15 Spreading the Madness

Diamond woke up with a start and stared wide eyed at the ceiling of her room at Bag End. She was getting married on First Yule. Eight weeks! She closed her eyes and then opened them again. Yes she was awake and she knew she wasn't dreaming. She shook her head at the wonder of it all. Peregrin was truly to be hers, and she his. A warmth and a thrill ran through her. Never again would she think anything was impossible. She would have to send word to her siblings. She shook her head again, they would not believe it either. She smiled happily as she got dressed in one of her comfortable, every day, dresses, brushed her hair and prepared for the day. Then she went to the kitchen.

"Good morning Rosie." Diamond's voice was quiet, her soft brown eyes distant and dreamy, her smile soft. Everything she looked at seemed surrounded with a gentle glow. "I'm getting married on First Yule!" She sat down with a thump on one of the straight backed kitchen chairs and reached over to offer Baby Merry her forefinger as he lay in his little basket on the table. With her other hand she cradled the diamond necklace Peregrin had given to her.

"What Diamond?" Rosie turned around from the pot that was hanging over the fire, the wooden spoon she was using to stir the porridge still in her hand. "I didn't hear you right. It sounded like you said you're getting married on . . ."

"First Yule." Diamond dreamily finished the sentence for Rosie. Rosie dropped the spoon. Her hands went to her mouth and she stared wide eyed at Diamond.

"Right on the holiday! That's madness, Diamond!"

Diamond gently laughed and nodded her head, amazed herself at the decision. "I said that myself to Peregrin last night. He said he wanted to, well . . . wait, you know." Diamond was turning a becoming pink. "Then he said he didn't wish to wait too long!" She looked shyly at Rosie and smiled. "Not that I wish to wait long either." Diamond looked at Baby Merry playing with her finger and hastily changed the subject back to the wedding. "First Yule, Rosie! Can I really plan a wedding befitting his position in the Shire in only eight weeks!"

Rosie did think to pull the pot of porridge out away from the fire before she plopped down in a chair across the table from Diamond. Her eyes were still wide and the room seemed a bit out of kilter. "Well, my Sam always did say the Tooks were an odd bunch, but gettin' married so quickly and right on the holiday! It'll surely be the talk of the Shire if naught else!" Rosie offered Baby Merry one of her fingers and the baby grabbed it, then looked a bit confused as to what he should do with having someone's finger in each hand. His mother's finger must have seemed the more familiar because he chose hers to stick in his mouth and mash between his gums.

Rosie sighed and smiled at her youngest child, gently brushing his fine soft curls with the fingers of her free hand. "Mind, I had near that short a time to plan my wedding but had no cause to make it anything as fancy as yours should be, Sam not even bein' Mayor at that time." She smiled brightly at Diamond as a thought came to her mind. "Pippin's mother and sisters! We need to send word to Pippin's mother and sisters and then you can go visit them all over at the Great Smials. They would know what you need do!"

"Know what to do about what?" Pippin asked, followed by a large yawn. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen with little Elanor holding fast to the first finger of his right hand. She had awakened him in their accustomed favorite way, her jumping on him until he tickled her, and then she had waited impatiently for him in the tunnel as he got dressed. He was dressed in his livery, as had been his habit before his trip to the North Farthing, but, owing to Elanor's pleas to hurry, his hair was uncombed.

"What to do about this madness of yours, Pippin Took!" Rosie mockingly scolded him. She got up and stood behind Diamond putting her hands on Diamond's shoulders. "Havin' this poor dear lass bein' wed right on First Yule with only eight weeks to plan for it. The future Thain's weddin' no less!"

Pippin's eyes went wide with his best 'it is not my fault' look. “Madness?" He asked. "No madness. Unless it is that I'm madly in love with her and can not possibly bear to wait any longer than that to be hers. And where is it written or said that hobbits can't wed on First Yule?"

"You're gettin' wed on First Yule, Pippin? That's a bit quick isn't it lad?" Sam now interrupted as he came in from his morning walk about the garden, down the hill and back.

"Exactly the point, Sam my dear." Said Rosie while Diamond and Pippin looked lovingly at each other and started giggling. "See, the poor dear lass is going quite mad from it all. Can't keep from giggling at everything!" And with that there were giggles and hugs all around, even for Elanor and wee Baby Merry. Sam and Pippin exchanged knowing nods and as they embraced Pippin whispered to his dear friend, "Thank you, Sam. You were right, she knew." "You're most welcome." Sam whispered back as he tightened his hold on the younger hobbit.

"There's more to the madness." Pippin drew a deep breath to settle his emotions. "Would the Mayor of the Shire and his good wife object to two guests taking the risk of overstaying their welcome? Diamond and I wish to wed here in Hobbiton and although I suppose we could stay at an inn . . ."

"You'll do no such thing!" Rosie interjected. "The very thought of it, Pippin Took! You've your rooms here and no need to look elsewhere. But why have the wedding here, my dear?" Rosie turned to Diamond.

"So you may stand with me and your dear Sam may do the ceremony without taking you both away from your home and family." Diamond replied. "If you will agree to it. And," Diamond turned to Elanor and knelt on one knee to be at the child's eye level, "I would like Miss Elanor Gamgee to join my sisters as one of my maidens."

Diamond was nearly knocked down by the ecstatic little lass and Rosie started dabbing her eyes with a corner of her apron.

"May I, Mummy! May I be with Diamond's sisters Mummy?" Elanor was beside herself with the thought of being part of the wedding of one of her favorite uncles.

"Of course my dear. One should never turn down being a part of a friend's wedding."

Rosie tearfully replied. Then Diamond picked up Elanor and, still holding her, hugged Rosie with all three of them in happy female tears.

"May I call you Aunt Diamond now?" Elanor asked as she snuggled in Diamond's embrace.

"If your Mum and Papa say you may, then it is fine with me as well, dear." Both Gamgee parents nodded and Elanor gave Diamond a big wet kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Aunt Diamond!" Elanor said. "I'm glad you like my Uncle Pippin 'nuff to marry him. I think he's great fun, but Daddy always says Uncle Pippin is needin' a wife to look after him. Now he'll have one!"

Sam hurriedly took his daughter from Diamond and, blushing the deepest of reds clear to the roots of his sandy colored hair, headed out of the kitchen. "Let's get Frodo-lad and Rose-lass!" He was heard to say as he disappeared down the tunnel leading to the children's rooms followed by the sounds of laughter from the kitchen.