Chapter Two - Hasty Plans

“Oh, Ferne,” Esmeralda looked around the kitchen as she rolled out dough for making tarts, “where are those jars of blackberry preserves that I set here?”

“Right where you left them, Mistress.” Ferne reached behind the cruet from Esmeralda’s view on the table and placed them before her.

Esmeralda stared at the jars. “I...I don’t know what’s gotten into me today, Ferne.”

The elder cook put her hand on Esmeralda’s shoulder, but said nothing. She wasn’t going to meddle in affairs that weren’t hers, but the troubles between Esmeralda and Saradoc weren’t exactly a secret. Just then both ladies could hear a couple of young voices coming towards the kitchen singing a song.

Frodo swung open the door as he and Merry walked in singing a very naughty ditty. Frodo froze when he saw the ladies--tongue and all. Undaunted, little Merry walked up to his mother and casually finished it off.

“Meriadoc!” Esmeralda reprimanded her son, “I’ve asked you not to sing that limerick anymore!” She turned her stern gaze over to the teenager, “It is not fitting for any child to be singing those sort of...words.”

Merry climbed up onto his chair with the small stack of books bound together with string, “Yes, Mummy.”

“Frodo, dear, please don’t teach him anymore of those songs.” She place a mug of milk on the table before each lad.

Blushing, Frodo sat down next to his young cousin at the table, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Ferne busied herself with setting breakfast before the lads and then retired to the pantry to plan elevenses.

Esmeralda poured herself a cup of hot tea and sat down next to her son. “Merry,” she looked at him, “wouldn’t you like to visit with Uncle Paladin today?”

Merry only looked at her, chewing a mouthful of food.

“Don’t you remember your Uncle Paladin?” She watched Merry shake his head. Esmeralda motioned with her hands and touched her hair as she spoke, “He’s tall and has dark hair.” Merry shook his head again.

“He doesn’t remember,” said Frodo.

“I suppose that’s to be expected,” she sighed. “It’s been a while since he’s seen my brother.”

Frodo drained the milk from his mug, then slowly set it down. What would he do while Merry was away? There were no other lads in the Hall that were his age. “How long will he be away?” he asked.

Esmeralda didn’t want to discuss a lengthy visit in front of her son. “Merry, run into the larder, please, and tell Miss Ferne that we will be needing provisions for our visit to Uncle Paladin.”

“Yes, Mummy.” Merry was quick to jump down from the chair and do his mother’s bidding; she was the one person in this world Merry felt loved by, besides his cousin Frodo, of course.

Esmeralda watched as her son left the kitchen and disappeared into the next room. She leaned across the table to speak in hushed tones, “Merry has never been away from home, from us ever in his life, and I thought to leave him with my brother for a few days while I came back here and got his father straightened out.” Frodo nodded. She continued, “I can’t see him staying with Paladin for a long period without me, so I don’t see more than a week.”

“I understand,” the teen answered. “I do want to see him happy.”

Esmeralda put her hand on her young cousin’s. “I know, Frodo,” she said, “and I, too, of course; that is why I feel pressed to do this.”

Just then, Merry came back in from the larder and made his announcement, “Miss Ferne says ‘yes, Mistress’, and that she will see to it.” Merry scooted back onto his chair, kneeling atop the books used to boost him to the table as he emptied his mug of milk. “Can I go outside, Mummy?”

“Why don’t you and Frodo go for a nice walk around the gardens?”

“The gardens? I want to go exploring by the river,” Merry said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

“I have an idea,” Frodo replied, “Why don’t we sit under the shade of our favorite apple tree and read one of Cousin Bilbo’s letters about his adventures!”

“Yes!” Merry smiled with delight. “I want to climb it, Frodo! And then I want to listen to the story about Gandalf turning the trolls into stone!”

Frodo caught Esmeralda’s eye as he got up to leave. She mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

* * *

“No! I don’t want to go, Mummy!” Merry clung onto Frodo, “I don’t want to visit Uncle Paldin!”

Esmeralda had her hands wrapped around Merry’s waist, gently tugging on him, “Son, we must leave now before we miss the coach!”

Frodo looked down at the boy who had a death grip around his leg, and asked Esmeralda, “May I please talk to him for just a minute?” He smiled at Merry and took his hands in his own, “Then I promise I will walk with you down to the ferry landing, all right?”

Esmeralda looked at the small time piece in her hand. “Very well, Frodo,” she said, “but we don’t have much time.” She turned to walk slowly down towards the ferry where the coach waited, followed by a servant carrying their baggage.

They were out of hearing range when Frodo crouched down to eye level with his little friend. “Why don’t you want to visit your uncle?” he asked.

“I do want to visit my uncle,” replied Merry.

“Then why are you making such a fuss?”

“Because I will miss you, and you’ll forget about me.”

Frodo was pleasingly shocked, “Forget about you? Merry, how can I forget about you?” He watched as the boy looked at the ground and shrugged. Frodo lifted the boy’s chin, “I could never forget about you, Merry! Never.” This made his cousin smile. Then Frodo returned the smile to the lad who reminded him so much of himself--lost and forgotten. “And know that I will always love you--always.”

Merry hugged his most favorite cousin in the world, “I love you, Frodo.”

Then Frodo took one of Merry’s hands and began walking down the path towards the landing. “Come on, then,” he said. “Now that we’ve declared we will never forget each other, let’s catch up to your Mum!”

An impish grin appeared on Merry’s face as he dashed off, “Last one is rotten egg!”