they looked toward the lads. ‘Well, now Andwise, that went well don’t you think? In the end at least!’ Cook asked with a grin on her face. ‘I wonder, now, how should I tell Ginger about all this.’

Andwise was about to give his opinion when Cook heard a ‘Pardon me’ from behind her. Ferdy had come with the others. He gave them all a serious look as he cleared his throat.

‘Begging your pardon, Miz Bunce. But I’ll be handling it from now on. No need for any go-betweens since it’s clear now where we stand.’ Cook agreed, with the admonition that perhaps it best be done today. ‘After all, she’s the one that came to me. She’ll be wanting to know at the end of the day, what progress I’ve made.’ Ferdy nodded, saying again that he would see to it.