CHAPTER 70

The first few dances being played were lively ones, more suitable to the younger hobbits with greater energy and stamina. The older hobbits mostly stood back, and spent a bit of time gossiping and talking over the wedding, and weddings that had gone before.

“At least, “ said Esmeralda to Eglantine, “no one was foolish enough to bring a gift!” She had been careful to warn the Men of that. As outlanders, they would not know hobbit customs. Some of the children, of course, would probably present the bride with handfuls of flowers, but that was acceptable.

Eglantine shook her head. “You know, people always mention that at a wedding, but I have never known it to actually happen. Who would be so crass as to bring a gift to a wedding? Why most people actually think it is bad luck to do so!”

Esmeralda looked at her sister-in-law. “Has no one ever told you of someone who did just that on purpose?”

Eglantine looked scandalized, and gave Esme a puzzled look.

“I suppose being among the Brandybucks, I’ve heard the story a great deal, though I was not present to see it. Lobelia did that: she deliberately brought a gift to Drogo’s and Primula’s wedding. If I remember the story correctly, it was a mathom of some sort--I think it was a hideous vase, or something of the sort. There are many of the older Brandybucks who still think it was because of Lobelia’s ill-wishes, that Frodo’s parents drowned. I know that Menegilda blamed her for years. One of the reasons she opposed allowing Bilbo to take Frodo at first was because of the S.-B.s--she was afraid to have the lad exposed to them.”

Eglantine’s jaw dropped. She had known what a rude old harridan Lobelia had been, but that really seemed beyond the pale to her. “Why on earth would she have done something like that?”

Esme looked at her, surprised that Tina had not heard all this old gossip years ago. But then, this was, understandably more of a Brandybuck thing than a Took one. “Because she had fancied Drogo for herself, of course, and it was before she had caught Otho’s eye!”

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After a few dances, and another ale, Pippin returned to the bandstand, where Anwynd and Bergil sat cross-legged in front of the fiddler, playing their flutes. He found his Tookland pipes, which he had stashed there, and began to play along. They had begun the Springle-ring, and all over the sward, energetic young couples were joining in.

Freddy stood near the bandstand listening to the music. He had joined several of the circle dances, but the Springle-ring was a couples dance, and since he did not see Angelica anywhere, he decided not to take part. There was quite a crowd, so he was not sure if she had attended or not. He looked up at the musicians, and at Bergil playing so eagerly. The lad had quite a talent, although he would need to practice for several more years to be as good as Folco.

“Hullo, Freddy.” He heard a soft voice say. He turned to see Angelica and Estella standing there.

His face lit up. “I had begun to think you had not come!” he said. “I’d been looking--”

Angelica shook her head. “We almost did not. We did not get back to Hobbiton until late this morning, after elevenses, in fact. Father did not wish to come, but Estella and I got here just as the ceremony began. It was a lovely ceremony. Frodo did it so well.”

“But where have you been? Merry and I both searched the crowd?”

“Oh,” said Estella, “we decided to help with the clearing up after luncheon, so that Rose’s family could more quickly get finished and enjoy some of the music.” She looked about for Merry’s tall form among the swirling crowd. “Where’s Merry?”

“He should be back any moment. He and Frodo walked down to Bag End to put the marriage lines away for safekeeping, and to fetch Frodo’s traveling case.”

“Where is Frodo going?” asked Angelica curiously. She had felt a bit protective of her older cousin ever since their talk at the Ball.

“He’ll be staying at The Ivy Bush tonight, and then tomorrow he will ride out with the rest of us as far as the Brandywine Bridge. Then he’ll go to stay with Merry and Pip at Crickhollow for a couple of weeks, so Sam and Rose can have Bag End to themselves for a proper honeymoon.”

Estella looked puzzled. “But what about the rest of you, that have been staying at Bag End with Frodo?”

“We’ll be camping with the Men tonight. I guess I am going to have to get used to that.” He wrinkled his face in distaste. He’d not been much fond of camping out even as a lad, and living rough during the Troubles had not been much fun, either. But at least *that* he knew he could do. He glanced past the lasses. “Here come Frodo and Merry now.”

Estella’s face shone. Freddy grinned at Angelica. The Springle-ring had ended and they were now starting another couples dance, Happy Hob. “Shall we dance, Miss Angelica?” he asked, offering his arm.

She smiled and took it. “Most certainly, Mr. Fredegar!” They positioned themselves and danced away, leaving Estella to wait on Merry and Frodo. Merry had spotted her, and quickened his pace.

From his position on the bandstand, Pippin watched Merry and Estella also dance away together. If he had not been too busy with the pipes, he would have grinned.

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Legolas had been dancing with whatever lass was brave enough to do so. His height made it a challenge, and there was a lot of giggling from his various partners. Gimli stood to one side, puffing away at his pipe, and watching. “Fool Elf!” he said fondly.

“Master Gimli--” spoke a hobbit to his side.

He turned, to see a distinguished looking hobbit standing there. “Hervis Grubb at your service,” said the hobbit with a bow.

“Gimli, son of Gloín, at yours and your family’s” returned Gimli politely.

The hobbit gave a wry smile. “I had been hoping to speak with you. Your father was one of the Dwarves who traveled with Bilbo, was he not?”

“Indeed he was, Mr. Grubb,” Gimli answered, wondering what the hobbit wanted to know.

“My grandfather was old Bilbo’s lawyer. He had to deal with all the chaos caused by his disappearance and return,” Grubb chuckled. He had not even been born at the time, but he knew the story well. It had frequently been the topic of conversation at his grandfather’s table.

“Ah, yes! We heard about that from Gandalf, who thought it quite funny, and later, from Bilbo himself at Rivendell. Bilbo most assuredly did *not* think it funny. He was still quite indignant about it, even after nearly sixty years.” Gimli chuckled. He remembered Bilbo’s red-faced outrage at the idea of the Sackville-Bagginses trying to take over his home.

“Yes. The result of all that was to change things in the Shire. It takes a bit more than just vanishing for a year now to declare someone dead.” He thought of what Paladin had done about his son--it had not really been proper. Of course, the Thain was a law unto himself.

Gimli laughed. “That’s a good thing then, considering what my travelling companions did.” He looked again at the lawyer. “And what did you wish to speak to me about then, Mr. Grubb.”

“Oh, probably the usual questions you have heard: how true *were* old Bilbo’s stories? You know generations of hobbits were brought up on them.” Grubb recalled parties, sitting at Bilbo’s feet, and hearing him make up different voices for the trolls who had captured them.

“I have heard some of them. I will say that they are all essentially true, though from what I can gather, Bilbo toned them down a great deal for the sensibilities of children. What actually happened was generally a great deal more dire and frightening than he ever let on. But you hobbits tend to make light of things, anyway.”

“I suspected as much,” said the lawyer with a smile. “So, tell me, did he really--”

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Targon had been enjoying watching the hobbits as they celebrated. This was far different and more informal than the Ball had been. They were so exuberant and cheerful. He had been impressed with the wedding ceremony as well. Much shorter, and fewer words than a wedding in Gondor would have called for.

Éothain came up alongside him, a bit breathless, after having been drawn into one of the more vigorous circle dances. He laughed. “This minds me of weddings in Rohan!” he exclaimed.

Targon looked surprised at this. He said so.

“Oh there are differences to be sure,” said the young horse-lord, “but very much the same in many ways--ale and food flowing like water, and music and dancing, without a lot of fuss and bother.”

Targon raised an eyebrow. “Will your Lady Éowyn and the Lord Faramir have their wedding in Rohan, or in Gondor?”

“I am sure that they have already had their wedding in Rohan by now, and sorry I am to have missed it; but I believe they will have one of your stuffy Gondorian weddings as well, at mid-summer.”

Targon sighed. “Well, that I shan’t be sorry to miss. Full armor and standing to attention for hours on end, and during the hottest time of the year as well.”

Éothain threw back his head and guffawed. “I think the Shire and Rohan have the right of it!”

Just then, two tweenaged hobbit lasses came up to them giggling, and with much coaxing, drew them both into another dance.

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Marigold had enjoyed several dances with her Tom. She thought, though that it was almost time to lay the food out for another meal. He walked back with her to the kitchen tent, where she found her future mother-in-law already busy.

“Hullo, Lily,” she said “how is it going?”

She heard a sniff.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, concerned to find the redoubtable Lily Cotton in tears.

“Oh,” sniffed the farmer’s wife, “I’m just being a fool. My Rosie’s all married now, and gone, and tomorrow her twin brother will be gone as well, for a whole year.”

“And come Lithe,” said Marigold sadly, “I’m taking your Tom away, as well.” She wrapped her arms around Tom’s mother and gave her a hug.

“Ah, well,” said Lily, wiping her tears with her apron. “You won’t be so very far--” for Tom and his brothers had built a snug cottage for them right there on the Cotton farm. “and it will be nice to have another lass about.”

Marigold laughed. “As if you haven’t had me about, and underfoot all these years anyway.” She felt tears coming herself. “You know, I don’t know what I would have done when Ma died, if it hadn’t been for you.”

Lily laughed, and planted a kiss on Marigold’s brow. “Look at us, weeping away like a fountain. We’d best get on with this--there’ll be hungry hobbit’s a-plenty in no time.”

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On the bandstand, the musicians had also been keeping track of the time; it was nearly time to break for tea. They’d finish off their set with the tangle dance, then. Pippin gave Bergil a grin, and put down his pipes. He wasn’t about to miss this; Bergil looked at Anwynd, and gave him his flute. He quite liked this dance as well.

The circle grew and grew. It fell to Merry to lead the tangle. The music began and the hobbits began to dance, interspersed with the taller figures of the Men and Legolas.

Merry led the dance very cleverly, and it was not till nearly the end that they were so tangled they could not move. Just as he planned, he was pinned nose to nose right up against Estella. He took a chance and stole a kiss. Estella grinned up at him and stole one back.

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The musicians all took a break, and the hobbits made their way to tables once more laden with food and drink. The food would be kept going now, replenished until it grew dark, but in about an hour the music would start up again, and the dancing once more.

Rose and Sam had finally found their chairs once more, and seated side by side just watched for a while. Sam smiled as he saw Merry dance by with Estella, and then Pippin with some tweenaged lass he did not know. Even Mr. Frodo was dancing with his Aunt Esmeralda. He took Rose’s hand and gave it a little kiss.

“Well, Mrs. Gamgee,” he said softly, “did you have a nice wedding?”

“It’s been lovely, Sam,” she answered, smiling at him with her heart in her eyes, “but I wish it to soon be over, so we can finally be alone.”

Sam blushed, and squeezed her hand. “I don’t think it will be too very much longer, Rosie-lass.”

She raised his hand up, and kissed it as well.

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The Moon was showing his face over the horizon, when Pippin grabbed his pipes at Merry’s signal, and they played and sang the newlyweds down the hill to Bag End. Sam and Rose stopped on the threshold and looked at the gathered crowd, with their dearest friends and kin at the fore. They found Frodo’s eyes, shining like beacons of love. Sam picked Rosie up to the sound of cheering, carried her inside, and closed the door.

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