"I am sorry if I caused any trouble," Gerald told him. "Please accept my apologies."
"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I never come out unless you're sleeping or out. I do tasks around the house, like turning off lights, or sweeping, or straightening things. Sometimes I make the dog chase me, which is really rather funny to watch."
"Nicholas, hobgoblins are house spirits, they're a kind of fairy," Ceridwen explained gently. "They look out for the families in their houses, and they do housework in exchange for food and warmth. They're not malicious, and they don't spy on people. Not usually."
"The very idea," Gerald muttered. Ceridwen rolled her eyes.
"And we leave food out almost all the time," Jesse said slowly, as though puzzling it out.
Gerald nodded. "There was always so much left, I figured no one would miss a little bit."