Chapter 34. At Breakfast with The Took

Next morning, Healer Woodruff sought out the Thain at second breakfast in the Thain’s quarters. Eglantine welcomed the head healer warmly, insisting that she seat herself and fixing a cup of tea to Woodruff’s liking. Diamond, entering with young Faramir, stopped short in surprise. Her first thought, of course, was that something had happened to Pippin. But no, Eglantine was smiling and chatting lightly. Thus reassured, Diamond settled her small son at the table and began to cut up his ham for him.

Pippin breezed in but stopped before dropping his usual kiss atop Diamond’s head. ‘Woodruff?’ he said in surprise.

The healer rose from her place. ‘I looked for you in your study, Sir,’ she said formally, ‘but I was told that you were out and about early this morning and were expected to take second breakfast with your family to make up for missing the early meal.’

 ‘Very well,’ Pippin said. ‘If you wanted to go to the study...’

 ‘I’ve invited Woodruff to share breakfast with us,’ Eglantine said. ‘She told me she hadn’t eaten yet this morning for some reason, and I, for one, am interested in whatever business she has to discuss.’ She fixed her son with a sharp eye. He looked well enough, she thought. He’d been very careful after his last bad spell, and though he’d ridden in the races he’d taken Woodruff’s warnings to heart and had taken every precaution to avoid breathing dust.

 ‘Very well,’ Pippin repeated with a kiss for Eglantine’s cheek before he sought his own chair. ‘That is, Woodruff, if you don’t mind,’ he added, as he spoke nodding thanks to the servant who placed his plate before him.

Woodruff hesitated, then nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said. Eglantine, after all, was still head of the family though she’d passed the title of “The Took” on to her son when he acceded to the Thainship. Eglantine continued to watch over all the Tooks under her eye. 

The healer watched Pippin eat a few bites, waited while Faramir’s spilt milk was mopped up, but pushed the food around her own plate without appetite.

 ‘What is it?’ Eglantine said, laying down her own fork. ‘Woodruff, I haven’t seen you looking so serious since...’

 ‘I am seriously worried,’ Woodruff admitted, giving up on her breakfast. She turned to Pippin. ‘It’s your head of escort,’ she said.

He sat abruptly straighter. ‘Ferdi?’ he said. ‘What’s happened? Has the leg...’

 ‘The leg took no harm the other day,’ Woodruff said. ‘He was luckier than he deserved in that. But...’

 ‘But what?’ Eglantine said, leaning forward. She had a fond spot in her heart for Ferdibrand, bright lad, brave hobbit, a bit down on his luck at the moment but he’d been worse off...

 ‘He’s stopped fighting me,’ Woodruff said. ‘I’m seriously worried about him, I’ll admit it. Last night after the Thain left, Ferdi took his sleeping draught as meek as a lamb, no protests, no putting it off until after he’d shared late supper with old Ferdinand. No, but he drank it down and went off to sleep. Slept through late supper, of course, but what really worries me is that he did not inquire after his father this morning upon awakening.’

 ‘Did he eat?’ Eglantine said, for a good gauge of hobbit health was appetite.

 ‘No,’ Woodruff said, ‘not even with that sister of his badgering him. I don’t know quite what’s the matter, for he won’t talk to anyone!’ Her voice rose slightly in her perturbation before she took herself in hand once more. She turned to the Thain. ‘What did you say to him last night?’ she asked.

 ‘I...?’ Pippin said, arrested in the act of dabbing at his mouth with his serviette.

 ‘Did you discharge him from his position?’ Woodruff persisted. ‘Did you threaten to throw him out on his ear?’

 ‘Of course not,’ Pippin protested. ‘What sort of hobbit do you think I am?’

Woodruff didn’t answer this. She’d known Pippin from his young years, but then he’d gone off to foreign parts and come back changed from the blithe lad she remembered. Taller, darker somehow in tone, more thoughtful, older than his years, but still not settled enough to suit his father. He’d lived amongst the Brandybucks for the past few years, and Woodruff had scarcely known him on his return. The flighty lad was well gone and a grown hobbit had taken his place.

 ‘I only know that after the race he hardly spoke two words to anyone, and after you finished with him last night, he fell completely silent,’ Woodruff said. ‘What did you do to him?’

 ‘I’d like to know the same,’ Eglantine said sternly.

 ‘You may go and play now, Farry,’ Diamond said to their young son. ‘Perhaps Frodo Gamgee can take you and Merry-lad out on the meadow. I’m sure there are lots of lovely hoppers and flutter-bys out there awaiting capture.’

 ‘Yes’m,’ Farry said obediently, though he’d been attending the grown-ups’ conversation. Ferdi was ill, and sad, from the sound of it. Frodo and Elanor might know what to do...

After the door closed behind Farry, and the servants had replenished the teapot and laid down the platters of food so that the diners could help themselves, and then taken themselves off at a quiet word from Mistress Eglantine, Pippin found himself facing three sets of accusing eyes.

 ‘Well?’ Eglantine said.

Pippin looked from one to another. ‘I only told him how angry I was at his taking such a risk,’ he said. ‘Why, Woodruff has kept him practically tied to the bed, even left orders to waken him and force down sleeping draughts should his sleep be restless. He had no business being out on the racecourse, and he knew it very well or why should he work out a switch to make us all think he was Hilly?’

 ‘I thought that was Hilly’s doing,’ Woodruff said. ‘Ferdi’s not been completely with us this week, between the blood he lost and the draughts to keep him quiet.’

 ‘Wagers or no wagers, it was not all Hilly’s doing,’ Pippin said. ‘Ferdi’s stubborn enough to resist Hilly’s silver tongue if he doesn’t agree in the first place.’

 ‘But not yours,’ Eglantine said perceptively. ‘You’ve talked Ferdi out of his better judgment more than a time or two. What have you done this time, Pip?’

 ‘Nothing, yet,’ Pippin said, rising from the table and throwing down his serviette, his breakfast only half eaten. ‘But it seems I must be about my business.’

Before wife or mother or head healer could call him back, he was gone.