8 ~ The Party

We are pleasantly surprised that evening when Sam’s family and the Cotton’s show up at the Smials for the party. None of them had mentioned anything, wanting to surprise us by being there. They’d even rented rooms at the nearby inn, and Rosie had brought my kitten with her.

Many people had arrived early, not wanting to miss anything, and I was pleased to see Fredegar Bolger, well and himself again, excepting a limp in his right leg, attending with his parents and his sister, Estella.

I rush over to give him a hug, and say, “Glad to see you’re feeling better, Freddy!”

“Well, I won’t be doing any dancing tonight, that’s for sure, but I am feeling much better, thank you!” he replies. “And how are you?”

Estella steps up to us and says, “Hello Frodo! It’s good to see you again, it’s been so long!”

I smile at her. It seemed that ever time I would go to visit Freddy, Estella was always out. I hadn’t seen her since before the Quest, nearly two years.

“You as well. I do believe Merry was waiting for you to come,” I say, grinning at her. “He’s probably near the kitchen with Pippin making a nuisance of himself.”

“Well, then, I had better go relieve them of their nuisance and ask Merry to dance with me,” she says with a sparkle in her eye.

I turn to Freddy as she walks off, and say, “Since when did she grow up?”

He shrugs and we laugh.

* * *

Freddy, Pippin and I sit along the sidelines of the dance floor watching the others dancing, but quite content to stay put ourselves.

Sam and Rosie have danced nearly every dance together, and are now heading off in the direction of the food tables, just outside the open doors for refreshments. Merry and Estella are with them, and they all appear to be having a wonderful time.

I meet Sam’s gaze across the room, and he smiles at me. I smile back.

“Pippin, that girl over there has been staring at you all evening,” Freddy says. “Go ask her for a dance.”

Pippin and I glance where Freddy discretely indicated to see a pretty young lass about Pippin’s age with grey-green eyes and long red-gold curls.

“She’s pretty, Pip. Maybe you should chance it,” I say. “She might be nice too.”

The next song starts up, and Pippin stands. “I think I shall. Hold this,” he says, handing me his ale mug.

“Oh dear,” I say, glancing at Freddy with a look of mock concern. “It’s more than hald empty!”

We laugh as Sam comes up. For a moment all three of us watch in silence as Pippin asks the girl, and she blushes, then she smiles, and stands, and they walk onto the dance floor hand in hand.

I look at Sam. “Where’s Rosie?” I ask.

“She promised her brother Jolly she’d dance one with him,” Sam replies, sitting down beside me on the bench as I take a drink from Pippin’s mug.

“Have you eaten anything yet, dear?” Sam asks me.

I shake my head.

“You should,” he chides me.

“Sam, I had a rather large lunch, if you didn’t notice, and if I eat anything more just now I think I shall be sick,” I reply, hoping this will make him stop. It does.

“All right,” he says with a sigh. “But I want you to eat something before this night is over.”

“If you say so Sam,” I say surprised at the unexpected comeback. Sam sits back smugly, enjoying his victory.

“Don’t get too cocky, my lad,” I reply. “ You won’t beat me next time.”

Freddy chuckles, then we all fall silent for a moment, watching the dancers. Pippin appears to be getting along with his dance partner, and I see her laugh at something he says.

Uncle Sara and Aunt Esme come join us. They had been busy in the background until just now.

“It’s good to see you well again, Fredegar,” Aunt Esme says, smiling at him.

“Thank you very much,” he replies.

Sara pulls Sam and I aside as Aunt Esme continues to engage Freddy in conversation.

“There’s a Man to see you at the front door,” he tells us. “He said it is an urgent matter.”

I nod. “Did he leave a name?” I ask.

Sara shakes his head. “None. Said he needed to talk to you.” He pauses, then says, “Frodo, one of Lobelia’s loud mouthed relatives is here tonight, and liable to make a fuss about this…”

“I won’t bring him in then, unless it’s important,” I reply. “I’ll be back shortly.” Sam and I head for the doorway, and find Merry and Pippin waiting in the foyer.

“I can’t think of who it could be,” Pippin says as we head for the entryway.

We step through the arch, and all four of us gasp in wonder, for there, sitting in our hallway, dressed in his Ranger attire is Aragorn.

I run to him, Merry, Pippin and Sam not far behind, and find myself enveloped in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” Pippin asks the moment he regains his senses.

“I said I would come visit the rest of my kingdom,” Aragorn replies with a broad smile.

I look up and see that all four of us have tackled him to the ground quite successfully, and also managed not to break my aunt’s favorite vase on the hall table.

“Uncle Sara said you needed to talk to us about urgent matters,” I say, suddenly worried that something has happened.

“Of course,” he says with a smile. “Seeing my friends on Yule is very urgent.”

I look at him reproachfully for a moment, then smile, and laugh. “Oh I’ve missed you, Aragorn!” I say, hugging him as best I can.

“How’s Gondor?” Merry asks. “Not too big of a country, is it? I could take half of it, if you want.”

“As if you could control it!” Pippin says with a snort. “Now me on the other hand…”

“Neither of you could do a good job, beggin’ yer pardon,” Sam says. “I think Strider’s the only one who can do that.”

I roll my eyes, and, as the three of them continue to argue, I whisper to Strider, “Maybe I should take Arwen’s gift. Any place would be better than here listening to this all day long!” I grin at him, and he smiles back. Then we both start laughing.