Chapter Eighteen - A Beautiful Thing

Crowds of hobbits had already accumulated and gathered under the large pavilions upon the Tookland Fairground. The Thain and his entourage, consisting of his own black and red carriage and two plain black carriages, travelled in a single line up the lane to where the guest stables were set up. The sun shined her bright, golden rays upon the Green Hills, giving promise that the Fair would go on today unhindered by gloomy weather.

Tents with brightly coloured banners flicking high in the early summer breeze dotted the field while one enormous pavilion was set to the back, decorated with streamers of every colour; this is where the legendary dance took place every midsummer.

The Thain had his own private tent set up for taking a reprieve between contests and various shows throughout the day. Part of the Thain’s and the Mistress’s “duty” was to preside at some, but not all of the events, handing out ribbons of honour to various winners. Once disembarked from the carriages, Paladin’s entire family made their way up toward his special tent to gather and plan their day.

Pearl and her family had arrived at the Smials just after second breakfast, having got a late start from the Waymeet Inn. “Your timing is flawless, dear Pearl,” teased Pippin, taking his seat at the table. “You and Will always manage to arrive just before a meal is served.”

“And the same can be said of you, dear brother,” she replied likewise, pinching at his leg. “Always prompt to the minute at my breakfast table in Needlehole--after staying the night at the Rushlight Inn.”

“Their eggs and bacon are not nearly as delicious as yours, Pearl,” said Pippin. “And their beds are lumpier.”

“Oh, so now I am Needlehole’s bed and breakfast?” she quipped. Pearl understood Pippin’s statement was said in jest; however, she knew that her little brother meant every word of the compliment. She responded by giving him a loving hug, “But I am always happy to see you--whether at breakfast, luncheon, or tea!”

Pervinca rose up from the table, “Is everyone ready?” The rest of the lasses followed suit.

Pippin turned round at one point to see his parents also rise from their chair as if to leave. “Someone ought to go with father and mother to keep an eye out for them,” he said.

“We all plan to spend time with mother and father at different times,” answered Pimpernel. “I think they’re going to the Doll Show and then the needlework tent where mother is to award the place winners their ribbons. After that, father mentioned to me that he wants to see the ponies at the stables. Diamond is going with them.” She secretly wondered what the young lass would do at the observing ponies up close.

“I suppose I should take this opportunity to shadow father,” said Pippin, still gawking after the departing lass.

Pearl chuckled, “I thought you detested doll shows, Pip. I remember all the fuss you used to make when you were a young lad.”

“I--I…,” Pippin stammered. “Dolls are all right, I suppose, as long as they stay in a lass’s room.”

“What about sewing baskets and knitting needles?” said Pervinca with a wry smile. “Or is there something you ought to be telling us, little brother?” Estella covered her mouth, having a good laugh.

“I have nothing to tell,” said Pippin, glaring at his sisters. “I’m going to spend time with father.”

“Very well, Pippin, go on,” said Pearl, very unconvinced; something wasn’t quite right. However, she was not yet made aware of the privileged information that her sisters already knew about their baby brother.

“Don’t forget the special supper tonight, Pip,” Pimpernel called after him as he left.

“We’re not plotting again, are we?” asked Estella.

“No--well, not towards Pippin this time,” Pim whispered, “Gelly’s birthday is tomorrow, but mother, father, and I decided to give him a birthday cake today. He’ll be so surprised.”

“Aww,” said Pearl while hugging her younger sister, “your first teen! Wait until you have three of them under your roof!”

“Pippin!” Paladin was quite surprised to see his son strolling beside him as they walked toward the tent where the doll show would soon begin. “I thought you were going with the lads to watch the shepherds shear the sheep.”

“I figured this would be the perfect time to shadow you, Father,” replied Pippin, indeed hiding the real reason he wanted to join them. “Handing out awards and such…my cup of tea,” he said with a smile.

“Are you certain you want to suffer through this?” asked Eglantine. “I remember all the grumbling--”

Pippin winced, “I was a child then, Mother. I’m a grown hobbit now and am able to…endure such things.”

“Oh! Look at her face!” exclaimed Diamond, sighting the first doll set up on the display table. “She’s so beautiful! Her eyes and nose are detailed in every way. I’ve never seen such--and look at her lovely dress! Saph--, I mean, my sister and I used to sew all of our dolls’ dresses when we were children.”

“Do you like to sew?” asked Eglantine, completely enjoying the lass’s excitement.

“Oh, yes, Mistress Took,” Diamond answered politely. “I sewed the curtains in my room and added the ruffles to the quilt myself.”

“I have not had the chance to see your room, lass…” Eglantine commented to Diamond as they walked arm in arm toward the next table--followed closely behind by Pippin.

Paladin trailed the threesome, shaking his head. Shadowing, he said? Paladin mused on his son while smiling, remembering his days courting the beautiful, Miss Tina Banks. Shadowing whom? It certainly isn’t me!”

After Eglantine passed out the red, blue, and yellow ribbons to the winners, she paused to congratulate each one. Pippin, Diamond, and Paladin stood off to the side applauding the winners like all the other hobbits. Diamond leaned back to allow someone to pass by, bumping against a table full of dolls. Most just quavered a little, but the one closest to her nearly toppled; saved by Paladin at the last moment. Young Diamond suddenly became nervous and fidgety, worried that with her blindside she’d surely knock something over and break it. Pippin noticed, so he whispered into his father’s ear, Paladin nodded.

“Come on,” he said, gently pointing Diamond toward the doorway, “let’s go outside and get some air.”

When Eglantine and Paladin finally stepped outside the tent, there stood Diamond with a huge smile on her face--and holding the doll she loved so much.

Pippin stood with his hands in his pockets and shrugged, “It was for sale.”

Going on to the tent displaying every kind of needlework imaginable to a hobbit-lass, Diamond kept a firm hold on her new bauble. “I’m going to name her…Peregrina!” she teased.

“If you do, I’ll disown her!” Pippin laughed. “Now remember--you must play a hundred games of draughts with me.”

“Pippin!” Eglantine reproved her son.

“That was the only way she’d let me purchase it for her,” he said in his own defence.

Walking up ahead of the young couple, Paladin smiled. He had a feeling that his son was in love again…but in a different way. Not like the lasses before; much deeper this time. Paladin tenderly took his Tina’s hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze…she squeezed back.

After the handing out the ribbons to those most skilled with needles of all sorts, the four hobbits were ready to eat lunch. “Rewarding is hungry business,” Paladin told his son.

“Father, with you everything is hungry business,” Pippin quipped in return. They all entered the pavilion set up for Fair goers to sit down and enjoy a meal.

The serving lad came by to pour their tea before setting out the platters of food.

“Hullo, Bart,” said Diamond, recognizing the lad. “I thought you were free from your duties today? Didn’t you ask me for a dance?”

“I…I was needed it seems,” Bart replied nervously, then quickly looked away. “I’ll be workin’ all day an’ night, so I won’t be able t’ dance with ye.”

Pippin said nothing aloud, however, a few choice names for Bart--other than his given name--flitted round inside Pippin’s head. Pippin clearly recalled that Bart volunteered to work both shifts.

“Perhaps another time?” Diamond asked.

“Per’aps,” answered Bart before serving their luncheon.

After that, the foursome ate their meal quietly. Paladin wasn’t too excited about Bart’s backing out of a dance, either. At length, Paladin pushed back from the table, patting his stomach. “Not like your braised beef, my love,” he leaned over giving his Tina a peck on the cheek, “but it was satisfying.”

Eglantine smirked, “I suppose you want to look at the work ponies before going on to meet the grandchildren at the games.”

“Ahhh,” said Paladin, rising from his chair, “the beauty of being married for over fifty-three years! She knows me through and through.” Both Pippin and Diamond laughed at the jest.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Pippin asked Diamond once his parents had left. Her food had barely been touched.

“Everything tastes like garlic,” Diamond answered while making a sour face. She smiled when Pippin chuckled.

“It’s only for today, isn’t it?” he asked.

“If it wasn’t before, it is now,” Diamond replied. “I figure if it was going to fester it would have done so by now.”

“Not always,” said Pippin without forethought, “I’ve seen far too many soldiers die after the batt--” He froze mid-sentence, then looked up at Diamond. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He set aside his pie to take her interest elsewhere. “I know--let’s go look at the work ponies with my parents. My father is ever the farmer!”

Diamond became worried at this sudden turn in activity. Ponies…? She stiffly got up, allowing Pippin to guide her out of the pavilion.

“What’s wrong, Diamond?” Pippin noticed her concern.

Diamond tried to form words as they both drew near to the paddock, but she found she couldn’t utter them. Fear welled up inside, watching a particular stallion caper inside his stall. Diamond gulped nervously. What to do?

“Diamond?”

“I’m fine, Mr. Pippin,” she managed to whisper, hugging her doll tightly.

“No, you’re not--you’re shaking like a leaf,” Pippin answered. “What’s wrong?” To Pippin, the tweenager looked like a caged animal ready to spring. He’d seen this fear before; on the faces of Men who chose not to fight at the Black Gate, but instead marched to Cair Andros to retake it as a last defence. “Stay right here, Diamond,” said Pippin, speaking her name to keep her focused on him. “I am going to tell my mother that we’re going on to the children’s games and then I’ll be right back. Stay here,” he firmly repeated the last.

Pippin kept glancing over his shoulder to ensure the lass didn’t run off, however, once round his father, brothers-in-law, and Merry--who had already been standing about watching the ponies, he found it more difficult than he anticipated to interrupt their eager exchanges. Pippin was about to give up when he turned round to check on Diamond…but she was gone.

“Who are you looking for, Pip?” asked Merry.

“Diamond--she’s disappeared!”

“I didn’t know that she was with you,” said his cousin.

“I told her to stay there,” said a very confused Pippin. “I wonder if…” Pippin patted Merry’s shoulder, “Tell my mother and father that I’ll meet up with them shortly.” Then off he walked in search of the tween.

Pippin sat glumly inside the Thain’s tent; he had searched high and low for Diamond, yet did not find her anywhere. Where could she be? Certainly, she should have come straight back here. Pippin thought perhaps what he said about dying soldiers had upset her, and so he sat round the corner in a private section of the tent meant for his sister and cousin to nurse their infant daughters. Fortunately, neither of the young mothers was present. Pippin thought that Diamond wouldn’t come inside if she saw him openly sitting there waiting for her.

Soon, he heard someone enter through the flap; Pippin peeked round the corner to make sure it wasn’t Pervinca or Estella. He heard sniffling, and then saw Diamond sit down at the table with her head resting atop her arms.

“I looked everywhere for you,” Pippin spoke softly from his hiding place.

“I’m sorry,” Diamond sniffed, but said nothing else.

“Were you upset at what I said? Are you angry with me?” he asked. Diamond merely shook her head.

Pippin stepped closer. “What’s the matter?” He finally sat down beside her at the table, letting her weep for a bit. Pippin wanted to put his arm round her shoulder, but thought perhaps not yet. “Please talk to me,” he said, sidling close to her. He wanted Diamond to know that he was there to listen to her, just as she often listened to him.

“I…” Diamond sniffled, “I don’t have anyone to dance with.”

Pippin blinked in surprise. “Isn’t Rolo here? What about Togo? We already know about Bart.”

Diamond shook her head. “I haven’t seen Rolo at all today, and neither has Viola. I saw her and Andy on my way here,” Diamond began to open up. She took the pocket-handkerchief that Pippin offered her, wiping her nose and eye. “My bandage is wet,” she commented, touching her left eye.

“We can go to the healer’s tent and get you another,” soothed Pippin. “Now tell me more about these lads.”

“There isn’t much else to tell,” said the lass. “I ran off because…,” she sighed, “because I’m frightened of ponies. I can’t stand being round any of them unless they’re tethered to something.” Diamond explained further how her fear tied in with her father’s death.

“Now I’m the humiliated one,” responded Pippin, “I should have known that wee bit of information. I always try to make an effort to get to know the different peculiarities of the staff at the Smials, and you should not have been an exception. I knew about your father because Saph…Sapphira told me of him. I am terribly sorry, Diamond.”

“That isn’t your fault,” she said, still sniffling. “But, after I left the paddock, I saw Nick--he was the lad--”

“I remember Nick,” said Pippin, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

“Well…Nick said that he brought another lass with him, and that he couldn’t dance with me tonight.”

“Did Nick have a lass on his arm?”

“No,” answered Diamond.

Pippin tried another approach, “Was there a group of lasses nearby when Nick spoke to you?” Diamond shook her head sadly.

“Then just before I ran into Viola, Togo stopped me,” Diamond started to go on but was cut off by Pippin.

“Let me guess--he couldn’t dance with you, neither, am I right?”

Diamond wiped her tearful eyes. “He…,” she paused to swallow the hard lump in her throat, “he said that he hurt his foot this morning. I’m not stupid, Mr. Pippin--it’s because of my scar.”

Pippin watched sorrowfully as a tear fell from under her wet bandage. He got up from his seat, turning Diamond to face him.

“What are you doing?” she asked, feeling Pippin fumble with the knot on her bandage.

“Your bandage is indeed wet,” he answered unbinding her wound. “There is something I want to do.”

Diamond had not one clue as what the lad wanted, but played along. “What is that?”

Pippin laid aside the dampened linen strips, then peered deep into Diamond’s soft, brown eyes--both of them. The wound was still a bit irritated from their run-in this morning at breakfast, but was truly healing very nicely. “Diamond, would you dance with me tonight?”

Diamond’s jaw dropped. “Dance--with you?”

Pippin tried to not smile at her surprise, “I’m really not a bad dancer, you know.”

His jest escaped her. “But what about Miss Myrtle? What about all the other lasses who…who are here at the Fair hoping just to dance with you?”

“Diamond,” Pippin sighed, kneeling before the lass. He took both of her hands in his, “I don’t care about Myrtle, and I don’t care about all those other lasses. Well…not the way I care about you. When I look at Myrtle or any other lass, I don’t see Myrtle--and I don’t see whoever-the-lass-may-be. All I see, no matter where I turn, is you, Diamond. I have eyes for no one else--didn’t you know that?”

Astounded, Diamond shook her head then answered, “Yes.”

"It's true," Pippin smiled warmly.  “Scar and all--I think there is something very special about you, and I should like get to know you much better than I do now.”

“Me, too,” Diamond sniffled, but these were tears of joy. “I mean, get to know you, too.”

Pippin couldn’t help but smile. “You are a beautiful lass, Diamond North-took, inside and out. And no matter what happens, don’t you ever forget that.”

TBC

We're not done--there is certainly more to come! :-)