Chapter Two - Gone and Done It

Lilas sat on the empty barrel inside the market booth as she and her younger brother, Sabo, hawked the wares of their father, Silas. Together they worked from nine in the morning until after tea, which for them, was usually held at about four in the afternoon. Sabo was handling most of the business today as Lilas was not feeling very well. Sabo noticed his sister was growing pale again, though it wasn’t because it was a cold January day outside.

“Why don’t ye go on home, Lilie?” Sabo asked. “Ye don’t look good.”

“I’d rather stay here,” she answered. “I’ll be all right in a minute.” In truth, Lilas had not been feeling very well for the past several weeks intermittently. At first she attributed her discomfort to the change of the weather in the Shire, but now she wasn’t so sure. The work frock she wore nearly everyday felt more and more constricting; in fact, it was snug. She supposed the swelling that she was experiencing was due to her monthly cycle that was overdue, though it should have started weeks ago. It had been late before…though not this late. She had heard tales of married women missing cycles before they found out that they were expecting.

“I’ll be back, Sabe--I need t’ use the privy,” she said, standing up from her seat on the barrel. The sky seemed ever so bright as she made her way across the Market towards the Green Dragon’s little shed. She waited in the queue outside until it was her turn. Mistress Kettle, the seamstress whose booth was situated next to her father’s, was waiting behind her when the privy became available.

“How are ye feeling, lass?” Ola Kettle thought the young tween was looking rather peaked. Perhaps it was the cold, she reasoned at first, but the longer they waited, the more hunched Lilas became.

“I’m fine, Mistress Ola,” she replied, though Lilas was relieved when she was finally able to step into the privy and close the door. Inside, the stench was almost more than she could bear. When Lilas was finished, she stepped outside into the fresh air, but the nausea remained--and still no sign of her cycle. She was holding her stomach as she stumbled towards the familiar line of trees and then vomited. No matter what she ate or when, it would come up on her sooner or later. Nida will know what the matter is with me, she thought, though somehow she had a feeling it wasn’t a normal, run-of-the-mill sickness.

Leaning against the tree, Lilas took out her handkerchief to wipe her mouth and blow her nose until the world would stop spinning. Now she was frightened. Nida, her closest friend, said that a lass couldn’t get pregnant unless she was married. Could it be possible that Nida was wrong? She had been with a lad twice before and nothing happened afterward.

Lilas again felt sick to her stomach. Her legs became like jelly as she walked past the privy on her way back to her father’s market booth. She sank to her knees half way across the yard. Ola Kettle was the first beside the falling lass, catching her as she teetered forward.

* * *

Lilas awoke to low voices in the far side of the bedroom she shared with her younger sister, Saborra.

“Can’t Saborra help out in the booth, Ma?” It was Sabo speaking about Lilas. “It’s not like she’s been helping a whole lot--and she’s always using the privy. Nobody wants t’ buy anything from us when they see she’s sick.”

“No,” the elder hobbit replied firmly, “Saborra’s barely twenty. Right now I’m teachin’ her t’ knit and such so that she’s doesn’t have t’ stand at a booth all day and shout t’ the top o’ her lungs.” She looked over at her eldest daughter dozing on the bed. “She’s gone and done it this time.”

“Gone and done what?” asked Sabo. “Makes no difference anyhow. She’s always getting into trouble with Pa.” The tween got up from the bed where he was sitting and walked towards the door. “I’m going t’ find Dabo to help, and I’m telling ye Ma, Pa’s going t’ be fuming when he finds out Lilas has been acting up again.”

Lilly watched her son leave the room then muttered, “Yer Pa’s goin’ t’ be fumin’ when he finds out what she’s gone and done.”

Now that the conversation about her was over, Lilas stirred. “What was that all about?”

“What do ye think it was about, eh?” Lilly scooted closer to her daughter.

“Me,” Lilas answered. “It’s always about me; how lazy I am, how dumb I am. I’m sorry I can’t be like Saborra--all pretty an’ clever she is.”

“Now don’t go hatin’ yer sister ‘cause she’s pretty and knows her numbers.” Lilly smoothed her daughter’s curls away from her tearing eyes. She let out a long breath, “Tell me what happened.”

Lilas looked sideways to her mother, “Nothing Ma. I just got sick.”

“You can’t fool and old fool, lass. I can see ye’ve gone and done it,” she said. “What was his name? Did ye even get that?”

The tween’s thoughts went back two months ago to the handsome Took lad in the Sable and Silver tunic. “Didn’t need it.”

Lilly raised her eyebrows at her daughter. “Didn’t need it?” Lilly shook her head sadly, “How long ago did it happen?

Lilas sighed. “Did what happen?”

“Don’t b’little me, lass!” Lilly was losing her patience, “Yer Pa is going t’ be here soon and he’s going t’ want an answer!”

Lilas turned her head, and studying the cracks in the wall. “Blotmath 3.”

“How long did ye know this?”

“I known all along I laid with him on Blotmath 3,” answered Lilas. “What else is there?”

“What else?” Lilly leaned closer, “Yer with child, lass. And you’re only a girl yerself.”

So there it was. “Who said I was with child? I can’t be with child, Ma--Nida says that babies are made only after yer married.”

“Silly lass--the both of ye! Doesn’t matter if ye’re married or not,” said Lilly. “Didn’t ye know that?” Now Lilly was regretting never having talked about lads with her daughter. She was too embarrassed before, and now it was too late. She took Lilas’ hand and braced for shock when they both heard heavy footfalls enter the house.

“Where’s Lilas!”