Title: The Secret Door
Author: Anso the Hobbit
Beta: Marigold
Characters: Merry and Pippin and their families
Timeline: Brandy Hall, SR 1399, so Merry is 17 and Pippin is 9
Summary: When Pippin comes to visit his extended family at the Hall he gets a surprise and new doors open.
Note: Written for Marigold`s Challenge 17 where the starter was “It took me ages to find a good one.” and to add something about Saradoc and Esmeralda as children. Also thanks to Marigold for the bunny to this story, it finally teased my muse out again after weeks of not being able to write. Marigold was also very kind to let me put the starter where it fitted in the story and not at the top as is usual.
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”Just close your eyes, Pippin. Please?”

”Why?”

”I’ve told you a half dozen times. I have something to show you. It’s a surprise, so you have to close your eyes.” Merry hoped he sounded more patient than he was beginning to feel.

“But Merry! I can`t see it if I have my eyes closed.”

“True.” Merry tried not to sigh out loud. He`d been trying to get Pippin to close his eyes for several minutes now. He was getting the distinct impression that for some reason Pippin didn’t quite trust him completely, possibly he remembered last summer, when Merry had promised Celandine a surprise and she had opened her eyes to the sight of a dead mouse dangling in front of her nose. “But close your eyes all the same. I`ll tell you when you can open them.”

“All right.” Pippin closed his eyes, thought for a moment, then turned and asked, “Is this surprise in your room?”

“Yes,” Merry said, this time giving up and sighing loudly. “Why do you think we are standing outside of it?”

“I was just thinking that if maybe you were to lead me somewhere else and we got separated, I wouldn`t be able to find the way back.”

“I`m not going to lead you anywhere but into my room, Pip. Just close your eyes and I`ll open the door and then you can walk right in, perfectly safe and sound.”

“But I`m afraid of the dark!”

Merry resisted the urge to tie a blindfold over his cousin’s eyes and then just carry him into the room. He spoke as patiently as he could manage. “It`s not dark, Pippin. It`s the middle of the day and the sun is shining.”

“But we can`t see the sun in here and it is dark when I close my eyes!”

“That’s just silly Pippin! Now come on.” Merry put his hands on Pippin`s shoulders and steered him to stand in front of the door to his room. He peered over Pippin`s shoulder to see that his eyes were closed and let go to open the door.

“Don`t leave me, Merry!” Pippin reached out and grabbed hold of Merry`s arm, eyes wide open.

“I won`t leave you, Pippin dear. But I have to open the door.” Merry pried Pippin`s hands from his arm and took hold of one of them. “Now, close your eyes and I’ll open the door, all right?”

Pippin nodded, closed his eyes and clutched Merry`s hand tighter. Slowly Merry walked them up to the door and this time he managed to open it without Pippin interrupting. Once inside Merry checked that Pippin`s eyes were still closed and turned to stand behind him, always keeping physical contact. He moved his hands to Pippin`s shoulders and gently pushed him forward. After a few steps he turned him to the right and stopped.

“Open your eyes now.” Merry couldn`t help but smile in anticipation. Pippin would be so very pleased.

“It`s a door, Merry!” Pippin said, a little exasperated, not at all surprised as his eyes opened. But then the placing of it registered with him. The door hadn`t been there before. Merry`s desk had always been against that wall and now it was moved to the other wall and a brand new, bright yellow door had replaced it. Confused, Pippin looked around in the otherwise familiar room. “It’s a new door,” Pippin said in surprise.

“Yes it is. Open it,” Merry said, all but bouncing on his toes in glee.

“What`s inside?”

“You`ll see. Open it now.”

Pippin walked to the door and opened it. It led into an adjacent room and slowly he walked over the threshold, Merry in tow. “It`s a room,” Pippin said. He`d never been here before. This hadn’t been a part of Merry`s family`s suite before.

“It`s not just any room, it’s your room.” Merry said, hugging Pippin. “All yours. Now you don`t have to walk half the Hall across to find me. You can just open the door and I`ll be on the other side.”

“My room?” Pippin echoed. A room just for him at the Hall, like Frodo had?

“Yes. Because now you`re old enough to spend the summer here all by yourself and Mum and Da and I wanted to make sure there was a room for you in the family quarters,” Merry said, beaming.

Pippin looked about the room in amazement, taking in the bed and the wardrobe, the little desk and the nightstand, the shelves and the armchair. The walls were painted a light blue, and the door on this side was dark blue. There was a window, and there was a little skylight, and the bed was positioned so that Pippin would be able to lie in it and look up at the stars. There was a pretty quilt on the bed in different shades of blue, with a big yellow sun in the middle. The cushion on the chair was of the same design, and so were the curtains. There was a curtain that could be pulled across the skylight by means of a little brass handle on the wall and a cord.

The washbowl and pitcher sitting on the washstand were a cheery yellow and the rag rug on the floor was of yellows and blues. There were already quills and inks and chalk arranged on the desk, and Pippin saw a small painting of a summer meadow from Merry’s room that he had always admired hanging over the desk. The faded overstuffed armchair, complete with a warm woollen throw folded over one arm, was placed near the fire, and Pippin recognised it as one that had used to be in his aunt’s sitting room when he had been very small. There was a little table next to it, perfect for holding a plate of pastries and a cup of milk while one sat in the chair and read.

The shelves held some of his favourite books that had been Merry’s, and there were toys and several games as well, some had been Merry’s or Berilac’s upon a time and were familiar friends, and some were new, among them a leather ball, a pouch containing a set of five-stones, a handsome sailboat that Pippin was sure that Merry and his Uncle Saradoc must have made, and leaning in the corner was his own battered wooden sword and a roopie stick.*

For several minutes Pippin could do nothing but stare about himself with his mouth open in astonishment and delight. Then he whirled and leapt into Merry`s arms and hugged him tight. “Oh! Oh! Thank you Merry! Thank you so much!”

“You`re welcome Pippin, dear,” Merry said, hugging back just as tightly. He was quite pleased with the arrangements himself. He and his parents had been planning this since before last Yule and had done their best to make the room perfect for Pippin. From the hugs and kisses his little cousin was bestowing upon him, they had succeeded.

*****

A tremendous sneeze woke Merry up and at first he didn`t know where he was and what had happened. Had he just sneezed and woken himself up? Merry sniffled experimentally but his nose didn`t feel stuffed or runny at all. Where had the sneeze come from then? Merry sat up and turned the lamp up but he was all alone. Pippin hadn`t come into his room this night as he usually did. It was pitch dark out still and he could hear the rain tap against the window. Merry looked about the room, still a little bleary from sleep and just as he was looking at the new door in the wall it opened and Pippin padded in, all sleep-tousled. He headed straight for Merry`s bed and climbed up.

“Hullo, Pippin,” Merry said, scooting sideways in the bed to make room for his cousin. “Was that you sneezing?”

Pippin nodded and climbed in under the covers, laying his head down on Merry`s pillow. He sneezed again.

Merry lay down beside him and hugged him gently. “How`re you feeling, Pip?” Merry asked, a little worried. He had felt a low fever on Pippin`s face as he hugged him.

“Not too good,” Pippin said, snuffling.

“What`s wrong?” Merry sat up again and turned the lamp up a bit more to see Pippin more clearly. The little one looked flushed.

“My head hurts and I’m hot and…” Pippin sneezed again and looked mournfully up at Merry. He`d just arrived and now he was sick. “I`m sorry, Merry.”

“Don`t worry, Pippin. It`s not your fault.” Merry leaned down to give him another little hug and crawled out of bed. He was completely awake now. He didn`t think he`d get more sleep that night so he pulled his dressing gown on over his nightshirt and went to the washstand to fetch a damp cloth, bringing it back to gently wash Pippin`s face. Pippin had almost fallen asleep again and sighed in relief as the cool cloth touched his too-hot skin.

“Where did the furniture in my room come from?” Pippin asked. He hadn`t seen any of the pieces except for the armchair before and they looked old but nicely worn and well cared for.

“The bed used to be Da`s when he was little and the desk and shelves belonged to Uncle Merimac I think.” Merry said.

“That`s nice,” Pippin murmured. He`d had Aunt Esmie`s old bed at home when he was little and found it comforting to now have Uncle Saradoc`s bed here at the Hall. Soon he drifted off to sleep and the last thing he heard was Merry`s soft voice humming an old lullaby that Bilbo had made up.

When Pippin was asleep again Merry tiptoed out into the hall and down to his parents room. They should know Pippin wasn`t feeling well. He knocked softly at their door and entered when he heard a murmured response.

*****

Esmeralda had been dreaming quite pleasantly when a knock sounded at the door and a few seconds later small feet shuffled close and the bedside dipped a little as a small body crawled up beside her. She recognised her lad at once and as she began to wake she wondered what had brought him to them at this hour. Merry was too old to crawl in with them at night now and if he did it usually meant one of two things; either he`d had a nightmare or he wasn`t feeling well. With her eyes still closed she reached out and unerringly found her child, then opened them to see Merry’s large, worried eyes look down at her. Then she remembered that Pippin was staying with them and sat up.

*****

Merry waited until his Mum came awake and sat up before he spoke in a low and worried voice, pitched not to wake his father, “He`s sick again.” Merry knew he didn`t have to explain and willingly went into Esmeralda`s outstretched arms, crying a little. One never knew when Pippin caught a cold if it might develop into something worse. Merry was sad that Pippin was sick so early after his arrival. He`d just been with them since the day before.

Esmie waited a few minutes until her son had calmed down and his tears had stopped, then hand in hand they went to Merry`s room. Pippin`s sleep was restless and he tossed and turned a little.

They spent the night there, now and again washing Pippin`s flushed face with a cool cloth and when Merry fell asleep in his chair, Esmie covered him with a spare blanket and watched as her two lads slept. She thought about getting Eglantine but as Pippin didn`t seem to get worse she decided to let her sleep through the night. It had been a long trip from Whitwell and her sister-in-law had been tired out. Better to let her sleep now, in case this illness was a lengthy one.

*****

When morning came, Pippin was, to everyone`s relief, feeling better and the slight fever was gone. He was tired and stuffy and had a headache though, so he spent the day in bed not wanting any visitors. Hearing he`d not been well Eglantine came and sat with him most of the morning and when lunch was over Merry joined him for a nap before tea. Pippin was feeling almost as good as new again and not really very sleepy.

Lying awake, Pippin watched Merry sleep and thought about his very own wonderful room on the other side of the wall. His room was just a bit smaller than Merry`s room, which was decorated in Merry`s own favourite colours, green and yellow. Merry`s room was painted a light green and had always reminded Pippin of summer meadows. The beams and windowsill and doorframes were painted a darker green and the door was yellow on the inside, just like the new one. Merry`s quilt was green with shades of yellow, red, blue and white and from afar it looked like a meadow rich with flowers. Aunt Esmie had made it, just had she had made the quilt and curtains in Pippin’s new room. The curtains were bright yellow and matched the old armchair that Pippin knew had been in the Master`s study before Merry`s grandfather took over. There was a red and yellow throw hanging over the back of it and the rug was woven in shades of green and yellow.

The washstand held a pitcher and basin just like Pippin`s. Two large bookshelves and Merry`s desk took up much of the space along the wall on the other side of the new door and Pippin saw that Merry hadn`t filled the several empty places on the shelves up with new books yet. With a smile he thought that as soon as Merry went to Bag End for a visit Bilbo and Frodo would doubtless lend Merry some books to take home and soon the shelves would be filled again.

The wardrobe door was ajar and Merry`s clothes hung neatly inside. Merry was always a stickler for neatness but his desk was never tidy. Papers and books and quills were always lying about.

On the wall just behind Pippin`s head, over the bed and beside the window there was a portrait of Merry’s family painted when Merry was little. Pippin always loved gazing at it, fascinated to see how Merry looked when he was little and before Pippin was born. It had been painted when Merry was six and he was grinning from ear to ear in it, eyes alight with mischief, a wooden pony in his hands. Aunt Esmie and Uncle Sara were also smiling and each had an arm around the other. Aunt Esmie`s free hand rested on one of Merry`s shoulders and they all looked like a happy family.

Pippin had never learned who painted it but the painter had been very good at catching their personalities. Frodo was also in the picture, with one hand in his pocket, Uncle Sara’s arm around his shoulders. He was smiling but Pippin could see the sadness in his eyes. He`d heard about the feud about having Frodo in the picture or not and Merry and his parents had wanted that but Old Rory and Merry`s grandmother Menegilda hadn`t wanted it, saying that Frodo wasn`t Merry`s brother.

The windowsill was deeper in Merry`s room than Pippin`s and a long red cushion lay there as a seat with a couple of cushions of the same design as the bedspread as backrests. Merry‘s room didn`t have a skylight like the one Pippin`s room held, but the window was larger and overlooked the gardens around Brandy Hall and if one sat in the window seat the Brandywine and the Ferry could be seen through the trees. Merry`s bed was nearly new. Merry`s name and the year of his birth were carved on the footboard and the bed was painted the same deep green as the doorframes and beams.

It was obvious that the same love and care that had gone into making Merry’s room so perfect had also gone into the preparation of Pippin’s room, and his heart swelled with love for his Aunt and Uncle and Merry. They had gone to so much work to make his own room just perfect. Merry hadn`t explained much the day before and Pippin was curious. He couldn`t remember ever being in the room that now was his. Who had lived there before? Why didn`t they live there now? Eager to get some answers he shook Merry. “Wake up Mer!”

Merry sat up and after rubbing his eyes looked at his cousin. “What is it? Are you worse?” He reached out and felt Pippin`s face, but didn`t find any fever.

“No, no.” Pippin shook his head. “I’m sorry I woke you Merry, but I can’t sleep. I want to know about the room.”

“What room?”

“My room of course, silly,” Pippin said, pointing to the new door in the wall and elbowing Merry.

“Oh,” Merry said, laughing at his own lack of comprehension. “All right…”

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Esmeralda walked from room to room, surveying everything she saw critically. The rooms next to her own family quarters were empty now that Great Aunt Moss had died. That is, empty was not the right word. Great Aunt Moss had been born in these rooms, spent one hundred and seven happy, contented years there, and had died in the same bed that she was born in, as she had declared was her intention for years prior to the event. She had liked her apartments just as they were and hadn’t so much as moved a stick of furniture or a knickknack in living memory unless it were to dust or polish them. The rooms were crowded but immaculately clean, full of furniture and mathoms and most of it was too old or worn to be of any use in the future.

Esmie knew that they didn`t lack for space, son of the Master`s family as they were, but she did really want a sewing room and it wouldn`t hurt to have another parlour. She walked into what had been Great Aunt Moss’ own parlour. It shared a wall with Merry`s bedroom and though it was dim, and hung with heavy draperies, had the potential to be very sunny and cheerful, having both a window and a little skylight. Esmie thought back to a discussion that she had had several months ago with her husband and son. They wanted another bedroom in the suite too, now that little Pippin was old enough to come visit on his own. He and Merry had been like brothers since Pippin was born and she and Saradoc loved the lad as dearly as Merry. He was like another son to them. Frodo had his room in the suite already and often all three lads would spend time together so Pippin did really need his own room in the family apartments. They could put a door through the wall shared with Merry’s room, and open up a hallway from their own sitting room into what would become their second parlour, with the third room being the much-desired sewing room… She took her ideas to Saradoc and Merry and soon furniture was removed and the walls repainted and the floors levelled and polished.

Esmeralda watched with quite a bit of amusement as Merry worked hard to make the room just so. He had wanted to help with everything. One day as Merry and Saradoc were painting the walls, Esmeralda was in the sitting room sewing curtains for the new parlour when she heard a thump and a clatter, followed by ominous quiet. She hurried to the room, Saradoc rushing in just behind her, and found Merry lying on his back on the floor with the ladder and an overturned bucket of paint on top of him.

Merry was a little woozy but opened his eyes as his parents called to him in alarm. They helped Merry to sit up and checked him over for injury but except for a slight headache from hitting his head on the floor he seemed all right. Merry knew better than to climb a ladder unsupervised as he was afraid of heights and they could make him dizzy, and Esmeralda couldn`t help but scold him. Saradoc had been painting the upper part of the walls, while Merry painted as high as he could reach, and when his father had gone to get more paint Merry had decided to help and climbed up the ladder to reach higher. He was covered in paint and she`d scrubbed his hair for an hour trying to rid it of the blue colour it had adopted. She was worried that she`d have to cut away quite a good bit of his lovely curls but finally the blue paint came out.

Nothing but perfect was good enough for his Pippin and Merry went to enormous effort to make it so. “It took me ages to find a good one,” a very dusty but jubilant Merry had said one day, dragging in an overstuffed armchair that he was certain was just perfect for Pippin`s room after spending half the day in the mathom rooms sitting in one chair after another to find one that fit just so. “He`s going to love it!” Merry declared and pushed the armchair in place.

Esmeralda made curtains and bedspread and rug and everything needed for the new room. She was enjoying her new sewing room quite thoroughly. Dear Bilbo had got her an intricate little bit of machinery all the way from Dale on his last birthday that sewed for her if she pulled a handle that made a wheel connected to the needle go round and move the needle up and down. It made neat stitches, every one as even and perfect as she could do herself, but in a fraction of the time, and she had only to move the fabric under the needle. It was a bit of a marvel and she`d never seen anything like it. It made sewing curtains and other big items much easier.

At last the room was ready and as a finishing touch Merry got the picture of the meadow that had hung in his own room for as long as he could remember and hung it on the wall in Pippin`s instead.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“You climbed a ladder?” Pippin asked aghast as Merry finished. Merry who was nervous to even stand on a stool to reach the upper shelves of the pantry had willingly climbed a ladder to paint his room? Pippin hugged Merry tight and smiled happily.

“Well of course I did,” Merry said. He would gladly climb a ladder to make Pippin`s room perfect, and he`d do it again without hesitation if need be. “Anything for my Pip.”

“Thank you,” Pippin said happily then hugged Merry before bouncing out of bed to go and investigate his own room more closely. He`d done so yesterday too but what if he`d missed something?

Merry followed after him and found Pippin with his rear in the air, sorting through a box of toys that had been on one of the shelves. He lifted up a square plate with squares painted on it. “Look, Merry. It`s your farmers checkers set. I haven`t seen that in ages.”

“Yes. I thought you would like it, as you beat me when we played it last.” Merry reached down in the box and drew out the pieces that went with the game. “Do you want to play?”

“Yes!” Pippin said and sat down on the new rug in his new room, looking around at the things that now were his. He sighed happily. He always knew he had a home here in Brandy Hall with Merry and his family but now he felt even more a part of the family than he had before since he now had a room in the family quarters.

Eglantine found them still together in Pippin’s room several hours later. The game of farmers checkers had ended and now Merry sat in the overstuffed armchair with his feet dangling over one of the arms, Pippin in his lap, reading aloud from one of his favourite old books that now was Pippin`s. She smiled as she saw them, both happily occupied by the tale. It was time for supper though and Pippin should get to bed early since he`d not been well the night before.

Eglantine waited till Merry stopped to turn a page and knocked softly on the doorframe. “Lads? It`s suppertime.”

“Oh! All ready?” Merry looked out of the window where the sun was lowering.

“Yes. And then bed for you Pippin.”

Pippin started to pout then remembered that he was going to sleep in his new bed in his new room and turned the pout into a smile instead.

“Yes, and when you wake up and want me I`ll be just on the other side of the wall,” Merry said.

“No more walking across the Hall,” Pippin said, repeating what Merry`d told him the day before.

“We`ll miss you in our suite though, my love,” Eglantine said, leading the way to the dining room.

“I`m sorry.” Pippin looked contrite. “But when we`re at the Hall I need to stay close to my Merry.”

“I know, dear. I know.” Eglantine hugged both lads and opened the door to the spacious dining room and supper and all good things that friends and family and a good home had to offer, knowing that Pippin would thrive here even more now that he had a room to call his own. She`d be sad to see him gone all summer but she knew he was in the best of care with Merry and his parents.

END

A/N Roopie is Baylor`s invention and speaking of things in Pippin`s room - I also have to thank Marigold for the description of it. It just popped up in her head and it fits just perfectly and inspired me to write the description of Merry`s room. Farmers checkers is my invention – or rather translation – and first appears in my story “Fields of Gold”.