Being a romantic at heart and a huge fan of the whole Took family, it’s surprising I didn’t write this story sooner. Basically, it’s set between two of my other stories – “Life is What Happens” and “Just to be With You”. Of course, it doesn’t matter at all if you haven’t read either of these, because this one is not a sequel or prequel, and any events from the other stories will have an explanation.

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” has played a fairly large part in the inspiration for the story – or, perhaps, I should say, the BBC production of that book. It’s not so much the plot, but several of the ideas and characters have a basis in “Pride and Prejudice”. And the appearance of Everard Took may be slightly based around Colin Firth (*sigh* he must be one of the world’s most handsome men)! I'm a big sucker for British romantic-comedies in general. Perhaps you should all be on the look-out for Hugh Grant-ish character, also.

I had best clear up one thing before I start. There is an OC that will play a large part in this story, being the love-interest for Pearl Took. His name is Orlando Burrows, but I have not named him after Orlando Bloom. I tend to find names for OCs in Tolkien’s “The History of Middle-Earth”. Usually, they’re rejected names, or names that have been changed. In Orlando’s case, he was originally the hobbit who rarely replied to letters and was given gold ink and a pen by Bilbo Baggins. This gift in Lord of the Rings went to Milo Burrows. I have resurrected Orlando as a cousin to Milo (and I was only slightly swayed to use the name because of Master Bloom!).

 There’s Nothing I Want More

1: A Proposal for Pearl

S.R. 1410, Tookland

Peregrin and Pervinca Took were sitting in the boughs of an oak tree outside the Great Smials. It was a huge old tree, and its branches reached passed both Pippin and Pervinca’s bedroom windows, as well as their eldest sister, Pearl’s. It always made for a good escape route when the youngest Took siblings wanted to talk to each other.

From their current perch, they could see the main road to the Great Smials, so it was also a good place for watching the arrival of guests. Their cousin, Meriadoc Brandybuck, was supposed to be visiting very soon, though neither Pippin nor Pervinca knew exactly when he would be arriving. That was why they had been watching to road for the past two days.

“Do we really have to go to Old Ferumbras’ birthday ball?” Pippin asked. Thain Ferumbras was celebrating his ninety-fourth birthday the next week. A huge ball was being held in his honour, as Ferumbras tended to do with all of his birthdays.

Pervinca nodded. “We’ll be expected to be there. After all, Father is Ferumbras’ heir.”

Pippin groaned. “But his birthdays are always so boring.”

“At least Merry will be here for this one. That should keep you somewhat occupied.”

“I suppose one of us will have to be your escort for the evening.” Pippin sighed. Eglantine Took always preferred her daughters to have escorts to important events. She was always pleased when they found a lad that wanted to escort them, but failing that, Pippin or Merry were expected to fill the role.

Pervinca pretended to be hurt. “And what makes you think I won’t be able to find my own escort? There are plenty of lads who would simply love to spend the evening with me.”

“Does that mean you’re going to work up the nerve to speak with Everard?” Pippin teased his sister.

Everard Took was a distant cousin of their’s, who lived at the Great Smials with them. He had caught Pervinca’s eye many years ago, but she had not yet worked up the courage to speak with him, and so had no idea whether he shared in her affections. Blushing, Pervinca managed to reply, “Possibly.”

Still grinning, Pippin returned his attention to the road. There was someone coming. “Oh, look, here comes someone.”

“Really?” Pervinca asked, glad of the distraction.

A lone hobbit on a pony was riding towards their tree. It was not Merry, since he was coming with his parents.

“It looks like Orli,” Pervinca stated.

“Are you sure?” Pippin asked.

“Would you like to know what colour his buttons are?” Pervinca had made her point. Her eyesight was much better than Pippin’s.

Orli was Orlando Burrows, a hobbit from Overhill, whom both the Tooks knew was courting Pearl. Pearl had kept her relationship with Orlando a secret from most of her family, but Pippin had overheard her talking about it with Pimpernel, and had subsequently told Pervinca, Merry and Frodo Baggins. When she had first found out they knew, Pearl had been angry, but had eventually forgiven her youngest siblings, and even enlisted them as lookouts for when Orlando came to visit her.

“Do you think he’s come for the ball?” asked Pippin.

Pervinca shook her head. “I doubt he would have been invited. He probably wouldn’t even know about it.”

“Good afternoon, Peregrin, Pervinca,” Orlando called.

“Hullo, Orli,” Pippin returned. Pervinca smiled.

“Is Pearl about? I need to speak with her.”

“She’s in her room,” Pervinca replied. “I can get her if you’d like.”

“That would be wonderful, Vinca.”

Pervinca skilfully walked back along the branch to the closet window (which was her own) and climbed inside. She knew not to climb all the way to Pearl’s room, since Pearl did not know about the branch outside her window.

Left alone with Orlando, Pippin asked. “Have you come to ask Pearl if you can escort her to the Thain’s ball?”

“Thain’s ball?”

“Ferumbras is having a ball for his birthday next week. It’s going to be ever so boring.”

Orlando chuckled. “No, Peregrin, in fact, I did not even know there was a ball.”

* * * * * *

In her room, Pearl Took was working on a cross-stitch pattern. She was not really paying close attention, and as such, the pattern was starting to look a little strange.

Several years beforehand, Pearl had been a bright and bubbly young hobbit-maid, with a kind heart, though sometimes, she was known to be rather silly. All of that changed after the death of the Thain’s mother, Lalia the Great, for which, Pearl, as Lalia’s attendant, was largely held to blame. Since that incident, Pearl had become quiet and introverted. She did not have many close friends, aside from her sister, Pimpernel, and of course, Orlando Burrows.

Pearl and Orlando had met at the famous party of Bilbo Baggins, when he had shyly asked her for a dance. Their relationship had blossomed from there, but after Lalia’s death, Pearl had started to worry. Though part of a fairly rich family, Orlando himself was not especially rich. His parents had both died when he had been very young, leaving Orlando in the care of his elder cousin, Milo. Milo was a successful lawyer, and had taken Orlando under his wing. Pearl was certain that Orlando would one day be successful in his own right, but she did not know how many of her family would believe that.

As eldest daughter of the future Thain, Pearl knew it would be expected for her to marry a lad from a high-standing family. She knew there had been discussion about her marrying Frodo Baggins. As much as she liked Frodo, he was more of a friend than a potential husband. Pearl had also heard Ferumbras suggest marrying her to Lotho Sackville-Baggins, and that had horrified Pearl.

Pearl sighed, and placed her cross-stitch on her bed. She was not looking forward to Ferumbras’ ball. She had been invited, and she knew many members of her family would be watching to see who she brought as her escort.

“Pearl? It’s Pervinca. Can I come in?” Pervinca’s voice called through the door.

“Oh, yes, of course.” Pearl was thankful for the company. Pimpernel had gone away for the week to visit their Aunt Poppy in Hardbottle. Poppy was one of Paladin’s elder sisters, who had married a Bracegirdle. Eglantine had sent Pimpernel to visit Poppy in the hopes of her finding a potential husband from the Bracegirdle family.

Pervinca stepped into the room. “Orli’s here, Pearl.”

“Orlando!” Pearl cried. Orli was a nickname that only Pippin, Pervinca and Merry used for Orlando. “Where? When?”

“He arrived just a few moments ago, and he’s by the old oak, talking to Pippin, I suppose.”

Pearl smiled happily, something which usually only happened when she was going to see Orlando. “How do I look?”

Pervinca laughed. “Beautiful. Now out you go. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Pearl opened her door to leave, but shut it quickly. She looked at her youngest sister with frightened eyes. “Mother is out there, with Aunt Beryl. I told Mother I was not feeling too well, to avoid having tea with them!”

Beryl was the wife of Adelard Took. Pearl had begun to suspect there was also a plan for her to marry Reginard, Adelard’s eldest son, who had not yet shown any signs of settling down. Though Eglantine would never force any of her children into an arranged marriage, she would often try to encourage her daughters into relationships with “proper” lads.

“Go out the window,” Pervinca commanded.

“What?” Pearl hissed.

“A branch of the old oak passes right beneath your window. Climb out and follow it along to the trunk. You’ll see Pippin there. I’ll stay here, and pretend to be asleep. We have the same hair colour. If Mother and Beryl don’t look too closely, they should mistake me for you.”

Pearl almost laughed at her little sister’s crazy plan, but she knew that it was the only way that she would be able to see Orlando. She opened the window, and climbed slowly out onto the large branch that was there. Clinging desperately to the branch, she moved along it.

“Pearl, what in the world are you doing?” Pippin called.

“I could not get out my door. Pervinca said this was the only other way out.” Pearl was terrified. She had never had a head for heights, and hated climbing trees.

Pippin shook his head. He made his way to his sister, and helped her out of the tree.

“Orlando,” she said happily, when her feet were firmly on the ground. Orlando took one look at her and started snickering. Pippin quickly joined in. Pearl glared at them. “What’s so funny?”

Orlando stepped forward. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he used the other to pluck a leaf from her hair. Pearl’s eyes widened in horror, and her hands flew to her hair. Leaves were stuck everywhere in it.

“I like it. You look pretty,” said Orlando.

Pippin realised he was not welcome, so climbed back up the tree and into his bedroom.

“I missed you,” Pearl admitted, placing a kiss on his lips. She had forgotten about the leaves for the moment.

The look on Orlando’s face told her he had missed her just as much. “What’s this I hear about a ball?”

Pearl looked at the ground. “The Thain is holding a ball for his birthday. I was actually invited too.”

Orlando frowned. Though he had never met Ferumbras, he disliked the Thain for his treatment of Pearl. She was often excluded from events that the Thain organised, and those she was invited to, she was expected to wear the string of pearls he had given to her as a reminder of her supposed role in Lalia’s death.

“I suppose it would not be a good idea for me to escort you,” Orlando stated. He was well aware that most of Pearl’s family did not know about their relationship.

“I wish you could,” Pearl sighed onto Orlando’s chest.

Orlando fished something metallic out of his pocket and placed it in Pearl’s hand. She pulled away from him to see what it was. He had given her a silver chain, with a single pearl set in the middle of a silver petunia. Petunia had been Orlando’s mother’s name.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“It belonged to my mother,” said Orlando. “Marry me, Pearl.”

Pearl gasped. “Orlando, I…”

“I can take you away from the Smials; away from Ferumbras. Cousin Milo thinks I’m good enough to start up my own firm of lawyers. We could move to the Southfarthing.”

“I…” Pearl could not find her voice to speak. Tears had started to spill from her eyes. This was what she had always wanted, but she knew in her heart that it could not be. “I can’t, Orlando…”

He did not become angry, like she thought he would. He seemed to have expected this reaction from her. He kissed her on the forehead. “At least think about it, please, Pearl. I’m staying in Tuckborough, at The Cock and Bull, if you should change your mind.”

And then he was gone. Pearl was left alone, with tears on her cheeks and Orlando’s betrothal gift in her hand.

There’s Nothing I Want More

2: Pervinca’s Problems

Pearl ran to her room through the Smials. She had forgotten all about the tree, and even if she had remembered it, she would not have been able to climb it. Fortunately for her, her mother and Beryl had already checked her room, believing Pervinca to be Pearl, and moved on.

Pervinca was just readying to leave the room when a very tearful Pearl burst in, and slammed the door behind her.

“Pearl, what’s wrong?” Pervinca cried, in alarm.

Pearl threw herself onto her bed and started sobbing. Unsure what else to do, Pervinca sat next to her, and soothingly rubbed her back. Eventually, Pearl’s sobs subsided, and she was able to speak again.

“He proposed!” she cried.

Pervinca was confused. She had thought that Pearl and Orlando were very much in love, but Pearl was certainly not pleased that Orlando had proposed. “But that’s wonderful news.”

“No, it isn’t,” Pearl sniffed, as a fresh set of tears started. “The family would not approve of our marriage.”

“That’s not true,” Pervinca argued. “Mother and Father would be delighted.”

“I don’t mean Mother and Father, Vinca. I mean the Thain, and the rest of the family. They hate me enough as it is, without me marrying some lawyer from Overhill, who does not even have a proper family.” Pearl was disgusted at herself for describing Orlando in such a way, but she knew that was how the Thain, at least, would see it.

“The Thain does not control your life, Pearl, no matter what he may like to think.”

Pearl managed a smile. “You should not be so nice to me, Vinca. I was so nasty to you.”

Pervinca returned the smile. “You still remember that? I forgave you a long time ago, Pearl. I’m not one to hold grudges.”

“But Pippin is. He quite often reminds Pim and I – ‘Remember how horrid you two were to Pervinca about that thing with Sam’.”

At about the same time that Pearl and Orlando’s romance had begun, a teenaged Pervinca had started having feelings for Samwise Gamgee, Frodo Baggins’ gardener. Pearl and Pimpernel had found out, and confronted their youngest sister about it, and they were not very kind. Though they had apologised for their behaviour long ago, both still felt guilty, especially when Pippin chose to remind them about it.

“You were just looking out for your little sister,” Pervinca pointed out.

Pearl sniffled, and wiped away her tears. It had been a long time since she had had a good talk with her youngest sister, and she was surprised to realise how much better Pervinca was making her feel. Pervinca was very much like their Aunt Esmeralda in nature as well as looks.

“I wonder how Pimpernel is enjoying herself in Hardbottle,” Pearl commented.

Pervinca snorted. “Hopefully, not too much. I will not be happy if she finds some Bracegirdle lad to marry.”

Pearl giggled. As a child, Pervinca had always had more lad friends. At parties, the Bracegirdle lads had often teased her about this.

“I doubt that Pim would be that silly. She’s quite fussy about looks, and I can’t think of a single Bracegirdle that would be good enough for her.” Pearl squeezed Pervinca’s hand. “We haven’t had a nice long talk like this for a good while. Thank you.”

Pervinca smiled. “This is nice, isn’t it? You must forgive me – I had started to think that you and Pim were very dull. You certainly proved me wrong when you climbed through that window!”

“I was terrified,” Pearl admitted. “And I ended up with leaves all through my hair.”

“There are still some in it,” Pervinca laughed, as she plucked three leaves from her sister’s hair. “There, all gone.”

“So, little sister, aside from Master Gamgee, is there a lad that’s caught your eye?” Pearl hoped that talking about Pervinca’s love-life would help her to forget the troubles with hers.

Pervinca blushed. “Well, perhaps…”

“Oh, who?”

“Uncle Addie’s son, Everard.”

Pearl frowned for a moment. Everard was Reginard’s younger brother. She held her tongue, though, since she did not know for certain that there were any plans to organise a marriage between herself and Reggie. “Everard – he’s a good-looking lad.”

“Yes, he is,” Pervinca sighed, dreamily. “And a wonderful dancer.”

“Where have you danced with him?”

“I haven’t, but I saw him dance the Springle-ring at Bilbo’s party.”

Pearl laughed. “That’s hardly any way to know whether he’s a good dancer! Does he fancy you also?”

Pervinca’s smile faded. “No – well, actually, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him.”

“Why not? You’re such a pretty lass, he’d be a fool not to fancy you! Try talking to him, and you may be pleasantly surprised. He may even ask to be your escort for the ball.”

“It would be nice to go with someone other than Pippin or Merry,” Pervinca admitted, with a grin.

“Frodo took you to one ball, didn’t he?”

“Oh, that hardly counts. He’s far too old for me.” Pervinca looked at her sister slyly. “But he’d be a good age for you…”

Pearl returned the smirk Pervinca’s face bore, and hit her with a pillow.

* * * * * *

Merry and his parents arrived the next day. Pippin and Pervinca had not been watching the road, so only found out when Pearl came to tell them.

As they ran to greet their favourite cousin, Merry started shaking his head desperately. “Get back, Pervinca,” he hissed.

As Pervinca stopped short, and regarded him in confusion, she heard Saradoc Brandybuck say, “I hope no one will mind, but Berilac came with us. Merimac has gone to Bree, and the lad would have been very bored by himself.”

Pervinca’s face paled, but she was too late to leave. Berilac had already seen her.

“Pervinca! How lovely to see you,” he cried. “I missed you on your last visit to Brandy Hall.”

It was well known that Berilac Brandybuck had taken a liking to Pervinca Took. He had admitted it to Meriadoc many years earlier. Pervinca, however, did not share in his affections, despite all of her mother’s efforts. Berilac was exactly the type of lad that Eglantine hoped for her daughters to marry: rich, handsome and respectable (even though he was a Brandybuck). Though Pervinca could not deny that Berry was very handsome, she found that there was something lacking in his character.

“Hullo, Berilac. I was sorry to have missed you during my last visit.” Pervinca forced a smile. Behind her, Merry and Pippin snickered.

“Pervinca, why don’t you take Berilac for a walk in the gardens?” Eglantine suggested, none too subtly. “I am sure he would love to see them.”

“Indeed, that would be lovely,” said Berilac, with a bow.

Pervinca looked pleadingly at Merry and Pippin, but neither seemed to notice. Merry turned to Pippin. “Shall we take my things to your room, Peregrin? I thought I would let Berilac have my usual room for this visit, if that is all right.”

“Certainly, Meriadoc,” Pippin replied, just as airily.

Pervinca had just enough time to glare at them both before Berilac took her arm, and started towards the nearest exit from the Smials.

* * * * * *

Later that day, Pearl, Merry and Pippin were sitting together in their family’s private dining room. While Pippin and Merry complained about having to go to the Ball, Pearl had her cross-stitch pattern out again. It was beginning to look like a very deformed and frightening tree.

They all looked up as the door was forcefully opened. Pervinca stormed in, looking particularly displeased.

“Thank you all so much for helping me!” she snarled.

“Well, I did try to warn you,” Merry stated. “If you had listened to me, there would have been no problem at all.”

“You did not enjoy your time with Master Berilac?” Pippin asked, sweetly.

“Of course I did not!” snapped Pervinca. “He kept dropping terribly obvious hints about the Ball.”

“Wonderful. He can take you, so that Merry or I will not have to.”

“I don’t want Berry to take me!”

Pearl just smiled to herself. She had to admit that Pervinca’s plight was somewhat amusing, but she owed her younger sister not to openly show her amusement. Besides, she was quite content in being the only person present who had not been yelled at.