Chapter 12. To Have and To Hold

As it turned out, the Thain did not leave immediately after the song ended. He was standing staring down at Merry and Estella when Pimpernel found him. He was wondering whether to waken them to say goodbye or to let them sleep.

 ‘Ready to go?’ he said, looking over at the touch on his arm.

 ‘Ferdi’s not anywhere to be found,’ Pimpernel said. She did not usually worry about her capable husband, but then, he didn’t often disappear for hours without first informing her. ‘Did he say aught to you?’

 ‘He left during the ceremony,’ Pippin said, thinking back, ‘with Elanor. I thought she took him back to Bag End.’

 ‘Mignonette went back to look, but the smial is empty,’ Pimpernel said. ‘I’m at my wit’s end, Pip. The children and I have looked everywhere.’

 ‘We could find Elanor and ask her where she left him,’ Pippin said.

 ‘That’s just the point. Fastred hasn’t seen her since the ceremony. Little Elfstan is sound asleep on Rose’s lap and no one’s seen his mother!’

 ‘Well now, disappearing hobbits,’ Pippin said. ‘Sounds almost like one of Bilbo’s stories, now, doesn’t it?’

 ‘This is no joking matter!’ Pimpernel snapped, following instantly with an apology. ‘I’m sorry, Pip, but Ferdi’s blind you know. What if he’s somehow lost himself?’

 ‘He’s never misplaced himself yet,’ Pippin said. ‘Rein yourself in, Nelly, or soon you’ll find yourself running down the Hill and diving into the Water to save him, when he’s likely fallen asleep in a corner somewheres.’

***

As a matter of fact, the occupants of the linen press were all sleeping peacefully. Hours of silence and darkness seem to have that effect on folk. They didn’t even hear the quick step of Mignonette as she hurried through Bag End, peering through every open doorway, or of Rose-Mum a bit later, murmuring to her grandson as she carried him to his bed. After tucking him into the old trundle she went to the kitchen to brew herself a cup of tea, pausing to shake her head in the doorway.

 ‘Careless lad, to have left all this muss,’ she clucked, seeing the piles of severed stems and stripped leaves upon her usually spotless table. ‘So that’s what they were up to!’

Stirring up the fire and setting the kettle to heat, she tiptoed to the end of the corridor, where Fro and Day’s rooms were, stopping short to breathe the fragrance of the flowers spilling from every conceivable perch. ‘Well,’ she said. ‘I forgive them the clutter in the kitchen, for this day’s work... though they still have to clear it all away before they seek their pillows!’

Hamfast and Bilbo came through the kitchen door, bearing Pip-lad between them. ‘Here we are!’ Bilbo carolled cheerily for all it was the middle of the night and they all ought to be deep in dream at this hour.

His mother hushed him with “The baby!” and the lads all fell instantly silent.

 ‘Where’s Merry-lad?’ Rose asked, and Pip shook his head.

 ‘He never came back to the party,’ he said. ‘I was waiting for him, but he never returned. I figure he wearied himself with his labours and fell asleep.’ He sat up straight, abruptly alarmed. ‘He did finish, didn’t he?’

 ‘Not quite,’ Rose said dryly, indicating the messy table. The lads quickly tidied away the clutter of stems and leaves, their mother scrubbed the tabletop, and all was ready for a last cup of tea before bed.

***

 ‘You thought...’ Farry said, bemused, and sitting straighter he looked at her in astonishment and growing indignation. ‘I’ve not even looked at another lass, and you know it, Goldilocks Gamgee.’

Goldi hung her head in shame. ‘I know it,’ she said, her eyes on the ground.

 ‘Now don’t be so hard on the lass,’ Hodge put in. He’d stayed in the background, but things did not seem to be going well.

 ‘What do you know about it?’ Faramir demanded rudely. ‘You’ve only spent the whole day with her, and...’

 ‘Now wait a moment,’ Hodge said, holding on to his temper. ‘It’s nothing to do with me! I...’

 ‘You’ve only been living with the Gamgees since your father left,’ Faramir said bitterly. ‘Have you been taking advantage of being on the spot, to gain Goldi’s affections?’

 ‘Taking advantage?’ Rosie-lass spoke up behind them, Leotred at her side. ‘Who’s been taking advantage?’

 ‘Off with ye now, you lads,’ Leot added sternly. ‘Stop bedevilling the girl! I’m sure you have better things to be doing.’ When they hesitated, he levelled his chin with his fiercest stare. ‘Off!’ he snapped.

Rather than cause a scene, Farry and Hodge slinked away, but before Farry could head in the direction of the coaches, Hodge seized his arm. ‘I’ve had just about enough of you and your misunderstandings,’ he said through his teeth.

 ‘Let go my arm,’ Farry said warningly.

 ‘Or what?’ Hodge said. ‘You’re going to flatten my nose for me? Wouldn’t that be a fine finish to the celebration, and the both of us on water rations to end the feast?’

 ‘Let go my arm,’ Farry said again, trying to pull away.

 ‘Not until I’ve talked some sense into you,’ Hodge said.

 ‘Who made you Goldi’s protector?’ Farry demanded.

Hodge actually laughed. ‘I think I liked it better when you thought we were handfasted,’ he said. ‘At least you were politer than you are now.’

 ‘My son, accused of rudeness?’ Pippin said behind them. ‘Farry, apologise, and come with me. Your Uncle Ferdi’s gone missing and your Aunt Nell is beside herself.’

 ‘Can I be of assistance, Sir?’ Hodge said at once. Faramir glared at him and he suppressed a chuckle as the Thain turned a cool look on his erring son.

 ‘We have not yet heard your apologies, Faramir,’ Pippin said mildly, and waited.

 ‘You haven’t even heard my side!’ Faramir protested.

Pippin raised an eyebrow, and Faramir looked away, muttering something under his breath, before thrusting out a hand in Hodge’s general direction. Hodge took the hand in a firm grasp and Faramir said formally, ‘I apologise for any rudeness you might have perceived.’

 ‘Apology accepted,’ Hodge said. ‘Now what’s this about Chancellor Ferdibrand gone missing?’

It was not long before nearly all the merrymakers were spreading out, carrying lanterns, walking in all directions and calling.

***

 ‘Ah, there you are!’ Rose-Mum said as Frodo and Daisy, hand in hand, slipped in through the kitchen door. ‘I thought you might dance the night away!’

 ‘The music seems to have stopped for the nonce,’ Frodo said, giving Daisy’s hand a squeeze. ‘We were walking in the Old Orchard, listening to the music and looking at the stars, but when the music stopped we decided to come in.’

 ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Rose said, pouring out before hearing the answer. ‘Sam ought to be here soon, and I don’t know who else...’

 ‘That would be lovely,’ Daisy said, taking a seat on the bench. Her wildflower wreath was awry on her head, her best dress was creased and wrinkled, she had just danced through the longest day of her life, and she looked radiant. Frodo fixed her tea just as she liked it and the two sipped, fingers twined together on the table.

 ‘The Thain will probably come in for a cup of tea before he leaves,’ Rose said, continuing her thought, ‘and it’s possible the Master and Mistress of Buckland as well.’ She frowned at the tabletop. ‘They will probably insist on sitting with us in the kitchen, here, rather than the parlour or the dining room...’

 ‘You’ll want a company cloth on the table then,’ Daisy said, springing to her feet as if she were fresh as her namesake. ‘I’ll fetch it, Mother Rose!’

 ‘I’ll come with you,’ Frodo said, instantly at her side, and the two left the kitchen as one.

 ‘Probably going to steal kisses in the passageway,’ Bilbo said with a grin.

  ‘It’s a lovely surprise you and Merry-lad worked out,’ Rose whispered to Pip-lad, remembering that he hadn’t seen the fruit of Merry’s labours. ‘I’m sure they’ll be touched to the heart.’

 ‘He did finish, then?’ Pip whispered back with a look of relief.

 ‘All but the clearing away,’ Rose whispered.

 ‘And we took care of that,’ Bilbo said softly, ‘so all is well! I hope they’re surprised!’

In the corridor, Frodo and Daisy were sharing a long kiss before the door to the linen press. ‘We don’t have to do this right this minute, you know,’ she murmured with a smile when the kiss finally ended.

 ‘There’s no time like the present,’ he replied, after which he emphasised his words with yet another lingering kiss, which was rather spoilt by Day’s giggle. ‘I suppose we ought to share a last cup of tea with the family before we retire,’ he said reluctantly.

 ‘That’s one of the things I love about you,’ Daisy whispered, gazing into his eyes. ‘You always know the proper thing to do. Why,’ she said again, after brushing his lips with hers once more, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself married to the Mayor some day!’

 ‘I’m just a plain gardener,’ Frodo protested, but she shook her head with a fond smile.

 ‘Seems to me some other Mayor said the same thing once,’ the new Mrs Gardner teased, then leaned her head against his shoulder. ‘Still,’ she added, ‘you could be the rubbish collector for all I care.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ was all Frodo answered, but hearing a burst of laughter from the kitchen he was recalled to the duty at hand. With a long sigh he opened the door to the linen press. ‘The tablecloths are on the right-hand side,’ he said. ‘You hold the door and...’

He broke off, seeing the untidy pile of linens and blankets against the far wall. ‘What in the name of...?’ he said, stepping into the room.

Daisy, seeing the blankets heave and hearing a sound mystifyingly resembling a new-born babe announcing mealtime, followed him. She forgot all about the door, which swung closed behind them, plunging the little room once more into darkness.