CHAPTER 28

The Thain’s coach pulled up at Bucklebury Ferry. Merry jumped out. “You stay inside out of the wind, Pip. I’ll get the lads.” He went around to the back of the coach where Stybba and Sable were tethered by their leading reins. Giff, the driver, was already getting their gear down, as well as several boxes. They were coming home with a good deal more than they had left with.

Merry unfastened the leading reins, and then took a moment to slip Giff some extra coin.

“Here, now, Mr. Merry! There’s no need of that--the Thain’s pay is good enough for me!”

“I’m sure Uncle Paladin is generous enough. But you’ve been put to a deal of extra trouble with us. Consider it an early Yule gift, and use it on that darling little faunt of yours.”

“Well, thank you very much, Mr. Merry! Whatever folks may say of Brandybucks, stinginess is not one of them ! You take after your dad, you do!”

Merry grinned. “Thank you! That is a great compliment!” He was going to have to be generous indeed to live up to Saradoc’s reputation as “Scattergold”.

Pippin leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. The past week of getting ready to come back had been hectic.

The day before he left, he had persuaded Merry to escort him to the healer’s cottage. He had used his crutches, and Merry had carried with him a wooden stool, so that he could stop every so often and take a rest. Lavender had not been best pleased to see him at her door, and had only been a bit mollified when Merry held up the stool to show her that he’d not allowed her patient to walk the whole way down without rest. She’d muttered again about hard-headed Tooks and wheeled chairs.

Still she had allowed them in, and Diamond was in the front room, studying a medical book. She left the two of them there, and went into the kitchen with Merry, where Pippin could hear her scolding her cousin for allowing him to do this. He was going to owe Merry.

He sat down across from Diamond. “You know we are going back to Buckland tomorrow, don’t you?”

She nodded. “I know that you want to get home.”

He smiled, and was rewarded by a smile from her and a flash of dimples. “Once I leave here, I won’t be your patient anymore.” He grinned.

Her eyes widened at the implication.

“Oh yes.” he chuckled. “The next time I see you, there won’t be any complications between us.”

She laughed. “Except for our ages, and the fact that I am still an apprentice, and that we are going to be half the distance of the Shire apart.”

“Oh, that!” he said, waving a dismissive hand. “That’s nothing. We both get older every day, and you are learning more every day as well. And I can tell you from personal experience that ‘half the distance of the Shire’ is no distance at all to one who’s travelled the length of the Two Kingdoms.” He stopped and grinned.

Just then Merry passed through the room, and waved at them. “I’ll be back shortly,” he said, as he went back outside. Pippin had looked briefly puzzled, and then shrugged, and he and Diamond began to talk once more.

He was amusing her with the story of how he and Merry had one time slept the day away in the gardens at the Houses of Healing. “Apparently we had attracted a crowd. Can you imagine? All those Big Folk were standing around watching us sleep?” He shook his head in amusement. “When Frodo found out, he made the King send our audience away. I’m rather sorry he did. It would have been an interesting sight to wake up to!”

Diamond giggled. From what Pippin told her, Big Folk could sometimes be a strange lot.

Just then Merry returned, and handed Pippin his crutches. But Pippin carried them, and walked the ten steps to the door, with only a slight limp. Merry pointed, and Pippin stared. “You are joking, aren’t you, Merry? Where did you get that?”

“No, and from the potting shed. Sit yourself down. I am not going to have your healer tear another strip off my hide for letting you walk back, crutches or no.”

Pippin stared at the wheelbarrow in dismay, and Diamond giggled.

Lavender came up behind her apprentice and put her hands on her hips. “If you do not want me to withdraw my permission for your departure tomorrow and put you back to bed for two days, you will get in.” She gave a rather smug look. “If you Tooks were not so stubborn about wheeled chairs, you’d not have this problem.”

With a shudder, Pippin allowed Merry to help him sit in the wheelbarrow. It was rather awkward, and his cousin then put his crutches and the stool in his lap, before taking up the handles and pushing.

He could hear Diamond’s laughter following him halfway back to the Smials.

The ferry was on the opposite bank, but a sharp whistle from Merry on their arrival, and it had set forth in their direction. In addition to the ferry attendant, their cousin Doderic was aboard. He tied the ferry up, and they assisted Merry in boarding the ponies, and then helped Pippin aboard.

“Hullo, Doderic. How is everything up at the house?” asked Merry.

“Everything is just fine. I’ve been going over at least three times a week to check. And this morning Aunt Esme sent a couple of maidservants over to lay the fires and change the beds before you got here. There’s a pony-trap waiting on the other side to take Pip. Are you going up to the Hall, before you head there?”

Merry looked at Pippin, who had just a bit of a plea in his eyes. “No, Pip needs to get put. But once I get him settled, I’ll come up to say hello to Mum and Da. And I need to speak to Cousin Dody. I have a letter for him from Mistress Lavender.”

Doderic nodded. “Did Pimmie and Vinca and their families get back all right?”

“They did,” said Pippin. “in fact they all got back to the Great Smials yesterday. I can’t believe how much the twins grew in just a few short weeks!”

“Those are beautiful babes your sister has! And you’ve no idea how happy Uncle Sara and Aunt Esme are that they were named after Primula and Drogo--in fact, most of the older Brandybucks are beaming with pride, and saying that little Primula is going to be just as much a beauty as her namesake.” He chuckled. “Little Largo and his da were pretty popular as well, and went everywhere with Uncle Sara--in fact your brother-in-law was calling him ‘Uncle Sara’ too, before they left. And as for Alyssum, the lass is going to be spoiled completely rotten. Merry, I don’t think your mother ever had so much fun as she did making up little dresses for that lass. When you wed, you had better give her a granddaughter!”

Merry and Pippin rewarded Doderic with some of the gossip from the Great Smials, and news from Bag End, as well, and soon they had reached the other side of the Brandywine.

Merry and Doderic helped Pippin into the pony trap, and Merry attached the ponies’ leading reins to the back before clambering up into the driver’s seat.

Merry waved farewell to Doderic, and called “Tell Mum and Da I’ll be back as soon as I can!”

Soon they had turned into the lane to Crickhollow, and Merry pulled up as close to the door as he could. He hopped down and turned the key, throwing open the door. Turning he saw Pippin climbing down by himself.

“Pip!” he said sharply.

“I’m fine,” said his cousin, “and I’m walking back into my house on my own two feet, thank you.”

Merry gave an exasperated sigh, and watched hovering, as Pippin limped into the little house without his crutches. He flopped into the nearest chair with a sigh.

“Home at last.”

Merry grinned.

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Diamond thanked the servant who had brought their post down from the Smials. There were two for her, both from Pippin, and one for her mistress from her husband Polo Bunce.

Her mistress was in the little kitchen, preparing tea, and took her letter with a little smile. Diamond, smiling as well sat down to open hers. Pippin had warned her that he wrote short letters. “But” he had said “I’ll make up for it by sending lots.”

She opened the first one.

“Dear Diamond,

We’re staying in Pincup tonight. I hate riding in a coach.

I miss you. A lot.

Love,

Pippin”

She giggled, and opened the second one. At least she’d never have to worry about hiding these love letters. And yet, in spite of how little it said, there was something sweet about it.

“Dear Diamond,

We’re finally home. It’s really good to get back to Crickhollow. I’ve missed it.

But I’m already missing you more.

Love,

Pippin”

She blushed. She wouldn’t show these to her Mistress. But she would show them to Opal.

Lavender opened her letter with anticipation. This separation had been hard on her and her husband, even though they had agreed it was a wise thing to do for her profession.

“My dearest Lavender,

I miss you so much. Especially since I was unable to come visit you last month, due to that spotted fever outbreak.

I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I am going to come and visit over Yule. I know that we had not planned that, for we thought that the grandchildren should have at least one of us home for Yule, but our son and his wife have decided to spend the holiday with her family this year. I think that Rollo realized that I was missing you, and hoped to give me this opportunity.

I thought that I would arrive a few days before Yule and stay for at least a week. I can’t wait to see you again, and hold you in my arms once more, my love.

Yours always,

Polo”

Lavender blushed as well, and cast a glance at her apprentice. She was glad the lass was absorbed in her own letters.

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Eglantine and Paladin were talking over their day before going to sleep. “It seems awfully quiet with Pippin gone again,” said Paladin.

“I know,” said his wife. “Dear, how do you think Mistress Lavender would take it, if we asked to steal her apprentice away at Yule?”

“I don’t know, Tina. She might not like the idea. But I don’t think she’d tell us ‘no’, either.”

“I’ll think on it.”

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