Day Five: after luncheon to after bedtime

As soon as they had eaten the noon meal, Regi and Pippin headed out to check on the state of Spring planting.

As they rode their ponies, they discussed the information that had come to light that morning.

“You know I could dismiss you,” Pippin said.  “You withheld vital information from me: information I needed to render an appropriate decision for the sheep farmers who spoke to me earlier and to help us recover from the mess we seem to be in.  When were you going to say something?  I didn’t even know we were in such a fix.”

Regi looked thoroughly downcast.  “I didn’t know what to tell you,” he admitted.  “I’m still trying to feel my way through this myself.  I didn’t know how much you really knew or if you planned to just keep going on as Paladin had before you or whether you were going to get rid of every hired hobbit in the Smials and replace them.”

“I know,” Pippin admitted.  “We’re all still feeling this whole thing out.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to sack you.  You’re the only one with enough knowledge about what’s going on to help me pull the Tooks’ collective chestnuts out of the fire.

“So, if I understand what Merry was saying, all of our contracts have expired and need to be renegotiated.  For the last several years, all sales of large-scale produce such as what comes from the tenant farms has gone exclusively to the Thain to then be sold to buyers in or out of the Tooklands.  What about the freehold farms?  Do the landowners have to sell only to the Thain as well?”

“That was what Paladin was trying to accomplish,” Regi answered.  “He wanted to have the final say in every deal.  I don’t know that all the freeholders followed his lead but, as you can see by the visitors you had the other day, many of them did.  There had been talk that Paladin was going to either try to buy them out or seize the land.”

“Oh, talk is a wonderful thing and the tales grow taller down the road.  Seize the land, how absurd.”

“You know the Tooks,” Regi said.  “Gossip is the currency in every common room.”

Pippin gave a little smile at that comment.  “All right,” he said, turning utterly serious.  “Here’s what I’m thinking.  The freeholders are just that, free.  They can do what they choose.  They can sell to anyone at a price they negotiate.  I will request that, as a trade for such things as road repair, they give a tenth portion to the Thain.  If they choose not to, they can contribute to the common good in a manner of their choosing and the Thain’s approval.  The tenant farmers will sell the main part of their produce, be it produce of the land or animals to the Thain at a price he will set.  This price will be reasonable but not so high as to leave no profit when said produce is used to fulfill our contracts.  These farmer will also be allowed to keep a portion of their own produce to use for the benefit of their families.  I also think that we should develop a system for long-term storage against famine.

"Now, I have no doubt that Berilac and yourself will do a fine job drawing up new contracts with the Brandybucks but I’m going to need to see all the others that have lapsed so that I can see where we were being cheated or the other party was.  I want all our business dealings from now on the be totally honorable and above board.”

“Yes sir,” answered Regi.  “I have to say that I’m impressed.  For only having learned about this situation this morning, you’ve already begun to lay a plan.  That’s some quick thinking.”

Pippin wasn’t sure what to say to that.  It didn’t seem that remarkable to him.  That was just how his mind worked.  “Thanks,” was what he finally managed to say.

-----

“So what are you planning this year, Farmer Hogg?”  The Thain asked.

The farmer, who was a bit nervous to be talking to the Thain himself, finally managed to answer.  “Well, sir, this here’s a gonna be oats an’ that field over yonder is hay.  We’ve also got our vegetable garden, but that’s mainly for just the family’s needs.”

“Very good,” Pippin said.  “Do you generally plant the same two crops each year?”

“No, sir, we don’t.  We always plant hay ‘cause the animals need it but we sometimes plant wheat.”

“Excellent.  Thank you for giving us a look.”

“You’re more than welcome, sir.  After all, it’s your generosity that let’s me and my family stay here.”

“You do us a great service and we appreciate it.”

“Thank ye, sir.”

With that, Pippin and Regi mounted their ponies and headed off to the next farm on their list.”

-----

It was a pleasant day for riding and just enjoying the warming Spring air and sunshine and Pippin was actually a little reluctant to see the day end.

“I’m going to have to make this a regular part of my routine,” Pippin said.  Staying cooped up behind that desk isn’t healthy.  Besides making me lazy, it doesn’t let me keep in touch with what’s really going on and what really needs to be done.  Has anybody gone up North recently to see how that part of the Shire fairs?”

Regi shook his head.  “No, no one really likes going up there as a rule.  They say there’s not much up there worth seeing.”

“Don’t say that in my wife’s hearing,” Pippin advised.  “That’s her home and those are her people up there and she, and I, would beg to differ with anyone who says there’s nothing up there.  Yes, it’s sparsely populated, but the forests are lovely and some excellent stone is quarried there.  Anyone who loves their beer should also respect the North Farthing for that’s where most of the barley is grown.  Hmm, I may have to make sure I get up there soon to make sure all goes well with them.”  He cast a meaningful look at he assistant.  “And maybe I’ll have to make sure some of those nay-sayers come along.”

-----

By the time they arrived back at the Great Smials, tea was long over and it was almost time for supper.

Pippin dragged himself into his family’s suite.  Diamond was waiting for him.

“Glad you could make it before supper,” she said.  She started to approach him to give him a hug but stopped and fanned her hand in front of her face.  “Ew,” she said.  “You’re disgusting.  You’re not presentable to anyone right now.  Go get out of those smelly clothes and I’ll get you a bath ready.”

Pippin didn’t argue.  He knew that an afternoon in the saddle interspersed with stops at various farms had left him rather ripe and a bath sounded wonderful.

Diamond smiled at him as he slipped into the tub of hot water.  “You want some help with the hard-to-reach places?” she asked.

“Mmm, are you offering?” he asked her in return.

“Lean forward,” she said as she soaped the flannel.  She scrubbed his back thoroughly and then rinsed the soap away.  Once that was done, Pippin settled himself for a comfortable soak.

“Let’s just skip going to supper,” he said.  “It will go on whether we’re there or not.”

“I’ll go see about getting something sent to us,” she said.  “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I’m staying right here for as long as the water’s warm.”

Diamond was gone for long enough that Pippin had started to doze a little.  His eyes were closed when she returned with a glass in her hand.

“I have something for you,” she said, kneeling down next to the tub.

His eyes popped open and he sat up quickly enough that a little water sloshed over the edge of the tub getting Diamond a little more than damp.  “What!”  Oh,” he said, turning to her.  “You brought me something you say?”

She handed the glass to him.  “Don’t drop it,” she ordered.  “You wouldn’t want to waste a glass of the best brandy in Buckland.”

“So right,” he said as he took a sip.

He watched as she stood up.  “You know, you’re already wet so why not just join me?”

She giggled but shook her head.  “I need to be ready when they bring the food for us, plus I need to make sure Faramir gets fed and put to bed.  You wouldn’t want him to come looking for one of us and find us both like that.”

Pippin shook his head.  “You have a point but it is disappointing to have this nice hot water, an excellent glass of brandy and my beautiful wife with her skirts clinging wetly to her legs and not be able to take full advantage of it.”

“We’ll just have to see if we can send our little one to visit some of his cousins in the near future so that we can have an evening for something like this.”  Having said that, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and slipped from the room.

-----

By the time that Pippin emerged into the little dining area of their quarters, Diamond already had their supper on the table and she had already seen to it that their son had eaten and was safely tucked in bed.  She looked at her husband in confusion.

“I figured you’d just dress in your nightshirt and dressing gown,” she said.

Pippin shook his head.  “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to sneak back down to my office for a little while after we eat.  I’ve got some things I need to be checking over and I really don’t need the interruptions that come during the day and I’d rather not have anyone, even Regi, looking over my shoulder.  I promise this will not be common.  I don’t want to live my life stuck in that room and chained to that desk.”

Diamond sighed.  “If you promise that this will not become an every day, or every week, experience I’ll say yes.”

“Thank you,” he answered.

-----

Once he was at his desk, Pippin quickly wrote up his proposals for the farmers for their meeting in a couple of days.  He looked it over and then set it aside to dry.  He then took a clean sheet of paper and began composing a letter to the King.

To: King Elessar

Minas Tirith

Gondor

From: Peregrin Took

Great Smials

West Farthing

The Shire

Dear Strider,

I wanted to thank you for the lovely proclamation…I mean letter you sent.  I’m thinking about having it framed.  Also, I now know where Merry got the excellent wine he served to a select few upon becoming Master of Buckland.  The bottle you sent me was equally as good.

I hope that we can all see you when you do finally decide to visit this part of your kingdom.  Sam, Merry and I miss you very much and we have several relatives that are not convinced that we really do know you and that we walked half way across Middle-Earth with you.  They’re not going to believe our stories until they see you in the flesh.

I wanted also to thank you for your condolences on the death of my father.  You were right that we never saw quite eye-to-eye, especially after I came back so changed from the War.  You’d have thought he’d have appreciated the fact that I was more mature and disciplined but he didn’t.  I am just now learning how the events of the year we were gone affected him.  I’m starting to see that he had headed down a similar road to the one Denethor traveled, just without the Palantir to push him ‘round the bend.  

Aragorn, I’ve inherited an office on the brink of financial disaster and a country nearly divided.  My father had become so obsessed with keeping the Ruffians out of the Tooklands that he had begun to take the Tooklands out of the Shire.  Now, I have got to rebuild the figurative, and possibly a physical one or two, bridges he burned.  There is nothing anyone can do to help me, except Merry and Sam, and they are doing all they can, but, know this, I hope that by the time you come North, we will have all the damage repaired and you will find this part of Arnor working well.

You asked about young Faramir.  He is doing well.  He looks more like his mother than me, thankfully, and he has the stubbornness of the Tooks in full force but he is sweet-natured and is starting to show an artists eye.  He loves music, which should be no surprise, and has asked for a musical instrument from me for my birthday.

I promise to try to write you more often, and not just to let you know how things are proceeding or to whine about my problems.  I will try to send news that will let you know how we truly fare.

With love,

Pippin.

While he waited for that letter to dry so that he could seal it.  He composed a quick note to his sister Pimpernel to see if she would be willing to have Faramir spend Highday afternoon and night with her children in Tuchborough.  Pippin had plans for his wife that day and he wanted to make sure they would not be disturbed.  Once this was written, he sealed both the note and his letter to the King and left them where he would clearly see them in the morning.  He hoped Regi could find someone willing to take the letter to Buckland so that Merry could find someone to take it on the King’s Messenger in Bree.

Once he had everything done to his satisfaction, he extinguished the lamp and went back to his quarters.

-----

Before going to bed, Pippin looked in on his son.  The child was sound asleep with a smile on his face.  

He quietly got ready for bed and slipped under the covers.  He wanted to snuggle up next to Diamond, but he didn’t want to risk waking her.

As soon as she sensed her husband’s presence, Diamond turned and reached for him without waking.  Once Pippin held her close, it was no time till he too slept soundly.