Chapter Twenty Six

It was after lunch when Eglantine finally met with her nephew. Merry sat in his bed and fidgeted. He knew something was about to happen--never before had his aunt asked to speak with him alone. He watched intently as Eglantine sat down across from him. In her hand was an envelope with a broken seal. Merry recognized it as the seal of his father.

“Read this,” was all Eglantine said as she handed Merry the envelope.

Merry opened the envelope and took out the small folded parchment and read it. After a moment he spoke, “Do you know if he intends to take me away?”

“I don’t know, sweetie--I only know what you know," she answered.

Merry curled up into a ball under his blankets with a far away expression on his face. Eglantine wanted to comfort him somehow yet felt it would only complicate the matters in his young head.

Merry wanted to be alone to sort out his feelings. “I have a headache, Auntie, and I’m not feeling quite well at the moment. May I please be alone?”

She smoothed the hair away from his face, “I will have your uncle look in on you when he arrives, all right?” Eglantine wasn‘t fooled for a moment; she knew Merry's ailment was more than a mere headache. She rubbed his shoulder as she stood up, “It will all work out, child.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Paladin arrived home early that day and was met by his wife at the door. Pearl and Pim had been sent to tell him about the letter and the forthcoming visit by Saradoc that evening. He was deeply concerned over how his nephew was coping with the pending reunion--especially since he‘d already told Merry his father wasn‘t coming to claim him for another three weeks. First, he decided to meet with his wife to discuss Took hospitality.

Eglantine followed Paladin into his study and was taken by surprised as he swept the door shut behind them and held her close to kiss her. After a *long* moment he drew breath and said, “I’ve been waiting all day for that.”

She wrapped her arms around him and gazed into his green eyes, “Paladin Took! After twenty-eight years, you haven’t changed a bit.”

As he held her he whispered in her ear, “You won’t let me. You’re still as beautiful as the day we met.”

As in any marriage with children, the sweetest of moments didn’t last long. Paladin sighed, “How is Merry doing?”

“Not very well, I’m afraid.” Eglantine settled in a chair next to her husband, “When I broke the news to him a few hours ago all he did was complain of a headache.” Then she handed him the envelope, now looking a little worn from the overuse.

Paladin took a moment to read the script. “I can’t believe him,” Paladin said, shaking his head. “He said he’d wait a few weeks before he came after Merry. We talked about it before I left.”

“Then I wonder what happened to change his mind.”

“That’s what I would care to know.” Paladin studied on this, then he looked at his soul mate. The only person he knew he could confide his deepest secrets to, and not have it announced all over the Shire. “Tina...I don’t know why, but...” then he trailed off and began again, “no, I do know why, but I don’t know how to fight the reasoning behind it.”

Eglantine saw the strange look on her husband’s face. “What are you talking about?”

“Now that we have Merry under our roof,” he explained, “I...I don’t know if I can give him up so easily.”

Eglantine was incredulous, “Can’t give him up? Paladin, you must!” She feared this would happen someday. It wasn’t a matter of if--it was only a matter of when. “I love him, too, but we can never be his parents. Regardless of how his father has treated him over the years, Merry still belongs to his father--and to your sister. He belongs to Buckland!”

Paladin winced at his wife’s verbal lashing, “I knew you would say that.”

“Well of course I’d say that. What else did you expect me to say?”

“I don’t know--perhaps having a little more understanding would’ve been nice.”

Eglantine calmed down a little and spoke more rationally, “Paladin, what kind of parents would we be if we allowed Sara and Essie to forever keep our Pippin? It would start the biggest feud in Shire history, I’ll say!” She took his hand in hers, “I would be lying, love, if I said I never imagined Merry living happily under our roof. But it just can’t be.”

Paladin now felt embarrassed for his selfishness. She was right; it would tear his sister to pieces if he tried to keep Merry. And yes--he would fight to the death over one of his children. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

She breathed a bit easier, “No more talk of not wanting to give up Merry--all right?” Eglantine then thought to quickly change the subject. She took the conversation to other matters of significance. “I suppose Sara can sleep in Merry’s room,” Eglantine said, “and Merry can move in with Pippin for the duration of his father’s visit.”

“What about the guest room?”

“He can’t sleep in the guestroom.  I have boxes of mathoms stored in there that are cluttering it up.”

“We can always ‘un-clutter’ it,” he replied.

Eglantine wasn‘t so sure it could be ‘uncluttered' in one day, “It wouldn’t hurt two young lads to share a room for a day or two.”

Paladin stood up to leave. He wanted to look in on Merry--the very boy who nearly started a feud. “Very well,” he replied. “Do whatever you see fit, I’m going to look in on him.”

Eglantine quietly watched her husband leave the room. She thought to herself, Somehow, I get the feeling this won’t be the end of this conversation!