[Envinyatar]

The repairs to the old caretaker’s cottage at the edge of the Inn property were moving along at a rapid pace. It was the roof for the most part that was in need of patching and mending. The interior itself was in good shape – just wanting a coat of fresh paint and the shooing out of several swallows and an owl that had take up residence in the rafters.

Derufin had gone up to the roof to patch the southern section. The sub roofing was still in good shape, but many shingles and been blown off, and the planks that held them needed a good coating of pitch and tar to seal the cracks where there edges abutted. He set to with a will and took off a number of shingles around the damaged area then began mopping on the sealant.

The four Hobbit lads had plans of their own along the southern wall of the cottage. And soon he could hear them banging with sledges on the interior wall, in the room beneath his feet. Derufin crept to the edge of the roof and lying down on his stomach saw a plaster-dusted hobbit issue out through a hole in the wall. ‘Oy!’ he shouted down to the lad, who was ripping out large sections of wall planking with his crowbar. ‘That was a perfectly good wall! Why have you knocked a hole in it?’

The Hobbit, Tomlin, squinted up at the man, and pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket. ‘Right here on the plans,’ he said pointing to the drawings on the paper. ‘Got to come out if we’re to build another room.’ Tomlin motioned for one of his mates to come out and look at the size of the opening.

‘What plans? And what room?’ yelled down Derufin, as the other Hobbit, Fallon, shook his head ‘no’ indicating with his hands that the hole needed to be wider. Tomlin held up his hand, signaling to Derufin to wait a moment while he and Fallon conferred. When Fallon had disappeared inside, Tomlin cocked his head up at Derufin and grinned.

‘Cook’s plan’s, Derufin,’ he said, shrugging his shoulders as if the man should have known. ‘The old cottage has only one bedroom, you see.’

‘No, I don’t quite see,’ growled Derufin, frowning as another section of the wall came tumbling. ‘Mind you don’t knock down the structure supports,’ he called down in alarm towards the enlarging hole.’

‘Oh, they’ll be careful. They’ve done this afore for the as prefers to live in wooden dwellings.’ Tomlin stepped back as Fallon came out for another look. Hands on hips the two of them looked smugly toward their handiwork and called out the other two workers, Gil and Ferrin. ‘Right, then, lads! We’ll just start the clearing away and begin the framing.’

The sound of a sweet voice came round the edge of the cottage, accompanied by the tempting smells of fresh baked scones and a flagon of fresh brewed sweet-tea. ‘Cook’s sent a snack to hold you til breakfast,’ said Buttercup, eyeing the lads who had gathered round her like bees to a flower. ‘Now wash up a bit and help me unload the baskets. The Hobbits fell all over themselves in their rush to be the first back to assist her.

Derufin shook his head, and couldn’t help laughing at the calf-eyed fellows. He climbed over the roof to the ladder on the other side and clambered down. He was thirsty, himself, and could do with a mug of tea. Zimzi was there, smiling, as he reached the ground. ‘I’ve escaped “The List” for a few moments,’ she laughed, telling him how Cook had drawn up a great list of things to be done and was slowly working the staff and herself through it. ‘Come,’ she said, taking his hand, ‘Let’s get you a mug of tea and a scone before the Hobbits eat them all.’

Once the mugs were filled and the scones handed round, Buttercup smiled prettily at the workers and said she must be off. There were groans of disappointment and calls of ‘Can’t you stay a bit?’ But she was firm, saying there were things to be done back at the Inn – Ruby would brings them out lunch – then she would expect them washed and ready for dinner back in the Common Room in the early evening. ‘Serve you myself,’ she promised, taking Zimzi in hand and urging her back to the Inn.

The men, all five of them, looked wistfully after the women as they disappeared across the grounds. ‘Well, then – back to it, lads!’ shouted Tomlin. The sooner started, the sooner done.’ Fallon, Gil, and Ferrin began unloading the lumber from the wagon along with sawhorses and saws.

Derufin started back toward the ladder, then paused. ‘About my last question – the one about the room – you didn’t answer what it was for. Gil and Ferrin, came near, bearing the ends of a long piece of planking on their broad shoulders. They raised their brows at Tomlin on hearing the man’s question, then started chuckling. Tomlin scratched his head, and peered up at Derufin as if the man had gone quite dense. ‘It’s for the wee ones, of course,’ he said, speaking slowly in case the heat of mid-morning had dulled Derufin’s brain. ‘You’re to be wed, or so we’ve been told . . . and to that lovely creature who came with our own Buttercup just now.’ Tomlin picked up a piece of chalk and a string for measuring the lengths to be cut. ‘There’ll be plenty of little ones for Cook to fuss over . . . she’s told us so. And so we’re making the room for them – all nice and sunny, here on the south . . .’