The next morning after second breakfast with his parents, Bilbo came down the passage in the direction of the ballroom. His mother would be along soon, and he'd been sent ahead to see what he could do to help with the preparations. He did not mind, as he knew that Siggy would have been pressed into similar chores, as well as some of his other age mates among the cousins. As he went around a curve, he stopped.

A lass stood uncertainly at the intersection of two tunnels. She turned slightly and he realised it was Pomona Goldworthy. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"Oh! Bilbo can you help me? I seem to be lost."

Presented with a problem to solve, Bilbo's nervousness at being in the presence of a pretty lass of his own age receded. "Where were you going?"

"Your aunts sent me from the ballroom to fetch some things from a storage room; they said it was right up the passage, but I've walked and walked and walked..."

Bilbo smiled. "I think that you must have walked right past it. I'll show you where it is."

"Will you? Oh, that would be splendid!"

Bilbo blushed, but fell into step beside her. He cast his eyes down so she wouldn't see how red and flustered he was. Then he couldn't help but notice her feet: they were covered with thick and lustrous honey-brown curls, and her ankles were trim and dainty; there was a scarlet ribbon tied in a bow around her left one. He flushed again, even more this time, and looked away briefly until he felt more composed. If she noticed his discomfiture, she was too polite to say anything. Clearing his throat, he asked "Is your sister nervous about the wedding?"

Pomona chuckled. "Her nerves come and go. One moment she is giddy and excited and can't wait for the wedding, and then the next she is in despair about things that could possibly go wrong." She giggled. "Last night she was worrying about the colours of the flowers in her bridal wreath, whether they would match her gown. And then she was worrying that they'd wilt--good heavens, she was in a tizzy!"

Bilbo risked a smile at her. "I'm certain everything will be all right!" he said stoutly.

"Of course they will! Is your cousin nervous?"

"I don't really know! It's been so busy I haven't had much time for talking with him; Siggy and I visited with him Hensday evening, but I've scarcely laid eyes on Chop since then--and when I have he's been either busy or surrounded by other people." He stopped. "Here we are!" There was a door on their left.

It was Pomona's turn to blush. "Oh dear! I did walk right past that door without even seeing it." She opened it. "Thank you! I'm to fetch the green cords for attaching the greenery for garlands, and also a box of white candles and a couple of silver candlelabras, and there's supposed to be a long cloth for the sideboard..."

"I'll help you! I was going to find out what they needed me to do anyway."

A few moments later, they'd found everything; Bilbo was burdened with the cord, the candles and one of the candlelabras, and Pomona had the long cloth and the other candlelabra. It was only a short distance to the ballroom from there, and they no sooner entered the room than Aunt Duenna and Aunt Myrtle swooped down upon them.

"At last! What took you so long, child?" asked Aunt Duenna.

"I'm afraid I got lost, Lady Duenna. But Bilbo helped me find my way!"

"Bless you, lad!" His aunt bestowed an absent-minded kiss on his cheek, and sailed off with the items Bilbo had been carrying while Aunt Myrtle carried off the items Pomona bore. He noticed that Mrs. Goldworthy and her sons were there, but there was no sign of the bride--traditionally she was not supposed to be a part of these preparations which would be a surprise for her.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon was passed in a blur of activity. A table filled with food and drink was to one side of the room, out of the way, so that those who were helping to decorate the ballroom could help themselves when hungry or thirsty without having to stop for a regular meal. As Bilbo's mother put it when she arrived shortly after he did, "It's a better way to feed all these bottomless pits called tweens, anyway!" She winked at her son in passing as she said it, and he laughed. It was good to see his mother feeling well and in high spirits.

The servants saw to things like polishing the floor, cleaning the windows, dusting the furniture, and filling the chandeliers with candles. The lasses (and the ladies) were kept busy twining greenery and flowers into the green cords that Bilbo and Pomona had fetched, and hanging garlands from the big staircase (the only staircase like it in the Shire!) the window sills and the mantel of the huge fireplace on one side of the room, or arranging more flowers and greenery into huge vases. The lads (and those of their fathers and uncles who showed up) found themselves mostly in the roles of furniture arrangers and creatures of burden, as they busied themselves moving furniture where the matrons indicated, or fetched and carried as directed.

Bilbo and Siggy managed to get themselves assigned to the same tasks, which gave them plenty of time to discuss their plans for the evening. 

Bilbo often found himself glancing over in the direction of the lasses, who were chatting and giggling among themselves as they worked with the flowers.

Siggy noticed. "Ah ha!" he teased. "You're smitten! Who's taken your eye?"

Bilbo blushed. He wasn't sure if what he felt was "smitten" or not, but he didn't deny it. "Never you mind, Sigismund Took! Or perhaps we will discuss a certain lass you have an eye for! How is Miss Malva Hornblower, by the way?"

This quickly caused his cousin to drop the subject, as he'd yet to summon the courage to speak a word to the object of his admiration.

The lasses soon started to sing to their work:

Do you love an apple? Do you love a pear?
Do you love a laddie with curly brown hair?

Yes, I love him, I can't deny him,
I'll go with him where ever he goes.

He works on the farm for tuppence a day;
But we go a-walking on every Highday

Still I love him, I'll always love him;
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

He stands by my window, a pipe in his mouth,
His hands in his pockets, his whistles me out.

Still I love him, I'll always love him;
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

He brought me some ribbons, ribbons of yellow,
But Da said I can't wed a penniless fellow.

Still I love him, I'll always love him;
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

He saves up his tuppence, gave up ale for me,
And sooner or later we'll be thirty-three!

Still I love him, I'll always love him;
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

Oh, I love an apple! Oh, I love a pear!
Oh, I love a laddie with curly brown hair!

Yes, I love him, I can't deny him,
I'll go with him where ever he goes.*

Bilbo and Siggy rolled their eyes at one another; they might be beginning to notice the lasses, but that did not mean they liked silly love songs. Porro, who was working nearby, standing on a ladder to hang garland that was too high for the lasses, must have agreed, for he started up another song, quite loudly:

A little red apple
Hung high in a tree
I looked up at it
And it looked down at me
"Come down, please" I called
And what do you suppose?
That little red apple
Dropped right on my nose**

 This was soon joined in by the lasses as well, and was followed by "Nob O' the Lea" and "Down the Green Hills".

The work was finished (for the gentlefolk) before teatime, and the ballroom began to empty as they left to go clean up and get ready for the meal. 

~~~~~~~

Tea came and went, and so did supper.  Right after supper, the various uncles and cousins and other male hobbits who were of age, dragged Adalgrim off for a night of celebration.  Even Bungo had gone along, for he had rested most of the day and felt quite well. He rode in one of the pony traps along with some of the more elderly uncles, waving to his wife as they drove off.

Bilbo and Siggy waited only long enough to be sure they had all left, and no one would be returning for something they'd forgotten about. The two met in front of their cousin's quarters, Siggy carrying a dark lantern.

In they went to Chop's room with the items they'd prepared.

On top of the dresser was the silver tray on which their cousin's brushes, mirror and jar of pomade were kept. The two of them lifted it off and carried it over to the bed where it was more convenient to work.

They removed the inner jar of pomade from the silver jar, and replaced it with the garlic-treated pomade. Then working carefully, they applied the glue they had brought from the workshop to the backs of Adalgrim's brushes.

"You're certain it will come off without damaging anything?" asked Bilbo.

"A little hot water will dissolve it," said Siggy. "But he won't know that at first."

"Now for the spares," said Bilbo. He looked in the top drawer, but they weren't to be found there. In the second drawer he found what he was looking for: the little leather bag that held the brushes their cousin used when he travelled. They opened it and put in the original pomade they had taken out; then closed it up.

Grinning at one another mischievously, they placed it into the top drawer. "He'll still be able to find it," chuckled Bilbo, "but not before he panics!"

"Oh, how I wish we could see his face!" Siggy laughed.

"I know, but we can't. We shall just have to be content with second-hand reports."

Stifling their snickers, they left the apartment, and congratulating themselves once more, they went their separate ways to their own beds.

Tomorrow would be interesting.

~~~~~~~

*This song is adapted from an old folk song in the public domain: "Do you love an apple?" I've changed all the verses except the first one and the chorus to be more hobbity, as the lad in the original song was not nearly such a good catch as the one in my version.

**This song is also in the public domain, a nursery song, and I haven't changed it, though someday I might make more verses for it.

Author's Note: The ribbon around Pomona's ankle is a tribute to my online friend, RubyNye.