Chapter Three - The Scheme of Things.

Later in the evening, after supper, Merry met with the teen back inside his room. Degger eagerly watched as Merry wrote out a horizontal line of title numbers from 1 through 12 on paper, and then wrote the same numbers vertically underneath each title with an equal sign beside it, then a sum. “These are called multiplication tables. You will have to memorise them,” Merry said, giving the paper to Degger. “Not all at one time,” he quickly added with a smile, seeing the look of terror upon the lad’s face. “We’ll start out with one table tonight--one of the easy ones, 1, 2, 5, or 10. These are the foundation of all the arithmetic problems Miss Hemlock is assigning us to solve. I know you’ve been taught in the past to work them out the hard way, by adding the numbers multiple times, but trust me--memorising them is much quicker and easier.” Merry then presented his friend an elementary book for children and a dictionary that he obtained from one of the bookshelves in the study. “This is to help you with your spelling. Inside this book is a list of words set out in letter-order. I shall take ten words from this book every night for you to look up its definition in the dictionary. Once we get your spelling and diction up to the expected level, then we’ll begin to work on your grammar.”

Degger thoughtfully took the paper Merry offered, giving the tables his full attention. “You mean t’ help me?” he asked softly.

“I do, though I don’t have but a few days left with the study group,” said Merry somewhat regretfully. He had come to enjoy learning in a group once again, even while suffering through Pippin’s antics, and at the same time enjoying them. However, Merry had also come to enjoy his freedom…that is, until he should return home, where his own dad would begin the next stage of teaching him to be Master of the Hall. Only a few days left of my holiday and then poor Degger will have to fend for himself in his studies, thought Merry. Before retiring to his own room for the night--and to begin his own night assignments, Merry gave Degger his first set of spelling words. “We’ll meet in the kitchen before breakfast to see how you’ve done.”

Degger looked over to yet one more benefactor who had taken part in his bittersweet story, “Thank ye, Mr. Merry.”

* * * * *

The following morning, Degger was already sitting in the kitchen when Merry peered inside. “Good mornin’, Mr. Merry,” Degger greeted Merry with a wide smile, though the teenager had dark circles under his eyes.

Merry raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. “So it is a good morning I take it?”

“’Tis a very good mornin’, sir!” answered the teen. “After you left, I memorised the hardest table of all, Mr. Merry,” Degger spoke with excitement. “It was like ye said--the easy tables were the ones, twos, fives, and tens. Now I got the nines all in my head this mornin’, too, and I already got t’ try’em out on the lesson Miss Hemlock gave me yesterday. Oh,” he added, placing a piece of paper in front of Merry, “and here’s the spellin’ words ye gave me t’ do.”

Merry stifled a yawn as he looked over the handiwork his friend gave him and then smiled. With a bit of extra work on the side, Degger would fare quite well in the study group. “I am pleased with the results of your diligence, Degger,” said Merry, looking up at the lad. “Are you willing to continue it?”

“What does di-li-gence mean?”

Merry smiled, knowing his “pupil” was very capable of learning whatever was put before him. “It means that you’re not afraid of hard work--something I already knew about you.”

Degger desperately wanted to please Mr. Took--his first benefactor, and Mr. Merry--both who obviously saw something in him that the Greenhill lad did not see in himself. Degger’s brown eyes glistened as he answered, “Yes. I want t’ keep on.”

“Very well,” said Merry, the Shire’s newest tutor. “We shall meet again in your room after your kitchen duties--round teatime.”

* * * * *

Miss Hemlock had just dismissed her students for the day when Pippin jumped out of his seat, even though the pitter-patter of rain pelting on the window pane would prevent the children from gardening today.

“Do you want to play a game of chess in the parlour, Merry?” asked Pippin, sweeping his books into his arms. “Why not?” he asked, watching Merry shake his head.

“I’m too tired, Pip.” As if on cue, Merry gave a great yawn.

“You can’t be tired!” said Pippin, growing irritated with his cousin. “You’re acting like an old gaffer!”

“I feel like one, too,” Merry shot back, but not angrily. “I have to stay and talk with Miss Hemlock,” he whispered.

Pippin’s countenance changed from annoyance to intrigue. “So…you’re in love with her?”

“No!” Merry nervously laughed. “Its just that I…I…”

Pippin snickered softly, “You do like her!”

“Pippin! I do like her--but not like that.”

“Goodbye, lads!” Pervinca smiled as she traipsed past the pair. “I’m off to Aunt Pearl’s apartment to have a tea-luncheon with the ladies of the smial. You want to come along?” Still being a young teen herself, Pervinca was not yet invited to many adult tea gatherings unless her mother attended, however, this was one that her mother, both sisters, and herself were invited to.

Pippin choked his response. “Absolutely not!”

“No, thank you,” answered Merry, though the thought of a roomful of young ladies didn’t seem as unappealing as it did a couple of years ago.

Pervinca whispered near to Merry’s ear, “I heard that Estella Bolger is going to be there.” She grinned mischievously.

Merry blushed crimson, but shook his head all the same. “Please…don’t say anything…”

Now Pervinca smiled kindly, “I would never embarrass you like that, Merry. But I just adore the look on your face every time I mention her name!”

The tween let out a breath of relief once Pervinca had left the study. “I love her, Pip, but there are days…”

“Get in line, cousin!” said Pippin with a grin. “So why must you speak with Miss Hemlock?” He stole a quick glance at the tutor still gathering her books and slipping them into her satchel.

Merry would have rather kept Degger’s troubles confidential, however, another secret pact that he and Pippin had taken five years ago prevented it; thus, there were no secrets between them.

“I want to talk to her about Degger,” Merry simply stated.

“I don’t think he’s faring so well, Merry,” whispered Pippin though only Miss Hemlock remained in the room. Degger had already left for his room. Pippin went on, “He’s not happy--I can tell. I want to help him, too!”

“You can’t help him,” Merry stated. “These studies are primarily for you, Pip. We both know that if the Thain gets a report that you are not faring so well yourself because your time is spent helping the servant,” Merry said the last word mockingly, “Ferumbras is not only going to have a fit, he’ll probably take Degger out of the study group.”

Ferumbras will more than likely take Degger out of the study group if he discovers that he’s lagging behind, Pippin thought to himself, then suddenly an idea came to him. What Ferumbras didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him!

“I’m the better choice, Pippin,” Merry said, bringing Pippin back to the present. “I’m just excess luggage here--”

“And paying off a penance,” Pippin interjected, so as not to alert Merry to all that was going on behind his Tookish green eyes.

“Paying off a penance twice over,” Merry echoed. He sighed, “My mum and dad are going to arrive in two days to take me home. What shall I do then?”

“That is easily solved, my dear Merry,” Pippin grinned. “Tell me again how you ended up in the study group in the first place?”

Merry blinked at Pippin’s reasoning, “Pip…I can’t. I’ll get in serious trouble this time and….” Then Merry, too, grinned. “Uncle Paladin won’t have a choice but to add another week or two!”

Let it not be said that Pippin wasn’t greedy when it came to spending time with his dearest and most beloved cousin. Pippin said further, “It has to be a very wicked deed--I think Degger will need at least a fortnight to catch up!”

With that said, Merry never spoke with Miss Hemlock, preferring to spend the afternoon playing chess with his dearest friend.