Author's Note: At last an update! I had prepared part of this chapter long ago, and then had to put it aside for other things; it took me a while to get back into the story and finish the chapter. I do hope that future updates will not be so far apart.

Chapter 22: Afternoon at the Great Smials

They made good time the next day, eating the food they had brought with them in the coach, except for a stop for lunch in Whitwell at The Wandering Wizard. They arrived at the village (which carried the same name as the Tooks' farm on its outskirts) where they treated themselves to the inn's famous chicken and mushroom pie, said to be a favourite of old Gandalf when he came to the Shire at midsummer. But they were travelling again by half-past one, and arrived at the Great Smials before teatime.

Jack drove the coach up the long curving drive that swept past the Great Doors at the front of the immense dwelling. They were not the only ones to have arrived in so timely a fashion; a carriage was pulling away from the front steps as Jack pulled up.

A servant came up and opened the door, helping the Bagginses to alight. "Welcome, Mistress Belladonna, Mr. Bungo, Master Bilbo," he said.

"Thank you, Mat," Bella responded. Mat and another servant soon had the Bagginses' travelling cases down, and Jack was directed to the stables with the coach and the ponies. There were quite nice sleeping quarters for visiting drivers provided above the stables, and it was there that Jackdaw would stay until it was time for the Bagginses to go home.

Bella, Bungo and Bilbo went inside to go and find Grandfather Gerontius in his study. He rarely left it these days; he had moved into it after the death of his beloved Adamanta, for he could not bear to remain in their rooms which reminded him of her so much.

There they discovered that those who had arrived just before them were Belladonna's sister Mirabella Brandybuck and her husband Gorbadoc. Bilbo was pleased to see their oldest son, eleven-year-old Rory at his parents' side. But he wondered where his younger cousins were, a question his mother also wondered about, for after embracing her father, she asked her sister: "Where are the little ones, Mira?"

"We judged them too young for such an occasion as a wedding. They are home at Brandy Hall with their aunts."

Rory's face lit up at the sight of his cousin Bilbo, and he immediately came over to hug him. "Bilbo! I'm so glad you came!"

Bilbo ruffled the younger hobbit's curls, and chuckled. "I'm glad to see you as well, Rory!"

At his mother's gesture, Bilbo went over to the armchair by the hearth to greet and embrace his grandfather. He was dismayed to see how frail the Old Took looked. "I am glad to see you, Grandfather," he said, placing a kiss on the old hobbit's forehead.

Gerontius pulled him down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I am glad to see you as well, my lad." He smiled faintly, and patted Bilbo's arm.

His duty done, Bilbo turned to his parents. "Where is Chop?" he asked.

His Aunt Mirabella answered. "Adalgrim and Periwinkle are in the East parlour, sitting for their gifts. We thought we'd go along there to present ours in a few minutes."

Bella nodded. "You go right along! I think that we will go to our rooms and freshen up  and rest a little before we bring our gift to them." She glanced over at Bungo, who had sat down on the sofa, and was looking somewhat pale.

The Brandybucks looked in Bungo's direction, and nodded. "We shall see you at tea in the family apartments then?"

Bilbo looked at his parents--he knew his father would probably need to take a nap before teatime, but he did not feel the need to rest. "Mama, may I stay with Rory?"

Rory's little face lit up. "Yes, please, please, Aunt Bella! Do say yes--I haven't seen Bilbo in ever so long!"

Bella nodded, "If it is all right with Aunt Mira and Uncle Gorbadoc, then you may."

Assent granted all around, Bilbo followed his aunt and uncle back down the passageway that led to the East parlour--one of the three common parlours found in the Great Smials (there had once been four, but the West parlour had been removed in the building of the Ballroom on the southwest side of the Smials). He noted the package his uncle carried: a white box, tied up with a large blue ribbon, and he realised that must be their gift for the couple. Bilbo was curious about the gift, but he was more curious about his cousin's bride. Chop had written to him frequently, and his letters were often full of his intended's praises. But he had never met her, and he wondered what she was like.

In the parlour he saw Chop on the sofa by the hearth; next to him was a lass and by how closely they sat and the way their hands were entwined, Bilbo knew that she must be Periwinkle. She had soft brown curls spilling down her shoulders and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose.

A matronly hobbit sat across from them; she bore a great resemblance to the lass on the sofa, and Aunt Mirabella addressed her as "Mrs. Goldworthy", so Bilbo guessed that she must be Periwinkle's mother.

He wanted to greet Chop, but was shy of doing so in the presence of his cousin's betrothed. He and Rory hung back, and Aunt Mira and Uncle Gorbadoc went to hand them their gift.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome, Adalgrim," Aunt Mira responded. "Now don't be shy! Open it!"

The young couple placed the box between them, and Periwinkle pulled on the ribbon to untie the bow. She lifted out the item, which turned out to be a teapot, with some sort of scene painted on the side. She gasped. "Oh, Adalgrim!" she said. "Look!"

Bilbo and Rory moved closer out of curiosity: the scene painted on the teapot was of a little farmstead, and Bilbo realised that it was of the farm at Whitwell.

"Thank you so much, Aunt Mirabella and Uncle Gorbadoc!" Chop exclaimed. "It's wonderful!"

Bilbo and Rory looked at one another, and then at their older cousin. It certainly did not seem at all like the mischievous cousin Chop they had always known, to be so pleased at a teapot, of all things! Rory scowled at Periwinkle, and Bilbo elbowed him in the side.

Mrs. Goldworthy took the gift to put it away--it would not do to leave it where other visitors could see, and perhaps compare it to their own gifts. She put it inside a cupboard that stood next to the hearth.

The Brandybucks left the room soon after, for there might be others wishing to bring their gifts. As soon as they were out of the room, Rory pulled on Bilbo, drawing him down to hiss in his ear: "What's the matter with Chop? What's that lass done to him?"

But he did not hiss quietly enough. His mother laughed. "Nothing is the matter with Adalgrim, Rory, save that he has grown up and he is in love."

Little Rory looked doubtful, but Bilbo wondered. He'd had many letters over the years from his older cousin, and had learned how the Goldworthy family had helped the young Took through the Fell Winter on the farm at Whitwell, how Periwinkle had helped to nurse his cousin through his own illness, and then been ill herself. His letters after that had been much more serious than before, though Chop still had a sense of humour. But it was more in the nature of funny stories in his letters, not tales of his own exploits and japes.

Be he himself had been more serious too, after that terrible time. Perhaps it wasn't just the being in love, or even the growing up, but having to deal with terrible times as well.

"Bilbo! Rory!"

Siggy's voice echoing down the corridor jolted Bilbo out of his thoughts, and he ran to greet his dearest friend, with Rory at his heels.

"It's teatime," Siggy said. "Mother sent me off to let you know!" He looked up at the adult Brandybucks. "We are having tea in the family quarters."

Bilbo followed his friends as they went back the way he had come earlier. "Siggy, Chop is acting so grown-up I hardly know him," he said.

Siggy shook his head. "Don't call him 'Chop' anymore!" he said. "Miss Periwinkle Goldworthy does not approve of that name." He put on  high falsetto voice. "'It's such a silly name, Adalgrim, dear! You should not even answer to it'"

Bilbo looked alarmed at this, and little Rory looked utterly horrified. "Not call him Chop anymore?"

"No," Siggy said firmly. But just then they reached the wing which was occupied by the Thain's immediate family. There was a large sitting room, a private dining room, a small kitchen, two bathing rooms and a water closet, and any number of bedrooms in this section of the Great Smials. The Thain's study was also located there, but he would not be coming out to join the rest of the family. Someone (usually his middle daughter Donnamira) would bring his meals to him and sit with him as he ate. But there were two tea trolleys set up, and tea was presided over by Uncle Isengrim, who had taken over a number of his father's duties.

Bilbo was pleased to see both his parents there, his father looking much refreshed after a brief rest. He helped himself to a plate of biscuits, scones and cucumber sandwiches and tea, and joined them on one of the several settees scattered about the room. A few minutes later, Adalgrim, his betrothed and her mother entered the room, and were pleasantly greeted.

Belladonna smiled. "They are through with their sitting for the day," she said. "We shall take them our gifts tomorrow.

After tea had been eaten, Siggy and Flambard (who was slightly older) and some other lads--various Took cousins as well as some of the guests who'd come for the wedding--came over and collected Bilbo to join them on the South Lawn for a game of "Breakthrough" before supper. The bride's younger brother Porro turned out to be about the same age as Bilbo and Siggy. Flambard was designated as one team captain, and Porro was the other.

Bilbo had hoped he would be on the same team with Siggy, but Porro called Siggy to his team, and Flambard called Bilbo to his. The older lads were quickly picked and soon only a few of the younger lads were left. Rory was called to Flambard's team. There were six lads on each side when they finished. Bilbo was relieved that they had even numbers, otherwise someone might have been left out.

Fortunately the South Lawn was fairly smooth and level; each team formed a line facing the other--they were about a rod and a half apart--and held hands, stretching apart. Bilbo's team was on the East side and the other team was on the West.  Bilbo was on one end, with young Rory on his left. Since Flambard was the eldest, he got to make the first call.

"West to East, East to West
Whose team is the best?
Send Ducky over to make the test!"

"Ducky" was cousin Hildigar, (so called because all during his faunthood he was never to be seen without his toy duck, which he pulled behind him on a string) who was one of the younger lads--though he was a little older than Rory. Ducky dropped the hands of his teammate, backed up a little and came running as fast as he could. Bilbo set his feet and tightened his grip on Rory, but Ducky aimed between Flambard and another lad whom Bilbo had only just met, a cousin of the bride, he thought. Their hands held and so Ducky added himself to the end of their line next to Rory.

It was Porro's turn now, and to Bilbo's surprise, his own name was called. He put his head down and ran as hard as he could, aiming between Porro and Siggy. To his own surprise, he broke right through. He grabbed Siggy and brought him back over to his own team, where they both joined the end of the line.

The game was fun, and the two teams had gone back and forth several times. Porro was no longer captain of the West team, for the East team had captured him. West was ahead when one of the servants came out to call the lads in to get ready for supper.

With a glad shout all of them dropped hands and raced for the smials, to wash up and change their clothes.

Bilbo entered the main dining room with his parents and scanned the tables set aside for children and tweens; his parents would be sitting at the high table with his aunts and uncles and some of the important guests. He spotted Siggy, who was frantically waving his hand, and pointing to the empty chair next to him. Belladonna smiled and nodded for him to go ahead, as she and Drogo made for their own places.

Sliding into the chair, Bilbo looked at Siggy and grinned. "Thanks!" he said. He noticed that Porro sat across from them, and next to him was a dark-haired lass he did not know.

"This is my sister, Pomona," Porro said. "Pom, this is Bilbo Baggins, one of Adalgrim's first cousins."

Bilbo blushed. "At your service," he said politely. He was not used to speaking to lasses.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Bilbo. You must be related on your mother's side?"

This was safe ground. "Yes; my mother is Hildigrim's sister Belladonna; my father is Bungo Baggins of Hobbiton."

Just then the servants came to set food on the table, and conversation was forgotten for a while. Bilbo heaped his plate with slices of ham, roasted young potatoes, peas cooked with little onions, mushrooms and bread and butter. The mushrooms only made it around the table once, but he was able to have seconds and thirds of everything else. With several young tweens at the table, there was not a crumb of anything left, and some servants came to take away the dirty plates while others brought dishes of strawberries and clotted cream for afters, and a platter of cheese and fruit for the filling up of corners.

Bilbo was nibbling on a slice of pear with a little sharp cheese, and wondering if he wanted any more or not (his mouth said "yes" but his stomach was saying "no!") and he rather thought he'd listen to his stomach. He was of no mind to be up half the night with a stomachache drinking ginger tea.

Siggy had already finished and was sipping at his water. He turned to Bilbo, and said in a low voice, "You know, we need to find a good prank to play on Chop--I mean, Adalgrim."

Bilbo gaped at his cousin. That would never have occurred to him. "Why?" Chop had always been the ringleader when the cousins got into mischief together. He could not imagine his older cousin being the object of the joke.

"Well, he's going to be having fun this week without us!" said Siggy.

"Siggy!" Bilbo turned beet red, shocked.

Siggy turned red as well. "I didn't mean that! I mean--the older cousins and uncles will be taking him to the inns for ale and beer and you know they won't include us, because they will all mean to get drunk!"

"Oh." Bilbo nodded. At twenty-five, he and Siggy were still considered too young for that sort of thing. They could go to the inns, and even have ale--but at their age they were restricted to a half, no more. "So, what do you want to do to him? If we do anything it needs to be something good."

"It needs to be something Ch--I mean, Adalgrim--has never thought up himself."

Bilbo nodded. This was going to take some serious thinking.