4: A Rose for Pervinca

Sam spent the whole day trying not to think about Pervinca. It, of course, had the completely opposite effect. He found it impossible to think about anything else. He told himself all the reasons why he should not be thinking about her. The best reasons were probably: “We are both too young” and “She’s a Took”. The worst were, no doubt, “Rosie will be jealous” and “Tom and Jolly will make fun of me.”

As he was thinking about this, the three previously mentioned hobbits came walking past the garden.

“Hullo, Sam,” Tom Cotton greeted. “Having fun in the garden?”

“Morning, Tom, Rosie, Jolly,” Sam replied. “It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?”

“How long until the party?” asked Rose, shyly. She was a young hobbitess, and, like Pervinca she was becoming curious, about herself, and about male hobbits. Since Sam was the only male hobbit she really knew, apart from her brothers, she had started to fancy him, something which Sam was well aware of.

Sam counted the days on his fingers. “…three…four…five days. You mean you haven’t been marking the days down on your calender?”

Rose had, in fact, been doing just that. She had asked Sam for the simple reason that she wanted him to talk to her. Now that he had broken the ice, perhaps she could find the courage to ask him to take her.

“Um…Sam…have you…I mean…do you…have someone that you’d like to go with you?”

Tom and Jolly snickered. Sam was placed in an awful situation. If he told Rosie that he’d take her to the party, Tom and Jolly would never let him live it down. If he turned her down, it would break her heart…and Tom and Jolly would break Sam’s legs.

Sam sighed. “Well, Rosie, there’s no one yet, but I think that I will wait until the party to find out.”

Rosie beamed, and started skipping down the lane to her home. Tom and Jolly followed. As they passed Sam, Tom winked, indicating how impressed he was at the way Sam had saved himself from a terrible mess. Sam was not as slow as he allowed everyone to believe he was.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Pippin noticed that Pervinca was unusually quiet for the rest of their time at Bag End. He was disappointed, since he had secretly hoped that Pervinca would join himself and Merry in their plan to cause trouble. In the past, Pervinca had joined forces with her brother and cousin on several occasions, mostly to annoy and upset her older sisters. But recently, she had stopped showing any interest in Merry and Pippin’s plans. Pippin was starting to realise that his favourite sister was growing up. He just hoped she did not become anything like Pearl or Pimpernel.

Pearl and Pimpernel returned to Bag End in the early afternoon to pick up their younger siblings. Pippin and Pervinca were reluctant to leave, but knew they had to.

“Do not worry,” said Frodo. “You will be back here in five days for the party anyway!”

Pimpernel had made it obvious that she and Pearl had purchased presents for Frodo and Bilbo during the day by hiding several packages behind her. She viciously defended them when Pippin snuck behind her to take a peak.

Rubbing the hand that Pimpernel had slapped, Pippin said goodbye to Frodo. He made a mental note that Pimpernel should be the victim of another prank. She was always good for that.

As they left Bag End, the Tooks passed the garden, where Sam was feverously working. Pervinca smiled at him, cheeks flushing.

“Leaving are you, Mister Pippin?” Sam greeted, not noticing the three Took hobbitesses.

“Yes, but we will be back in five days!” Pippin proudly told Sam. From behind him, Pearl cleared her throat, indicating her presence. Pippin promptly realised that he should introduce his older sisters. “Oh, Sam, have you met my other sisters? This is Pearl and Pimpernel.”

“Good day to you, young misses.” Sam bowed politely. Pearl and Pimpernel curtsied in reply.

“We would like to stay and talk, Master Sam,” said Pearl, “but it is getting late, and we must be home before dark.”

“Of course. A pleasure meeting you all. I hope that I will see you at Mister Bilbo and Mister Frodo’s party.” Sam plucked three roses from the nearest rose bush. He handed one each to the three Took girls. “And please accept this gift - beautiful roses, for three beautiful lasses.”

Pearl and Pimpernel expressed their thanks, but Pervinca was speechless. She blushed a brilliant red the same colour as the rose, and managed a small smile. Both of her older sisters noticed this, and smirked to each other.

The Tooks once again said farewell to Sam, and began the long walk home.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Merry and his family were staying with Pippin’s family until the party, so the minute the Took children arrived home, and had something to eat, Merry pulled Pippin aside to ask him about Frodo.

“So how is the old lad?” Merry asked.

“Old? He’s only turning thirty-three!” Pippin laughed. “But, he is well. We did not see Bilbo – he was locked up in his study.”

“No surprise there,” Merry scoffed. “Old Bilbo is a very odd fellow.” Despite Pippin’s pleas, Merry would not further explain what he meant. He changed the subject. “Have you convinced Pervinca to join in with our little fun?”

Pippin shook his head. “I have not asked her. But I do not think she will want to. She was acting very peculiar today.”

Merry rolled his eyes. “She must be coming to ‘that’ age.”

“What age?”

“All hobbitesses come to an age when they stop being fun, and become very boring. All they worry about is finding a husband.”

Pippin’s eyes widened in horror. “You do not think that Pervinca is going to become like Pearl and Pimpernel?”

“I do hope not, cousin. But speaking of Pervinca, where is she?”

“In her room?” Pippin suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

He was, in fact, correct. Pervinca was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. In her hand, she held Sam’s gift, slowly twirling the fragile stem between her fingers. The fragrance had spread through the room. Pervinca could not stop thinking about Sam. She began to wonder if he had thought about her.

She sighed. I doubt it. He did seem older than me…and he probably thinks that I am just a boring girl from a rich family.

“Pervinca, dear, we need to talk,” a voice came from the doorway. Pervinca looked up to see her two older sisters smiling at her in a not very pleasant manner. The entered the room together, shutting the door tightly behind them. They sat down on either side of their youngest sister.

“What do you want?” Pervinca asked, suspiciously.

“I am hurt, sister, that you would think so low of us,” Pearl cried, in a mock-upset voice. “We simply want to have a little chat with our dear sister.”

“Precisely right, Pearl,” Pimpernel chimed with a grin. “We could not help noticing today…”

“…that you seemed rather…interested in Bilbo Baggins’ gardener,” Pearl finished off.

“And we were simply worried about this interest.” Pimpernel placed a hand on Pervinca’s shoulder. “You are a Took, Pervinca. We Tooks are a rich and respectable family. Do you know what the family would think of you if you were to marry a common gardener?”

“You are both fools,” Pervinca snapped. “Why do you think that I want to marry Sam? What put that idea into your twisted minds?”

Pearl scowled at her sister, and grabbed her by the hair. “How dare you! And besides, you have just answered your own question. Sam?”

Pervinca flushed. Her sister had her there. She should not have used his first name. “Leave, now. What I do with my life is none of your business. Besides, I do not wish to marry Sam. Unlike the two of you, I realise there is more to life than simply finding a husband! Good evening to you!”

Pervinca ushered her sisters to the door, and slammed it shut behind them. She was furious with her sisters – how dare they interfere with her life like that! And they had made her even more confused. Did she really want to marry Sam? And what would happen if she did? Would her family disown her?

She picked up the rose, which had fallen to the floor. “Oh, Sam. What are we going to do?”