22 Overheard

The days passed by, in some ways too quickly while in others rather slowly. That odd game that time plays when something wonderful is on its way. It was, at last, the week of the wedding and everything was moving into place. All of Diamond's siblings had arrived from the North Farthing and were staying at Bag End. Isengrim, Adde and Bandy were sharing the room that had been Isengrim's during the Harvest Festival while Elanor had finally succeeded in convincing her Mum to let Topaz and Opal stay in her room. Diamond's sisters found Elanor to be delightful company and enjoyed this arrangement.

On the fine morning of the day before the wedding, Topaz and Opal took Elanor into Hobbiton. The little lass was getting increasingly anxious for the wedding day to arrive and was getting horribly under foot for her Mum and Diamond along with Eglantine and her daughters who had arrived at the Green Dragon Inn the night before.

First there had been Elanor's awe at once again meeting her Uncle Pippin's sister's when they arrived at Bag End that morning.

"Are you the ones who dunked the mean lady in our rain barrel? She looked so funny all wet and drippy!" Elanor had exclaimed with wide eyed admiration after being reminded who the three hobittesses were. Pervinca had opened her mouth to boast a bit to the youngster when a sharp look from Eglantine stopped her. Although Lanti thoroughly approved of her daughters’ actions, it really was not something to be presented as proper behavior to such a little lass.

Then Elanor seemed to have herself head first up to her waist into every box and crate that the Tooks had brought with them.

“Is this candle holder a wedding gift for the tables at the wedding? Are the pretty table cloths for the wedding feast? Surely this beautiful nightgown is a wedding gift for Aunt Diamond!”

Rosie began to wonder if her daughter had suddenly become a Took herself with the endless questions she was asking and she was barely able to keep Elanor from pulling the many items out of the boxes.

By elevenses it was decided that something needed to be done. Elanor was now going on about was it time to wear her pretty dress and could she put it on and couldn't she please just this once and really she would be most careful
and . . .

. . . that is how Elanor and Diamond's sisters ended up in town. They were having a fine time. They had elevenses at a nice little tea room and then Topaz had treated Elanor to an extra treat at the pastry shop. While at the emporium, Elanor wandered off by herself. Topaz and Opal were looking at fabric for dresses they would like to make for spring and Elanor decided she would much rather look at the dolls. While she enjoyed holding and rocking the dolls she heard some grown up hobbitesses talking.

"No, Violet, I don't know much about Diamond, now that you mention it." said a quiet soft voice.

"Well the truth of the matter, Buttercup, is that her father was the town drunkard in Long Cleeve." replied a sly silky voice.

"Truly?!"

"Yes." came the sneaky voice, "If you can imagine it. The future Thain married to a drunkard's daughter!"

"Do you think anyone will speak out at the wedding?" the soft voice whispered.

"Well, several of us are planning to. Would you wish to stand with us and also speak out?" The sound of the sly voice made little Elanor shiver.

"Of course! It is the only proper thing to do!"

Elanor still felt shivery and decided to put down the doll and find Diamond's sisters. She did not say anything to them about the voices.

It was nearly time for dinner when Diamond's sisters and Elanor returned to Bag End. Diamond, Rosie and Estella were in the kitchen putting the final touches on the meal while the lads sat in the study wreathed in smoke and good conversation.

Topaz and Opal had noticed a change in Elanor after they left the emporium, but thought perhaps it was tiredness from her excitement about the wedding. Elanor ran to the kitchen when they got home.

"Aunt Diamond?" Elanor called out as she ran to Diamond and tugged on her skirts.

"Yes dear?"

"Aunt Diamond? Why didn't you tell me your Papa was special like mine?"
Diamond's eyes grew wide as she looked into Elanor's upturned face.

"Whatever do you mean, dearest?"

"We were in the emporium and I was playin' with the dolls and some older lasses were talking on the other side of the shelves . . ." Elanor stopped and turned to her mother, hanging her head as she did so. "I know I shouldn't listen, Mummy. I know you've said not to, but they said Aunt Diamond's name and I started to listen. I'm sorry Mummy."

Rosie bent down and stroked her daughter's golden blond hair. "It's all right, love. I understand that would make it temptin' to listen. What did they say, Elanor? You seem upset."

"Well, they said that Diamond's Papa was a special somethin' in the town she is from, Cleeveton?" She looked back to Diamond.

Diamond was starting to pale, this was sounding ominous. "No dearest, Long Cleeve." She said to the child who nodded back to her.

"Long Cleeve." Elanor repeated. "The one voice, she didn't sound too awfully bad, but the other one made me shiver, Mummy." Elanor said turning back to Rosie for a moment then she again looked up at Diamond. "I don't know what the thing they said your Papa was is, Aunt Diamond. My Papa is The Mayor of the Shire and they said your Papa was The Town Drunkard of Long Cleeve."

Diamond's face went deathly white and she slumped to the floor. Estella ran to get Pippin and the others.

Pippin had carried Diamond to her bed and Rosie brought the smelling salts to help wake her. Upon awaking it was obvious that Diamond was frightened beyond reasoning. Her face retained it's pallor and she was trembling all over as she ordered everyone, even Pippin, out of her room, turning her back on them as she did so.

After helping Sam with feeding and settling his youngest children, Eglantine and her daughters left to return to the Green Dragon. They wisely decided, amongst themselves, that there were enough visitors in the smial. They gave their son and brother a hug before going on their way to their own nearly sleepless night.

First Pippin and then Isengrim, then her sisters tried to gain admittance to Diamond’s room, but one by one they were turned away. Finally Rosie and Estella simply walked into the room and shut the door behind them, and there they remained. Dinner was forgotten.

Topaz and Opal decided to stay with little Elanor who was beside herself with sorrow. Sam had taken her aside and, as best he could, explained to his daughter what a drunkard is. Elanor wailed out her grief for her new aunt. Grief that Diamond's papa had been that way and grief that she had hurt her Aunt Diamond by repeating the things she had heard. Opal and Topaz had tucked the distraught child into a 'big hobbit's' bed then sat on each side of her. They spoke soothingly to her, reassuring her that it was a good thing that she had told her Aunt Diamond about the mean things she had heard those ladies saying. "That way, Elanor dearest," Topaz said, "we can do something about it, something to help Aunt Diamond feel better." Holding her and singing her sweet songs Topaz and Opal helped the child to calm down till, at last, the tender hearted little lass fell into an exhausted slumber. Diamond's sisters fell asleep still cuddling the child between them.

Rosie and Estella stood just inside the door of Diamond's room and waited for a response from the lump under the covers on the bed.

"I know someone is in here." The muffled voice of the lump called out. "I heard the door open and close. Go away!" The lump wriggled deeper down toward the foot of the bed.

Rosie and Estella held their ground.

"I mean it! Go away!" No one moved and the door remained closed.

"I won't talk to you! I won't! You have no right to be in here! Go away, now!" The lump curled up further into the bedding.

Rosie marched over to the bed and yanked off the blankets and sheet. The curled up Diamond sat straight up, eyes glaring.

"I have every right, young lass!" Rosie's voice had the authority gained from years growing up with three younger brothers and her training up her own growing youngsters. "This is my roof you're under. My guest bed you're sitting' in and I will be in here if I see fit to be."

Diamond's angry glare had left her eyes and she looked properly cowed. Rosie's face softened and she sat down and gathered Diamond into her arms.

"And I see fit to be in here to comfort and help someone I love." Rosie's voice was gentle now and she kissed Diamond on the side of her head. Estella sat down and the three of them hugged each other tightly.

"I've brought such shame to him and his dear family." Diamond sounded so small and frightened. "I know he understands and that the matter does not come between us at all." She turned her tear streaked face to each of her friends before taking her arms from around their waists and placing her nervously wringing hands into her lap. "We told his family and they were all so kind. But if the hobbits of the Shire lose their respect for them; if the Tooks won't trust the one who will be head over them, that would be a terrible thing!" She stared down at her hands. "I can not have them live under this shadow as I have to do. I will not wed Peregrin."

No one said a word. The air of the room felt heavy with the silence.

Finally, very softly, Rosie spoke. "Then I guess Persimmone has won after all."

Diamond's head came up quickly and her brown eyes looked nearly black with anger. "Persimmone! The same who . . . the one that Peregrin's sisters soaked and humiliated? Would she dare to do this? I thought she had promised to leave Peregrin and me alone?"

"She has friends, dear. Even serpents like her do have friends." Rosie shook her head. "But, what does it matter? You've said you won't wed the lad. She's got what she wished."

"But . . ." Diamond was struggling with herself. "I can't drag him and his family through such a mire. This is my shame, my burden. I can not bring this to my marriage, not to their family." The fire began to dim in her eyes. Diamond drew a deep breath and then slowly let the breath escape. "I've lived with this for more than fifteen years, it is nothing new for me. I know this foe and can deal with it. It is not their battle to fight."

"Then there is naught left but to tell Pippin that the weddin' is off. That you don't think he's strong enough nor loves you enough . . ."

"I never said that!" Diamond eyes flashed once again. "You make it sound as though I see him as a poor excuse for a husband. As though I doubt his love for me. I just don't wish to cast this shadow over him and his family."

"And what do you think love is, Diamond lass? Do you think 'tis all flowers and blue skies and gentle breezes?" Rosie said as she reached to hold Diamond's face in her hands. "Love is sharin’ the load. Love is hurtin' with your beloved to ease their pain and give them your strength." Rosie pulled Diamond into her arms and held her gently.

"The Tooks have shown you great love already Diamond. Would you throw it in their faces, lass? And I don't doubt for one single minute that your dear Pippin, your Peregrin as you have it, wouldn't offer his own sword to be used to cut him down if he knew that doin' so would save you. Yet you turn him away as though such a love can't be handlin' a problem like your past and some cold-hearted little wench. Do you truly think so little of them all, dear Diamond?"

Diamond had pulled away from Rosie's shoulder and a look of horror had come to her face. Was that what she was doing?

"I only thought to spare them needless sorrow and embarrassment."

Rosie was shaking her head. "No. No lass. You were thinkin’ that Diamond North-took of Long Cleeve has fought this battle for her family for all this time and no one is goin’ to take it from her now. No, it's your own battle, all yours. Proud of it you are, proud that you are the fighter. No need for help. No need to let anyone else inside your family or inside your heart. That's the truth of it, isn't it dear one?"

Diamond drew in a breath as though to speak but no words came forth. She had been hit at the core of her being. Suddenly, she saw her actions over these many years in a light as bright as the noon-day sun. She had shut everyone but her siblings out. The distance she had felt from relatives and friends had actually come from her. Behind her fortress wall she had sat, refusing help and compassion and friendship and love. Accepting love would have implied that she could not take care of everything herself. She had let Peregrin in while he convalesced at Long Cleeve because she had never believed things would ever grow to be anything more than a family friendship. Then, even as the relationship had changed, even as his betrothed, she had not truly believed he would really marry her.

"He truly loves you with all of his heart, Diamond." Estella whispered "Merry told me Pippin has never been so in love before."

"Marriage is, well, love is, givin' the burden over to the one you love to bear it together. Makes it a tolerable load then." Said Rosie.

"I had said that to Peregrin. That when I told him of my Father and my family's trials, telling him had made me feel better." Diamond looked from Estella to Rosie. "And I thought I had let him share it. But when Elanor said what she had overheard today, I thought nothing of taking it all onto myself. It seemed the right thing to do."

"You've friends now, dearest Diamond." Rosie said as she took one of Diamond's hands. Estella took the other. "You've friends and a new and powerful family that loves you dearly. And you have your Peregrin.” Rosie smiled warmly as she once again used Diamond’s favored name for her betrothed. “Remember what his sisters wrote in that book? That his love is loyal and fierce wasn't it? Let his love bear you up and nothin’ will win over the two of you. Let him love you, Diamond."

Diamond started to edge off the bed. "I must go to him." she said.

Rosie did not let her get up though. "I think things are gettin' well handled out there, Diamond." She looked at Estella and nodded her head toward the door. Estella placed a kiss on Diamond's cheek, hugged her once more and left. "Something tells me that Pippin and my Sam are havin' a talk of their own. I’m sure Sam and he, along with your brother and Merry as well, are takin' care of everythin'. You'll be tellin' your dear Peregrin how much he means to you and that you deeply love him on the morrow, in front of nearly every hobbit in the Shire. That wicked little wench will not win, I'm as sure of that as I am of the sunrise."

Rosie had been easing Diamond back down onto the bed and now went to gather up the sheet and blanket that she had ripped off the bed earlier. She quickly had the bedding back in place and Diamond all tucked in. "Time for you to let some of the fight go, my dear friend, and time to get some sleep. You've one of the biggest days in your life happenin' on the morrow and I don't think you're wantin' dark circles under your lovely eyes!" Rosie leaned over and hugged Diamond tightly, then kissed her on the forehead then, taking the candle with her and blowing out the lamp, left Diamond to her thoughts and sleep.

Pippin had sat huddled up in a chair for part of the evening, speaking to no one and staring into the fire. After a couple of hours, he unfolded himself from the chair, walked out of the parlor and out of Bag End. Isengrim rose to follow Pippin, but Merry put out his hand and grabbed his arm.

"No, Isengrim." Merry said in a low voice, shaking his head. "I'm the dearest friend Pippin has in this world, and I'm telling you; Don't go after him. He wants to be left alone or he would have stayed inside. Leave him be."

Isengrim paused, then nodded slowly. "I will leave him to you and Sam then," he said. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. Good night to you both." Isengrim turned and started to leave when Sam spoke up.

"A moment here, Isengrim!" Sam got up from his chair. "If I may, I'd like a bit of a word with you. I'll go along to your room with you, if that will be all right with you?"

"Of course, Sam," Isengrim replied and they left the parlor together.

A half hour passed and Sam returned to find Merry still sitting in the parlor in silence as the fire died down.

"What do you say, should we look about for Pippin, Merry? Wouldn't put it past him to have managed to sneak back in somehow without your hearin' him."

Merry said nothing but nodded and joined Sam as he left the parlor. They walked together down the tunnel where the family's rooms were and they soon noticed a soft glow coming from the children's playroom. Silently they approached the doorway and looked in. Pippin sat on the floor with his back to the open door. Merry knew at once that Pippin was still horribly troubled. Normally, it was very hard to sneak up on his younger cousin, his energetic nature keeping him alert.

Sam and Merry entered the room, with no response from Pippin, until they were close enough to see over his shoulders what it was that held his attention. Still, Pippin was unaware of their presence. He appeared to be playing with a wooden farm set. The farmer and his wife and two children stood inside a ring of small fences. One by one Pippin was knocking down the fences, sometimes with his fingers, sometimes with a small wooden figure of a farmers wife from another farm set , and a couple he knocked over by tossing wooden blocks at them. He knocked over the wooden children with a small wooden tree. He knocked over the farmer's wife with the wife from the other set. He flicked the farmer away with his fingers and then dropped a couple of blocks on him. Then he set the fence back into it's circle, put the family upright inside the ring and began the process all over again.

" 'Tis an odd game you're playin' at, Pippin."

Pippin jumped at the sound of Sam's voice, disturbing the ring of fencing he had just put back into place. He looked up and over each shoulder at his two friends, then looked back at the toys. He slowly set the fencing back in place. Merry and Sam pulled up two small chairs and sat down across from Pippin. They watched as he continued to knock holes in his fence circle.

"This is what it will be." Pippin whispered. "Troubles will come and knock things down. Some troubles you can't stop." He knocked another hole in his fence. "Sickness will come." He said then knocked another section out of place. "The weather can go bad and the crops fail. Floods. Famine. Blight." He demolished most of the circle. "And that will hurt the family." One of the farmer's children was knocked down. "Or there will be things you could stop but maybe don't see in time, like cruelty." The other farm wife knocked over Pippin's farmer's wife. "Accidents happen that could be avoided." The second wooden child fell under a falling square block. "And you have let everyone down, you have failed your promise." The farmer was flicked away.

Pippin picked up the two farmer's wives. He held one in each open palm and stared at them.

"It's already started. I couldn't protect Diamond from cruelty." Pippin closed his hand around his farmer's wife and looked back at the one in his open hand.

"Persimmone." He muttered.

"Elanor knows her, Pippin." Sam said quietly. "I asked her if she had seen Persimmone in the emporium and the child said she hadn't."

"Of course not." Pippin kept his gaze on the 'Persimmone' in his palm. "She would not dare to cross my sisters openly. That would be much too risky. But Elanor said the voice that frightened her was called Violet. She is a friend of Persimmone's that could spread her maliciousness for her." He threw the wooden figure hard at the fireplace. It hit the brick that edged the opening , broke in two and fell to the hearth.

"I'll be pledging myself to be Diamond's protector tomorrow, and I couldn't protect her. I cannot pledge to do something I cannot do."

Sam stood and rested his hand for a moment on Pippin's shoulder. "I'll be right back." He said then left the playroom.

Pippin stared at the wooden fences and family that lay scattered on the floor. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he put them back to where they had started, then again began knocking them out of place. Merry sat and watched the ritual. He felt there should be something he could say to Pippin, yet nothing seemed right. He thought sadly that Frodo might have had the right thing to say, were Frodo still with them. But then again, he had never had a hobbitess in his life. This was an area out of Frodo’s experience. Merry had found himself thinking thoughts similar to those spoken by Pippin earlier in the evening. What if it had been Estella who had been so devastated? What could he have done? Merry had not arrived at any satisfactory conclusions.

"I keep this out in my gardenin' shed on a high shelf where the children can't get into it." Sam said as he walked into the room holding a small jar in his hand. "It's strong stuff, this is, and they could get into trouble with it." Sam moved the small chair he had sat in before out of the way and joined Pippin down on the floor. Merry leaned forward to see what Sam was going to do. Sam reached over and took hold of Pippin's hand, preventing him from knocking over the wooden farmer's wife. Pippin finally looked up at Sam.

"There's stuff you're leavin' out of your figurin' lad." Sam said softly. "You're right, you can't stop a lot of the hard things in life from comin'. Not even the Persimmones that come along with their bad ways and rude words." Sam squeezed Pippin's hand then let go to open the jar he had brought. "But that isn't the whole of the protectin' the ones you love, Pippin. You're leavin' out the love that you have for them that protects them from the troubles and wrongs hurtin' too deep."

Sam took a small brush out of his pocket and dipped it into the jar. He brushed a thin layer of the viscous stuff onto one side of one of the sections of fence. He did the same to another, then pushed the two sections together. He continued with each small section of fencing in turn.

"You can't leave out the love Pippin. It's like this here glue on these fence pieces. It will help keep out some of the hurts, do some of that kind of protectin'." Sam finished gluing all the fencing that made up the circle around the farmer and his family. He paused for a few minutes. "Try to knock your fence apart now, lad." He said to Pippin and handed him a block.

Pippin knew what would happen. The block he tossed had no effect on the glued together fence.

"See!" Said Sam. "It's strong now. It's got love holdin' it together. Now your little family here, this young couple you've got here." Sam picked up the farmer and his wife and glued them together at their hands, setting them at an angle to each other. "When they are held with love, well, they might fall," he knocked them over, "but they don't fall alone." He put his hand on Pippin's shoulder. "You told me once that bein' without Merry when you were in Minas Tirith and while going to the battle and then during the battle at the Black Gate was the worst time you spent in the whole Quest, because you were alone. Beregond and his lad Bergil were a help, but they weren't the person you loved. Everythin' in life, Pippin, everythin' is easier to bear if you've someone you love to bear it with you."

Sam picked up the wooden children and glued them so the children and the farmer and his wife formed their own small circle, then he stood them back inside their fence. "And love, it just keeps growin' and gettin' stronger the more you share it. So this here family can now take the bad that comes." Sam nudged the family with his finger, they didn't fall over. He rolled a block at them and they stood firm.

Sam reached over, took Pippin by the shoulders and looked deep into the younger hobbit’s eyes. "You can't leave the love out of your figurin' Pippin. With the love you as the husband and father give to Diamond and each little one that blesses your lives, you will be makin' sure that no troubles will be big enough to ever knock your family down. And that is protectin' your family, Peregrin Took."

Sam reached up and tousled Pippin's hair, then he got to his feet and walked out of the room.

Merry and Pippin stared at each other.

"He's a fount of good honest hobbit sense, Merry," Pippin said as he wiped at the tears that slid down his face. "Think he will accept being Thain as well as Mayor?"

Merry took out a handkerchief to deal with his own teary eyes. "You can't have him. I'm claiming him for Master of Buckland. I have not the head for the job, I can see that now."

The two dearest friends rose and embraced each other in a long , strong hug.

"It was the worst for me too, Pip," Merry whispered in Pippin's ear. "I thought, at times, that being alone amongst the Rohirrim and later in Minas Tirith would in and of itself do me in."

Pippin just nodded his head against Merry's shoulder and hugged him tighter.

"Well," Merry said finally pulling back from the hug, "you, my dearest Pippin are getting married tomorrow. I think you had best try to get some sleep."

They started to leave the play room when Pippin stopped and went back to where the small fence circle and wooden family stood on the floor. He reverently picked up both fence and family, blew out the lamp on the table and followed Merry back to the guest wing at Bag End.