CHAPTER 32

The next morning amid the bustle and confusion at Bag End, Sam arrived, escorting Rosie and Marigold. Merry and Pippin were piling packs and luggage in the front hall.

As soon as he saw Sam come in, Pippin started fumbling with the straps on Pearl’s traveling case. “Oh, Thunder! I just can’t seem to get these right!”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Here Mr. Pippin, let me show you the *correct* way to do it.”

Mr. Merry laughed and Mr. Pippin made a face. Sam sighed. Four more days to go; and he was pretty sure that those two had made a wager as to which of them would get him to say it.

Rosie and Marigold giggled. He’d told Rosie, who’d told Marigold. He was pretty sure his sister had then told Tom. It was probably a good thing that they were going to Tookland, or he’d have the Cotton brothers at him, too, and sometimes they could be just as bad as Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin.

Four more days.

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Five more days until the assembly. Odovocar and his wife and daughter were sharing their carriage with Milo Burrows and his wife Peony.

“Well,” said Rosamunda, “we will have to stay at The Leaping Hare, as it would not be proper for the Took to host any of the delegates, but our son Fredegar will be staying at the Great Smials as a guest of Peregrin. So I’m sure that we’ll be spending a lot of time there.”

“Milo and I will be staying with his cousin Poppy and her family. She’s been the Took family healer for years.”

“That’s nice dear, it’s good to stay with family when one can. But at least The Leaping Hare has a good name.”

Estella heaved a long-suffering sigh. Sometimes her mother was just too embarrassing for words. But she was glad that they were going with her father to Tuckborough. She’d see her brother again. And Merry Brandybuck. She smiled.

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“Do we have to go, Father?” Clovis Banks’ voice held a distinct whine, despite the fact that he was very nearly of age. “None of them like us.”

“You know Aunt Eglantine’s never forgiven us for Pippin’s little mishap,” put in his younger brother Cado. “And besides, Merry Brandybuck will be there.” The threats of what Merry had said he would do if he ever laid eyes on the Banks brothers again was still fresh in Clovis’ and Cado’s minds even after nearly ten years.

“Listen now, sons,” Clodio’s tone was sharp. “I am going to try to get my sister dear to forgive you. Things are changing in the Shire, and being on the Tooks’ bad side is not helping us.” Few in the Shire were aware of his attempts to ingratiate himself with Lotho Sackville-Baggins, but if it ever came out, he could expect a lot of trouble. His sister’s good will could make the difference. “You will make nice and apologize for past behavior, and if you have to grovel to Peregrin and Meriadoc, you will do so.”

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Ponto Baggins was among the first of the assembly to arrive at The Leaping Hare. He had brought with him his daughter, Angelica.

“My dear,” he said to her, after they had settled into their rooms and come down for a bit of luncheon, “all I’m asking is that you *think* about it, for the family’s sake. Thirteen years is not, after all, such a very great difference, and he does look very young for his age. He’s kind and very intelligent, nice-looking--I’ve even heard some lasses think him handsome-- and well-off. The truth is, that if something is not done soon, you very well may be the last Baggins left in the Shire.”

Angelica nodded, but she was troubled. As fond as she was of her cousin Frodo, she had never before considered him as a husband, and she was not sure she could bring herself to do so now.  What if he felt the same way?

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Eglantine winced as she heard the shrill voice calling her name--”Eglantine! Eglantine, I must speak with you immediately.”

Carefully schooling her face before turning, Eglantine sighed. “Yes, Hyacinth, what can I do for you?”

“Reggie has informed me that Frodo Baggins is bringing his *gardener* here as a guest! And not only that, but his sister as well, and that farmer’s daughter he’s marrying! What can you be thinking to allow something like this!”

“Hyacinth, if Reggie told you, then I assume he also told you the rest.” Eglantine spoke firmly.

“Well, of course dear, one must be *kind*. But still…”

“Samwise Gamgee will be here as an honored guest, as will his sister and his intended. You and your daughters will be more than just ‘kind’. You will be polite and gracious. You will *not* be condescending, or making any sort of remarks that could be taken as ‘putting someone in her place’! If I see, hear or so much as suspect any such thing, you will heartily regret it. Do I make myself clear?”

Eglantine so seldom unsheathed her claws that Hyacinth had quite forgot how formidable the Thain’s wife could be. She quickly backed away.

“Of course, Eglantine, I would *never* think of such a thing! I was simply worried about what some people might say. You know how people gossip.”

“You let me worry about that. Now I have things to attend to.” She turned and went her way.

Hyacinth stared after her, speculation in her eyes. What *was* Eglantine up to?

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Pimpernel and Pervinca looked at the half dozen dresses spread over Pimmie’s bed. Between the two of them, with a needle and with dye, they had managed to make them look just different enough that those who had seen Pimpernel wear them in the past would wonder if they were the same dresses or not.

“They look almost new. And far more in style now. Are you sure you want to give them up, Pim?”

Pimpernel laughed, and placed her hand on her abdomen. “I would not be able to wear them for much longer anyway,” she laughed, for she had just discovered that she was with child again. “But I will be glad to see Sam’s betrothed and his sister in them. My only fear is that they will think of it as charity and refuse them.”

“I think that Pearl will have been able to persuade them that it is done,” and this was true enough. Upper class lasses often traded or borrowed one another’s garments without any connotations of “hand-me-downs”. “Besides, these are so nice now, I don’t see how any lass could refuse them.” Pervinca cast an envious eye on the dresses. But she was too thin and too tall to wear her sister’s dresses.

“That’s true,” said Pimpernel, running her hand over the lace on one of them.

“Do you really think Mother’s plan will work?” Pervinca had some misgivings about the whole thing.

“I don’t see why not. You know how easily impressed some people are.”

They both laughed, thinking of “the Jewelry” as they called Hyacinth’s daughters. It was a shame that a hobbit as nice as Uncle Reggie had to be saddled with such an unpleasant wife and such spoiled daughters.

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The party of hobbits and the King’s delegation set out from Hobbiton after second breakfast. There were a few changes.

Merry and Pippin still rode in front of the standard bearers, but Freddy was riding back beside Legolas and Gimli. And Rosie and Marigold were riding between Frodo and Sam.

They made an impressive sight as they moved out, accompanied part of the way by a crowd of waving, cheering hobbits, many of whom had been in The Green Dragon the night before. They were still moving at a slow enough pace that Tom Cotton was able to walk alongside Marigold’s pony for a while.

“I’m going to be missing you, Mari. Don’t you go taking up with any of them fancy Tooks, now.”

“You know you’re the only hobbit for me, Tom Cotton. But I’m going to have some fun anyway, so there!” She gave him a mischievous smile, accented with a dimple. His heart gave a lurch.

He looked over at Sam. “You’d better watch out for her.”

“She’s my sister. I’ve been watching out for her a lot longer than you have, Tom Cotton. Don’t you worry none. And I’ll take quite good care of your sister, too.”

Frodo smiled. He was so glad the lasses had agreed to go. Sam was beaming, the happiest he‘d seen him since they left for Buckland. He felt a bit sorry for Tom though. He glanced down at the young hobbit, who would soon have to turn back. “Don’t worry at all, Tom. Sam’s quite good at watching after folks. And I’ll help watch over her as well.”

“Thank you, Mr. Frodo. Well, I guess I’d better turn back before I get trampled over by one of these here ponies. Good-bye Mari, and hurry home!”

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Bergil was excited. He was going to see Pippin’s home, and meet his friend’s mother and sisters. He had heard a little bit about the Great Smials, but he couldn’t really imagine. He wished he had taken a chance to see the Ringbearer’s home at Bag End--he’d heard a lot about it, especially from old Master Bilbo when he was at Imladris. But it looked as though Targon might let him go stay at the Smials, as he had at Brandy Hall. He grinned, thinking of how Pippin and Sir Merry had made him an honorary cousin--that had been a lot of fun. It really was fun to have someone to get into mischief with. He wondered what they would do at Pippin’s home. He wondered if there were any hobbit cousins close to his age, like at Brandy Hall. He gave a little bounce of excitement, slightly startling his pony.

“Easy, Bergil,” said Leodwald, who had been watching him in amusement. “Do not get the animals excited. Unlike you, they do not care for excitement.”

Tip looked over at his new friend. The lad obviously needed something to take his mind off things and calm him down. “Bergil, do you know any riddles?”

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Targon looked at the procession ahead of him, and watched as the crowd of hobbits around them gradually melted away. The Thain had told them that the conclave would begin in five days. Once it started it could take as little as three days to as long as a couple of weeks for the heads of the various families to reach a consensus. Once that was done, and the King’s document signed, they’d be heading back to the South.

He was going to be sorry to see this mission end. He found himself fascinated by the hobbits, and growing very fond of the ones he had been spending much time with, especially the Thain and the Master. It was easy to see why Peregrin and Meriadoc were so remarkable, with such fathers as they had. He realized how much he was going to miss the Shire when he headed home. He hoped that the assembly took as long as possible to come to an agreement.

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