Estella wiped her hands on her apron and glanced out of the open, round
window. Merry and Pippin would be there soon. Frodo and Sam had just
arrived and were sitting in the parlour talking. Soon she heard the clip-
clop clip-clop clip-clop of approaching pony hooves and looked out again.
Sure enough, it was Merry and Pippin. Estella quickly discarded her apron
and went to the door to meet them.
The two hobbits came in after securing their ponies. "Hullo Estella," Merry greeted her as he came inside and hung his cloak on a peg. He noticed Frodo and Sam's cloaks were all ready hanging up and asked if they were late. Estella shook her head. "No, the other two were early, they're in the parlour at the moment," She told them. "Would you like something to drink? I just put the kettle on a moment ago."
"Hullo Merry, Pippin," Fredegar entered the hallway as Estella disappeared back into the kitchen and the two hobbits had started to turn around. "Glad you could make it, has Estella offered you a drink? Dinner shouldn't be long now, come and join us in the parlour." The hobbits sat and talked until a delicious, tempting smell reached them from the dining room and Estella emerged, telling them that dinner was now ready.
The table was laden with mushrooms, potatoes, peas and carrots, cheese, freshly baked bread, slabs of butter, pork pies and chicken. The six hobbits sat down at the table and their plates were soon piled high and they were chatting away. They talked and ate until there was hardly any food left on the table. "Mmm, that was a really good meal," Sam told Fredegar as he cleared his plate and sat back contentedly.
"Your praise should really go to Estella, she did most of it. In fact she wouldn't allow me into the kitchen." Fredegar told them as Estella cleared the table. "She's quite a cook, if I might say so myself." Estella came back into the dining room with a tray of apple tarts and fresh clotted cream and blushed slightly as she set them down. "Fredegar's just being biased," Estella said but after the hobbits had taken a bite of the tarts they had to agree with Fredegar.
Later the hobbits removed to the parlour. Estella seated herself in the corner and attended to mending one of her skirts while the others lit their pipes and smoked. She only half-listened to their conversation as she sewed, "I suppose that you'll all be coming to the re-opening of the Green Dragon?" Fredegar inquired after admiring Merry and Pippin's pipes.
The four hobbits nodded, Frodo would be there of course as he was still the deputy mayor and the others because they wouldn't say no to a party and ale. "Estella here, she's got herself a job there - when it opens as a barmaid. Though she tells me that I won't be getting anything cheap," Fredegar laughed.
The two hobbits came in after securing their ponies. "Hullo Estella," Merry greeted her as he came inside and hung his cloak on a peg. He noticed Frodo and Sam's cloaks were all ready hanging up and asked if they were late. Estella shook her head. "No, the other two were early, they're in the parlour at the moment," She told them. "Would you like something to drink? I just put the kettle on a moment ago."
"Hullo Merry, Pippin," Fredegar entered the hallway as Estella disappeared back into the kitchen and the two hobbits had started to turn around. "Glad you could make it, has Estella offered you a drink? Dinner shouldn't be long now, come and join us in the parlour." The hobbits sat and talked until a delicious, tempting smell reached them from the dining room and Estella emerged, telling them that dinner was now ready.
The table was laden with mushrooms, potatoes, peas and carrots, cheese, freshly baked bread, slabs of butter, pork pies and chicken. The six hobbits sat down at the table and their plates were soon piled high and they were chatting away. They talked and ate until there was hardly any food left on the table. "Mmm, that was a really good meal," Sam told Fredegar as he cleared his plate and sat back contentedly.
"Your praise should really go to Estella, she did most of it. In fact she wouldn't allow me into the kitchen." Fredegar told them as Estella cleared the table. "She's quite a cook, if I might say so myself." Estella came back into the dining room with a tray of apple tarts and fresh clotted cream and blushed slightly as she set them down. "Fredegar's just being biased," Estella said but after the hobbits had taken a bite of the tarts they had to agree with Fredegar.
Later the hobbits removed to the parlour. Estella seated herself in the corner and attended to mending one of her skirts while the others lit their pipes and smoked. She only half-listened to their conversation as she sewed, "I suppose that you'll all be coming to the re-opening of the Green Dragon?" Fredegar inquired after admiring Merry and Pippin's pipes.
The four hobbits nodded, Frodo would be there of course as he was still the deputy mayor and the others because they wouldn't say no to a party and ale. "Estella here, she's got herself a job there - when it opens as a barmaid. Though she tells me that I won't be getting anything cheap," Fredegar laughed.