[Arry]

Gil and Rowan are joined by the rest of the crew

‘There you are!’ cried Tomlin, approaching the table where Gil and Rowan sat. ‘I thought your Da said we were to meet him at the Widow Thistlefoot’s burrow. Something about a shed to be put up . . . for gardening?’ Without invitation, he sat down at the table as he waited for Gil to answer. Hungry, or perhaps just wanting to have something to do with his hands, he began picking at gil’s plate. A strip of bacon here, a piece of toast there.

Fallon and Ferrin soon came tumbling in the door; rolling up to the table with laughs at some odd joke one or the other had thought up. ‘Ooh! Second breakfast, is it? Lovely!’ cried Ferrin crowding in next to Tomlin with a chair he’d borrowed from another table. Fallon sat on the other side of Tomlin and waved over Ruby. ‘Gil’s famished!’ he shouted as she drew near. ‘He’ll need another plate of eggs and ham and bacon and maybe one of mushrooms. Oh! And a bigger basket of bread and more cheese.’ He winked at Rowan. ‘This lass here is hungry, too. Make that two of everything.’

‘And more jam,’ said Tomlin spying Buttercup who’d come over to see what all the commotion was about. He waved the empty jam pot at her, grinning widely.

‘Sweets for the sweet,’ she laughed, grabbing it from his hand before it slipped and dropped to the floor. Hands on her hips she surveyed the rowdy fellows. ‘And who will be footing the bill for this grand breakfast?’ she asked, her gaze sweeping from one to the other and back again . . .