Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)
Title: Just to be With You (#465)
Author: Kate
Chapters: 3
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Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: At the time of his coming of age, Merry meets the sister of one of his close friends and finds himself falling deeply in love.
Published: 17 Dec 2003
Updated: 18 Dec 2003
Warnings:
Type: Romance
Characters: Meriadoc Brandybuck; Estella Bolger
Chapter 1 - The Coming of Age
Just to be With You
Just to be With You
A/N:
This is my Merry and Estella Bolger fic. Despite Pippin being my absolute
favourite character of The Lord of the Rings, it would be impossible for
me to even try to write a Pippin and Diamond story, since I have read two of
the most beautiful epics concerning this couple and would be completely unable
to compete (Holbytla by Auma, and Peregrin and Diamond by Pearl
Took). Even if I did try, I’m sure I’d end up copying at least one of them at
some point. Merry is actually my second favourite character (along with half
the other characters), and I haven’t read all that many stories deeply
involving he and Estella, so I thought I would be better at trying my hand at
that.
The
timeline of this story will range a fair bit. It starts at the time of Merry’s
coming of age, and will continue through the years of the Occupation of the
Shire, the Year of Plenty to some years later (haven’t decided precisely when
yet). I do try to stay as close to the works of Tolkien as possible, but if you
do find any striking deviations, please let me know (but in the nicest possible
way!). And now onto the story…
“It’s enough for this restless warrior
Just
to be with you”
- Tim Rice, “Can You Feel the Love
Tonight?”
1:
The Coming of Age
In
the April of 1415 it was announced that the Brandybucks would be holding a
grand party for the coming of age to the son and heir of the Master of Brandy
Hall, Meriadoc Brandybuck. Many of the hobbits of the West Farthing snorted in
disgust at this.
“Remember
what happened last time those Brandybucks came to a party?” they said, for many
of them blamed the family for the strange disappearance of Bilbo Baggins, a
completely unfair and untrue accusation.
The
Brandybucks hardly cared, of course, for most of the people who thought this
were not to be invited. The party would be for the family and close friends of
Merry and a select few families who lived near to Brandy Hall. Being their only
son, Merry was quite spoilt by his parents, and they left the guest list for
him to decide. He, in turn, had enlisted the help of his cousin, Berilac, or
Berry, as he was better known, to assist in the decisions.
Though
Merry and Berry were first cousins, Berry was not as close to Merry as Pippin
was. During their youth, Berry’s father, Merimac, had refused to allow Berry to
see his cousin at all. As the youngest son of Old Rory, Merimac was intensely
jealous of Saradoc, the eldest son and heir. His jealousy had turned to dislike
when Merry was born, for Merimac secretly hoped that Saradoc would be without
and heir and the title of Master would fall to him when his brother died.
Berry, was thus, forbidden to spend any time at all with his younger cousin.
It
had taken a near-death experience for Merimac to realise the foolishness of his
ways. While riding in the fields of Buckland, Merimac’s horse was startled and
bolted. Merimac was thrown from the beast and into a tree, hitting his head. It
was Saradoc who found him and nursed him back to health. When he finally came
to, Merimac apologized for his actions and was forgiven. Merry and Berry were
finally allowed to meet and form the bond that cousins should. But it remained
only the bond of cousins, not the bond of brothers that existed between
Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took.
“You
are inviting the Thain and his family, are you not?” Berry asked, almost
hesitantly.
“Oh,
no, not at all,” Merry replied, sarcastically. “Pippin is just like a brother
to me, and Pervinca like a sister, but I do not think I shall invite them to my
birthday. Why would I do something like that?”
“There’s
no need to be rude, Merry. I was just asking.”
“And
why would you want to know about that?” Merry grinned at his cousin. “It
wouldn’t have anything to do with wanting to see one of my pretty cousins,
would it, Berry? You do know that Pervinca is to be betrothed to Everard Took?”
“Oh,
I’m completely over her!” Berry declared. “I only have eyes for Pimpernel now.
Never will I ever see anything as beautiful as her.”
Merry
snickered. This was not the first time that he had heard Berry declare his
undying love for a hobbitess. Angelica Baggins had been the first, a very
lovely, but rather conceited young lass. Pervinca had followed, but Merry had
sensed Berry’s affections had been waning since Pervinca started to show an
interest in Everard. And now it seemed Berry had fallen for Pervinca’s older
sister. Merry could hardly blame Berry for falling for any of the Took sisters
– they were all very fair, almost as pretty as Rose Cotton, widely known to be
the fairest lass in the whole Shire. Pearl and Pimpernel, the eldest sisters,
had once been dull and silly, in Merry and Pippin’s opinions, and they were
often quite horrid to Pervinca. But they had grown up a lot in the past few
years, especially since they came of age. Pearl was married now, but Pimpernel
was not, though she had more than a few suitors.
“Well,
good luck to you cousin,” Merry said. “Would you like me to put in a good word
in for you to my lovely cousin?”
“Would
you really, Merry? That would be wonderful!”
Merry
shook hands with Berry to make it a deal, then returned to his list. There were
a great many Brandybucks and Tooks, several Bagginses, one or two Boffins, a
Gamgee and one Bolger family. Merry stopped at the Bolgers. Fredegar was one of
his closest friends (aside from Frodo and Peregrin), but Fredegar’s younger
sister Estella was known to decline every invitation she received. She seemed
to detest social events of any kind. Merry wondered if it was worth even
inviting her, but then realised this was terribly rude. He was sure that she
would feel disliked if he did not invite her.
“There
aren’t enough lasses on that list, Merry,” Berry stated, peering over his
cousin’s shoulder to read the list.
“What
do you mean?” Merry asked. “And why would you care anyway? I already promised
that I would talk to Pim about you. Do you want me to speak to all of my
female cousins about you? Are you trying to set up your own little harem?”
“I
didn’t mean for me, dear cousin. I meant lasses for you. You are coming of age
after all, it’s time to start thinking about settling down.”
Merry
screwed up his nose. He was getting quite sick of all this talk about “settling
down”. It was true that the Coming of Age was the time at which many hobbits
chose a wife and started a family, but it was not uncommon to wait several
years to do this. Saradoc had been thirty-eight when he started courting
Esmeralda Took, and they had not married until he was forty. Merry was
certainly not ready to begin life as a family-hobbit. Some probably would have
blamed his close relationship with his young cousin Peregrin for that. Others
would have blamed it upon spending too much time with Frodo (and Bilbo, before
he left), who was a perennial bachelor.
“Do
you really think I wish to spend my party being presented with hundreds of
silly lasses? I will settle down when I choose to!”
“If
you say so, cousin,” Berry sighed. “But don’t complain to me when you do decide
that it is time, and all the good lasses have been taken.”
* *
* * * *
The
first of the guests arrived two days later, despite the party still being a
week away. The family of the newly declared Thain would have spent the time of
Merry’s birthday in Buckland, whether there was a party or not. Merry was
Paladin and Eglantine’s only nephew and they spoiled him almost as much as his
parents did.
Crickhollow
had been set up for their stay in Buckland, since Brandy Hall was already over
crowded with Brandybucks. The Tooks were to share the cosy guesthouse with
Frodo Baggins and the Bolger family, both of whom would be arriving in the next
few days.
Since
he had been excused from too much organisation for his party, Merry was able to
spend much of his time at Crickhollow with some of his favourite cousins. Pearl
had been unable to come, since she was heavily pregnant with her second child
to Orlando Burrows. But Pippin, Pervinca and Pimpernel were more than happy to
see their cousin again.
Pippin
had greeted Merry with a huge hug when they had arrived. “So, Merry, how does
it feel to be old?”
“He’s
not ‘old’ yet, Peregrin,” Pimpernel said with a smile. She had come of age
several years previously. “He has a week yet to be irresponsible and immature
with you.”
A
cough from the shadows that sounded a lot like Berilac Brandybuck reminded
Merry of his promise. “Oh, Pimpernel, would you mind if I had a quiet word with
you.”
And
with that, he led his cousin away, speaking quietly to her. Pervinca and Pippin
were left to ponder what in the world Merry would have to talk to Pimpernel
about.
Whatever
Merry had said seemed to have fulfilled his promise, for the next day,
Pimpernel had excused herself from having a picnic with her brother, sister and
cousin. She stated that she had promised to spend some time with Berilac, and
not without blushing ever so slightly. Paladin looked at Merry suspiciously
when the young Brandybuck snickered, but Merry put on his best innocent
expression.
“What
was that all about?” Pippin demanded, when he, Pervinca and Merry had found a
pleasant spot for their picnic.
“What?”
Merry asked, still feigning innocence.
“Don’t
pretend that you know nothing, Meriadoc,” Pervinca warned. “I know Pim’s
strange behaviour has something to do with whatever you discussed with her
yesterday.”
Merry
gave in. “My cousin Berilac has taken a fancy for Pimpernel.”
“I
thought he liked Pervinca,” Pippin said, and Pervinca kicked him.
“He
did, but since she’s with Everard now, he’s moved onto Pimpernel.”
“She’s
older than him.”
“Yes,
I know, but only by a few months. Besides, it’s not completely unheard of for a
hobbit to choose a wife that is older than him. My mother is a good four years
older than my father.”
“I
suppose so.” Pippin grinned. “I say, won’t it be funny if Pim does marry Berry.
She’ll be Pimpernel Brandybuck!”
“And
just what’s funny about that?” Merry huffed. “We Brandybucks are one of the
most respectable families in the Shire!”
“Of
course you are, Merry,” Pervinca laughed. “Almost as respectable as we Tooks,
and let’s not even start on those Bagginses…”
“Oh,
please do start on the Bagginses, Pervinca,” a voice said from behind them. The
three hobbits turned to see Frodo Baggins standing behind them, grinning
broadly. “I certainly hope you didn’t have anything horrid to say about my
family, dear cousin Pervinca.”
Pervinca
returned his grin. “No, not at all, cousin Frodo. I mean, despite the way they
seem to run off, and their strange resistance to aging, not to mention their
uncanny wealth, what at all could be wrong with them?”
“Watch
it, Pervinca. I know more about your family than you do, and you would
not appreciate many of the things I might have to tell you.”
“Hullo
Frodo, when did you arrive?” Merry greeted.
“Just
now. Paladin and Eglantine told me where to find you. I’m glad that they did,
otherwise I might have gone to Brandy Hall and not escaped for several days.”
Since he had spent his childhood at Brandy Hall, Frodo was well known and loved
by many of its inhabitants, especially Esmeralda Took Brandybuck. As much as he
adored his cousin’s wife, Frodo had wanted to see Merry and Pippin before
anyone else.
“Well,
sit down. We still have plenty of food to share,” said Merry, ignoring the
glare Pippin had shot at him. “I invited Sam, too. Did he come?”
Pervinca
choked on her drink a little. Frodo and Pippin looked at her and exchanged
knowing looks. Merry had no idea what was going on, so he pretended that it
hadn’t happened. He knew that Pervinca had become quite good friends with Sam,
and Rosie Cotton too, over the past years, something he thought a little
strange considering their differing family statuses.
“No,
he could not make it,” Frodo replied, sitting between Pervinca and Pippin. “He
said that with me not at Bag End, someone had to stay and make sure Lobelia
didn’t come to try to steal it again. And I think he would have felt out of
place, with our families and all. He doesn’t mind small parties, when it is
just you three, or Fredegar, but I’m sure a whole hoard of Tooks and
Brandybucks would be a little overwhelming for him.”
“I
suppose it would,” said Pervinca. “But it is a shame anyway. If Mother and
Father don’t mind awfully – and Everard for that matter – I might come back to
Hobbiton with you after Merry’s birthday.”
“Me
too!” Pippin cried.
Frodo
laughed. “And what if I mind? I might not want to have a couple of Tooks
running around my house.”
“Well,
in that case,” said Merry, “I should come too. Everard might as well come, that
way he shan’t mind if Pervinca does. And then of course there’s Pimpernel and
Berilac…”
“Now
it’s strange that you should mention those names together. Have I missed something?”
Merry
grinned broadly. “Oh, you have no idea, dear cousin.” And he proceeded to
inform Frodo the full details of the Pimpernel and Berilac situation.
* *
* * * *
A/N:
Well, there’s the first chapter done. Estella will make an actual appearance in
the next chapter. I think I may even write a spin-off story from this one about
Pimpernel and Berilac. Oh, and just a note about Pearl’s husband. As far as I
know, Tolkien never wrote who any of Pippin’s sisters married. While I have
chosen existing characters for Pervinca and Pimpernel, Orlando Burrows does not
exist in Lord of the Rings. He does, however, come from The History
of Middle-Earth: V6 – The Return of Shadow. Orlando was the hobbit who
received a gold fountain pen from Bilbo – in LotR it was Milo Burrows. I
suppose Orlando could be his son.
Chapter 2 - The Bolgers Arrive
Just to be With You
Just to be With You
2:
The Bolgers Arrive
Estella
Bolger sat silently in her carriage trying to listen to what her older brother,
Fredegar was telling her. In truth, she did not hear a word that he said. Her mind
was debating and trying to justify just why she had even accepted the
invitation to Meriadoc Brandybuck’s birthday party. She had never been one to
enjoy large social events. She tended to shun them completely, giving her the
reputation for being rude and antisocial.
But
the real reason was nothing like that at all. Estella was a “lad’s lass”,
meaning she had more fun climbing trees, playing in the mud and running across
fields than with dolls and dresses. She had been this way since she was small,
and her father did not seem to mind, but her mother insistently tried to make
her “a proper lady”. This usually pertained to wearing ridiculously
uncomfortable dresses and being paraded before a hoard of potential suitors.
Estella was a pretty lass and her family quite well off, so she was a perfect
catch for any young hobbit. But Estella usually made it quite clear she had
little interest in marriage.
She
was not sure why she had given in when Freddie begged her to come to this
party. She supposed it had a lot to do with her being almost unable to refuse
her beloved brother anything. And he had assured her that he would keep her as
far as possible from their mother, so any potential betrothals could be
avoided. He would also introduce her to all of his friends.
Estella
had met Freddie’s friends once or twice, but her years of seclusion had made
her quite shy, and she wondered how she should act around them. Would his male
friends be annoyed by having her around all the time? And if she was to spend
time with his female friends, what would they think of her?
“You
really will have fun, Stella!” Fredegar cried. Estella was finally able to
interpret his words. “Just wait until you meet Pervinca. She’s the same age as
you, and in some ways a lot like you. I’m sure the two of you will be perfect
friends in no time at all.”
Estella
simply clenched her teeth and nodded. She hoped Fredegar was right.
* *
* * * *
It
was dusk when the Bolgers arrived at Crickhollow. Fredegar caught sight of
Pippin and Frodo inspecting the garden. He hardly waited for the carriage to
stop before climbing out.
“Pippin!
Frodo!”
“Well,
hullo, Fatty!” Pippin replied, embracing his friend. “Are you staying at this
cosy little house too?”
“That
we are,” Odovacar Bolger answered.
“Welcome,
Cousin Odo,” Frodo greeted with a bow. This was merely a courtesy, since Odo
was only related to Frodo by marriage. Frodo saw Estella and asked, “And who
might this lovely young lass be?”
“Oh,
this is Stella, my baby sister,” Fredegar answered, “Remember her? Well, I
finally managed to convince her to make an appearance at one of our little
get-togethers. You don’t mind her spending some time with us, do you?”
“Not
al all!” Pippin replied, cheerily. “And I’m sure Pervinca won’t mind giving up some
of her time either.”
“Pervinca
might not be so happy to do so, Peregrin Took,” a voice belonging to Pervinca
said. “Perhaps you should explain what I shall be donating my time to.”
Estella
instantly liked Pervinca from the first moment she saw her. She looked a lot
like Peregrin, with the glint in her green eyes and mischievous smirk.
“This
is Fatty’s sister, Estella,” Pippin explained. “She needs another lass to look
after her and I thought you might be able to do it, since Everard hasn’t
arrived yet and Pimpernel is spending all her time with Berry.”
Pervinca
flushed red at the mention of Everard’s name, but did not reply to Pippin.
Instead, she smiled warmly at Estella. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mistress
Estella.”
Estella’s
fears were suddenly rekindled. Pervinca seemed to be the perfect proper lady
Rosamunda wished Estella to be. Hadn’t Freddie said Pervinca was different to
other lasses?
“No
need to be so polite, Pervinca,” Fredegar laughed. “Stella’s even less of a
lady than you are!”
“I
resent that, Master Fredegar,” Pervinca returned with a smirk. She looked back
at Estella. “But I am glad to hear that I shan’t have to spend a week inside
sewing and doing other dull things like that.”
Estella
let out a sigh of relief. “I am glad to find another lass who dislikes the same
things I do. I don’t often come to parties, and I was worried that I might have
to spend this one alone in the shadows.”
“We
certainly won’t let that happen,” said Frodo, bowing again.
Rosa
noticed this and smiled to herself. Was Frodo Baggins showing an interest in
her Estella? That would indeed be a splendid match. Frodo was an enviously
wealthy young hobbit, with no known female attachments. Rosa was certainly
pleased Estella had decided to come to Merry’s party after all.
* *
* * * *
Later
that night, Merry managed to escape from his relatives and come to greet
Fredegar and his family. He only vaguely remembered Estella – they had met once
or twice in their youth – but now he was quite interested in all she had to
say. He could not deny that she was pretty (though nothing like his cousins or
Rosie), and her shy personality was charming. Despite all he had said to
Berilac, Merry was starting to fancy Estella.
Berry
had also come to Crickhollow, since he was rather good friends with Fredegar.
He knew Estella better than any of the others and was the only one to notice
Merry’s interest in the girl. He decided to keep this knowledge to himself.
While
Estella, Pervinca and Pimpernel spoke together inside, Merry, Pippin, Frodo,
Fredegar and Berry found a nice spot in the garden to sit. Frodo, Fatty and
Berry took out their pipes, filled them and were soon blowing rings of
competing sizes. Merry fished out two pipes and handed one to Pippin.
Pippin
was not allowed to have a pipe of his own. In fact, Eglantine had decided that
he was not yet old enough to smoke, a decision which his father and most of his
other male relatives thought completely ridiculous. But Eglantine stood her
ground. Of course, being the responsible older cousins that they were, Merry
and Frodo allowed Pippin to smoke as long as there was little chance of
Eglantine catching him, and one of them would usually lend the lad a pipe. They
both felt it their duty, since it had been their older cousin, Bilbo,
who started them smoking. Frodo had started when he moved to Bag End, and Merry
had started a little while after Bilbo’s party (after all, Old Bilbo had given
him a pipe, and it would have been rude for him not to use it).
“Are
you sure you should be having that, Pippin?” Frodo teased. “What would your
mother say?”
Peregrin
snorted, indicating he thought as little of his mother’s rule as the rest of
them. “She’ll say nothing about it as long as she doesn’t see me. And she won’t
see me as long as the rest of you keep your mouths shut.”
“So,
how have you two been spending your day, Meriadoc, Berilac?” Fredegar asked.
Berry
smiled dreamily. “With a gem among lasses. With Pimpernel Took.” Pippin
snickered, but Berilac glared at him. “I wouldn’t laugh, Master Peregrin. Just
remember who found you in the Brandy Hall orchard with my dear cousin
Celandine.”
Merry,
Frodo and Fatty roared with laughter as Pippin blushed a glorious shade of
crimson. They had not heard about that.
“When
did that happen?” Merry asked between giggles.
“Just
last Autumn, when Peregrin came for his annual visit. I noticed that both he
and Celandine had missed elevenses, and thought it my duty to investigate. I
dare say, we may have had some rather young parents on our hands had I not
interrupted them.”
“It
was nothing like that,” Pippin scoffed. “We were just fooling around, nothing
at all serious. She said she was curious and wanted to do a bit of
experimenting. No doubt she expects the same thing this visit.” He smiled
behind his pipe. “Not that I’ll have any objections…”
His
companions threw a couple of insults his way and ruffled his hair. At
twenty-five, Peregrin was too young to be seriously involved in a relationship,
but age had never stopped any hobbit from fooling around with a pretty lass.
“Peregrin!
Peregrin Took!” Eglantine’s voice called. Pippin cursed, and quickly hid the
pipe. His mother appeared a moment later. “There you are. I hope you aren’t
trying to break my rule by sitting out here with your friends. Do you think
that second-hand smoke is better for you than smoke from a pipe of your own? I
want you inside now.”
Pippin
hung his head and walked inside. He could not believe his mother had embarrassed
him in front of all of his friends. It was not fair that he had to go inside
early just because he was only a tween.
Frodo
smiled, guessing Pippin’s thoughts. “Merry, you should probably be heading home
soon. You won’t come of age for another few days, and I’m sure your own mother
wants to baby you for as long as she can.” He winked at Pippin.
“Oh,
if you say so, cousin Frodo,” Merry sighed. “Come Berry, they might lock us out
if we don’t hurry. We shall come back tomorrow, though I suppose Berry will
want to spend all his time with Pimpernel.”
As
the Brandybucks wandered back to Brandy Hall and Pippin, Frodo and Fatty walked
past Eglantine into Crickhollow, Eglantine asked, “What did Merry mean there about
Berilac wanting to spend time with Pimpernel?”
* *
* * * *
Estella
had enjoyed her night with the Took sisters. Pimpernel was pleasant enough,
though probably more of a “normal” lass than Estella or Pervinca. But spending
time with her had made Estella feel more like a normal lass herself. She had
listened eagerly as Pimpernel had detailed her time with Berilac.
“Oh,
he is just the sweetest thing!” she squealed happily. “Oh, Pervinca, I think I
may have found him. My one true love!”
“I
certainly hope so, sister,” Pervinca replied. “Though I wonder what Father will
think. After all, he lost his sister to a Brandybuck. Will he want to lose his
daughter too?”
“I
will deal with that obstacle when I come to it,” Pimpernel stated. She turned
her attention to Estella. “I’m awfully sorry, dear Stella. You must have found
my story frightfully boring!”
“Oh,
no, Pimpernel!” Estella assured her new friend. She fidgeted with her fingers.
“I’ve never actually heard a story like that before…”
“Truly?
Well, that is surprising! Do you have anyone special?”
Though
she was uncomfortable having the spotlight on her, Estella appreciated that
Pervinca and Pimpernel were so interested in her. “Well, no. I have a lot of
friends that are lads – very few that are lasses, actually. But not really
anyone special.”
“So,
I did not notice you staring at my cousin earlier?” Pervinca asked, slyly.
Estella
gasped and blushed. She did not think anyone had seen her casting looks at
Meriadoc Brandybuck. She had not seen him since they were both only children.
For the first time in her life, Estella had actually regarded a hobbit with
more than friendly interest. She stammered a response to Pervinca’s remark.
“W-well, you may have seen me…”
“Well,
this is splendid!” Pervinca cried. “I shall be able to play matchmaker for you
now, since Merry seems to have beaten me to Pimpernel.”
Estella
looked up at Pervinca, still blushing. “Would you…would you help me? I’m afraid
I do not really have much of an idea on how to attract someone’s attention.”
Pervinca
was going to say that she did not think Estella needed much help. She had also
noticed Merry’s apparent interest. Unlike her brother, Merry seemed able to
keep his hormones in check and rarely showed interest in lasses, unless it was
to play a nasty prank upon them. The look on Merry’s face when he saw Estella
was an expression Pervinca had seen before, though never on Merry’s face. She
smiled at Estella. “Of course I shall help you, my dear Estella.”
* *
* * * *
A/N:
I couldn’t resist having yet another mother try to set her daughter up with
Frodo (Eglantine suggests that Pervinca would make a fine wife for Frodo in
“Life is What Happens”). As much as I don’t like him, I can imagine every
hobbitess in the Shire wanting him to marry her daughter! Oh, and I have a note
to make about the note in the previous chapter – Orlando Burrows can’t
be the son of Milo Burrows, since Milo already had three sons (and one
daughter). But he could still be a nephew or cousin, something like that.
Chapter 3 - Picnic by the Brandywine
Just to be With You
Just to be With You
3:
Picnic by the Brandywine
On their
way back to Brandy Hall, Berilac decided to confront his cousin about Estella.
“That Bolger lass is quite a pretty one.”
“What?”
Merry asked, as if being broken from a chain of thought. “Oh, yes, she is.” He
smiled suddenly at Berry. “I thought you said you would never find anything as
fair as Pimpernel…”
“I
didn’t say she was as fair as my dear Pimpernel,” Berry retorted, annoyed that
his interrogation seemed to be switching from Merry to himself. “But she
certainly is lovely. I believe you thought so too.”
“What
do you mean by that?” Merry demanded, red-faced.
“Oh,
nothing, Mister ‘I-shall-choose-when-I-am-ready’. I suppose you never expected
to be ready so soon, right dear cousin?”
Merry
smiled slightly. “Well, I see that there is little that I can hide from you and
that I should be thankful that it was you, and not Pippin or Frodo, that
noticed my interest in Estella.” He sighed. “She doesn’t seem like all of those
other lasses. Of course, I only really just met her, but I would like to get to
know her better.”
“I
am sure you will have your chance to.”
* *
* * * *
A
host of Tooks arrived the next day, Everard included. Estella worried that she
would lose her new friends now that they both had sweethearts to spend their
time with, but she had no need to. Pervinca brought Everard to Crickhollow to
meet Estella (the other guests of the party were staying at a nearby Inn).
Everard
was a handsome and polite young hobbit. Estella made a note to congratulate
Pervinca later on her fine catch. This thought shocked her – she was actually
thinking like a lass.
An
invitation came to Brandy Hall for the young Tooks, Bolgers and Baggins to join
a few Brandybucks by the Brandywine River for a picnic. The hobbits did not
need to be asked twice. Pippin, Frodo, Pervinca, Pimpernel, Fredegar, Estella,
Everard and Ferdibrand (Freddie and Estella’s cousin) were soon ready and on
their way to the Brandywine.
Merry
was easy to find. He had set up several blankets not far from the banks. He had
chosen a place in the river that had been netted off for young hobbits to swim
in relative safety. It was here that young Brandybucks (and one Baggins and
several Tooks) learnt to swim. Merry was not alone either. Berry had come with
him, as well as Celandine and her elder brothers Doderic and Ilberic. Splashing
about in the water were Merimas, Mentha and Melilot Brandybuck.
It
was not long before the group of young hobbits were happily chatting, eating or
swimming. Frodo was older than the rest, so he thought it his duty to act as
the parent figure. Besides, he had not swum in the river since he was a boy.
The Brandywine had swallowed up his parents and he had been terrified of it
ever since.
Pervinca
pulled Meriadoc aside to have a word with him. “Don’t you think Estella looks
pretty this morning?”
Merry
tensed up. “Why do you say that?” He glared at her suspiciously. “Has Berry
said something to you?”
“No,
nothing at all, cousin. But I can see he has said something to you. Well, here
is my advice to you – go and speak to Stella. You may be pleasantly surprised.”
Merry
looked at his cousin in shock, but he could not find a trace of jest in her
face. She was quite serious. He took a deep breath and started towards Estella,
but before he could speak to her, Melilot had emerged from the water and
sauntered over to him. She had fancied her distant cousin for some time now.
She grabbed him arm.
“Meriadoc,
would you be so kind as to help me change from my bathing costume?” she asked,
with a less than subtle flutter of her eyelashes.
“That
would hardly be proper, Mel,” Merry stammered. He glanced around to his
friends, begging for help. Fredegar was the only one who noticed and he quickly
ran to Merry’s aid.
“Melilot,
put this towel on,” he commanded. “You shall catch a chill!” Merry mouthed Thank
you to Fredegar and quickly escaped.
“Well,
that was rather clever of you, Master Brandybuck,” Estella boldly stated. “Was
that young lass an admirer of yours?”
Merry
grinned. “Well, apparently, yes, but I was not aware of it until just now.” He
cleared his throat. “So, have you been enjoying your stay in Buckland?”
“It
has been lovely so far, and I must thank you for inviting me out today.”
“It
was my pleasure. I…I…” Merry stammered as he tried to put his thoughts into
words. “The point is…I…I suppose, I want to say, that I would like to – if you
don’t mind, that is – get to know you better…”
Estella
blushed. “That would be nice, Meriadoc.”
Pippin
was sitting with his two sisters, Everard, Berilac and Celandine. Celandine had
snuggled close to him as soon as he arrived. Pippin looked over to his cousin
and Estella and giggled. “What in the world is Meriadoc up to?”
“Trying
to get to know Estella better,” Berry and Pervinca answered at the same time.
Pervinca
laughed, and mockingly shook her finger at Pimpernel. “Pim, did you say
something to Berry?”
“Not
at all, dear Pervinca,” Berry replied. “I worked it out for myself and spoke to
Merry last night. How did you find out?”
“I
worked it out also, and spoke to Estella. We had a lovely little chat last
night, didn’t we, Pimpernel?”
“And
I suppose they both thought it would be a complete secret,” Peregrin laughed.
“At least, I’m sure they hoped to keep it a secret from me.”
Pervinca
pouted. “I had hoped to play matchmaker, but it looks as though I will not need
to! The two of them are doing fine by themselves.”
Fredegar
seemed to have escaped from Melilot, and he and Frodo wandered over to the
Tooks and their partners. He glanced at his sister and Meriadoc. “Would anyone
care to explain to me what is happening between those two?”
Merry
and Estella were both blushing. Merry seemed to be telling Estella an amusing
story, for she was laughing.
“The
future Master seems to have found himself a potential Mistress,” Berry
answered, taking a large bite from an apple. “They do make a rather sweet
couple, don’t you think?”
Fredegar
gave a little laugh. “Then I suppose I shall have to spend Merry’s party
distracting Melilot. And I shall be happy to do so.” He looked fondly at the
young Brandybuck lass.
Frodo
smiled to himself. Merry’s party seemed to be sprouting new couples everywhere.
Perhaps even I might find a special someone at this party, but the smile
froze on his lips at this thought, and his hands strayed to his pocket to
finger a small object that he forever kept on a chain attached to his belt.
* *
* * * *
With
the party looming closer, Merry was unable to spend as much time with his
friends during the day. He spent two days running around Brandy Hall, doing
numerous tasks for his mother. During this time, his thoughts often drifted to
Estella Bolger.
Saradoc
Brandybuck suggested that on the night two before the party, the Thain’s family
and Frodo would be invited to Brandy Hall for dinner. He agreed when Merry
asked that the Bolgers be invited also.
When
the invitation arrived at Crickhollow, Estella was terrified. She was to meet
Merry’s parents. In the little time she had spent with Merry, she knew that she
was started to fall in love with him. She had never met anyone quite like him,
and he was everything she had hoped to find in her future husband. She had even
managed to overcome her shyness around him. But meeting his parents would be a
completely different matter. She wondered if Merry had spoken to them about
her. Would they approve of her?
These
were the thoughts that plagued her mind as Pervinca and Pimpernel tightened the
strings on her corset. Though Estella usually hated wearing dresses of the
sort, she wanted to make a good impression on the Master and the Mistress of
the Hall.
“Stop
worrying!” Pervinca commanded. “Aunt Esmeralda will love you. She’s a Took, you
know. Our father’s youngest sister. Father says that I’m a lot like her, and I
like you, so I am certain she will too. Uncle Sarry can be a little frightening
when you first meet him, but he really is an old dear!”
Pimpernel
was also being fussed over. Eglantine had been told about the blossoming
relationship between her daughter and Berilac and was immensely pleased. “We
may have another wedding on our hands soon!” she squealed happily.
Eventually,
all of the hobbitesses were ready, much to the relief of the male hobbits, who
had been ready for a good hour or so. Estella walked with Pippin, since
Pervinca was chatting lovingly to Everard (as Pervinca’s betrothed, he was also
invited to Brandy Hall) and Pimpernel was still being fussed over by her
mother. Frodo and Fredegar were at the front of the group speaking quietly.
Estella
had not spoken to Pippin all that much, but now that she did she regretted that
she had not earlier. She discovered that Merry and Pippin were far closer than
cousins, more like brothers. Pippin shared more than a few embarrassing stories
about Merry’s youth, which made Estella laugh.
“He
really likes you,” Peregrin said at length, shocking Estella. “He’s never
really been all that interested in lasses. He might have fooled around with one
or two, but nothing all that great. He’s almost as dull as Frodo.”
Estella
had to smile at that. She had heard a lot about the promiscuous Peregrin Took
and his conquests from his sisters and her brother. His boyish good looks and
enchanting green eyes would have made it near impossible for any lass to resist
him.
“I
suppose I like Meriadoc too,” Estella almost whispered.
“If
you want my advice, call him Merry and not Meriadoc. People only really use his
full name when they’re telling him off.”
“I
shall remember that Master Peregrin.”
Pippin
grinned at her. “And the same goes for me. You are a friend now, so you may
call me Pippin.”
“Then
you are permitted to call me Stella, if you wish.” The two shook hands as they
finally approached Brandy Hall.
Esmeralda
was waiting to greet them. She embraced her warmly – it had been a while since
she had last seen him. She then hugged her sister-in-law and her nieces and
nephew.
“Peregrin,
you’ve grown so much!” she cried.
“How
did I know you were going to say that?” Pippin mumbled.
“Come
in, come in. Merry and Saradoc are waiting for you!”
They
followed Esmeralda to the large dining room that was reserved for the Master
and any guests he might have. There were more hugs and hand shakes; Berry was
there too, much to Pimpernel’s delight.
“Estella,”
Merry called. He bowed before her and lightly kissed her hand. “I’m so glad you
came.”
“How
could I refuse?” she whispered.
He
grinned at her and, taking her hand in his, led her over to his father.
“Estella Bolger, may I present to you my father, Saradoc Brandybuck.”
Estella
curtsied the way Pervinca had taught her to. “It is a pleasure to meet you,
sir.”
“So,
you’re the young lass my boy has not stopped talking about these past few
days,” said Saradoc. “Then the pleasure is all mine, Mistress Estella.”
Merry
seemed somewhat embarrassed that his father had revealed that he had been
speaking about Estella to them, but Estella was honoured. Despite her fear, she
had secretly hoped that Merry might have mentioned her to his parents.
A
bell was rung to announce that dinner was to be served. As they made their way
to the table, Saradoc leaned close to Estella’s ear and whispered. “You’re
prettier than he said you were.”
* *
* * * *
A/N:
No, that last line is not Saradoc being a dirty old sleaze. He was just letting
Estella know what Merry had said about her. And before anyone says anything
about Frodo and the Ring, in the books, he keeps it on a chain that is attached
to his belt, not in an envelope in a chest as in the movies.
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