Chapter 5. Midnight Arrival

 ‘But can we get there and back again in time?’ Pippin asked in his most reasonable tone.

 ‘This has been in the planning for a year or more,’ Diamond said firmly. ‘The hobbits of Pincup have been planning this Jonquil Celebration in my honour ever since last year when someone heard me exclaim over the exquisite blooms in the Thain’s Garden and wrote to their cousin’s daughter-in-love’s brother’s grandson about it. Just because your old friend sends word that he wants to meet you in little more than a week...’

 ‘He just happens to be the King of Gondor and Arnor and...’ Pippin began, but Reginard cut in smoothly.

 ‘I do believe we can manage to satisfy honour and duty in both events.’ He looked from Thain to Mistress. ‘We can send the baggage ahead to Buckland, you know. You can take with you just what’s needed for the journey and a day or two at Pincup and then go on to the Bridge from there.’

 ‘It won’t be fast travel,’ Pippin warned. ‘No more than tracks between here and Pincup, and between Pincup and Stock, unless you take the long way ‘round.’

 ‘We can ride pony-back,’ Diamond said.

 ‘And I’ll have your coach waiting at the Crowing Cockerel,’ Reginard put in. ‘You just ride down to Pincup, honour the good wishes of the hobbits there, ride north to the Stock Road, have a bath, hot meal and good sleep at the inn, and be on your way to the Bridge. Why, you might even be a day or two early for the meeting.’

 ‘Better than a day or two late, anyhow,’ Pippin muttered, his glance falling on the much-decorated letter lying on his desk. He shook his head and said, ‘O very well,’ and to Diamond, with the beginnings of a smile, ‘You know I can never refuse you anything, my love!’

 ‘O Pip!’ she said, flying at him with her face lit up with delight and her arms open to embrace him. After a sweet kiss, she whispered in his ear, ‘I’m going to hold you to that, you know.’

Reginard cleared his throat. ‘Well then,’ he said. ‘Be that as it may... When shall I have them saddle your ponies?’

 ‘I cannot leave today,’ Pippin said. ‘There’s that delegation from Michel Delving to deal with, and the Bracegirdles...’

 ‘I could...’ the steward began, but Pippin shook his head decisively.

 ‘No, Regi, I’d trust you to handle everything with your usual aplomb, and the hobbits of Michel Delving wouldn’t mind, but the Bracegirdles are likely to take offence and triple the price of their pipe-weed if I do not treat with them myself.’ He could just hear the mutters: Foisted off on an underling! Who does he think he is!

 ‘Farry and I could go ahead, with an escort,’ Diamond said. ‘If we do not leave today, they’ll have to delay the opening of the celebration! And Mayor Sam won’t be there to open!’

 ‘As he’s preparing to meet King Elessar at the Brandywine Bridge,’ Pippin said. As I ought to be doing, he thought better of saying. He saw his wife’s smile dim and added hastily, ‘An excellent notion, my dear! We shall send you and Farry ahead with an escort, and I shall follow with Reginard as soon as we’ve hammered out this year’s purchase of wine and pipe-weed.’

He turned to Ferdibrand in time to catch him hiding a yawn. ‘What ever is the matter with you, Ferdi?’ he said. ‘The morning’s barely begun!’

 ‘Beg pardon,’ the special assistant said. ‘Haven’t quite pried my eyelids open as of yet.’

 ‘Well can you pry them open wide enough to arrange an escort to Pincup for Diamond and Farry?’ Pippin said.

 ‘Certainly, certainly,’ Ferdi said, rising hastily from his desk. ‘When would you like to leave, Mistress?’

 ‘Immediately after second breakfast,’ Diamond said. ‘We’ll take the Stock Road to the Crowing Cockerel, refresh ourselves with some tea, and head south from there along the little track to Pincup.’

 ‘Yes,’ Pippin said thoughtfully. ‘That’ll likely be faster than going across the fields and through the woods, though a bit longer to do it that way.’ He pulled Diamond to him, laying a kiss upon her cheek. ‘If you insist upon leaving this morning, and not waiting for me to conclude my business...’

 ‘Those Bracegirdles could talk a Brandybuck up a tree,’ Diamond said, ‘and you know how they feel about heights!’

 ‘They could talk a Took into the Water,’ Pippin agreed. ‘But this is one Took who learnt how to swim, and who’s climbed a number of trees in his life, so I have no fear from the Bracegirdles. Let them do their worst!’

Reginard shook his head. Likely the Thain would rue those words; the steward had been dealing with the Bracegirdles for years and had no illusions as to how the discussion would proceed. Or wouldn’t, as it were.

And so it was agreed. Hildibold would ride to Pincup with Diamond and little Farry. Deep in the centre of the Shire, only one hobbit of the escort would be needed, and that more to fend off foxes or stray dogs than anything else. The Bounders were efficient at keeping wayward Men from penetrating more than a few miles into the Shire proper. Both times Men were caught within the Shire, swift word had been sent to the Thain as chief of the Shire-muster and thus the defence of the Shire, and he’d dispatched Ferdi and Tolly to help deal with the situation and report back to him.

So Pippin saw Diamond off, young Farry riding before her on the saddle, Hilly at her side, his bow strung and his quiver full of arrows. The escort didn’t expect any trouble, really, but it made a good show, and he’d been the second-best archer at the tournament last year, so if trouble were to come sniffing at them he was sure he’d drive it away without much ado.

 ‘Good thing it’s not you,’ Tolly muttered to Ferdi, who was stifling another yawn. ‘You’re asleep on your feet. What’s amiss?’

 ‘I’m fine, really,’ Ferdi said.

 ‘I beg to differ,’ Tolly said. ‘Why don’t you take yourself off for a nap? You look a sight, and we’ll be riding off to Pincup in a few hours. Don’t want you falling asleep and falling off your pony!’

 ‘You forget,’ Ferdi said, ‘Pippin wants me there while he treats with the Bracegirdles and the contingent from Michel Delving. I’m supposed to be making note of everything that’s said.’

 ‘Hah,’ Tolly said sceptically. ‘If you can only stay awake through it all! I’ve never met anyone more boring than a Bracegirdle.’

 ‘Pompous asses,’ Ferdi agreed. ‘But I’m fine, really I am, Tolly.’ He fought down another yawn and forced his eyes wide, putting on an alert expression. ‘All I need is a good strong cup of tea and that’ll do me up right.’

As it turned out, the business with the hobbits of Michel Delving went smoothly and fairly quickly. They’d been trading their crops and chalk from their quarry for Tookland wool and mutton for some years now, and both sides had been satisfied with the equity of the trade. By the time elevenses were served, Pippin was shaking hands with the head of the delegation and wishing him safe journey home again.

 ‘At this rate, we’ll be finished well before teatime,’ he said to Reginard. ‘We’ll ride out just as soon as we’ve said fare-thee-well to the Bracegirdles, and probably be in Pincup by late supper!’

 ‘You want to ride that track through the woods in the dark?’ Regi said dubiously.

Pippin laughed. ‘Why ever not?’ he said. ‘Certainly, bed and beer at the Cockerel would be softer and more comfortable, but Diamond is to open the Jonquil Festival at dawn, and I mean to be there to watch the good hobbits of Pincup shower my wife with praise!’ He gave a satisfied nod. ‘She does so much for the Tooks, and yet they know so little of her efforts... it’ll be good to see her receive just a little of what she’s due.’

The steward smiled. Pippin might have been describing himself. He did so much for the Tooks, and yet tried to do as much of it as he could privately, ducking accolades with the muttered sentiment that he was only doing as he ought. ‘Everything will be ready for our departure just as soon as we’re finished with the Bracegirdles,’ he said.

 “As soon as we’re finished with the Bracegirdles.” It sounded so promising, and innocuous. Pippin could not think of an analogy bad enough to describe what that meeting felt to him: being dragged off his feet by Orcs through rocks and thorns came to mind, but he dismissed it as mere fancy. He did feel exhausted and bedraggled when Odo Bracegirdle finally held out his hand and said sourly, ‘I think we can live with that agreement.’

Pippin forced a genial smile and took the hand in his, pumping it with feigned enthusiasm. ‘Yes, fair all around, I’d say,’ he said. And it was fair, but only because Pippin had kept politely hammering at the recalcitrant Bracegirdles until the agreement was fair to Took and Bracegirdle alike. He wondered if Gimli had ever felt like this, coaxing a jewel from a rock-face of flint.

It was well after teatime that their business was concluded, and Pippin, Reginard, Tolly, and Ferdibrand did not make a proper supper, but ate in the saddle as they rode. Ferdi elected to lead them across the fields, a rougher journey but more direct, if one had a hunter’s intimate knowledge of  the Green Hills. Still, it was nigh on middle night when they pulled up in the darkened streets of Pincup.

Pippin pounded on the door of the inn for some time before the door was opened by the innkeeper, who was blinking sleepily. That jolly hobbit’s face brightened considerably when he recognised the Thain. ‘Well come! Well met and well come, indeed!’ he said, peering past Pippin to the dark group behind him. ‘We’ll put up your ponies and show you to your rooms! We’d given up hope that you’d arrive today, and were going to put off the celebration in hopes that you’d come on the morrow. But come in! You must be tired, and I imagine your Mistress...’

 ‘Yes, yes,’ Pippin said, stripping off his riding gloves and ducking through the opening doorway. ‘I’m sure Diamond is quite impatient at the lateness of the hour.’

 ‘No, impatient? Never,’ the innkeeper protested. ‘Why the Mistress is ever as gracious as the day is long in the summertime,’ he added. ‘We’ll just show you to your rooms...’ He turned to address two sons blinking behind him, night-caps still on their heads. ‘See to the ponies!’ The lads bowed and darted out the door and the little group of riders and ponies began to move towards the stables.

Still chattering, the innkeeper led the way to the best room, throwing the door open and hurrying inside. ‘Half a moment,’ he cried over his shoulder. ‘I’ll just light the fire; it’s been laid ready, you know, and have fresh warmers put into the bed...’

Pippin entered the room, looking to the bed, expecting to see Farry tucked up and fast asleep, Diamond sitting up beside their little son, waiting for Pippin’s arrival. He was a bit surprised that a fire was not already going. His greeting died on his lips as he surveyed the empty bed. His gaze swept the room. ‘Where’s Diamond?’ he asked.

 ‘Is she still in the stables?’ the innkeeper said, straightening up from sparking the fire. ‘I thought she’d come in directly behind you, O forgive me my oversight, Sir...’

 ‘Still in the stables?’ Pippin said, dumbfounded. ‘Why would she still be in the stables?’

 ‘Well, Sir, I...’ the innkeeper said, nervously washing his hands together. ‘You’d know better than me, I should think.’

Pippin turned on his heel and strode out again, meeting the other travellers halfway across the yard. ‘Did you see Diamond?’ he demanded.

 ‘Diamond?’ Reginard said, mystified.

 ‘The innkeeper seems to think she was awaiting us in the stables,’ Pippin said. ‘Or that she went out to the stables to feed her mare a midnight apple, or something of the sort.’

 ‘Not at all,’ the innkeeper said.

 ‘Then where is she?’ Pippin demanded, swinging around to confront him.

 ‘I—I—I...’ the poor hobbit stuttered.

Ferdi, now thoroughly awake, took Pippin’s arm. Pippin, fair and reasonable and clear-headed about most things, was definitely not level-headed when it came to his wife and child. ‘Pip...’ he said under his breath. ‘Let’s calm down and I’m sure we’ll sort this all out.’

 ‘I am calm!’ Pippin snapped. ‘And what is there to sort out?’ he added. The hobbits around him stiffened at his tone, not the mild, sensible, invariably cheerful and sometimes whimsical hobbit they were used to dealing with.

Ferdi turned to the innkeeper, retaining a vise-like grip on the Thain's arm. ‘Now then, Master Broadbank,’ he said lightly. ‘What time did Mistress Diamond arrive? And what did she say? Was she invited elsewhere?’

 ‘I—I...’ said the innkeeper.

 ‘Where is Diamond?’ Pippin demanded.

 ‘I thought she was with you,’ the innkeeper quavered.

The travellers exchanged glances, but Tolly was the first to catch the implication. Taking the unfortunate innkeeper by the shoulders, he hissed, ‘She never arrived?’

Regi put in, ‘She should have been here by late supper at the latest!’

The innkeeper opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

 ‘Diamond is not here?’ Pippin whispered, anger draining away.

The innkeeper blinked from one grim countenance to another, skimming over the pale faces of his sons, uncertainly huddled together in the face of this storm of emotion. At last, in a shaking voice, he ventured, ‘You mean, the Mistress did not travel with you...?’