[piosenniel]

Sharya finds herself helping out . . .

‘Ms Bunce, I was wondering, if you had anything that I could help with, for perhaps a meal or two . . .’

The words had come out of the woman’s mouth in such a rush and tumble that Cook almost asked her to repeat herself. Instead, she just said, ‘Slow down, Miss! These old ears can’t listen as quickly as your tongue can wag!’ Cook looked the woman up and down, and decided she looked able enough. She directed her over to where Camille was just starting to clean off the carrots and mushrooms that Buttercup had brought in.

‘You can help Camille, here, get the carrots chopped in nice thick rounds and put into this big pot to be set to boil.’ Cook took down one of the mid sized kettles and put it on the table. ‘Now mind you don’t boil them to mush. They need to have some gumption left in them when we serve them with butter.’ Next, she showed them the seven big pie plates she had lined with pastry. ‘I’ll be wanting the mushrooms and onions sliced thin and layered in the pie pans . . . heaped up just a bit above the rims. Once you’re done, I’ll dot them with butter, put the top crust on and pop them in the oven.’

She got out some large cutting boards and knives for Camille and Sharya and giving Sharya an apron to put on, bade them hop to it.