Chapter 7. Solving Problems

Meadowsweet would not have called off the wedding, of course, for once two hobbits agree to marry only death will part them. She might have decided to put off the wedding, however, and if it did not take place as planned next week, it wouldn’t be likely to happen until next Spring… well, perhaps after harvest if Tolly could persuade Sweetie to set the wedding then, though most hobbit weddings took place in springtime.

Tolly had been distracted enough the past weeks; Ferdibrand as head of escort did not want one of the hobbits working under him to be thinking of things other than his duties. He felt it his business to smooth things, get the wedding over and done with, carry Tolly through and back to business as usual.

The kitchens were a-bustle with preparations for Eventides when Ferdi stuck his head in the main door. ‘Yes, sir? Does the Thain need aught?’ the assistant cook said, seeing the head of escort.

 ‘I need one of your serving lasses, on a commission for the Mistress,’ Ferdi said, his eye roving the large, busy room. He found Meadowsweet, folding serviettes at a side table. ‘You!’ he called. Meadowsweet looked up, startled, then looked to the assistant cook.

 ‘Go on, lass! Don’t keep the hobbit waiting!’ the assistant cook rapped out, moving to jerk a half-folded serviette from Sweetie’s hands, efficiently finishing the folding and adding it to the neat pile.

 ‘Yes’m,’ Sweetie said with a quick bob before hurrying to the doorway. There was a dance in her step, a light in her eyes, a music in her voice that reminded Ferdi of his own lost love. He buried the thought beneath a businesslike air as they strode through the corridors towards the Thain’s private quarters, Sweetie nearly skipping to keep up with his long strides.

 ‘What is it?’ she asked breathlessly. ‘What does Mistress Diamond want?’

 ‘Someone with a quick eye for what needs doing, and the ability to hold her tongue and not add to the Talk,’ Ferdi said dismissively. He quickened the pace to discourage more questions. Sweetie was holding her side and breathing hard when they reached the door to the Thain’s apartments.

Ferdi tapped and entered, nodding to Sweetie to follow.

 ‘Yes?’ Sandy, the Thain’s personal hobbitservant said, straightening from arranging flowers on the little table in the entryway.

 ‘You said you wanted a lass with quick wits who knows when to speak and when not to,’ Ferdi said, drawing Sweetie forward. ‘Here she is.’

Sandy looked Meadowsweet up and down. ‘You’re a bit young,’ he said critically. He looked to Ferdi and back to the serving lass. ‘I’ve seen her in the kitchens chattering away with the rest of the magpies.’

Sweetie lifted her chin to return his regard with flashing eyes... but she held her tongue. The hobbitservant held her eye for a long moment, then smiled. ‘We’ll give you a try,’ he said. ‘Your wages just doubled, lass, and if you make good you won’t be sent back to the kitchens anytime soon, save on errands for the Mistress.’

Sweetie gasped. Doubled! Like that!

 ‘You’ll start on the morrow, first thing--at dawn, mind you,’ Sandy said. What with the Thain asleep after his bad spell, a healer sitting by the bed on watch, and Diamond sure to be upset by the news when she returned from Tuckborough, they wouldn’t want the lass poking about the suite of rooms now. ‘You may want to spend the rest of this day settling into your new quarters.’ 

 ‘No,’ Ferdi said, ‘no need... she’s to marry Tolly next week, you know, and they’ll be taking up residence in one of the escort’s apartments nearby.’

 ‘Of course,’ Sandy said with a bow. ‘May I tender my felicitations, miss?’

Sweetie returned a graceful courtesy, her head spinning. That she’d been noticed at all by the Thain’s personal servant, that she’d be working in the Thain’s quarters, all this on top of the joy of the wedding... if only they could manage the wedding. Somehow she couldn’t bear to put off that happiness, now. ‘Thank you,’ she managed.

 ‘I suppose you will want the entire Highday,’ Sandy said, his lips pursed but a twinkle in his eye.

 ‘Most weddings do run from one dawn to the next,’ Ferdi said dryly.

 ‘It will be a bit difficult for you to be on the spot the day after, then,’ Sandy said, shaking his head. ‘Not a good beginning, but we’ll make do.’

 ‘Sandy...’ Ferdi said in a warning tone.

 ‘Sir, I...’ Meadowsweet said at the same time.

 ‘Don’t you “sir” me,’ Sandy said sternly. ‘I’m “Sandy” to you, lass, and don’t forget it. Of course you’ll have to take the day before and the day after the wedding, and I’m sure the Thain will insist upon your receiving full pay for those days, as part of his contribution to the festivities.’

 ‘Yes...’ Sweetie caught herself before she uttered the forbidden “sir”, ‘...Sandy, and thank you.’

 He wagged a stern finger at her. ‘But I expect you here by dawn the following day, without fail.’

 ‘Yes, Sandy.’ The name came easier with repetition.

 ‘Very well,’ the hobbitservant said. ‘Off with you now. Your time is your own after teatime, unless the Mistress asks you specifically to stay on, and she’s not here at the moment.’

 ‘Come along,’ Ferdi said, taking her arm and pulling her towards the doorway. ‘Thanks, Sandy.’

 ‘Don’t mention it,’ Sandy said in dismissal, closing the door firmly behind them.

 ‘That’s one problem solved,’ Ferdi said. ‘I’d heard the assistant cook wouldn’t grant you a free day before the wedding to help with the final preparations,’ and was going to make you take the wedding and the day after without pay, hardly festive of her, he thought privately, though it would not do to openly criticise the assistant cook. The hobbit was probably feeling sour at not having the day free to join the celebration.

 ‘My mum was that upset,’ Meadowsweet said. ‘Even with what help the neighbours could give she didn’t think it could all be done, for Mrs Sandybank fell and sprained her wrist and Mrs Bitterroot is abed expecting twins, and of course her oldest...’

 ‘It’ll be done,’ Ferdi said. ‘Even if I have to cook half the wedding breakfast myself!’

Sweetie laughed at such a picture, and Ferdi squeezed her hand and smiled. ‘That’s better,’ he said. ‘You’ve been looking entirely too worried the past few days. Let us find Tolly and tell him the good news.’

Tolly’s long face broke into a smile as Meadowsweet bubbled over with the news of her promotion and the promise of three free days to “do the wedding up proper!”

 ‘I don’t know what to say,’ he said, taking Ferdi’s hand and wringing it with vigour.

 ‘That’s a good sign that there’s nothing needs to be said,’ Ferdi replied with a grin. ‘You’re marrying the finest lass in the Smials, you know, and she’ll make good in the position or I’d never have brought her to Sandy’s attention.’

Sweetie coloured prettily, overcome by Ferdi’s praise and her good fortune. ‘That’s everything that was wanted,’ she said hastily, to cover her feelings. ‘We can have the wedding, excepting...’

 ‘Excepting what?’ Ferdi demanded. Tolly suddenly wouldn’t meet his eyes.

 ‘He hasn’t asked,’ Sweetie said cryptically, and pulled at Tolly’s arm. ‘You haven’t asked him yet, have you? You thought we’d be putting the wedding off until after harvest, and so you didn’t ask.’

 ‘Ask what?’ Ferdi said.

Meadowsweet fell silent, giving Tolly’s arm another tug. It wasn’t her place to say.

 ‘Tolly?’ Ferdi asked quizzically. ‘You know you have the wedding day and the day after free, don’t you? Hilly will have to work the day after, of course, for I cannot be short two hobbits for two days, but I’ll see to it that he has the wedding day free...’ It would be difficult, to be the only hobbit of the escort on duty that day, but he’d make do, even if it meant he must station himself outside the door of the Thain’s study from dawn until teatime, without relief.

 ‘But you’re not free,’ Tolly said before he could stop himself, and Ferdi stared, catching his meaning.

 ‘We all cannot attend this wedding,’ he said reasonably. ‘You must, of course, and Hilly’s your brother...’

Tolly’s eyes sought his woolly feet. ‘Of course,’ he said, and stopped. He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet Ferdi’s eyes. Ferdi waited patiently, for he’d never seen Tolly at a loss before.

At last Tolly said, ‘I wanted to ask you...’

Sweetie gave his arm another tug. ‘Go on,’ she whispered. ‘Even if it cannot be, at least you can honour the hobbit.’

This gave Ferdi an inkling of what to expect, so that he was not surprised when Tolly said haltingly, ‘I wanted to ask you... to stand up with me...’ Tolly dropped his eyes again and said to his toes, ‘...but of course it’s impossible.’

Ferdi surprised the happy couple with a hearty laugh.

Tolly looked up in astonishment, to see Ferdi’s eyes dancing with mischief. ‘What?’ he said in surprise.

 ‘It is the duty of the head of escort to accomplish the impossible,’ Ferdi said firmly. ‘Didn’t you know that, after all these years? After all, you’ve been “head” yourself in the past.’ He clapped Tolly on the back as the hobbit smiled uncertainly. Meadowsweet was frankly bewildered.

 ‘We cannot leave the Thain without an escort. Think of the scandal,’ Tolly said.

 ‘If the escort cannot be where the Thain is, we must bring the Thain to where the escort is,’ Ferdi said. ‘Invite him to the wedding.’

 ‘Invite the Thain...!’ Sweetie gasped.

 ‘And his family, of course,’ Ferdi said, adding practically, ‘It’s just three more mouths to feed, and Pip does enjoy a good party, you know.’

 ‘I...’ Tolly said.

 ‘After your years of loyal service, he can hardly refuse you,’ Ferdi went on. ‘It’ll be refreshing for him to attend a wedding where he doesn’t have to do the honours. I assume Mardi is performing the ceremony.’

 ‘Yes, he’s head of our branch of the family,’ Tolly said. ‘He’s senior amongst all the cousins descended from Isembold.’

 ‘Well then, the Thain can just sit back and enjoy himself,’ Ferdi said. ‘Eat, drink, tell a story or two, give a toast perhaps, and never be out of the eye of the escort. Solves our problems all round, wouldn’t you say?’

 ‘Ferdi, you’re brilliant,’ Tolly said.

 ‘Of course I am, you’re only finding it out now?’ Ferdi replied. He laughed at the look on Sweetie’s face and clapped Tolly on the shoulder. ‘Go, for Sweetie has the rest of the day free. Go and plan the finest wedding Tookland has seen in years!’

 ‘But I need to ask the Thain,’ Tolly said, not one to let grass grow under his feet.

 ‘Ask him on the morrow,’ Ferdi said. ‘He was in rather a bad humour when I left him. Now would not be a good time.’

 ‘Very well; thanks for the warning,’ Tolly said. He took Meadowsweet’s hand. ‘How about a picnic in the meadow? We can watch the Sun seek her bed. I imagine Hilly and his sweet Posy will be happy to keep us proper and above gossip.’

 ‘It sounds wonderful,’ Meadowsweet said dreamily.

 'Think of what they'll say in the kitchens when you go to pack the picnic,' Ferdi said mischievously. 'The assistant cook is going to have to start addressing you as "Miss"!'

Meadowsweet's eyes widened at the thought and Tolly chuckled, remembering the trial the assistant cook had posed for Sweetie ever since her arrival at the Smials.

Ferdi nodded in satisfaction as he turned away. Problem solved.