Chapter Twenty-two - A Court in the Garden

Pippin ambled out to the south garden bearing the large hamper filled with provender for elevenses. He rounded the corner of the main pathway into a small, private courtyard enclosed by many tall bushes and shrubbery. Here, there was also a variety of flowers: daisies, bluebells, sunflowers, and a couple of climbing rose bushes upon their respective trellises--one white, and the other a pale gold and pink. Pippin took in a long breath of the sweet-smelling fragrance. “Diamond?” he said aloud.

“I’m here,” spoke a small voice from behind one of the trellises.

“Come out, Diamond-lass,” Pippin said, placing the hamper on the ground. “Why are you hiding?”

“I overheard Val ask my uncle if we could depart after tea,” said Diamond. “I figure if they don’t see me, then they think I’m busy packing or saying goodbye to friends.”

“There is no way that you or your uncle is leaving today,” said Pippin, opening the hamper, revealing the instrument he took from his music room.

Diamond gasped with delight, “You brought your violin! Are you going to play some of your music?” Taking out the instrument swathed in a clean towel, Pippin smiled at her excitement, “Yes. I planned to anyway.”

Diamond didn’t let Pippin’s earlier comment slip away. “Why do you say that my uncle and I won’t be leaving today? How do you know this?” She began to help unpack the victuals while Pippin spread out a blanket on the ground.

“I say that because I am going with you.

“You’re coming, too?” Diamond asked with pleasant surprise.

“Yes,” said Pippin, “However, I am not packed, nor have I been able to brief my father on the state of my duties and responsibilities as his assistant, so I am not in the least prepared to begin a long journey today. Besides, I wanted to spend the rest of the morning with just you.”

Pippin handed a napkin to Diamond. “I suppose we ought to eat this delicious fare before it turns into luncheon.”

Both young hobbits ate in companionable silence, watching the sun climb high into the blue summer sky. Birds chirped and chased one another from tree to tree as the couple took in the lovely sight of colourful blossoms. At length, Diamond spoke up. “So what is to know about you?”

“What do you mean ‘what is to know about me’?” asked Pippin, reaching into the hamper for a strawberry tart.

“Now you know more about me than I do about you,” she answered. “Yesterday at the Fair you mentioned that we both needed to have a long talk. I went first this morning, so now it’s your turn, Mr. Pippin.”

“Fair is fair,” replied Pippin, popping the last bite of his tart into his mouth. He brushed his hands together to rid them of crumbs. He sat up straight, gearing up for his long tale, then took a long sip of his water.

“Stop procrastinating,” Diamond said with wry a grin.

Pippin quietly snickered, “Why don’t I start from the very beginning--from Whitwell where I was born and grew up. Actually, I was almost thirteen when we moved to Great Smials.”

“Ah, Gelly’s age,” Diamond noted. “It doesn’t matter to me where you begin,” she said, “but I want to hear all about yours and Mr. Merry’s journey to the south--I want to know everything about it--the good and the ugly. However, from your expression, I am guessing that today is not one of your better days in telling it.”

Pippin took her hand in his. “To tell you everything about my Journey would take days--even weeks of telling,” he said. “Because of that, it should be easier to tell you things as they come up--and even then I may not be able to tell you all of it. You are correct; today is just not one of my better days to tell of my Journey. I still have…well, I…sometimes have, you know…nightmares about it.” Pippin’s heart sank when Diamond gaped at him in surprise. “It’s true,” he said glumly, “…I…” He looked away from her piercing gaze. Pippin would never forgive himself for divulging this truth too soon if Diamond rejected him because of nightmares.

However, the lass only shook her head in amazement. “I…I never thought you…” Diamond said, then took a deep breath of her own. If Mr. Pippin was bold enough, then so was she. “I do, too,” Diamond confessed to Pippin, “I have nightmares of a dead, bloody hobbit chasing me in the dark. I won’t tell you what ghastly thing my mother told me.”

Pippin looked up, “You also have nightmares? What did your mother say about them?”

“Yes, that’s how I got into the habit of playing draughts with you at two, three, and four o’clock in the morning.” Diamond said smirking, “Now I know why you were always there waiting for me.”

“Well, that and…,” Pippin’s face coloured, “because I wanted to spend time with you.” Diamond smiled; he smiled in return. “I won’t ask you today what ghastly thing your mother told you,” said Pippin, “but be prepared to answer at a later time. I can see that you don’t exactly wish to speak of those horrors today, either, otherwise you should have blurted it out by now.”

Diamond made no comment to Pippin’s observation. She leaned back upon the blanket, “Now tell me more about this Whitwell that you spoke of.”

Pippin also laid back on the blanket then began his story with his grandfather Adalgrim taking his father’s inheritance to find his own way, and to find a roomier hole for his growing family. Pippin went on about his extremely early beginnings in life, growing up with three older, bossy sisters and oftentimes a dear cousin. He spoke of the bantering and practical jokes they played on one another and of all the chores he was responsible for at the farm. He then ended the long tale with his eldest sister, Pearl, marrying Wilford Goodbody a few years after they moved to Great Smials.

“You’re close to your family, aren’t you?” Diamond watched the lad smile and then nod, picking up his violin. Diamond stole a glance at the sleek, well-polished instrument Pippin held. “Who taught you how to play your violin?”

“My father did,” answered Pippin, setting the bow to the strings. “He also taught my sisters, but only Pearl has kept up with it. When I was about five and recovering from one of my illnesses, my father thought to occupy my time with teaching me how to play. Later on, he also taught me how to play a flute, but I don’t play my flute very often.”

“Play a song for me, Mr. Pippin,” said Diamond, her delight showing in her uncovered brown eye.

Pippin smiled, and then said, “On one condition.”

“What is that?”

“That you stop calling me Mister Pippin. I understand your wanting to call my sister, Mrs. Brownfield, but I insist that you call me just Pippin…please.”

“What will the other folk think, Mi--Pippin?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “and to be honest, I don’t care. You are not really a part of the Smials’ staff. You are employed privately by my sister and you receive your wages through her, not my father.”

“It’s going to be hard, but I will do as you ask,” Diamond replied.

Pippin then laid the bow in his lap to gently brushed away errant wisps of curls from Diamond’s face. “Good. And if you behave yourself, young lass,” he said with a loving smile, “I shall have something to discuss with you afterward.” Once again setting the bow to the violin strings, Pippin played a slow song; not a dirge, but a lovely melody whose lyrics were well known in the Shire. On the second round, Diamond began to hum along. On the third round, Pippin laid aside his violin, lifting his voice in song with Diamond.

“Her splendour is truly beyond compare,

Emerald hills, her trees so fair.

Sweet grass and blossoms along the lane

Give fragrances after a gentle rain.

Her bubbling brooks a joy to hear,

To anyone who has an ear.

My love will always be true in my heart,

Close by and always, never to part.

Life may call these feet to roam,

Yet ne’er will I forsake my home.

Empty would be my life and dire,

If ever I were to leave the Shire.”

After the last verse, Pippin grew silent. Diamond figured that it had something to do with his leaving the Shire on a mission years ago. No hobbit, she thought, without urgent need, should ever willingly leave their homeland behind. There were two, however, that she had been told about… Diamond looked over to Pippin, seeing a tear fall to the ground. “Do you miss them?”

Pippin blushed, wiping his face with his pocket-handkerchief. “I do today,” he answered.

“Today isn’t a very good day to talk about it, I gather.” Diamond observed.

“It isn’t,” Pippin spoke softly. “I promise when we return from Long Cleeve, that you and I will go off on anther picnic by ourselves--and I know just the spot. And at that time, you shall have the whole day of wheedling me about my Journey.” Diamond smiled, tenderly wiping away a forgotten tear from under his eye.

Pippin reached inside the picnic hamper for a carefully wrapped item. “Look at what Viola gave me,” he said, handing the rolled up leaf of paper to her.

“What’s this?”

“Read it,” said Pippin, watching the lass open the scroll.

Diamond’s lips moved silently as she perused the document, then her hand went over her mouth. “This--,” she said excitedly, “this is a petition! So many names!” After a minute of reading the names printed upon it, a cloud seemed to come over Diamonds features. “I don’t want to go back…Pippin,” she remarked sadly. “I want to stay here with everyone,” she said, rolling up the paper. Then Diamond added, “but mostly, I want to stay here…with you.”

The perfect entrance for his next bit of conversation! Pippin took in a long, calming breath. “That’s good, you see, because you’ve really seen me at my worst today; angry, sad, weeping…”

“But comforting a hurting friend is what friends do, right?”

Pippin shook his head, giving her hand a loving squeeze, “We have both said that we want to be more than just friends. You still feel this way, don’t you?” He watched the lass nod. “Diamond…”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever thought about…courting?”

“I should be lying if I said I never gave it consideration,” Diamond answered calmly as if everything was under control. Inwardly though, she was reeling with excitement.

“Good,” said Pippin with a smile. “Then may I have the pleasure of courting you?”

‘How is it possible to court a lass who isn’t here?” Diamond asked, her gloom returning.

“It’s very possible,” said Pippin, lifting Diamond’s chin. “Because you’re returning home with me after we’ve seen to your mother.” He smiled, “So what do you say?”

“Then I say, yes,” Diamond answered, feeling both of his strong hands envelope hers.

Back inside the Smials, Diamond sought out Viola while Pippin put his violin away. She found her dearest friend in the kitchen helping the morning cooks.

Viola was elated at the news Diamond told her. “Do you know what that means?” she asked with enthusiasm.

Diamond grinned, “It means that his sisters will leave us alone now.”

“No!” said Viola, laughing. “It means that ye’re both nearly betrothed!”

Diamond frowned, “How do you get that?”

“B’cause All o’ my friends that ever courted got married later on,” she said knowingly.

Diamond cocked an eye toward Viola, “And how many of your friends have done this?”

“All right,” said the cook, sitting down next to Diamond, “I’ve only known you and I knew of Mr. Everard, but it’s the truth.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Viola,” said Diamond, dispelling the notion of Pippin actually wanting to marry her. “All I know is that I’m happy whenever I’m with him. He makes me feel loved…something I haven’t felt for a very long time.”

Viola took the tween into her arms and kissed her brow, “Oh, Diamond, I’m so happy for ye, and I want ev’rythin’ to be perfect just for ye. And Mr. Pippin is the perfect lad for ye.”

After a while, Diamond took her leave of Viola to meet with Pippin at his music room. Together, they found Aldigard in the common room with Andobras. Initially, Pippin was going to ask Valdigrim’s whereabouts, then decided against it. Val was most likely where he had been right when the meeting started this morning: in the stables watching the ponies. As a result, Aldigard and Ando were the first ones of her family to hear about their courtship.

“I felt that you, her closest kin available--and the ones I deem who love her the most--should hear of it first,” said Pippin, holding Diamond’s hand, “however, I have since learned that you are the second to hear it.” He smiled at a blushing Diamond, and then placed his arm round her shoulders.

Aldigard looked at his niece. “And is this what you want as well, Diamond?”

“I do, uncle,” she answered, sitting close to Pippin.

Aldigard smiled at her. “When Diamond came to live with me--my family,” he said, indicating toward his son, “she, in essence, became my daughter--and his sister. Diamond is a part of my family, Mr. Pippin, if you get my meaning, and I aim to take great interest in her suitors. You’re her first. I don’t suppose I should be giving you scrutiny as if you were any other lad, but I do want to know what your intentions are toward my ‘daughter’.” Diamond smiled at her uncle’s words.

Pippin became a wee bit nervous, but he smiled, knowing Aldigard asked these questions because he loved his niece. “Well…,” Pippin began, “I intend to get to know her much better than I do now…and I intend to contest Mistress Opal’s demand so that Diamond may return to what she now refers to as her new home. I know that Diamond loves you dearly, and you her, but there are plenty of folk here at Great Smials who love her, too. Diamond is very social, which has endeared her to many who live and work here. And lastly,” said Pippin kissing Diamond’s hand, “I intend to show her a great deal of kindness and love.”

Aldigard smiled, “I presume you were looking for my blessing…and after hearing your plans for my niece, I give it freely--on this stipulation.”

“What is that?” asked Pippin, wondering what he did not say that should provoke such a response.

“That Diamond visit me and her auntie from time to time,” he replied. “I know it’s a long ride between here and Long Cleeve, Mr. Pippin, but as I said, she’s like one of my own children. And I shall do the same before too I get too many grey hairs upon my head.”

Outside in the tunnel, on their way to luncheon, Diamond’s excitement grew even more. “Courting…” she muttered, astonished at what just transpired in her uncle’s presence. “We’re courting…as in lad-and-lass-courting.”

Pippin laughed, “Yes…as in lad-and-lass-courting.”

Diamond was ecstatic because according to what Viola said, courting is a significant step in a relationship--toward betrothal…and then marriage, of all things. The tween went on in her musing, “as in a steady lad-friend. As in…a prelude to…”

“To betrothal?” Completely amused at Diamond’s exhilaration, Pippin grinned as he mischievously finished her declaration.

Diamond’s hand flew over her mouth as she gasped loudly. “She’s right! All the lads and lasses I know who courted wound up betrothed to each other! My sister is one of them…and,” Diamond barely paused for breath, “and then there’s my cousin Garnet--she courted for three months, and my other cousin, Andigrim, he courted for six months--but some North-tooks I know completely skipped courting and betrothal going straight to the marriage blessinthm--” Before Diamond got too keyed up, however, Pippin thought the only way to hush the lass…was to kiss her.

* * *

In the dining room at luncheon, once Paladin gave the word platters filled with meats and vegetables began to be passed round. Unexpectedly, Pippin stood to his feet. Each person paused in filling his or her plates, as it appeared the young hobbit had something to say.

“Everyone,” Pippin declared, a hint of a smile on his lips, “I have an announcement to make.”

Pimpernel and her sisters all gaped at one another, crossing their fingers.

Outside in the hallway, as Poppy rolled a cart filled with her Mistress’s and the Thain’s clean laundry toward their quarters, she heard sudden shrieks of laughter--and it seemed…joy. Poppy smiled; on her way back from the laundry room, she had stopped in the kitchen to say hullo to her friend Viola.

* * *

The rest of the day passed much too fast according to Diamond. Hours flew by until after supper, when the sun began to set. Diamond’s lack of sleep from the past few days had caught up to her with a vengeance. She nestled up to Pippin and yawned as they sat in the parlour with Merry and Estella.

“My goodness,” said Merry, “I think you just caught a couple of flies with that one.”

“Merry!” Stella reproached her husband. “She hasn’t slept well lately from what I understand.”

“She hasn’t,” said Pippin with his own yawn.

“Seems we all ought to be retiring about now,” Merry said. He would be making an early departure along with Pippin in the morning to Long Cleeve. For support, of course, but also to chaperone the couple upon their return. Merry hoped with all hope that there would be a return for Diamond--for Pippin’s sake.

“Has Donnabelle given you fresh bandages for your travel?” asked Pippin, escorting Diamond to her room.

Diamond nodded, holding his hand while they walked. “She said I should have the stitches removed after seven more days.”

“Donnabelle will remove them for you at the appointed time,” he said, pulling Diamond close.

“Pippin?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to bring your violin?”

“I can,” he replied. “I purchased a special box for it for when I travel with it.”

“Good,” she yawned again as they stopped in front of her door. “Good night…Pippin,” she said. Diamond would have difficulties for a while with remembering to drop the ‘mister’ on his name.

“Good night, Diamond,” said Pippin, kissing her brow. “Please have sweet dreams tonight. I think I’m going to be too tired to play draughts at four o’clock in the morning.”

“I will,” Diamond smiled, then stood up on her tippy-toes to kiss Pippin’s cheek. “See you at First Breakfast.”

TBC