[Bêthberry]

Bethberry soon found that her part was to play the observer. She watched Froma and Gerdwyn talk. At first the man patonized the older woman but she held her own. Her love of cooking gave her confidence where her timidity at first had made her hesitant. Slowly she began to question Froma about weights and measures and quantities and puddings and stews and ragouts and pasties and syllabubs. When he began to grunt his replies, Bethberry knew he had met his match in the kitchen. Likely he would ask her to return the next day, working with him in the kitchen for a week or so while she learnt how his kitchen was organized. She tip-toed out, wanting nothing so much as a quiet bit of time to review the Inn's finances and consider how to pay for the new stable.

~ ~ ~ ~

She put down her quill, the page dried, and closed the book. It would be costly. They would have to draw in many more patrons. Off in the distance she heard the last notes from Liornung. Perhaps entertainment, once or twice a week would draw more to the Horse. She closed her eyes, thinking of how she could hire the street performers, perhaps to give a comedy or two, in addition to the music. She leant over on her elbow and nodded off to sleep...

"Silly Berry, sleeping." A nudge displaced her elbow and her head fell to the desk, luckily pillowed somewhat by the leather bound book in front of her.

"Pufft," the Innkeeper with surprise. "Aren't you being pleasant, Madi."

"Madi doesn't feel pleasant. And why should he? Today Madi learnt that fathers are not pleasant. And stable fires aren't either." The little man sat down on the bench beside the Innkeeper's desk and looked up at her.