Flowers, Gems And Estella - Chapter XIV
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The next morning, after Fredegar had knocked on the door of Brandy Hall, arousing the sleeping Merry out of bed to request a place to sleep for the night, the two of them once again sat on the edge on the Brandywine Bridge, with their fishing poles bobbing on the surface, catching nothing.
“Are they always that scary?” he asked of Merry.
“You have no idea – I don’t think I know one lad whom they haven’t flirted with. Did you notice anything about Mellie’s attire? She’s rather notorious for that sort of thing.”
Fredegar grinned slightly, and looked down at his feet as they dangled over the side of the bridge. “As hard as I tried, I can’t say I didn’t notice it.”
“Well, I recall once, when we were hosting some banquet at Brandy Hall, my father and I were greeting the guests at the door – we saw Mellie coming, with Mentha, and I looked to see a very surprised – and quite uncomfortable – look on my father’s face. So I whispered to him, ‘Just try to ignore it.’ My mother had a different response to it, though.”
“What’d she say?”
Merry cleared his throat, and talked in a hoarse manner so as to imitate his mother. “I don’t like what that young lass is wearing – she may have all the lads looking at her, but that’s no way to land a decent husband!”
Merry, feeling a tug on his fishing line, reeled it in – a tiny grayling was attached to it. “Say, that’s the biggest thing I think I’ve ever caught!”
Not far away, early morning sunlight was streaming into the guest bedroom of a hobbit hole in Newbury – Estella’s eyes fluttered open briefly, before she pulled the quilt over her head. She didn’t get to keep it over her for long – it was soon ripped away from her, leaving her uncovered and in her bedclothes.
She rose in a rage of fury, preparing to smack at her adversary. “I’ll get you for that, Fatty!” she mumbled sleepily, fists flying towards her unseen opponent.
“Calm down, Estella!” It was not the voice of her brother, but of a young girl – Estella opened her eyes and realized it was Melilot. “Good morning!” she chirped happily, dressed in a crimson nightgown.
“Is your favorite color red, or something?” Estella asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“Yes,” she said, smiling happily, “It’s so vibrant, and reflects my fiery and passionate nature!”
“That’s lovely, Melilot.”
“Call me Mellie – everyone else does!”
“I noticed that,” she said, getting out of bed, “Is your sister awake?”
“No, I’m always the first to get up – I always try to get everyone else up, but I think they’ve learned to ignore me – so, I always wake our guests up!”
No matter where Estella went – into the kitchen, into the living room – Melilot followed her, always with a cheerful smile on her face. It was when she was about to go into the bathroom that the girl asked, “Is your brother always that shy?”
“What? Oh, well – not always. But I guess – around lasses he’s never met, he might be a little bashful.”
“But I’ve met him before!”
“Yeah, but – not in your own home. You know, how you react to someone differently, because you’re at their home, instead of out in public?”
“Oh –”
“And it probably had something to do with your dress,” she muttered quietly as she went into the bathroom.
After breakfast that morning, Estella barely had time to bid good morning to Mr. and Mrs. Brandybuck before she was grabbed by her arms and dragged outside of the house.
“You have to meet Doderic and Ilberic and Cellie!” they said, “We’ve told them all about you, and they’re just dying to meet you!”
Indeed, they had been told in advance about Estella’s coming – but, they didn’t seem to want so badly to meet her that they might die at any given moment.
Doderic and Ilberic were both working out in the fields with their father Seredic when the girls arrived – and being that her mother was gone to market, Celandine was the only one present to greet Estella.
“So this is the famous Estella. These two,” Celandine said, gesturing towards Mentha and Melilot, “Have been talking about nothing else, since they decided to invite you.”
“Yeah, me too,” Estella said, nodding her head, “Once I got the letter, I could hardly wait to get out here and – meet you all.”
“Well, we’re just bouncing off the walls with happiness too! We’re so glad you’ve come!” Melilot chirped.
“But don’t you work with your brothers out in the field?” Estella asked.
Both Mentha and Melilot looked dazed and confused at the thought of this – the silence was broken only when Mentha laughed aloud. “That Estella! Isn’t she the greatest?”
“The absolute greatest!” Melilot chimed in, “I mean, of course we don’t work in the fields – we could get dirt under our fingernails, or something!”
“Worse, even!” Mentha said next, “Why, what if our future husbands saw us as such – all filthy, with dirt on our face and dresses – I don’t think they’d be our future husbands much longer! Right, Estella?”
“Well, sometimes I help my father with the harvest – when he’s plowing, I’ll walk in front of the pony, while he directs the plow behind – nothing too hard, I don’t think he wants to work me too hard.”
Whatever confusion the two had experienced before was now put to shame – they looked as if Estella had just told them that they might never marry.
“Oh, goodness girls, you know Estella’s just joking!” Celandine said just in time, “I know, why don’t you two rush upstairs to my room and get a dress of mine – you know, the green one with the beads – so we can show it to Est –”
It was unnecessary for her to say more, for the two girls were already rushing up the stairs, giggling and eager to please their favorite cousin.
“Relish in this moment, Estella – you won’t get many of them.”
“Sorry?”
Celandine chuckled softly. “Haven’t been with them long enough? You’ll get the hang of it – eventually. Just be glad you’re not a Bucklander, or you’d have to put up with those fools all the time.”
“Well, three months’ time isn’t a walk in the park either.”
“That all? Three months is nothing next to twenty-six years, believe me.”
“You’re only twenty-six?” Celandine nodded. “Hmm. Perhaps it’s just in comparison with your cousins, but you seem very mature for your age.”
“I try to be – as I see it, as long as I’m not like them, I’m fine. And –” She was cut off though, by the shouting of voices from the upstairs.
“We couldn’t find the dress you wanted, Cellie! You and Estella want to come up here, and help us find it?”
Celandine sighed. “If these two ever annoy you, you’re always welcome here,” she said quickly, before running towards the stairs, “It’s hanging in the closet! I’ll just come up there!”
Estella shook her head, grinning, and followed her new friend up the stairs.