Sterday, 17 Rethe S.R. 1389

It was just before elevenses when the cart pulled up in front of Bag End. There had been no playing in the dirt that morning, for two reasons: yesterday afternoon, the Gaffer had finally taken most of it away to make a new bed in the kitchen garden, and also Merry’s mum was coming to check on him, so he had to stay nice and clean until she got there. So after second breakfast, he and Frodo went out and sat on the front step to wait, and Frodo told him stories to pass the time.

With Esmeralda was his Aunt Tina and his cousin Pearl. He felt a bit disappointed. Pearl was nice enough, but she was so very much a lass, and at fourteen thought she was quite grown up as well. Pimmie and Vinca were a great deal more fun--they still liked to run about, and were not quite so silly as most lasses about such things as a little dirt. Not as much fun as a lad though.

When the cart stopped Merry sprang from the step and into his mother’s arms almost before she had finished coming down.

“Mum! Oh, Mum!” He hugged her tightly, and breathed in the scent of her. Then he wriggled to get down. “Hullo Aunt Tina and Pearl,” he said politely before turning back to his mother. “Oh Mum I am having such a splendid time! Do you know, Cousin Bilbo is making a Big Person room! And I have a new friend his name is Sam! And yesterday me and Sam and Frodo found some really beautiful mushrooms, and Cousin Bilbo made them into a pie! And--”

“Oi, Merry,” said Frodo, “take a breath. It’s good to see you, Aunt Esme. Hello Cousin Eglantine and Cousin Pearl.” Frodo held out his hand to help them down from the cart.

Eglantine gave the young tweenager a brief embrace. “My goodness, Frodo lad, you are as tall as I am now!”

He laughed. “Well, Cousin Tina, I am almost twenty-one, after all.” He led them to the door and called out “Bilbo! They are here!”

As they entered the front hall, Bilbo came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. “My stars! So they are, and just in time for elevenses, too!”

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After elevenses, Merry insisted that Bilbo must show everyone Gandalf’s Room. Esmerelda was amused. She was not sure what impressed her son the most about the room--that it was new and therefore fascinating, or that it was meant for someone that up till now had existed only in his elderly cousin’s tales.

She had to admit, it would be a very nice room for a Big Person when finished, with it’s high ceilings and wide new double window. The new door had not yet been installed, but it too, would be much larger than the doors in the rest of the Smial. The room was almost completely finished now, needing only the baseboards to be installed and some paint, to be all done.

Eglantine looked about in interest as well. “What are you doing about furnishings, Cousin Bilbo?”

He chuckled. “I have already placed an order with a woodwright in Bree. As large as the room is, there still will not be much space once the bed and chair I have ordered arrive. Which they are supposed to do in just a couple of days.”

Esmeralda exchanged an amused look with her sister-in-law. “I suppose you thought to order bed-coverings and curtains at the same time? For you know, hobbit-sized linens will never fit.”

Bilbo looked thunderstruck. It was clear that this particular aspect of furnishing the room had never occurred to him. “Oh dear! Oh bother! How long do you suppose it would take to have another order come from Bree?”

For, truly, he wanted it all finished before Gandalf arrived. The letter had not been specific as to date, but it had said “early spring”, and that would only give him a few more days to a couple of weeks to get it ready.

Esmeralda laughed. “I think you can probably find a hobbit seamstress here in Hobbiton who could do the job for you just as well if she had the measurements.”

“Oh my dear Esmeralda, what a wonderful idea!” And after that, nothing would do but for them all to accompany the enthusiastic old hobbit down to see the Widow Grubb, who did Bilbo’s mending and made him the occasional shirt. She soon agreed that she could see to it with her daughters’ help, and would have a complete set of bed coverings ready inside of a week.

On the way back to Bag End, Merry skipped along holding his mum’s hand and chattering about all the things he had done, and all the things he was going to do, while he was here.

“Merry” she said, “don’t you think you are ready to come back with me to Tookland now?”

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at her in dismay. “But I want to see when Gandalf comes! And Frodo is still here.”

“But Merry, we miss you.”

He looked a bit downcast. “I know. I miss you and Da too. I know! Why don’t you come stay here, too!”

“Well, dear, then I would not get to visit Uncle Paladin and Aunt Tina.”

“I bet everyone could come here to Bag End! Cousin Bilbo has loads of rooms, and nobody in them!” Merry looked so excited at the prospect of this idea that Esmeralda could not refrain from laughing. She had noticed Bilbo listening to the exchange with amusement, but there had been a look of alarm on his face at Merry’s latest idea.

“Merry-lad, it is not polite to invite other people to someone else’s smial without permission. I do not think Cousin Bilbo would care to have quite so much company at one time. But if you are truly having so much fun here, and since Cousin Bilbo and Frodo seem to be enjoying your company, I will let you stay a bit longer.”

“Thank you, Mum! That is just splendid!” But Esmeralda’s feelings were just a bit hurt that her son did not want to go back with her. Her little one was growing older now; he didn’t need his mum so much. It gave her a hollow feeling.