Bilbo looked over his little sitting room carefully. He had swept and dusted it himself this morning. Although he knew that the servants of the household would be glad to do those tasks for him, it made it feel much more cosy and homelike when he did those little things for himself. 

The room was neat as a pin, and he had pulled two of the "big" chairs closer to his own well-padded armchair, with the tea-table in the center. His guests should be quite comfortable.

The tea-table was laid with all sorts of dainties. Those had been made by Elves, down in the main kitchen, and were beautifully arranged on a platter, as pretty as a picture. The tea, however, he was brewing himself in his own little kitchen.

He heard the kettle whistle, and darted in to take it off the fire. Soon the tea was brewing in the pot, and just at the right time, too, for he heard the knock upon his door.

He opened it to see one of Elrond's sons standing there. "Good afternoon, Bilbo! I do hope I am on time."

Ah! It was Elrohir! In the months he had been in Rivendell, Bilbo had still not learned to tell the twins apart just by looking. But Elrohir's voice was just the slightest bit higher in timbre than the deeper voice of Elladan. He smiled. "Do, please, come in, Elrohir! Your brother is not with you?" Bilbo led him to one of the larger chairs and saw his guest seated.

"He will be along shortly, I am sure! We were both looking forward to taking tea with you!" Bilbo saw Elrohir gaze curiously about his little apartment. This was the first time the twins had been his guests since he had come to dwell in Rivendell, although he had entertained their father and sister more than once.

Just then there was another rap on the door, and Bilbo went over to open it. "Good afternoon, Elladan! Your brother is already here!"

"Thank you for inviting us, Bilbo!"

"Do come in," said Bilbo. They turned to see that Elrohir had risen from his chair and was standing by the mantelpiece, where Bilbo kept a few mementoes of home. There were several small framed portraits, his parents, himself and Frodo, and another small oval portrait, which Elrohir had picked up and was looking at intently.

Elladan came up behind him, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. Bilbo said, "That's a picture of my cousin, Sigismund Took. He and I were very close friends when we were young. He died a few years before I left the Shire." He smiled, remembering some of the troubles they got into as children. "We were the same age," he added sadly.

Elrohir smiled. "He looks very much like your uncle."

Bilbo felt a bit of surprise. He had wished to ask the two what they remembered of his Uncle Hildifons, but had not expected them to bring up the topic themselves.

They moved to the chairs, and Bilbo poured out the tea. "Tell me about my uncle," he asked.

The two of them exchanged a smile, and then Elrohir said, "He was a very charming young person, full of questions…"