Chapter 61. Of a Hot Summer's Day

Post continued to move efficiently between Bag End and Midge Hall. However, on March the twenty-fourth the daily letter did not arrive. ‘I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl?’ Freddy mused at supper that day.

Viola looked up with a pretty blush. ‘However did you know, Freddy?’ she asked shyly.

Freddy regarded her with astonishment then threw back his head to laugh. Wiping his eyes, he met Budgie’s sheepish grin. ‘Congratulations, Budgie!’

’Thanks,’ the healer said. ‘We were only just sure of it in the past few days.’ He freshened everyone’s tea. ‘But you weren’t talking about us, I gather.’

’No, I wasn’t,’ Freddy said, nodding thanks, sugaring his tea and adding milk. ‘There was no note from Frodo this day.’

’Ah, you’re right, there wasn’t!’ Budgie said. ‘Perhaps all are busy about other matters.’

’No doubt,’ Freddy said, ‘and that’s all to the good. I can sit down today and catch up on the corrections to the final draught so that Frodo can copy it all into the Red Book. I’ve never seen such a stickler as that cousin of mine! You’d think he was trying to finish the writing before the Year’s out.’

’Is he close?’ Budgie asked.

’No, there’s a fair amount of work to be done yet,’ Freddy said, getting up from the table and taking up cup and saucer. ‘I had better get to it so that I can send back a batch of papers with the next messenger.’ He retired to the little study and worked with a will until Budgie came in to snuff the lamps.

’Is it that time already, Budgie?’ Freddy said, sitting back and stretching. ‘I’m afraid I lost myself again.’

’Easy to do,’ Budgie said. He’d heard parts of the story that raised the hair on the back of his neck, and other scraps that tantalised and made him wish for more. It would be something indeed to hear it all from start to finish in proper order, though he’d overheard Meriadoc Brandybuck arguing with Mr Freddy. It seemed he thought parts of the tale unfit for hobbit hearts.

***

’You needn’t read it,’ Freddy had finally said in exasperation. ‘But do stop trying to discourage Frodo from writing it down! You’ve been no end of trouble and grief to our ancient and venerable cousin with your reluctance to tell of your memories!’

’I’m sorry,’ Merry had said, his usually cheerful face sober. ‘I don’t mean to cause him grief. On the contrary, I thought I was sparing him dark thoughts.’

’Saving him from himself?’ Freddy said wryly. ‘You’ll never do that. He has enough dark thoughts of his own. He won’t take yours on himself, but he will write them down so that they will not be forgotten and lost. These are great events, Merry, and without Frodo and Sam’s efforts—and Pippin’s, and yours for that matter—much that I and other hobbits hold dear would have been lost. We must never forget at what cost our beloved Shire was saved.’

He sighed. ‘I must admit, cousin, that I hope he’ll purge himself of the darkness with the writing. He can get it all down, and out of himself, and put it away.’

’Now there’s a cause I can believe in,’ Pippin broke in, raising his glass. ‘To putting it all behind us!’

’Hear, hear,’ Merry said, raising his own glass high and gulping down the contents. Putting his glass down, he waved away Freddy’s offer of a refill. ‘No, I think I’ll take a ride,’ he said.

”At this time of night?’ Freddy said in astonishment.

’His pony is half owl, you know,’ Pippin said with just the slightest warning shake of his head. ‘My Socks is the early bird who must needs have a ride before breakfast or he’ll kick out his stall. Merry’s Jewel, on the other hand, has been known to wander the night through.’

’Don’t be late for breakfast,’ Freddy said lightly to hide his concern, and Merry laughed.

’Jewel never lets me miss breakfast,’ he said. ‘We’ll be back well before.’

***

Budgie came back to himself with a start. ‘What was that, Freddy?’ he said. ‘I’m afraid I was gathering wool.’

’I have a small bundle ready to send off to Bag End in the morning,’ Freddy repeated, tapping a neatly wrapped package atop the desk. ‘Will you see to it?’

’I’d be happy to do so,’ Budgie said. ‘Now,’ he added, with an arm about Freddy’s shoulders, ‘How about a glass of warm milk to top off the evening?’

’Just what the healer ordered,’ Freddy said cheerily as they left the study.

After supper on the next day they heard the clatter of a pony on the stones of the yard, and soon there was a knock at the door. ‘Quick post!’ Viola sang out.

Freddy came from the study. ‘Yes, what is it?’ he said.

’Message from Hobbiton, sir,’ the rider said, extending a folded paper. Freddy broke the seal and scanned the contents. A wide grin spread itself across his face. ‘It’s a girl!’ he said. ‘A fine, strong, healthy lass who came into the world this morning about the same time as the Sun arose from her sleep! ...and Rose is already fretting to be up and about her business, though of course they will make her rest and enjoy the babe a few days before she goes back to baking and cleaning.’

’That is good news!’ Budgie said. ‘You were right!’

’I’m always right,’ Freddy said stoutly, then put a hand to the side of his face as if telling secrets and lowered his voice. ‘Excepting, of course, for those times I’m wrong!’ They all laughed. He handed the messenger a few pieces of silver for his trouble. ‘Thank you very much, my good fellow. Do you need to go back to Hobbiton this night, or can we offer you a room for the night and breakfast in the morning?’

’Thank you, sir, very kind of you,’ the messenger said.

’I’ll just put the pony away,’ Budgie said. ‘Perhaps you’d like a bite?’

’I couldn’t put you out,’ the messenger started to protest, but Viola interrupted.

’There’s always soup simmering on the back of the stove,’ she said, ‘and plenty of bread baked fresh today. Come along now, you must be weary after riding the day through.’

’I could use another mug of soup myself,’ Freddy said with a nod to the messenger. ‘Come along, laddie, I’ll join you.’

***

Letters from Bag End were not quite as frequent, for some reason, nor did the bulky packets of pages come as often as they had.

’Consider yourself forewarned, Budgie,’ Freddy said complacently. ‘There’ll be precious little work done around here when that babe of yours arrives, I can see it now!’ He drank the last of his breakfast tea with a sigh. Mid-year’s day was behind them, and no letters or packets had arrived from Bag End in nearly a fortnight.

’Is aught amiss?’ Budgie asked.

’I’ve no more work to do,’ Freddy said. ‘I’ve finished going over the last of the papers sent me by my illustrious cousin, and until he sends more I have no distractions to keep me occupied.’

’We’ll have a picnic,’ Viola said firmly. ‘It’s a lovely day, and summer goes by all too quickly as it is!’

’Quite right, my dear,’ Budgie said, setting his own cup down. ‘I’ll just do the washing up whilst you pack the hamper and we’ll spend the day on the meadow. A little fresh air will do you good, Freddy, and you’ll be all the fresher for the sunshine.’

’Who am I to argue with a healer?’ Freddy said. Budgie refrained from snorting, but only just.

They had a lovely day on the meadow, returning reddened from the Sun and weary with laughing, the good kind of tiredness that comes after a day in the open air. That night as he was retiring, Freddy said, ‘D’you know, Budgie, I think we shall make another visit to Bag End next week if I do not hear from my cousin beforehand. He was supposed to visit Brandy Hall sometime this month, but I’ve heard nothing! Surely he’d stop in, seeing how we’re on the way.’

’I should think so,’ Budgie said. ‘On the other hand, he may be unable to tear himself away, being an Honorary Uncle after all.’

’Ah yes,’ Freddy said. ‘I wonder how one would arrive at that distinction?’

’O I’d imagine it involves being in the right place at the right time,’ Budgie said. ‘It is not inconceivable that such a thing might be in your future.’

Freddy chuckled. ’I’ll hold you to that,’ he warned.

’Be sure that you do,’ Budgie said. ‘Sleep well.’ He turned the lamp low, set it in the window, and let himself out of the room.

Two days later, Freddy sat on a blanket beneath the apple tree, reading aloud. Budgie sat nearby, holding a skein of yarn on his outstretched hands while Viola wound it off onto a ball for the knitting. It was a very warm day, and Budgie had fetched a block of ice from the icehole to chip into the pitcher of water on the tray.

Viola put down the ball of yarn to pick up her glass and sip from it. ‘Ah,’ she said. ‘That ice was a good idea, Budgie-love. I think I’m as likely to melt as the ice if this heat keeps on!’

’We mustn’t have that!’ Freddy said, taking the glass she poured for him with a nod. A cloud of dust rose from the lane below. ‘What’s this?’ he said. ‘Visitors?’

Budgie put down the yarn and rose, walking to the edge of the bluff, shielding his eyes to gaze down the lane. ‘Some four!’ he said. ‘Travellers, from the looks of it! I can see two mail shirts glinting in the sun!’

’Two cousins and two more,’ Freddy said with satisfaction. ‘Perhaps they’ve had word from Frodo, or are on their way to Bag End. We really cannot allow him to shut himself up like some sort of hermit!’ They rose to return to Midge Hall, Freddy carrying book, Budgie with the blanket and Viola’s basket of yarn, and Viola carrying only herself and the babe she bore.

As a matter of fact, Frodo was amongst the riders, but a very different Frodo from the cousin Freddy had visited in March. He was pale and limp, leaning heavily on Samwise who rode beside him. Merry rode protectively at his other side.

Pippin, seeing the little group standing before the hole, legged his pony ahead of the others. ‘I’m glad to find you at home,’ he said, jumping down from his pony. ‘Frodo’s sick with the heat! We need to get him lying down, out of the sun!’

’At once!’ Budgie said, all healer now. Under his competent leadership, they soon had Frodo safely off of brown Strider, carried into the hole and into a bed. Budgie opened the fine linen shirt and sponged Frodo with cool water while he gave orders. ‘Stir some salt and a little sugar into a glass of water,’ he said. ‘Once he’s had some of that, and we’ve gotten him cooled down a bit, he ought to be better.’ He said nothing about the swollen feet; that could come later.

***

’We were riding part way with him,’ Merry explained to Freddy later in the parlour. Budgie had harried them out of the bedroom, muttering about them breathing all the air there was to be found. They had huddled in the hallway, waiting, until Budgie emerged to say Frodo was awake and feeling much better, and they ought to take themselves off and have a cool drink before they all required the remainder of the beds in the smial. Only Sam had been allowed to stay, and he remained by Frodo’s side for the rest of the afternoon. ‘He and Sam had spent a week at the Hall, and were on their way back to Bag End.’

’Part way?’ Freddy asked.

’We were on our way to Long Cleeve,’ Pippin said, ‘just to stop off and see my relatives, the north-Tooks, you know.’

’Ah,’ Freddy said wisely. ‘I hear they have several pretty daughters.’

’I’ve heard something to that effect myself,’ Merry said casually. ‘At any event, Frodo was feeling the effects of the heat when we got to the Bridge, but you know him; he didn’t say anything.’

’I felt it a bit myself, rather,’ Pippin put in.

’I don’t know why you must wear a mail shirt in this weather,’ Freddy said. ‘Surely good sense would win out over vanity!’

’Not in Pip’s case,’ Merry said. ‘However, if you were to ask me, I’d say I’ve grown so used to the mail I hardly notice it anymore. As a matter of fact, I’d feel quite undressed without it.’

’We mustn’t have that,’ Freddy said. ‘Besides which, it helps in the cadging of free meals.’

’You have the right of it, cousin!’ Pippin said. ‘On some days we manage two dinners!’

’Speaking of food,’ Viola said from the doorway, ‘I have a cold supper laid out in the dining room. Don’t let it go to waste!’

 ‘Certainly not, Viola, dear,’ Freddy said, rising. He led the guests to the supper and all had a fine time building sandwiches after being reassured that Frodo was much improved, but sleeping too peacefully to allow visitors. Sam came in partway through the meal and quietly built himself a sandwich.

’How is he, Sam?’ Merry asked.

’Still asleep,’ Sam said. ‘Budgie chased me out, told me I wouldn’t do Mr Frodo any good if I made myself ill from worry. He’ll call me when Mr Frodo awakens.’

’I’ve made up beds for you all,’ Viola said briskly, bringing in another pitcher of cold buttermilk. ‘Of course you’ll stay the night.’

’Of course they shall!’ Freddy laughed. ‘I want to hear all about Pip’s relatives, the north-Tooks. Name their daughters after precious gems, I hear. Let me see now, there’s Diamond and Ruby and Emerald...’

The next morning, Frodo was much improved, though still pale. Budgie insisted on keeping him in the bed, but he was sitting up and fretting to return to Bag End for Sam’s sake. ‘I can ride, really I can,’ he said.

’Today is promising to be just as hot as yesterday was,’ Freddy said sternly, ‘if not hotter. You ought to stay here in the cool of the smial until you’re quite recovered, Frodo. You know that heat sickness is always worse once you’ve had a taste of it.’

’He’s right,’ Budgie said.

’But Sam—‘ Frodo protested.

’Sam needs to get back to his Rosie and little Ellie,’ Freddy said. ‘And why can he not go off this morning? He’s not sick from the heat!’

’But—‘ Sam said with a protest of his own.

’You go on, Sammy,’ Freddy said. ‘You know Frodo’ll never rest unless you do; he’ll just keep fretting about you getting back to Rosie and the babe! I’ll bring him back to Bag End in the coach when this heat spell breaks, you see if I don’t.’

’I think I can take nearly as good a care of him as you do,’ Budgie said diffidently. ‘I am a healer in the bargain, which comes in handy when treating heat sickness.’

’It’ll be nice to have some of his attention drawn away,’ Freddy said, fanning himself dramatically. ‘You would not believe how difficult it is to survive living with a healer!’