Chapter 3, Precious Little Time

As Degger approached the entrance that belonged to the Thain’s Assistant, he heard muffled voices behind the closed door. Normally, Mr. Paladin left the door open, as it was his desire to have an ‘open door policy’ with the staff overseers and, of course, with his immediate family. Whenever the door was closed, it was closed for a purpose. So, Degger made himself comfortable on the long wooden bench situated outside in the hallway and waited.

Meanwhile, behind the closed door....

“I cannot believe he wanted you to dip into the Smials’ winter stores in order to satisfy his dinner guests!” Adelard was referring to the meeting the previous day and shook his head sadly. He had stopped by his younger cousin’s office to see how he was holding up under the close scrutiny of the Thain, then both of them ended up venting their mutual frustration toward their cousin. “Imagine! Starving the children--and yourself--in the dead of winter just so that you can appear prosperous to your friends in late Blotmath. Pompous fool! I wasn’t overly fond of his mother Lalia, however, at least she saw reason when it came to the larders and young children.”

“Lalia had her moments, I suppose, although I think she wasn’t overly fond of us, neither,” said Paladin with a chuckle. “She despised lowly farmers--if you recall, and anyone who married beneath themselves.”

Paladin continued speaking with his life-long friend while he separated a mound of documents into their own respective piles. “There are to be only five guests--Ferumbras wants enough food at his table that would feed ten persons. When he ordered me to search deeper into the cellars, I had to put my foot down.”

“I’m glad you did--and it’s not even Yule yet,” Addie put in, “everyone knows we must have ample provisions for all the Yule celebrations that go on this time of year.”

“We must be careful even round Yule, Addie,” Paladin reminded his friend, “The winter stores must stretch all the way into late spring until the new crops produce their first yield.” He reached over to grab a new batch of documents and in the process dropped a small mound in front of Addie. “Bear a hand, cousin!” he said, grinning. “Desk work is not a sport for mere observance. Tina will be here shortly to tell me it’s time for tea, and I want to have as much of this done as possible.”

“What is it?”

“Entries that were supposed to be put into Yellowskin ages ago,” Paladin explained dryly.

Tooks who lived at Great Smials or within twelve miles of it, had their Blessings done directly by the Took. Otherwise, the patriarchs of the outside Took clans blessed their own and sent the certificate via the Post for entry into the Tooks’ yearbook. “I’m separating the certificates--birth pile here, marriages there, and deaths to my right. Fortunately, each certificate bears the names of parents, siblings, and children, so matching them up into families should be no problem--although it will prove time-consuming. And these days, time is in short supply.”

“You’ll need to make a whole new volume to have room for all of these!”

“Probably several,” Paladin quipped.

Addie stood to his feet, stretching is muscles. “I’d stay and help you, dear friend,” said Addie, “but my daughters are making tea. They’re wanting to have their own wee Yule party with their friends and I believe buttering me up for approval is in the plan. I shall go home, revel in the buttering, and then consent to my daughters having their own party.”

“Oh, go on, you coward!” Paladin laughed. “Leave me alone with all of this.”

Addie leaned close over Paladin’s shoulder, “I will send Reggie or Everard to help after tea. Oh! Speaking of Everard--he is preparing the graduation certificates for Pippin, Vinca, and Degger. He is recording their given names on the diplomas to give them a more formal appearance. Degger’s name must be a shortened version of his given-name--would you happen to know what that is?”

“Come to think of it...I’ve never asked him, and he’s never offered it,” answered Paladin. “He has to know his own name, Addie. I’ll ask him at tea and let Ev know what it is--that is, should his father not allow the buttering to drive his word from memory and lend his son after tea.”

Laughing at the mild jest, Addie took his leave from Paladin. He opened the door and got a surprise. “Well, look what we have here! Hullo, Degger! I shall apologise now for my abruptness, my lad--however, I am late for my tea so I must go now.”

Once Adelard had disappeared from the doorway, Paladin chuckled, “More likely that my work was threatening his peaceful afternoon, so he ran as fast as he could to escape it.”

Degger merely stood just inside the door waiting for the usual invitation.

“Come in, come in!” Paladin smiled at his young charge. “Did you and Pippin go into town this afternoon as I suggested?”

“Aye, sir,” replied Degger, taking a seat where Paladin gestured. “But Mr. Tooter said it won’t be ready ’til Sterday.”

“It is repairable, then?” Paladin enquired. Inwardly, he smiled; his scheme was going as planned.

“It is,” said Degger. He opened his mouth to say something else but then closed it.

Paladin paused in sifting through the documents before him. “What were you about to say?”

Degger sighed, “Mr. Tooter asked me where my father got his watch. I told him I didn’t know, but...I wonder why he would ask such a question.”

“I wouldn’t fret over it,” Paladin said. “Knowing a jeweller, he probably was admiring it.” At that moment a lovely matron stepped through the entrance of the study. “Hullo, Tina!” Paladin stood up to greet his wife with a peck on the cheek.

“It’s time for your tea, my dear,” said Eglantine, “But before you go to the dining room, you might want to pay a visit to our son in his bedroom. Seems he’s had too much of a good thing while in Tuckborough.”

Paladin looked to Degger for further information.

Degger hesitated for a brief second. It wasn’t exactly a question with words so it wasn’t as if he’d be offering, as Mr. Pippin said. However, it was a question nonetheless. Besides, it was quite apparent that Mr. Pippin gave himself away to his mother.

“Lolly’s Sweet Shop,” answered Degger. “I was on my way t’ the kitchen t’ get Mr. Pippin some ginger tea. He told me t’ stop on my way an’ tell ye we were back.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Pippin...”

The young teen turned over in his bed to face his father. Paladin carried in with him a tea tray, and Pippin could smell the strong aroma of ginger steeping in the tea.

“Hullo, Papa.”

“Why did you put yourself through this?” asked Paladin softly, sitting on the mattress of his son’s bed. He laid the tray on Pippin’s night table then began preparing the ginger tea for his son. “Granted, it’s been a couple of years since you last overindulged on sweetmeats like this, however, I should think that last lesson would have taught you well.”

“Because I wanted to.”

“Pippin!”

“Why couldn’t you come to Tuckborough with us?” Pippin implored. “I might not have eaten all those sweets if you had. “

“What you’re saying, is that because I didn’t accompany you and Degger to Tuckborough it is my fault you decided to eat an entire bag of raisins, toffees, and comfits all by yourself without thought to the consequences?”

Pippin turned back round on his bed to face away from his father. His voice was small and soft when he spoke. “Why don’t we play chess before supper anymore? Or a game of marbles before bedtime? You never have time for me anymore.”

“Pippin...I...”

Paladin was at a loss for words. He knew his work had been gradually taking up most of his time--time spent away from his beloved family. There were so many demands placed upon him this past year that at times he was at his breaking point. Ferumbras throwing duties at him long before he was truly trained and ready to do so. His family trying to adjust to a new environment...and overseeing the Smials’ staff. Paladin knew this was a time in Pippin’s life that he needed his father the most...and here he was stuck behind a desk learning a whole different way of life. Paladin felt a pang of guilt deep inside.

Pippin continued his tirade, “I wonder what tool they used to pry you from your study--it might come in handy in the future.”

Paladin briefly set his remorse aside to respond to his son’s last outburst. “Let me remind you, Peregrin, that I am your father and will not tolerate any of your cheek. Speak respectfully, as your mother and I have taught you, and then I shall answer all of your questions.”

Pippin took in a deep, calming breath. “Sorry, Papa,” he whispered.

Paladin sensed his son was at the brink of tears, so leaving the ginger tea to cool a bit, he reached over to help the lad up into a sitting position then climbed onto the bed beside the teen. It had been a long time since the last bed-cuddle, and he knew the day was not too far off when Pippin would probably consider such for faunts. “You’ve grown a lot since we moved here,” he said, wrapping an arm round his son’s shoulders.

“I suppose,” said Pippin, feeling small and contrite. He kept his gaze on his hands, which were busy plucking the fuzzy bits from the well-worn coverlet. “I’ll be fourteen this spring.”

“Yes, you will! However, I meant you’ve grown in more ways than one.” Paladin gave his son a gentle squeeze before elaborating. “Yes, you’re having a growth spurt--and have grown a whole inch since we moved here! What I am saying is that you’re at an age where you ought to be starting to understand certain things about grown ups. Not everything, but some.

“Much has changed for all of us, Pippin. Just one year ago, you, me, your sisters and mother all lived on a farm in a small village not far from here. Back then I was my own overseer. I was able to come and go as I pleased whether in the summer or winter. Mr. Woodcot used to manage the labourers in my absence, and did a very good job. In the winter, while repairing the paddock fence, I could call it a day at any time and return home to where my family awaited me. I can’t always do that now, son. There will be days that we can spend time together--or the entire day, if that pleases you when my training period has passed. But right now I’m in a transition; I am getting the full brunt of learning how to be the Took and Thain.”

Pippin now looked at his father. “Like the full brunt I got with my learning this past year?”

Paladin smiled. “Much like that, yes. I’m not my own boss anymore, Pip. I can’t come and go as I used to. And remember, your sisters need me as well as you do. I may not always be able to play a game of chess with you before supper, or a game of marbles before bed. There will be times that I can do so, though not always like before. However, I can promise you this: every night when I tuck you into bed, you will always have my undivided attention. I love you, Pippin, and always will.” Kissing his son’s head of curls, Paladin added, “Never doubt that. Do you understand what I’ve just explained to you?”

Pippin shifted to lean into his father more, “I do, but I don’t think I like it. Cousin Ferumbras doesn’t have to spend all of his time in his study, so why must you?”

“Because I’m new at it,” said Paladin. “He’s been Thain for twenty-three years.”

“I hope you don’t have to spend the next twenty-three years behind your desk! I will be all grown up before we get to go fishing again.”

Paladin chuckled heartily, “I hope I don’t, neither! But I do hope to take you fishing at least once this summer--just you and I. How’s that?”

Pippin smiled, leaning in to his father’s embrace for a few more minutes then popped another question. “Papa, when I turn fourteen in the spring, will I allowed to make all of my own decisions?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Well...today is one example of why you still need the guidance of your parents for a while. I hope you will remember today when faced with the decision of purchasing sweets again in the future. It is part of my parental job description--and your mother’s--to teach you and your sisters how to make decisions for yourself until you Come of Age. As you grow up and learn responsibility, we can discuss any decisions you want to make, and depending on the situation we may let you make that decision for yourself.”

Paladin let Pippin mull over that for a moment before changing the subject. He reached over for the cooled ginger tea, carefully handling it to give to his son. “Tomorrow is your last exam,” he said, “are you, Vinca, and Degger going to revise together after supper?”

While he sipped on the tea Pippin nodded. “We always do.”

“Very good,” said Paladin, then smiled. “I think Degger is overly worried again. Will you be able to eat supper?”

Giving his father a sidelong look, Pippin answered, “You forget who you’re talking to, Papa!”

 TBC