Stephanotis

Stephanotis had popped around for a cup of tea before setting off with Archibold on a fishing trip. Now when a gnome says he is popping in for a cup of tea first thing in the morning, what he means is, a hearty breakfast. Hortensia was famous for her fluffy buttermilk pancakes and she noted with great satisfaction that Stephanotis ate sixteen pancakes with his mint tea only slightly sweetened with honey from Hortensia's precious supply, burped once and said that he had better have one more in case the morning turned damp.

Now Hortensia didn't like fish very much, this was partially because her Father, Ruggerous O'Fly had been a fishing gnome and become rather cantankerous with his arthritics brought on by sitting by a damp pond too much, but she was happy that Archibold (or Archie the Bold) and Stephanotis were going on an adventure together. Gnomes love adventure, in fact without adventure a gnome is a forlorn creature, so Hortensia hoped that their fishing trip would be just the outing to keep their spirits high. She herself had once sat on a fish by mistake when bathing as a young gnomette and had never quite recovered from the shock.