10 The Morning After

Pippin sat with his face in his hands beside the bed where Diamond lay sleeping off the effects of the mulled wine. Merry sat off to the side, in a chair by the hearth. He was feeling rather guilty for jumping to such a bad conclusion when Diamond had accosted Pippin. He rushed over to Bag End as soon as he had heard the truth of the matter from Pippin’s sisters. At least he could be a supportive presence to his dearest friend this night.

Diamond had been sick while Rosie was helping her into her night gown and again just after Rosie had put her to bed. Now she lay pale and fragile looking , her hair damp with perspiration. Pippin felt horrible. He had wanted Diamond to finally enjoy herself at a Festival. He had only wanted her to be happy.

Pippin reached over and took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. Then he uncurled her fingers and rested her hand against his cheek. He snuggled his face into her soft palm and sighed as tears ran down his face. He hoped this wouldn't send Diamond back into hiding from the dancing and fun. He found himself hoping a lot of things and all of them involved Diamond.

He and Merry sat with her through the night and into the day, Pippin holding her hand and cooling her face with a damp cloth, Merry keeping an eye on his cousin. Pip kept insisting that he didn't feel hungry and Rosie and Sam worried about his not eating. His cousin knew that it wasn’t unusual for the lad when he was upset. He would either eat constantly or very little when the worries of life hung heavy upon him. Merry had shown up at the table for first breakfast without Pippin, taking a tray back for him when he was finished. Sam brought a tray of food for them at second breakfast after which Merry decided to get some rest. He gave Pippin’s shoulder a firm squeeze as he headed for the door. Pippin reached up and squeezed his cousin’s hand in response, then Merry headed for his bedroom. At elevenses Sam brought another tray. Pippin thanked him, but it was still sitting there untouched when Diamond started to awaken near noon.

"What's . . ." she gulped and looked a little greenish, "what's that smell?"

"Diamond! You're . . . it's . . . uh, just a moment." Pippin hurriedly grabbed the tray and took it out of the room and set it on the floor in the tunnel. He then opened the window in Diamond's room and returned to her side.

"Is that better?"

"I'm not sure." Her head ached, her tongue felt dry and too big for her mouth and she was not sure she could move very much even if she had wanted to. "Why do I feel so awful, Peregrin? Have I been ill?" Her eyes remained closed as the light from the window was making them, and her head, hurt.

A cool cloth was gently placed over her eyes, Pippin's voice was quiet and soothing.

"Not really sick, Diamond, but not well either." He took her hand before saying what he had to say next. He was afraid of hurting or angering her. "Have you ever drunk ale or wine before?"

"No," her lips turned down and she was obviously annoyed at the question, "of course not, Peregrin. You know what it did to my father." She sighed and groaned a little, the small outburst making her head spin a bit. "Isengrim has ale occasionally, and I don't begrudge him, he's never drunk from it, but I had decided that I would never drink either wine or ale." Even though her eyes were covered, she turned her head slightly toward Pippin. "Why do you ask?"

"You were drunk, Diamond. Drunk and sick on mulled wine that Persimmone Bolger gave you to drink." The fierceness in his voice surprised Diamond. "I think she was hoping that if you acted and spoke as she told you to that I would quit . . ." he hesitated, unsure of how to say what he needed to say, "that I would not return to the North Farthing, but stay here instead." It wasn't a completely true statement but not a falsehood either.

"Why would she care about that?"

Pippin didn't know what to do. He didn't want to lie to Diamond but he didn't want to tell her about what had happened between himself and Persimmone. And, although he hoped his gift of the cloak and gown made his feelings for her somewhat clear, this wasn't how he wanted to tell Diamond that he cared for her, or that Persimmone had hoped to drive them apart.

"I quite forgot something." Pippin stood quickly and backed away from the bed. "Rosie said she wanted to know when you awakened as she would mix a tonic for you that would help you feel better. I'd best go and tell her you’re awake." He turned toward the door.

"Will you be coming back, Peregrin?" Diamond asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure." Pippin said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. "I'll send Rosie."

Isengrim North-took had left for Long Cleeve, needing to be home when his younger siblings returned from being at the Harvest Festival with their friends. He wasn’t looking forward at all to their questions, they had all seen Persimmone brought into the pavilion by Peregrin’s sisters then left to stand dripping water all over the dance floor. He hated leaving his older sister in the care of folks who were practically strangers, even though he felt Peregrin was nearly family. Isengrim asked him to send word to Long Cleeve letting the family know how Diamond handled the news of what had happened. It was a sore spot in his family’s life and no mistake, but he left Hobbiton totally assured that Peregrin laid no blame for the incident on Diamond. He knew it would be an anxious trip back home to the North Farthing.

Sam looked over at his distraught friend and his heart ached for him. Pippin had been his usual cheery energetic self when he and the North-tooks had arrived at Bag End. His letter asking about bringing them had said nothing about Diamond in particular, but Rosie had guessed what was happening when the dress box had arrived from Great Smials and she had passed her suspicions on to Sam. Once Pippin, Diamond and Isengrim had arrived, it had been easy for even Sam to see that Pippin was smitten with Diamond.

Merry was still asleep, so Sam alone was left to console Pippin who sat at the table in Bag End's kitchen, the very image of despair.

"All I wanted was for her to be happy," Pippin said forlornly, "to find out that she could be a part of the festivities, that she didn't have to hide any more. Who knows what she will think now? She may even hold me responsible. I should not have gone off with Merry and the lads." Pippin's forehead thumped down onto his arms that were crossed on the table in front of him.

"Perhaps she won't be thinkin’ nothin’ bad at all, Pippin. She seems a smart one. She’s taken to Rosie, and Rosie to her. From what I heard last night, your sisters like her as well. She even seemed to have fun talkin’ to folks whilst we walked around the Festival yesterday. She certainly will remember that they all treated her fair and kindly." Sam reached over and patted Pippin on his slumped shoulder. "She'll know that that Persimmone is a bad 'un."

"Humph." Mumbled Pippin.

"What? You don't figure she's smart enough?"

"Yes!" Pippin's head came up and his eyes flashed. "She's very intelligent Sam, but she's been so hurt. She feels so few things have gone well in her life. Maybe she'll think this is some sort of omen. Some sign that she can’t have the joy she wants to have."

Sam noted the color rising in his old friend's face and the fire in Pippin's eyes, all in defense of Diamond, and he smiled. Frodo would be amazed at how the lad was growing up, Sam thought with a sigh, wishing as he often did, that his dear friend was still with them at Bag End. He still wasn’t all that comfortable with being an advisor to Merry and Pippin, though they had begun to seek his advice shortly after Frodo had left. Now that he was Mayor, Sam figured they would do so even more, as would their fathers - at least on official matters. Sam wondered if life would ever stop surprising him. Things had surely changed since the times when he had been nothing more than Mr. Frodo’s gardener. He got to his feet, went over to Pippin and leaned close to his ear.

"Maybe you need be showin’ some of this here fire on her behalf to Miss Diamond." Sam voice was soft and encouraging. "That just might chase away her fears." Sam patted Pippin's back as he straightened up. "I need to be seein’ to the children's nap time. I think they'd love to have a story from their Uncle Pippin. Come on, we'll let Rosie and Diamond have time for some female chat."

Pippin smiled a weary smile and joined Sam on his way to the children's rooms.

Diamond sat in her bed with tears streaming down her face. She had asked Rosie to tell her everything that had happened the night before.

"What ever will Peregrin think of me now? Accosting him like that! Having to be carried home? He must think me a fool to be tricked so easily. He wasn't even sure he would come back and sit with me." Diamond sniffed, then blew her nose on the handkerchief that Rosie had handed to her when the tears began to fall.

Rosie grinned a bit at Diamond's calling herself a fool. All too often that word had been used to describe Pippin and all the other Tooks. Rosie sat on the bed with one leg folded under her so she was facing Diamond.

"He thinks just that my dear, that you were fooled by some one who wanted to hurt you both. Believe my sayin’ that he puts no blame on you." Rosie chuckled a bit and patted Diamond's leg that was next to her beneath the covers. "Pimpernel told me he wanted to kill that nasty Persimmone Bolger, and even had his hand to his sword. No! No Diamond!" Rosie quickly reached out to calm the shocked lass. "He wouldn't have hurt her, dear. His sisters though, they took care of her but good, as I told you. But he knew Persimmone was all to blame. He has naught but care and concern for you."

"Truly!” Diamond sat up taller and her face brightened.

"Would he trouble so over a lass he cared naught for? Orderin' that beautiful dress for you and surprisin’ you with it. Wantin' you to look as fine in your gown as he did in his armor and all. He's watched your every move the whole time you've been here, even Sam noticed. Merry and your brother noticed too, they told me so. And since gettin' you back to Bag End last night he's not left your side, he's not eaten nor slept, all for worryin' over you."

"I don't know, Rosie. I . . ." Diamond lowered her eyes, her voice growing shy and quiet. "I don't know much about lads and their ways. My Mother died before she told me much about courting and . . . well . . . I hid away from the fellows for so long . . ." She looked at Rosie with a sad faraway look. "I thought it was because we're kin that Peregrin was being so caring. Defending Took family honor or such a thing. I know I care for him, but . . ." Diamond lowered her eyes and blushed at this admission of her affections. "I never ever really thought that some one like Peregrin could care for me. And then I go and become an embarrassment to him as my father always was to me."

"You're no embarrassment to him Diamond and I hope you're not thinkin' you're not good enough for him because of his titles and such, 'twould hurt him badly if you thought that."

"No, not that. But I'm a lass who had to work to support herself and her family because my father was a drunkard. Father died along the roadside after begging some of the ruffians for ale during the Dire Year. Pippin's family is important and respected. Why would Peregrin Took want the daughter of such a hobbit as my father?" Diamond's head hung to her chest, her tears falling anew.

Rosie moved closer to Diamond and hugged her tight while rubbing her back and stroking her hair to sooth the poor lass. "You needn't fear Diamond, my dear." Rosie crooned softly. "Pippin knows you had nothin’ to do with your father‘s troubles and I'm very sure 'tis not your father or his reputation that Pippin sees when he's lookin’ at you." Rosie gave Diamond a little squeeze for reassurance. "There's a childhood friend of Pippin's who is too often at the ale. Pippin has seen what it's done to him and his. He would never hold aught against you for how your father was." At that, Rosie felt Diamond relax a bit in her embrace.

"I've never had a friend like you, Rosie." Diamond's voice was rough from crying. "You have been so kind to me."

"You're a sweet lass, Diamond and if you have a good talk with Pippin and work out all the feelin's you have between you, well, 'twould make me happy to see you two makin’ each other happy."

Diamond relaxed even more and she yawned. "I'll do that Rosie. I'll talk to him, I promise."

"Good. Now you just lay yourself back down for now and get some more rest. Tomorrow will come in good time, a new day for a new start." Rosie tucked Diamond in and kissed her gently on the forehead. Diamond had a small grin on her lips as she slept.