Chapter Twenty - The Red Door

As they rode through the village of Hobbiton, Pippin was too far into his own thoughts to notice the gawking from the local folk. Merry was leaning against the carriage wall napping. Lilas was well aware of the stares. She was too nervous to sleep like her cousin-in-law, nor was she fidgety enough to be brooding like her husband. She was anxious, though not enough to lean out through the windows. Instead, she sat back against the many cushions that lined her bench.

What the hobbits in the market were staring at was the Thain’s carriage quietly rolling through town; red trim painted along the edges of the black carriage. Emblazoned on each door was the red symbol of the Took and Thain. Some folks waved their hands in welcome, others called out a greeting. What brings the Thain to Hobbiton?, they asked among themselves.

Mat the driver, drove the carriage all the way up to New Row, stopping in front of Bag End. The round, green door opened up, and out came Frodo, welcoming his guests. “What took you so long?” he said, munching on an apple. “We’ve already had tea--you’re too late.” But he couldn’t hide his mirth when he saw the shocked expression on Pippin’s face.

Merry was the first hobbit to step out, “I know you have to be jesting, dear cousin,” he laughed. “Because if that were the truth, then I certainly wouldn’t be standing between you and Lilas.”

“I heard that, Merry!” the voice of Lilas could be heard coming from inside the carriage.

Pippin was the next one to exit behind Merry; both he and his cousin helped Lilas to step down. Lilas looked around at all the familiar trees, houses, and hobbit holes. Even the air smelled like home to her.

Frodo understood that young Lilas was uneasy about being back in Hobbiton after the reprimand her father gave her months ago, so he arranged for Rosie to spend time with the lass during her brief visit. “Rosie went home for tea in order to let her mother and father know she was returned safe and sound from Tookland, but she will back shortly.” Then in great surprise he took note of the carriage doors when Pippin shut them. “Pippin! What were you thinking in using your father’s carriage? Folks will be wondering why the Thain is visiting the Deputy Mayor.”

Pippin smirked, “It was Father’s idea that we use it.”

Lilas was astounded. “I was ridin’ in the Thain’s carriage?”

“Easy, Lilas,” Merry chuckled, “you won’t fall to pieces or anything like that.”

“Come along inside,” Frodo held open the door as she stepped through the threshold of Bag End. He let the younger lads bring in the luggage while he took Lilas’ arm to usher her inside. “Yours and Pippin’s room is the first door to the left.”

“That’s my old room,” Pippin commented.

“It used to be,” Frodo spoke over his shoulder to the tween following them, “now you get to share it.”

* *

The silence was loud. Lilas sat leaning against the pillows upon the bed that she and Pippin would use later that evening as guests of Bag End. Pippin had left her there advising her to get some rest before supper. But Lilas couldn’t sleep. Just down New Row, up Hobbiton Road, then turning left onto Chestnut Lane was her father’s house. Lilas knew that her father had a temper when provoked enough; what would he do when he learned she was less than a quarter mile away? Can’t ever go home…she thought sorrowfully. She heard a soft knock upon the door. “Come in,” she called, barely above a whisper.

Rosie peeked her head around the door, “Are you up for company?”

“Who?”

“Well, I suppose my brothers let it out that I was in Tuckborough. I sort of picked up a stray lass while I was walking the lanes to Bag End.” With that said, the door pushed open wider to reveal a slip of a girl, slightly less in height than either Rosie or Lilas, but appeared to be second edition to her older sister. The smaller hobbit lass with auburn hair ran excitedly passed Rosie and into the arms of her sister. “Lilas!!”

Lilas held her sister tight, laughing amid her tears, “Oh, how I missed ye, Saborra!” They loosed one another only long enough to wipe each other’s tears then back they were to hugging again.

Pippin now stood next to Rosie in the doorway, observing the tearful reunion.

“I missed ye, too!” Saborra cried. “I miss our talks at night after Ma yells at us an’ tells us t’ go t’ sleep. I miss yer teasin’ me about my freckles.”

Both sisters were facing each other as they talked enthusiastically. Lilas smiled happily, saying, “I’m so glad ye came t’ see me!” In the doorway, Pippin reflected that he had never before seen his wife so happy. They had grown into good friends since their hasty marriage on Afteryule 12, so the smiles and laughter were infectious to him as he watched the girls chatter away.

“How’s Ma?” Lilas finally asked. “I heard she was…ye know--sad.”

Saborra’s smile slowly disappeared as she answered her sister. “Ma’s not been happy since ye went t‘ live at the Smials. She misses ye; we all do, Lilas. Pa wasn’t right in sendin’ ye away.”

Lilas paused before her next question, but forged ahead. “And Pa? How’s he farin’?”

“Stubborn as always,” her sister replied. “He misses ye, too, but he’s still angry.”

“Do ye think him or Ma would come visit me here at Bag End?”

Saborra was puzzled. “Visit ye here? Why don’t ye come home and visit yer family?”

Lilas shook her head, “No--Pa said I couldn’t come home. I was afraid to come back to Hobbiton at all--”

Pippin stepped through the doorway. “We’ve already discussed that, Lilas. In fact, why don’t we take a nice walk together after supper? I should like to see the parts of Hobbiton that I haven’t seen in a long while. I’d say…Chestnut Lane would be a nice start.” He startled when Saborra jumped off the bed.

“Yer the Thain’s son, aren’t ye?” she backed away nervously. She, like many others in Hobbiton, knew Captain Peregrin by sight from the Battle of Bywater.

“Saborra!” Lilas laughed, “He’s my husband!”

Pippin was gracious in holding in his own laughter. “My name is Pippin Took,” he bowed, “at your service.”

Saborra’s shocked expression was almost too much for Rosie even. “Yer husband? I knew ye lived at Great Smials, Lilas, but I didn’t know ye married the Thain’s own son! Pa didn’t tell us who…you know--who he was.” The lass recovered herself then curtsied. “M’ name is Saborra Broadhammer, Mister Pippin,” she said, “and I at yers.”

“But Pippin,” Lilas replied to his suggestion of taking a walk, “I don’t want t’ start any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all!” Saborra sided with her newfound brother-in-law. “It’ll wake up Pa, I’ll say! See just how wrong he was.”

* *

After supper, just as he suggested earlier, Pippin took Lilas on a walk. Somehow they ended up on Chestnut Lane. Large Chestnut trees could be seen throughout the small neighborhood.

“Look!” Pippin pointed to a simply built house with a brown door that they were approaching. “That’s your house!”

“No, it’s not,” Lilas answered, walking beside her husband. She walked so close to him she was almost in his lap. Folks invariably waved or shouted a greeting to the couple as they passed by. Pippin responded in kind with a like gesture.

They walked past the brown door and came to a house with a door painted dark green. “Is this it?”

“No,” she replied. “My Pa makes Dabo paint the door every spring.”

“Well, there are only two more houses on this lane, Lilas. There is a good chance that I will correctly guess your house.”

“Unlikely,” she teased him, now feeling more at ease with all the neighbors welcoming them.

As it was not quite spring, Pippin looked for the door that would need painting again soon. Thank you for the hint, he said to himself. “It’s over there,” he pointed to the house with the faded red door. “That’s your house.”

Lilas looked at her husband with surprise. “Ye did guess it!” Pippin proudly slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled. His nerves rose again to see the faded red door open up. Several hobbits came pouring out of it. Two lads, a matronly woman, and the smaller figure of Saborra. He stood alongside his wife to see what sort of welcome awaited them.