[Arry]

A Hobbit never declines a bite to eat. And Ferdy was no exception. He took the bread and borrowed her knife, spreading a thick layer of blackberry jam on the chewy, whole-grained surface. From a passing server, he obtained a mug, while from another he got a small pitcher of cider. Around his mouthful of food, he smiled and tried to answer her question.

‘Well, actually, Miz Aranel,’ he began, taking a big gulp of cider to wash down the bread and jam. ‘Actually, I don’t work here at all. I was sitting with my friends . . . we were planning something we were going to do, when Ruby, one of the servers here, pressed me into service.’ He took another swallow of cider. ‘I’ve been here often enough to know what they have in the larder, so I though I’d give it a try. How hard could it be, after all, I thought.’ He chuckled at his misapprehension. ‘Luckily one of the serving lasses in the kitchen helped me out a bit and your food was got to you before it was stone cold.’

He’d finished his bread and jam and now looked covertly toward the basket of bread. ‘My goodness!’ he thought to himself she eats just like a little bird. ‘If I’d known, I would have made the helpings much smaller.’ He reached for another slice of bread, and seeing as how she did not object, he took a nice slice of ham. Wiping the knife off carefully on the bread, he plunged it into the crock of mustard and slathered the bread with it, placing the ham neatly atop it when he was done.

‘My Da and I and a few of my friends just finished helping out at the groundskeeper’s cottage. Added a new room, and redid the cupboards and windows,’ he said conversationally. ‘The new couple that live there just got married a few days ago . . . right here in the Inn yard.’ He smiled, remembering the dancing and drinking and food and fun. ‘Too bad you couldn’t have shown up earlier. I think you would have enjoyed it.’

‘What about you?' he asked, not wanting to seem as if he were talking too much. 'If you don’t mind my asking - what brings you here to Bywater?