Bilbo and his family all slept late, right through first breakfast, and went to the main dining hall to take their second breakfast. Breakfast was always laid out on the sideboard there. His parents filled their plates and headed for the high table, while Bilbo made his selections: coddled eggs, a couple of scones, ham, sausage, fried mushrooms and potatoes, and some fruit compote, and a mug of tea. He thought about getting some bacon and toast as well, but then realised it might be hard to carry his plate. He could always go back for seconds.

He went to the tweens table, where he saw Siggy frantically waving at him. He was sitting next to Porro, and he had a huge grin on his face.

"Success!" his cousin snickered to him as he sat down.

Bilbo glanced at Porro.

"We can trust him," said Siggy.

"What's going on?" Porro asked.

Bilbo said, "All right, Siggy. Porro you have to promise not to tell a soul!"

"I promise!" he said.

Siggy filled Porro in on the details of their prank; the other lad's eyes grew wide with admiration.

"I would never have thought of such a thing ever! However did you come up with it?"

Bilbo laughed. "We had years of being taught by Chop himself. We just asked ourselves what would he do!"

"Anyway, I got up early," said Siggy, "And I went and managed to hang about Uncle Hildigrim's apartment; pretty soon Cousin Fortinbras came along, and I got him to take me in with him by offering to help with anything he might need doing. I wish you'd been there, too, Bilbo, but I didn't think of it until I woke up, and besides it might have been suspicious if both of us had been there…" Siggy said this rather apologetically, but Bilbo nodded. He would have liked to have been there, but Siggy was right.

"So Cousin Fortinbras knocked on Chop's door, but right then we hear this loud yell of 'THUNDER!' and then there were some other words" Siggy snickered again. "Cousin Fortinbras opened the door, and we went in. Chop had the tray from his dresser in both hands, upside down and shaking it furiously. The brushes and the silver jar were stuck tight, so that part worked perfectly!"

Bilbo could just imagine the scene. Siggy continued. "Chop was yelling about what he'd do to whoever had done it; Cousin Fortinbras took it and he tried to pull the brushes loose, but they were stuck tight. He put it down on the bed, and then tried the silver jar. He unscrewed the lid, and oh my word! The garlic worked a treat! Whew!" Siggy waved his hand in front of his nose, as if he could still smell it.

By now Bilbo and Porro were laughing until their eyes leaked. The other tweens further down the table looked over curiously.

"Poor Chop, he sat down on the bed all dejected. He'd bathed and was in his dressing gown, and he was wanting to get ready. He kept saying 'What am I going to do?' I felt sorry for him, and was just about to ask him why he didn't use his spares, when Cousin Fortinbras did."

Siggy shook his head. "Then Chop's face lit up and he ran and opened the second drawer. 'The swine!' he yelled. 'They've taken them, too!' So I said, 'Well, maybe they are just hidden somewhere in the room.' He and Cousin Fortinbras started looking around—in his nightstand, under the bed, on top of the wardrobe. I started at the bottom drawer and worked my way up—so he wouldn't get suspicious of my finding it too soon. When I took the little case out of the top drawer, he was so relieved he hugged me! I almost felt guilty!"

All three of them laughed even more hysterically, until Siggy noticed his mother frowning at him from the high table; Bilbo realised his mother had one eyebrow raised at him as well. She was unlikely to scold him, but she might be a little too curious later about what was so funny.  The three lads drew in deep breaths and then calmed themselves, turning their attention to their food. It would not do to let a good breakfast grow cold.

*******

The wedding guests began to gather in the ballroom near noon. The Bagginses went in among the first of the family—they needed to be near the front as Bungo was one of the witnesses.  Bilbo glanced down the row at where Siggy stood with his parents (for his father was a witness as well) and the two of them exchanged a brief grin of triumph. The tale of Adalgrim's morning surprise was already making the rounds—he told it on himself in fact, with much laughter, and a threat of reprisal should he discover the culprit who had done the deed.

On the dais where later on the musicians would play, stood the Thain. Old Gerontius rarely left his study, but for the weddings of his grandchildren he made an exception. To one side there was a table for the Wedding Contract; the groom and his witness stood next to it, and so did Gerontius.

When it was clear no other guests would appear, the bride descended the great staircase, accompanied by her witness and on the arm of her father, and made her way through the middle of the assembled guests to the dais. Her father helped both lasses to step up to the platform, and then retreated to stand by his wife in the front row of guests.

Bilbo saw his mother's hand slip into his father's, and they exchanged one of those looks that sometimes embarrassed him of late, yet at the same time left him with a warm and joyful heart.

“I have before me two hobbits who have come with a petition of marriage. Who will vouch for them?” Gerontius' voice was still strong enough to be heard clearly throughout the ballroom.

“I am Fortinbras Took, a hobbit of Tuckborough. I present Adalgrim Took, a hobbit of Whitwell, known to me as a hobbit of good character, who is of age, with no reasons why he should not be wed.”

 “I am Larkspur Whitfoot, a hobbitess of Michel Delving. I present Periwinkle Goldworthy, a hobbitess of Whitwell, known to me as a hobbitess of good character, who is of age, with no reasons why she should not be wed.” Larkspur was one of Periwinkle's cousins on her mother's side; she and Periwinkle had been close friends for years; Periwinkle had spent summers with Larkspur's family for several years.

“Adalgrim Took, is it your intent to wed Periwinkle Goldworthy, of your own free will?”

“It is,” he answered firmly. He glanced over at his bride, pride in his face. He drew a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

“Periwinkle Goldworthy, is it your intent to wed Adalgrim Took, of your own free will?”

“Yes,” she exclaimed clearly and rather more loudly than she meant to. She blushed.

“Adalgrim and Periwinkle, you have declared before witnesses your intent to wed. The duties of marriage are to honour and support one another; the blessings of marriage are to love and respect one another. These duties and these blessings are meant to last for a lifetime. Are you prepared to take on these tasks, through such joys and sorrows as may in time come to you?”

“Yes, we are!”  

Gerontius looked out at the assembled hobbits as he prepared to speak the more personal part of the ceremony; this was a chance for the officiator to say what was in his own heart about the young couple being wed. "I am very proud to be able to officiate at this marriage of a grandson of my line. There was once a time when I thought young Adalgrim would never grow up; I could not be more pleased to be wrong. He has grown into a fine and responsible hobbit, dutiful and steady with the task I have given him. Much of the credit for that can be given to Periwinkle, who inspired him to put aside childish things and take up the responsibilities of adulthood; yet he still retains a sense of humour and I daresay that he has passed on his ability to laugh and enjoy the wonder in life to his chosen bride. Together they will blend their differences to create a new family.

They have already been through difficult times together, so I have no doubts they can weather the storms of life that are surely ahead, as well as the showers of blessings."

He smiled at the two of them, who were looking at him with shining eyes. He was quite proud of his grandson at this time; Periwinkle had been the making of the young scapegrace.

The bride and groom stared into one another's faces, and took a half-step closer together. Periwinkle pressed one hand to her breast, as if to calm the beating of her heart.

“Would the designated witnesses step forward: Fortinbras Took, Pando Goldworthy, Isembold Took, Isembard Took, Pico Goldworthy, Isengar Took, and Bungo Baggins."

Bilbo watched as his father reluctantly let go of Belladonna's hand. She pressed his arm, then patted it as he made his way, with the other witnesses, to the table where the Marriage Lines were laid out, along with a quill and a bottle of red ink. His mother chuckled softly; Bilbo looked up at her with a puzzled expression. She said softly, "It's only fitting he witness this wedding; the first wedding he ever witnessed was that of your cousin's parents! It's where we met, after all, at Hildigrim and Rosa's wedding!"

Bilbo's eyes grew wide. He had nearly forgotten all about that. He grinned--it was rather amusing. He watched as each witness stepped forward one at a time to sign his name--his father was the last, he dipped the quill and wrote briskly, then stepped back as the bride and groom signed, and finally his grandfather signed it. Then Gerontius picked up the candle that burned upon the table, spilled a bit of wax and the bottom, and pressed his seal into it.

 “With the signing of this document, and by my authority as Thain and as Took, I now declare these two hobbits are husband and wife.” He took their hands and placed them together. “I present to you: Mr. and Mrs. Adalgrim Took!”

He placed a hand on their shoulders and turned them to face the assembled hobbitry, who all clapped and cheered. "You may now kiss the bride!" he added.

Adalgrim wrapped his arms around her, and drew her into his embrace, kissing her quite thoroughly--just this side of scandalous! There were whistles and hoots from some of his friends. Periwinkle drew back and gave her groom a rather dazed look. He just gave her a rather lopsided grin.

********

The Wedding Feast lasted for a while. Once more Bilbo and Siggy sat at the tweens table; as mere cousins they would not be at the table with the Bride and Groom. Porro and Pomona, as sibs of the bride, however were.

The magnificent wedding cake was brought in, a masterpiece of confectionary several layers high and covered in fondant and festooned with marzipan flowers. Of course it was not large enough to serve all the guests; small fairy cakes made to the same receipt and covered with the same decorations were distributed to most of the guests. But all watched the high table as the cake was cut, and the pieces were passed around. They wanted to see who found the silver penny—there was much laughter when the bride's older brother Pando stopped mid-bite, and drew the coin from between his teeth! He grinned sheepishly, and turned to kiss his wife.

After the ceremony, the Thain had retired to his study once more;  Uncle Isengrim was presiding over the high table. He made a gesture to Fortinbras, who as Adalgrim's witness, stood to raise the traditional wedding toast: “Adalgrim Took and the lovely Periwinkle Goldworthy—now Took: Love! Luck! And a hole filled with many Little Blessings!”

Then Uncle Isengrim rose and proclaimed: "We've had a fine feast! Now let us return to the ballroom for music and dancing!"

Bilbo and Siggy followed the crowd making their way to the ballroom. The bride and groom and their respective witnesses would wait until the guests were all assembled. But soon enough they arrived, to much cheering and applause, and the musicians struck up the first music.

Hobbits love to dance; even the very young hobbits, once they were steady upon their feet, would join in the circle dances and reels with abandon. The first dance was a pavanne, a dignified affair, and not much more than a slow march of the couples around the ballroom done to the music; it was led by the bridal couple.

But no sooner did the pavanne end than the musicians struck up a lively circle dance called the Southfarthing brawl. Belladonna took her son by the hand and they hurried to be a part of the dance. Other hobbits rushed to join the circle, for there were no couples in this. They all joined hands and took sideways steps, first to the left and then to the right; then dropping hands they stepped to the center, clapped three times and then backed out again to repeat the process. It would have been a very simple matter, save that with each repetition the music went faster and faster. Some of the older hobbits dropped out about halfway through. When the music finally ended, the dancing and clapping had reached a frenzy, and the dancers were breathless.

This was followed by another slow dance done in sets of four. Bilbo and his mother retreated, laughing to the sidelines by the punch table, where Bungo waited with a cup for them both. He had partnered his wife in the pavanne, and he might perhaps join her for some of the statelier dances later, but for the rest he would sit them out.

Bilbo joined in nearly all the lively circle dances, and some of the reels, but the dances that called for couples in sets or on their own, he avoided unless his mother wanted to dance. Still he kept looking wistfully over to the other side of the ballroom where Pomona and and many of the other younger tween lasses stood about. They too were either dancing with their fathers or brothers, or were joining in the circle dances. Suddenly he felt his mother looking over his shoulder. "Why don't you ask her for the next dance? I believe it's to be a springle-ring."

Bilbo blushed bright red. "Who do you mean?"

"Why, the bride's sister, Pomona, of course. That is who you've been admiring all afternoon, is it not?" She gave him a gentle push to his shoulders. "Go on with you. I promise she won't bite you."

He turned and gave her a look of pleading, but her smile was firm, and she shook her head. Step by step he approached the lasses. He could feel that his face was on fire.

All of the lasses stared at him, and some of them were giggling nervously. He approached Pomona. "M-miss Pomona," he said, as he had always been taught, "w-would you honour me with the next dance?"

She blushed nearly as red as he, but said softly, "I'd be pleased to, Master Bilbo."

Just then the music began to start, and there was no time for embarrassment. With only a slight hesitation they took their positions: Bilbo with his right arm across her shoulders, holding her right hand, and both holding their left hands straight out, they stood side by side behind all the other couples as the dance began. The music was quick and light; forward they skipped and backwards, and then Bilbo twirled her nicely beneath his arm. He'd been nervous; after all he'd never danced this with anyone but his mother before--but soon they were both caught up in the music and the joy of their movements and forgot all about nerves.

It wasn't the last time they danced together that afternoon.

*******

Time passed pleasantly enough as the hobbits enjoyed the party. After a while the musicians took a break and servants began to bring food out to the sideboard; the lasses mostly went off to "refresh themselves", the matrons were gathering to gossip, and the fathers and uncles were discussing things among themselves. It was a relatively quiet interlude, and Bilbo and Siggy found time enough to talk to each other again.

"I'm glad you asked Pomona to dance," Siggy said. "That helped me to get up the nerve to ask Malva !

Bilbo just blushed slightly and grinned. He still could not believe he'd had the nerve to ask Pomona--but then he'd never been able to say 'no' to his mother.

Just then both lads felt a familiar arm fall across their shoulders, and they looked in surprise to see the bridegroom standing between them. He had a cup of punch in each hand.

"Well, cousins," he said cordially, "I've been neglecting the two of you this visit, but I daresay you can understand why."

Both of them looked at him warily. He had that look in his eye. Bilbo said, "Of course we understand, Chop...I mean Adalgrim. And congratulations on the wedding."

Siggy nodded warily; Bilbo began to feel slightly apprehensive.

"By the way, cousins, that was excellently played this morning. I could not have done better myself." He pulled them into a hug, and as he did, he tipped each hand, so that the punch poured all down their shirtfronts. "Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" he said cheerfully and insincerely. "But you can consider us even, as I am in a very mellow mood today. I just got married." He walked away chuckling.

Bilbo and Siggy looked at one another. "I think we got off easy," said Bilbo, trying to dab at his shirt with his handkerchief.

Siggy was doing the same. "I think you're right."