Chapter Ten - Details 

“Pippin! Wake up!” Merry nudged the teen who made him promise to wake him up when they all returned from the party. It was Pippin’s way of keeping up with the tweens.

After a few nudges Pippin finally rolled over. Without opening his eyes he whispered, “What time is it?”

“It’s three o’clock.”

Pippin rubbed his eyes. He threw aside his blankets, pulled on his night-coat, then followed his friend out to the dining room. The hall lanterns were bright to his sleep-bleary eyes, but by the time he and Merry entered the dining room his teenage get-up-and-go kicked in.

“Hullo, Pip!” came a chorus of greetings as Pippin found an empty chair between Pervinca and Merry. He immediately made himself a cup of tea as the chatter went on around him. “So tell, me everything,” he said. “I want to know every detail--as I was not invited.”

“You didn’t miss a whole lot,” said Pervinca. “Rosamunda was chaperone so most everyone was on their best behavior.”

“Except for you-know-who!” Merry grinned.

“I could not believe that lad!” Mentha put in angrily. “He was with that Angelica lass, but as soon as she excused herself for a brief minute, he tries to coax Mel into going off into a secluded part of the Smial with him!”

“I noticed he disappeared shortly thereafter,” said Melilot. “Did Rosamunda send him off?”

“No, though I believe someone else did,” Merry looked at Degger.

Degger merely continued sipping his tea.

Merry smiled, “We should have come back and asked Pippin to fill in as Angelica’s escort for the remainder of the night.”

“You should have,” Pippin replied, though he was blushing again. He smiled at the prospect of an older lass’s affections.

“You’ll be going to these parties before you know it, Pip,” said Pervinca. She put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze.

Pippin thought he glimpsed his sister’s other hand still under the tablecloth--clasped in the hand of Merimas who was sitting on the other side of her, but said nothing. He smiled at her.

At present, Melilot yawned then stood up from her seat. “I think I am going to call it a night--or a morning!” she said laughing, then smiled at her escort, “Degger, would you care to walk me back to my quarters?”

“Of course,” he answered. Then gave a sidelong glance at Merimas, “I shall return shortly.” Laying his napkin aside, he got up and ushered his lady out of the dining room.

Pippin slid a piece of apple pie onto his plate. “I am going to a party--on Tuesday,” he stated to Pervinca. “It’s Moro Burrows’ party, and Father already said I may go to it.”

“Moro is having a party?” asked Merry. “He has a younger sister, Pip,” he teased, winking at his friend.

“Merry, stop! You’re making him blush!” Pervinca laughed.

“I am not blushing,” came Pippin’s reply.

“There is nothing wrong with being fond of Myrtle, Pippin,” said Mentha, “I think it’s rather sweet.”

“Well, if you all simply must know,” Pippin said, putting down his fork and swallowing his pie, “I saw her at the Mid-summer Fair and she smiled at me, and that’s all there is to it.” He gave Merry a clandestine glance to squelch anything he ever thought to add. It was Merry who caught him and Myrtle behind one of the tents locked in a kiss.

After a quiet pause, Mentha rose up from her seat and announced that she, too, was headed for her room. She grinned, “I suppose those two have had enough time to say a proper goodnight.” Merry, every bit the gentle-hobbit his mother raised him to be, also got up to accompany his cousin back to her quarters.

Pervinca felt Merimas squeeze her hand. Merimas stood up, saying, “Perhaps I ought to turn in as well."  Bidding a goodnight to Pippin, the couple got up and left to retire to their own rooms--but not before a private, proper goodnight.

Pippin was left alone sitting in the dining room. The clock on the wall read four o’clock. Picking up the last piece of apple pie, he held it aloft on the pie server to no one in the room. “Anyone want the last piece? No?” Sliding the pie onto his plate, he licked his sticky fingers, saying, “Well, I suppose I’ll have to be the one to eat it then. Wouldn’t want to hurt the cook’s feelings.”

“I was hopin’ for a piece of apple pie.”

Pippin whirled around in his seat; he thought he was the only one in the room. He felt embarrassed about his little conversation with himself. “Degger! Cough or sneeze the next time you walk into an empty room! Besides,” he said, “you’re too late. I offered the pie to everyone sitting here but nobody wanted it.” He shoved a large bite of the pie into his mouth.

Degger sat down across from the teenager. Pippin saw his lips were a noticeably brighter red. They both looked towards the door when Merry returned to the dining room, then smiled broadly. “So the love birds went off to a little corner by themselves, eh?”

“Apparently,” answered Pippin.

“So, Degger, did you have a nice time?” Merry asked.

“Aside from that little misunderstandin’, yes I did,” he answered. “Everyone seemed to like me well enough. Even Miss Estella greeted me warmly; she asked me about you.”

“About me?” Merry asked, nibbling on one of the leftover sweet cakes. “What did she ask?”

“She asked if you and Miss Mentha were…how did she put it?” Degger smiled, “Attached?”

Pippin snorted a laugh. “One time I saw them as attached as--”

“Now wait a minute, Pip,” Merry cut him off. “If you don’t say anything about the Yule Party five years ago, I won’t tell him what happened behind the tent at this year’s Midsummer Fair.” Pippin went back to finishing his last bite of pie.

Degger smiled; he did not have to guess much at what probably transpired with either situation. “That was all she was able to ask I’m afraid; Melilot immediately took me away to meet some of her friends.”

It was Merry’s turn to blush; “What did you tell her?”

“I told her no,” Degger answered. Then he placed both hands on the table, rose up and said, “well, my friends, I still have a garden to tend to later in the mornin’. G’night.”

“Goodnight, Degger,” the lads answered in unison.

Merry drank the last of his tea then got up as well. “Come on, Pippin, you’ve had more than enough pie.” Pippin rinsed down his last bite with a small glass of water then was ushered by his cousin back to his room.

Pippin half-turned as he walked in front of his cousin, “Do you think they’ll get married?”

“Who?”

“Pervinca and Merimas,” Pippin replied.

“I don’t know, Pippin,” said Merry. “Merimas is only sixteen months older than I am. That’s like asking if Estella and I are getting married. Pervinca and Merimas have only had eyes for each other in the last couple days, and it is nearly eight years before Merimas comes of age. What do you think?”

They stopped in front of Pippin’s room. “Probably not,” said Pippin. He was hopeful, but was also trying to be pragmatic--they were talking about a pair of young tweens. “You’re right; they probably have about as much chance of getting married as you and Estella do. Goodnight.” With that, Pippin entered his room and closed the door behind him.

~~ The End~~