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A Matter of Appearances  by Lindelea

Chapter 5. In which a celebration is interrupted

When Merry and Pippin entered the spacious apartments set aside at the Great Smials for Brandybucks in general and the Master of Brandy Hall in particular, they found Diamond and Estella sitting down, sharing a preliminary cup of tea along with their chatter.

‘Well, my dear,’ Pippin said, hurrying over to push a footstool into place. ‘You’re to be keeping your feet up! Greeting old friends to be no exception!’

‘I’m not going to break, so there’s no need to treat me as if I were delicate porcelain,’ Diamond said, taking a sip even as her husband lifted her feet to their designated resting position.

‘Comfortable?’ Pippin said, not to be swayed.

‘Quite, my love, and thank you.’

‘And when will we be greeting this one?’ Merry asked, as it was the obvious question. Diamond’s belly was not at all subtly rounded--more like "full blown", as Estella had observed on greeting her.

‘Not until April,’ Diamond said, with a fond look at her middle, and a gentle pat for the growing occupant. ‘Though you’d never know it to look at me.’

‘She’s been eating for two, you know,’ Pippin said behind his hand, and his wife gave him a poke that nearly spilled the tea he’d just poured for Merry.

The Thain stepped away, handed the cup to Merry and poured another for himself. ‘There’s no justice,’ he said then, pouting. ‘Every time she’s hungered, I have to eat!’

‘That’s why you’re looking so well,’ Estella said with a grin. ‘Good work, Diamond! Keep it up!’

‘That’s right,’ Pippin said, patting Diamond’s feet as he moved to sit on an edge of the footstool, a ridiculous sight for a hobbit so tall as he was. ‘Keep it up indeed! Don’t let me find your feet on the floor, unless of course you’re sitting in the great room. A bit awkward, there, to hover your feet in a chair in front of all the Tooks!’

‘Just push a chair in, opposite, and don’t seat someone there,’ Estella said with a sip of her own tea. ‘Diamond can rest her feet on that chair, and so long as no one pulls out the chair to sit in it, no one’ll be the wiser.’

‘Spoken from experience, I’m sure,’ Pippin said, and Estella laughed.

‘When have I ever been conventional, cousin?’ she said gaily. ‘I just put my feet up in plain sight, whenever there’s need!’

‘And a very pretty sight, I’d say,’ Merry said, seizing his wife’s hand to lay a kiss there.

‘He spoils me terribly,’ Estella confided, letting her hand rest in his a moment before she reclaimed it.

‘I do,’ Merry agreed, ‘but then, what’s a beloved for, I ask you?’

There was a tap at the door, and at Merry’s “Come!” a servant stuck his head in. ‘Beg pardon, Sirs and Madams,’ he said, ‘But the Mayor’s party has arrived.’

‘Thank you, Sandy,’ Pippin said, rising and hastily guzzling his scalding tea, plonking the cup down on the saucer with a decisive clink. ‘No, no,’ he said to Diamond. ‘Tea is still twenty minutes or so away. You sit here, in perfect comfort, until it’s time for the festivities!’

‘I’ll be her Watcher,’ Estella said, ‘but only if you’ll send Rosie Gamgee here to us, to help me keep Diamond in check.’

‘And the children too!’ Diamond called.

Pippin turned, his hand on the knob. ‘All the children?’ he said, affecting astonishment.

‘Of course, all!’ Diamond said in surprise.

‘All hundred of them?’ Pippin pressed.

Diamond dissolved in laughter, barely managing to protest that there were hardly an hundred of the little Gamgees...

‘Are there not?’ Pippin said. ‘You’re sure of that? I could have sworn...’

And chuckling, he and Merry left the suite.

Samwise was warmly greeted, and Rose and the children duly shooed towards the Brandybuck apartments, and the three Travellers went to the Thain’s study for “half a glass of something or other, to whet your tongue for the tea to follow...” to while away the moments before the grand occasion. There was no need to come early to tea, after all, when the servants were bustling about with last-minute preparations, and the Tooks were hurrying to take their seats in order to have a good view of the notables’ arrival.

“Something or other” turned out to be some of the Hall’s finest, brought by Merry in honour of Yuletide.

‘The brandy is better every year, I think,’ Pippin said, relaxing with a sigh. Regi sipped at his own glass with one eye on the clock, that the Thain might not be late to his own banquet, not to mention Master and Mayor.

‘This is the finest I’ve ever tasted, at any rate,’ the Mayor agreed. Although Bag End received a generous quantity of brandy each year, courtesy of the Master of Brandy Hall, Sam kept only a few bottles and distributed the rest among the healers of Bywater and Hobbiton, for medicinal use. Thus Samwise’s “tastes” were memorable.

There was talk of the weather, then, and its effect on the wine, and the beer, and the brandy, not to mention the foodstuffs, and then Regi cleared his throat. Pippin put his glass down and rose. ‘Well, then,’ he said. ‘Since the Thain insists on punctuality on the part of the Tooks...’

Sam and Merry rose, the latter murmuring with a mischievous grin, ‘Well, as they say, “When in Tuckborough, do as the Tooks do...” and seeing as I’m half-Took, that ought not to be too much of a trial. Poor Samwise, however, having to leave half his sense behind him whenever he comes to visit...’

The Mayor chuckled, and pointed out that they’d come belated at this rate, and so, nonsense aside, they made their way to the great room, where as usual a buzz of conversation could be heard, even some way down the corridor.

They met their wives at the entrance, shooing the children ahead of them into the great room. The buzz of conversation dropped to a whisper as they entered, and there was the noise of chairs being shoved back as the Tooks rose in greeting.

Pippin seated Diamond with the greatest solicitude and then, after saying a few words of welcome to Master and Mayor and in observance of this belated celebration of the newly-born year, he waved everyone else to be seated.

‘Well?’ Merry said, shaking out his serviette and placing it with a flourish on his lap. ‘Where’s Farry?’

‘Due to arrive at any moment, I’m sure,’ Pippin said, plundering a platter as it passed him, in order to heap Diamond’s plate high (and his, at her insistence). ‘Teatime’s at four, you know, and Ferdi prefers his tea hot, as is proper.’ He himself took his tea black and scalding, not quite “proper” as it were without the milk and the sugar, but then Pippin was not one to stand on tradition if it suited him to set such things aside.

‘They left Whittacres, what... just after elevenses?’ Merry said.

‘What, and miss a hot noontide meal?’ Pippin said. ‘My wife would never stand for it. No, they would have left after second breakfast, stopping at Goodweathers’ farm for elevenses and again at Greenacres for the nooning. Plenty of time to eat and rest, and a leisurely ride through the lovely Green Hills, why, practically a holiday for Ferdi and his young charge.’

‘Ferdi?’ Sam said, lowering his voice. ‘He’s escorting your son? I thought...’

‘You’d heard?’ Pippin whispered, while Merry looked chagrined. ‘I’d thought we kept the scandal well within the bounds of Tookland...’

‘The messengers,’ Merry said, and Sam nodded.

‘All those express riders, carrying quick post back and forth,’ he said. ‘It was certain to stir curiosity, and of course anything to do with the Shire Post is brought to the attention of the Mayor.’

‘Just how general is this knowledge, anyhow?’ Pippin said sourly, and then he put on a smile for the benefit of the watching Tooks, and took a calming sip of tea. ‘Has the ruin of their reputations gone all the way to the Bounds of the Shire?’

‘Perhaps you’ll have to double what you gave them in reparations,’ Diamond said, and Estella snorted softly.

That ought not to be a problem, from what I’ve heard about the Thain’s gold,’ she said.

‘Well, I’m hoping the events of today will go a long way towards dispelling any suspicious,’ Pippin said, ‘and restoring Ferdi’s good name, amongst the Tooks, anyhow, and you know what they say...’

‘As the Tookland goes, so goes the Shire,’ Merry recited dutifully, adding, ‘but that wasn’t the case, was it, during the time of the Troubles?’

‘Let us not mention “troubles” on such a fine day,’ Pippin said.

Unfortunately, troubles were at hand.

A hesitant hobbit hovered in the doorway, hat in hand, watching the bustle of servants, listening to the ripples of talk and laughter that washed around the room, rather like the pleasant rushing of a cool brook under the jolly summer sunshine.

‘Yes,’ one of the servers said, catching sight of the visitor and coming over to the door. ‘Were you needing somewhat? Are you invited, and come belated?’ He frowned. ‘The Thain is a stickler for punctuality, you ought to have known that.’

‘N-no,’ the visitor said, twisting his hat and then setting it right again. ‘No, I’m not invited.’

‘Well, as you can see, there’s festivities going on,’ the servant said. ‘No room left,’ ignoring the empty chair opposite the Mistress, ‘every chair is filled, I’m afraid, but we can make up a plate for you and feed you in one of the parlours, I dare say...’

‘N-no, that won’t be necessary,’ the visitor said. ‘I just need to... to speak with the Thain.’

‘He’s a bit occupied at present,’ the servant said officiously, gesturing to the Thain who was telling an animated story at the moment. ‘Not a good time for you to be coming. Tea’s at four, don’t you know? And the Thain don’t work past teatime, not as a rule. Come tomorrow.’ He started to turn away, but stopped at the look on the visitor’s face. ‘Or... come a long way, have you?’

‘Not...’ the visitor said, and gulped and began again, ‘not terribly far, mind...’

‘Well then,’ the servant said, brightening. ‘If you’d like a bite to eat before you head homeward again, I’ll be happy to show you to the parlour and bring you a plate... and when you come on the morrow, come before teatime, if you don’t mind. While you’re taking tea I could bring word to the Steward, to write you in the diary. ‘Tis better to come by appointment, you’re surer to be seen that way...’

Through this nice little helpful speech the visitor’s mouth opened and closed without much effect, but at the last he seized the servant’s arm and gave it a little shake. ‘Please!’ he said. ‘I must see the Thain, and without delay!’

The servant’s good humour evaporated at this evidence of forwardness on the visitor’s part, and he said frostily, ‘A matter of life or death, I suppose.’ He was ready to turn the visitor out without a crumb or crust.

The visitor, however, had screwed himself up to action, and loosing the servant, he strode into the great room, right up to the Thain, with the servant belatedly following, gesticulating in consternation.

‘Thain Peregrin,’ the hobbit said, plucking at Pippin’s sleeve.

The servant was right behind him, apologising and scolding in the same breath, but Pippin half turned and then rose from his chair, his face wreathed in smiles of greeting.

‘Ollie!’ he said, seizing the visitor’s hand and pumping vigorously. ‘Ollie Hammersmith of Greenacres! Did Ferdi persuade you to come along and join the feast?’

The visitor swallowed unhappily, and when the Thain released his hand, he immediately began twisting his unfortunate hat until it seemed he’d throttle the poor thing, were it a living creature.

At this, Merry half-rose, alarm quickening in him, and Sam drew a sharp breath, somehow sensing impending disaster.

Pippin kept his smile in place, however, though a puzzled look was in his eye. ‘So...’ he said. ‘Where is Ferdi? And Farry, I’d expect him to burst through the door like a whirlwind, at the prospect of greeting the Gamgees and Brandybucks!’

‘I... I’m sorry, Sir,’ the visitor said, breaking into the cheery flow. His next words dropped into the spreading silence in the great room, clearly to be heard. ‘...but Master Farry and his escort, they never arrived at Greenacres...’





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