7 Festival Bound

The days passed in a hurry now as Pippin felt the pressure to have his plans in place by the time he and the North-tooks of Long Cleeve Farm left for Hobbiton. Topaz and Opal would be staying with relatives of Aster Tunnely. Adde and Bandy had begged to stay at the inn with their friends Robin and Toby Burrows and their father. Pippin suggested that Isengrim and Diamond might like to stay at Bag End, as were he and his cousin Merry Brandybuck, and have the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Mayor Samwise, Rosie and their family. They accepted the offer and the arrangements were made.

The trip to Hobbiton was uneventful with everyone glad to finally see the lights of the town glowing warmly in the early dusk of a late autumn day. Rosie had a wonderful dinner ready and a marvelous supper as well later in the evening. Between the meals and afterwards there was a great deal of talking and laughter as the children, Elanor who was six, Frodo-lad who was four and Rose-lass who was two, insisted on stories and songs till the last possible moment before their bedtimes. The only Gamgee child not joining the ruckus was baby Merry, born just that summer and only four months old. Merry Brandybuck sat contentedly rocking his namesake while Pippin and Isengrim kept the other children entertained.

When the children were finally being sent off to bed, Diamond excused herself as well. "If no one minds," Diamond paused while she yawned, "I think I'll go to bed as well." She yawned again and the rest of the adult hobbits chuckled. "You obviously don't mind." She laughed as well. "So if you'll be so kind as to show me to my room, Rosie, I'll go and yawn in there."

"If Sam will see to the children, I'll be glad to." Rosie replied.

"We'll help!" Said Pippin as he scooped up little Rose and Isengrim grabbed Frodo-lad, each with an arm around the child's middle. The children giggled and squirmed as they were carried off.

"Come on Merry," Pippin called over his shoulder, "bring Baby Merry along. It's his bed time too!" Sam held out his hand to Elanor and they all went down the tunnel towards the children's rooms.

Rosie led Diamond down a tunnel in the opposite direction, to the guest rooms.

"This first room on the hill side is Merry's." She told Diamond as they walked by. "Then this room is Pippin's, the first on the outer side, and then Isengrim's on the hill side, then yours on the outer side. Yours is the smaller room," Rosie said as she opened the door, "but it's the quieter as it's furthest from the rest of the house. Merry likes the hill side room and Pippin is in his usual room.

The lamps in the room had been lit earlier as had the fire in the fireplace. It was a cozy room with the traditional round window, now shuttered, set in the outer wall, a comfortable bed with many pillows, a wardrobe, washstand and an easy chair with a well padded footstool. There was a small writing desk in front of the window and a night stand at each side of the bed. Rosie came and gave Diamond a hug then held her at arms length.

"I am so glad you agreed to stay here, Diamond. It's always just the lads and I end up outnumbered. 'Tis nice to have a lass to visit with." She hugged Diamond again. "Sleep well Diamond," she said and then left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Diamond’s bags had been set next to the wardrobe. Yawning again she decided she would unpack the next morning. She opened the bag that held her night things and, after hanging her travel clothes in the wardrobe, she put on her nightgown and went straight to bed.

At the other end of the hole, the Gamgee children had been storied and tucked, now their father and the others tiptoed out of the rooms and down the tunnel towards the sitting room. Suddenly, Pippin was pulled roughly by the arm into a dark place. He heard the quiet click of a door shutting. He thought fast.

“Why have you pulled me into the linen closet, Merry?”

“I thought you had sworn off lasses.”

“I . . . you thought what?”

“You said so, the night of the party. Well, the evening of the day after the party actually, but that’s not important.” Merry sounded a bit irritated with himself but hurried on. “You said you had decided to be done with lasses.”

“Oh, that!” Pippin chuckled, but stopped short when he realized that Merry wasn’t joining in. “Yes . . . eh . . . I did say that and I truly thought I was, Merry. Things had gone from worse to terrible and I truly didn’t much care if I ever set eyes on a lass again. Or, well, at least for a long while.”

“Then what is she doing here with you, you with all these things you’ve been arranging? This isn’t exactly what I expected to come of this trip of yours, Peregrin Took.”

“You heard all about what happened, Merry,” Pippin said, suddenly sounding like a young hobbit trying to explain himself to an elder instead of one adult addressing another. “You surely can’t think I purposefully threw myself off Blaze and down a ravine. Or do you?” Pippin squinted toward where he knew his cousin was standing, opened his eyes wider, then squinted again. “Drat this being in the closet, Merry, I can’t see your expression. It really was an accident. I had no idea where Diamond lived. I’d even forgotten she lived in Long Cleeve. It just . . . happened. Truly, Merry.”

“And now you’re doing all these things, these surprises, for her.” Merry was sounding quite stern. “You’ve done it again, haven’t you, Pippin? You think you’re in love with her just because she found you lying injured at the bottom of a ravine. Just because she helped nurse you back to health.”

“No!” Pippin nearly shouted. He continued on more quietly but there was an edge in his voice. “No, Merry. It isn’t that at all. I always sort of liked her, but she wouldn’t dance with me and I didn’t know any other way to get to know her and finally I just gave up. But that is all in the past. We talked a lot, Merry. We talked and we were quiet together. We read to each other. She would read while I rested and I would read while she worked on her embroidery. She finally danced with me. Well, we were alone in the garden and the music was me humming, but she danced with me.” His voice went small and shy. Pippin was suddenly glad of the darkness in the closet as he felt his neck and face grow warm. “She’s different, Merry.”

Merry didn’t answer. He was going back over the day. How had this Diamond lass behaved? What sort of things had she said?

“Didn’t you notice, Merry?” Pippin urged his cousin. “She’s actually a bit shy. None of those other lasses were. And she hasn’t been draping herself all over me all evening, nor laughing much too loudly at the wrong moments, did you notice that? She helped Rosie in the kitchen and didn’t even sit next to me in the sitting room. We’ve . . .” he was blushing again, “we’ve kissed a few times, but they were nice kisses. They weren’t . . .well . . . they . . .”

“Were nice kisses,” Merry finished for him.

“Yes. Nice kisses.”

There was an awkward silence in the linen closet.

“Give her a chance, Merry.”

She had behaved as Pip said - shy and not as though she were a vine seeking to attach itself to his cousin. Rosie seemed to like her as well, and that spoke volumes to the concerned Brandybuck.

“Merry?”

“All right, Pip. She’s been as you say, well behaved and friendly even though a bit shy, and that is different from those others.” Merry sighed. “I’ll give her a fair try, Pippin, but I’ll be watching both of you carefully.”

“Fair enough!” Pippin’s voice smiled. “Can we get out of here now, Merry?”

*******************

The music faded, the lantern light dimmed and Diamond stretched luxuriously as another dream of dancing with Peregrin at the Festival Ball faded into waking. The dreams were so much clearer now that she had actually been in his arms following his graceful movements in the garden by the grape arbor. She stretched again and opened her eyes. Lazy shadows danced on the ceiling above her. Danced. She frowned a little. Diamond wasn't sure if she hoped, or didn't hope, that she would finally have the courage to dance tonight at the Festival Ball. As always her heart yearned to feel like the other hobbit maids joining in the dancing. The dress she had brought was a newer one that might be all right. Diamond sighed.

She slid out from under her covers and stretched one last time. Turning toward the wardrobe she stopped short. The wardrobe door was open and all of her things hung from the rail or sat folded on the shelves. Her nicer everyday dress, the one she planned to wear during the day's visits to the booths and stalls of the Festival, was on a hanger hung on the wardrobe door. Diamond went over to the dress. It had been freshly ironed and was ready to put on. She turned to the other dresses. All were neatly ironed, but her best dress was missing. She started to panic and turned back to the dress hanging on the door to see if the missing dress was hanging behind it. It was then she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the pocket in the skirt. Opening it she read:

Diamond,

Pippin thought you might enjoy being pampered
a bit. It was his idea for us to sneak into your room
last night, unpack for you and have your dresses
pressed and ready. He even helped, if you'll believe it!
We hope you enjoy your surprise!

Rosie

P.S. There is another surprise on the writing desk!
Peregrin

Diamond's hand went to her mouth. She was stunned. That Peregrin and Rosie would do this for her amazed her. Why, she barely knew Rosie Gamgee! They had treated her like someone special, someone who would have servants to tend to her clothes. Tears came to her eyes as she turned to look at the writing desk in front of the window. A rather large box lay upon the desk, the type of box she herself had packed many a dress in for delivery to a customer. Diamond's hands trembled as she reached for the note that rested on top of the box.

Diamond,

I freely admit that this is a bribe. My hope is that,
when you see what's inside, it will be impossible for
you to refuse my request to be your escort to the
Festival Ball tonight.

The necklace is, I'm sorry to say, borrowed
and will need to be returned to my mother. But the
rest, made especially for tonight, is yours, dear Diamond.

Peregrin

P.S. Rosie says that the two of you will have
plenty of time this afternoon to primp and
fuss together. Enjoy!

Peregrin

Hands still shaking, Diamond took the lid from the box. Inside was a beautiful velvet cloak, blue like a midnight summer sky, and lined with satin of the palest blue of the dawn. She lifted the cloak and her breath caught in her throat at what lay beneath. A sable velvet dress trimmed with fine silver bead work lay in the box, and draped upon the neckline lay a silver necklace set with two rubies and, in the center, one large diamond.

Forgetting she was only in her nightgown Diamond ran from her room. She had to find Peregrin, or Isengrim, or Rosie or . . . well anyone to share her joy. Still clutching the cloak she burst into the Gamgee's kitchen where all the other inhabitants of the house were up and having breakfast.

"This . . . this . . . " she couldn't catch her breath and couldn't find the words she wanted. Pippin stood and she went to him holding the cloak up to him. "You . . . you did this? For me, you did this?" Her wide brown eyes searched his face, suddenly her mind fearing it was a dream or a joke.

Pippin took her by the shoulders and turned her to sit on the chair he had been sitting in. Then he dropped to one knee beside her so she wouldn't have to look up so high to talk to him.

"Yes, for you Diamond. Are you all right?" He gently touched her face. "You are as white as your gown."

Diamond blushed and seemed to come to herself as she realized that he was right, she was still in her nightgown.

"Do you like them?" Pippin asked in a worried tone.

"Oh yes!" Diamond exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.

"That's all that matters." Pippin's warm voice assured her as he returned her embrace. "All that matter's is that you're happy with them, and," he took her shoulders, held her away from his chest and looked into her eyes, "that you'll let me escort you tonight. May I?"

"Yes Peregrin!" Diamond replied as she once again hugged him tightly.

"Then I suggest that you go and change and come back before there's no breakfast left and we've all gone to the Festival without you."

With a quick nod and a blush Diamond ran to her room to get ready for the day.

Merry made a mental note of the fact that Diamond had not acted as though she expected or deserved the fine clothes she had just been given. She had been genuinely surprised and a bit embarrassed by his cousin’s generosity. He let himself entertain the thought that Diamond North-took of Long Cleeve might indeed be different from Pippin’s other lasses.