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Pearl of Great Price  by Lindelea 4 Review(s)
Lady ForlongReviewed Chapter: 34 on 5/25/2025
How to get on Lalia's good side 101 LOL

I bet if Lalia officially stepped down as “Mistress,” she’d still be running the show from behind the scenes. Or at least she’d try, unless Ferumbras can remind himself that she'd have no real authority anymore.

“May the sun shine upon your road, and the smell of supper greet you on your homecoming.” Hobbit version of the Elvish “May the stars shine upon your road.” :)

Pearl has a couple of tricks up her sleeve to make herself look healthy. Bittersweet would probably see through it, but she can easily put one over on Lalia, who is anything but a healer.

Excuse me?!? Ferumbras + Pearl!?! Why did I suspect it was going to come to this sooner or later?

Author Reply: Y'know, I think Pearl might have encouraged Ferumbras to stand his ground, and it would have been easier for him to do so if his mother moved away to a retirement home (though it would be tragic if that happened to be Paladin's farm, and it would also have been tragic for Pearl and Isum if Pearl had actually married Ferumbras).

I hadn't connected the Hobbit blessing with the Elvish blessing... that's cool! (I was actually thinking of the Irish blessing at the time I wrote that part.)

Pearl's tricks come out of an old book (or more than one, probably), possibly one of L.M. Alcott's, though probably not Little Women. Fashionable young women who had ruined their complexions (i.e. late hours at balls and theater performances, poor diet, little exercise, confining clothing, and societal expectations) used tools like rouge to give their cheeks a healthy glow and something in their eyes (belladonna, maybe?) to make their eyes more luminous or mysterious or something (belladonna drops dilate the pupils, for one thing) and something on their lips to add color, moisture and/or shine (in the days before lipstick, though I don't remember the details). By contrast, "country" girls or farm girls were described as having naturally rosy complexions, bright eyes, and relative good health from eating fresh farm food and getting exercise by working at farm chores. While an idealized picture, there's some truth in it (especially in the context of Hobbits as Tolkien described them).

Hopefully I wasn't too obvious in my plotting. (I hate to be too predictable!)

Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! You've made my day today.

Lyta PadfootReviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/3/2004
Interested to see how this story ends up. Pearl is a brave girl, sacrificing her happiness for her family. Not that the Thain is a terrible person, but he's much older than her and there is no love. Plus, I think she'd rather have Isumbold.

Waiting to see Lalia bite the dust. My copy of the letters says she dies in the spring, so her hourglass is down to the last few grains of sand.

Author Reply: Haven't written any "author replies" in awhile, not wanting to give the climax away, but now all is bared and I can answer. Yes, you were right about the hourglass.

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/2/2004
Poor Pearl! I knew she would try something but this is so sad for her and so very brave. I dread what Paladin will go through when he hears what she has done.

Author Reply: Yes, Pearl is brave and bold, a true sister to Pippin I'd say.

FantasyFanReviewed Chapter: 34 on 2/2/2004
It does not do to leave Pearl Took out of your conspiracy, it seems. All of those good qualities that Lalia and Ferumbras have numbered also mean that she’s not likely to stand still and see her family ruined, if there’s anything she can do about it. I’m assuming she came up with this plan all by herself, without asking anyone’s advice, and ran with it at the very first opportunity – no time to consult with even Frodo, much less give anyone else a say who could object before the deed is done. But it is a brilliant plan. Lalia will not object – as a matter of fact, she’s likely to be delighted by the chance to see two objectives realized at once: a marriage and presumably an heir for her son, as well as another slap to Paladin. For Pearl, the hard part is done – speaking to Ferumbras, and finding out if he will go along. Pearl has a great deal of self-discipline, and I’m sure she feels the actual marriage and living as the wife of the Thain will not be beyond her capabilities. But there’s some real angst just over the horizon. Saradoc is on a slow journey to Michel Delving and then to Frodo, and by the time Frodo arrives with the gold, it will be all over. Lalia will be even more delighted to spring the completed deal on Frodo, after he’s paid her with hard gold. He may be in her good graces right at this moment, but I don’t think she’ll be able to resist the temptation to profit yet again – that is unless Frodo hears the announcement before setting out, and declines to pay. He’s likely to go to the Smials anyway just to confirm Pearl’s willing assent. I’ve always thought Frodo has a temper, though usually well restrained under a gentlehobbit’s reserve. If I’m right, I don’t think he’ll take it well. Oh, I am pleased with how you worked the question of sucession into this chapter, too. I am looking forward to seeing how this all plays out, keeping in mind you’ve said there’s very little left of the story.

Take care of yourself. It seems this winter, and the colds that come with it, is never going to end. I feel like I’ve been frozen for months. There’s but a thin thread of hope left that the daffodils will ever poke their noses up out of the icy ground. Have some hot chocolate on me (or some chicken soup).


Author Reply: You're right, she came up with the plan in the dark watches of the night and put it into motion as soon as possible. There was no way to communicate with her relatives; for all she knew, Paladin Took and his family were on their own.

Actually, Saradoc is going to drop the pony-and-gold off on his way *to* Michel Delving, quite as if returning a pony of Frodo's that went lame on an earlier visit Frodo made to Buckland, or that Merry borrowed to ride home, or some such plausible explanation.

Forgot to mention in the talk of the succession that Tolibold's family (forget the son of the Old Took whose name ends in -bold) deliberately withdrew his branch from the succession, and that Lalia knew that with Paladin out of the running, Adelard would be the next Thain. Adelard, who is firmly under her thumb. Lalia, if anything happened to Ferumbras, wouldn't necessarily lose her grip on Tookland. Of course, that may all be background and no need to elaborate. My editor is always cutting background when she says it isn't really needed to follow the plot, saying it slows down the story... Of course, I as author need to know the background so that I am building a story on a firm foundation. It's hard enough to write "canon" without having read everything by or about JRRT, or worse, having read quite a bit but not remembering it all clearly.

I am trying to take care of myself. At present am grimly fending off the Old Gaffer's Friend once again. Wish he'd go off to Hawaii on vacation like the Muse does... and wish the Muse wouldn't so often go off. Ah, well, when she's whispering, she usually works ahead, giving me enough chapters to keep on typing them in and posting them whilst she's off. That's a mercy.

Chicken soup, there's a plan. Our daffs are six inches high now. Hope there won't be any more snow or frost to daunt them.

I am rambling, a good sign it is time to go. Thanks for reviewing!

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