Chapter Two - Pippin’s Resolution

The following afternoon, Merry and Pippin were hovering over a game of chess when they heard Pippin’s sisters enter the Smial. They were laughing as they passed by the main sitting room on their way to the bedrooms. Each lass carried at least one bundle in her arms; Pearl held several bolts of pale green velvet and silk material. Pim and Pervinca merely assisted their sister with carrying a host of other items. The two older sisters paused in the outer hallway as Pervinca entered the sitting room holding out an envelope between her only two free fingers.

She wore a broad smile as she nudged her brother who was pretending to concentrate on his next move. “Read it, Pippin!”

Pippin snatched the envelope she offered and opened it.

“Dear Miss Pervinca Took,

You and your escort are cordially invited to my Birthday Party. It will be held on July 27, S.R. 1406. It will begin at 6 o’clock in the evening with supper.

Sincerely,

Estella Bolger"

“And?” Pippin said, handing the invitation over to Merry.

Pervinca puzzled at his reaction. “And what?”

Pippin could not hide his grin when he asked, “and who is the poor unfortunate?”

“Pippin!” Pimpernel was straining under the weight of her burden, “She’s been invited to her first escorted party. Can’t you be happy for her?”

“Or, think of it this way, Pip,” Pearl added with a grin, “one nearly gone, the last two on their way!”

Merry finished reading the invitation, rose up and gave his cousin a hug. “I’m happy for you, Pervinca, but I, too, would like to know who the young escort is.”

“Thank you, Merry,” she said. She returned the hug as best as she could with her arms full, then answered, “I couldn’t tell you as I haven’t accepted any offers yet.”

“That can be interpreted as being no one has asked you.” Pippin received a whack over the head with a small bolt of lace for that comment.

Pervinca narrowed her eyes at her brother, “I’ll have you know, you little rat, that Mirto Boffin asked me if father was going to be in his office tomorrow. Do you know what that means?”

Why, Pippin thought, did Pervinca have to open herself up for such remarks? He tried so hard, but he just could not restrain himself in saying it. He answered, “It means that he’s in for a miserable evening!”

Dead silence. Everyone gaped at Pippin.

“Pippin!” Came Pearl’s admonishment. She shook her head, “I can’t believe you said such a mean thing.”

Pervinca blinked away a stinging tear then backed her way out of the room. “I’m…I’m going to my room,” she spoke softly. Pearl and Pimpernel surrounded their sister, glaring at their brother. They left the sitting room, accompanying the crushed girl to her room.

Pippin flopped back into his chair. “Why, Merry, do I say such things? Why can’t I learn to just keep my mouth shut?”

Merry was still staring at his cousin as he settled into the chair he occupied before. “I don’t know, but that was a very cruel remark you said to Pervinca,” he said. “I daresay if it were Mirto who said that, you would have wrestled him to the ground and bloodied his nose over it.”

“I know.” Pippin now clenched his fists to his face, trying to hide from his own annoyance at himself. The realization of what he had said settled into his stomach like a rotten apple. “I must go to her and apologize.”

“PIPPIN!” A bellowing voice could be heard approaching the sitting room. Paladin stepped firmly into the doorway and beckoned for his son to follow him.

~ ~ ~

“What just happened in the sitting room?”

Pippin was downcast; he looked at the colors in the woven rug at his feet. It was alternating red, blue, green, and yellow; red, blue, green, and yellow; red, blue--

“Why, Pippin?” Pippin startled. His attention snapped back to his father’s speech. “What prompted you to utter hurtful words to your sister?”

“I…I don’t,” Pippin faltered.

Paladin sat on the sofa waiting for his son to continue. “I don’t know, either, but I thought your mother and I raised you to behave as a young gentle-hobbit.”

It was a long minute before Pippin spoke again. “I was only jesting, or I thought I was. She used to like my jokes, so I thought she would laugh. I never meant to hurt her, Father; we’ve always been close. Now she’s all grown up and being escorted to parties.”

“That is what troubles me about the whole affair, Pippin,” said Paladin, handing his son his pocket handkerchief. “You and Pervinca have always been close.” Paladin watched his son wipe his eyes. “Children grow up, Pippin. Young tweens go to parties and gatherings to be social, and later to perhaps find that one special hobbit.” Suddenly this conversation gave Paladin a twinge in his heart and he sighed, “Your day will come soon, Pip, when you will be the escort. You will be the one to ask the father for permission to accompany his precious daughter to her first party or to her first dance. I hope by that time you will have developed into a respectable young-hobbit.”

“I meant to go apologize to Pervinca before you called for me.”

Paladin shook his head, “She’s upset right now, son. She may not want to talk to you.”

Pippin was silent again, then asked, “What will my punishment be?”

“I am not going to punish you, Pippin. This is something I want you to deal with on your own. Learn to do what your own heart tells you to do. You cannot go on simply doing or saying whatever you please. You must learn that there are consequences for your actions, son. Your first ‘consequence’ is in her room right now crying--what are you going to do?”

The teenager sat in thought, then he stood up before his father. “I will go apologize to her first, and then, from now on I will only speak kindly to others.”

“Very well,” said Paladin. “I will hold you to your word, Peregrin. Now,” he continued, “about this birthday party Pervinca plans to attend; who is the intended escort--do you know?”

“Mirto Boffin.”

Paladin nodded; he knew this young tween. After Pippin left the study, Paladin sat in thought for a long while. He would now expect a visit from the lad tomorrow requesting permission to be his daughter’s first escort. They were only young tweens, he thought, but still…Pervinca was his youngest daughter--his last. His precious, little Sweet Pea.