Chapter Eight - Pervinca in Demand

It was after lunch when Paladin was sitting at his desk, alone in his study. He heard someone knock upon the door then boldly enter the room. He looked up and saw it was his dearest Tina. He smiled, walked over to his wife and kissed her in greeting. “What brings you to my humble dwelling, love?”

“I am entreating on behalf of a young lad to beg for just a half hour of your precious time…,” she pretended to be confused, “yes, I believe that is how he said it.”

Paladin laughed, sitting down next to his wife on the couch, “Who is he and why does he want a half hour of my time?”

She returned a tender kiss to her husband before she arose from the couch saying, “Sit here, and you will see.”

He watched his wife depart his office; so elegant she looked in the simple frock she wore. After Thirty-one years of marriage, Paladin still thought she was the most beautiful lass in the Shire. He was musing on their courting days when the guest walked in. Paladin stood up and offered his hand to the young hobbit. “Merimas! Are you the lad my wife was imploring for?”

Merimas was used to addressing important elders. He was only a tad nervous, but he laid it aside. He smiled his reply, “Yes, I must confess that I solicited your lovely wife for my own gains.”

“What can I do for you?”

Merimas did not dance around the issue; he went straight to the purpose of his visit. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, “I would ask for your blessing to escort your beautiful daughter, Pervinca, to Miss Estella’s birthday party.”

~ ~ ~

Later that afternoon, once Pippin was feeling better, he stood in the sitting area of Pimpernel’s room and called to her. He smiled, as he yelled out, “Someone left you a gift out here, MISS Pimpernel! I suggest you come out here and get it before it runs away!”

Pimpernel was in the bedroom; she looked up from the letter she was writing and smiled at the recognition of the voice. Her smile momentarily disappeared in order to give full affect to her response, “If you dared enter my room without so much as a knock, I am going to flay you for supper, Peregrin Took!” Then her smile reappeared.

“That’s only after you catch me, you indolent lass!”

Pippin was smiling as Pimpernel came running out into her sitting room. He held out a bouquet of wild flowers to her.

Taking the flowers, Pimpernel gave her young brother a warm embrace, “Don’t you ever worry me like that again, you wicked little boy!”

Pippin had a wry grin on his face when he answered, “I’m not little!” He felt her give him a gentle squeeze.

~ ~ ~

Paladin was again sitting at his desk. Merimas had left mere minutes ago when he was interrupted by another knock on his door. This time it was Merry who walked in.

“What is it, son?”

Merry tried to keep from smiling, but he did like it when his dear uncle called him that. “I, um…,” he stammered, “I would like to ask your permission to…”

It was obvious to Paladin that Merry had no more experience in this than young Mirto Boffin had. He leaned back in his chair, quite amused by his nephew’s gallant gesture. “My permission for what?”

“To…accompany Pervinca as her escort to Estella’s birthday party,” he continued. “I’ve heard that she is still in need of an escort.”

“I am afraid I must inform you, Merry,” Paladin answered, “that Merimas has already asked.”

“And?” Merry was eager to know the results. He was happy to hear his cousin had in fact left his books long enough to summon up the courage and ask.

“I gave him my blessing,” he said, “but Pervinca must agree to it. It really is up to her.”

~ ~ ~

Nearly an hour had passed since Merry had left his study when Paladin sat down on his couch to enjoy a belated cup of tea. Just as he was taking his first sip, he heard another knock upon the door. “Come in.” Paladin set his cup down on the tea table.

“Sir?”

“Degger! How nice to see you today. How is the gardening coming along?” Paladin was truly happy to see the young gardener; he could leave Pervinca’s matters aside for a moment.

Degger held his straw sunhat in his hands--it helped to keep them from shaking too much. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out; his tongue was clinging to the roof of his dry mouth.

“Glass of water?”

Degger nodded. He took the cool refreshment and drank the entire glass in just several gulps.

Paladin noticed that the lad was trembling. “Please, sit down, Degger.” He wondered to himself what in Middle-earth could have happened in the gardens to make him appear so anxious. It was rather cool in the Smials for a fine summer’s day, yet Paladin could see perspiration glistening on the lad’s face.

The tween placed the empty glass upon the table, dabbed his chin with a handkerchief then used it to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Sir,” he began nervously, “I…I am here to…” He wiped his brow again. “Oy,” he muttered more to himself. “I am here to ask about Miss Pervinca, sir.”

~ ~ ~

It had been a long afternoon for Paladin. He breathed a sigh of relief after Degger had left and decided to stretch out upon the couch for a well-earned nap. He groaned when he heard yet another knock upon his door. “What is it?”

“Father?” It was Pippin.

Paladin draped one exasperated arm across his eyes, “No, Pippin,” he moaned, “you cannot take your sister to Estella’s birthday party. You are too young to perform such a task, or even make such request. I am trying to recover from the other three who came in before you, so please, do us both a favor; turn around and march back to whatever activity you were engaged in prior to coming here.”

Pippin ignored his father’s plea. He came round towards the couch, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the table. “What other three?”

Paladin lifted his arm just enough to glare with one eye at his son. “You know very well which three I am speaking of--or at the very least, you ought to know one of them.”

“Merimas?”

“He’s one; try again.”

The guilty teen looked away from his father’s gaze, “Degger?”

“He’s another; he told me everything.”

At those words, Pippin looked back at his father, “Everything?”

“Everything.” Paladin wearily sat up on the couch, then said, “It seems you and a couple others had a talk with Mirto before I did. No wonder the lad ran out of here like a frightened rabbit.”

“We were only--,” Pippin began, but was interrupted.

“I’m not concerned about Mirto, Pip, but what I would like to know is how you could put Degger up to something like that? You have no idea the position you put him in.”

“What do you mean?”

This was going to be another long talk…Paladin could feel a headache coming on. He braced himself and forged ahead. “Pip, you have spent most of your life living on a farm, and I never want you to forget that. I never want you to forget what it is like to put in a day’s work. But, at the same time, lad, you have to remember where you are now. The title you will one day inherit holds sway over the things you ask your friends or members of our staff to do today.”

Pippin let out a long sigh. “I’m not doing so well this week, am I Father?”

“I am not scolding you, Pip. I’ve had a very long day and I am overdue for bit of sleep. I only want you to be mindful that some folks are eager to do your bidding. More times than not, it is because you will one day be Thain of the Shire, though I know that wasn’t the reason in this instance.”

Pippin fell silent as he thought about the few awesome responsibilities that he had already been privy to in recent months as their cousin, Thain Ferumbras III, became more aged. “I’m sorry, Father. I think I understand what you’re saying. I will go now and apologize to Degger.”

“No, son,” said Paladin, “I have already talked to him and he--we know that you asked him to do this out of love for your sister. And I want you to know that he responded in kind because of his love for you and Merry--and yes, Pervinca, too, but Pip, he doesn’t see her as…well…as--”

“Merimas?” Pippin was grinning, “Merry told me about him.”

“Yes, as Merimas,” Paladin answered, sprawling out on the couch again. With that, Paladin took in a deep breath to relax.

Pippin took this as a sign that the conversation was over. “Have a good sleep, Father.” He stood to his feet and left.