[Primrose Bolger]

Cook had gone into the Common Room to see to something, leaving Buttercup and Ginger to finish the mushroom soup. One of the local lads had brought in a large basket of fine, fat mushrooms from the wooded area near his home early this morning and bucket of wriggling eels in river water he’d caught, too. Cook had been delighted at his arrival, and breakfast and a few pennies had been given over for his effort.

The mushrooms had been cleaned and cut into pig pieces and now floated in a savory broth. A touch of thyme, a little salt and pepper, some onion, and a cup of barley to thicken it up put on the finishing touches. Buttercup diced a bunch of carrots and threw them into the pot, too. ‘I always like a little color,’ she explained as Ginger looked on.

The eels were left for later. Ginger had gotten out ten pie pans and lined them up on the counter. She would make the pastry for the eel pie as Buttercup had agreed to prepare the eels themselves. They both began to slice up the fresh, crusty bread for the bread baskets, leaving them lined up on another counter, clean napkins covering them.

‘So . . .,’ began Buttercup, smiling at Ginger. ‘You and Freddy going walking this evening? After supper, of course . . .’ She nudged the other girl. ‘I’ll even do the dishes for you.’

Ginger flushed, neck to cheek, then laughed aloud. ‘Well, I might just take you up on that. Don’t know that he’ll be here this evening though,’ she said, her face a bit wistful.

‘Oh, no doubt he’ll be here,’ assured Buttercup. ‘Gil and the others are coming in to play for a bit. At least, that’s what Tomlin said last night.’

‘Tomlin, is it?’ teased Ginger, arching her brow at her friend. Now it was Buttercup’s turn to color a little. She took up one of the kitchen towels and snapped it at the other’s bare legs. Ginger took up her own defense with another towel.