Reggie has his moments of being the worm that turned. It would have been a great deal better for his daughters if he Incredible Hulked out of his quiet character a bit more often. Not to mention doing Hyacinth a great deal of good!
Good that Merry apologised. Frodo taught him a good technique there. And at least Paladin's family gets a bit longer before they're imprisoned in the gossip hot-bed of the Smials.
It'd be interesting to know how the Jewels are doing in the absence of their loving mother... For all its advantages, it must take some adjustment. And I wonder who the visitor is going to be. I somehow doubt it's that troll!
Author's reply
Well, this time of defiance cost him. I think after this Hyacinth rather re-doubled her shrewishness, and made his life even more miserable,making it clear to him that she'd not allow him to have any more say in their daughter's discipline. And perhaps if he had really lost his temper with her, it might have done some good--but hobbits like a peaceful life, and with no divorce, and three children--well, he just retreated for a few more years, until circumstances forced him to burst out again.
Yes, Merry apologized, and a good deal of it was thanks to Frodo. And the Whitwell Tooks have just about three more years of freedom left, though they don't know it.
Well, we get to see some of how Opal's doing in "It Takes a Took".
SurgicalSteel
· 10 August 2006
· Chapter 22: Chapter 22
Another lovely chapter, and Hyacinth goes on the permanent list of people who need a good kick in the rear!
Author's reply
She does! You'll have to stand in line, however, behind the ones who want to smack her upside the head, the ones who want her run out of the Shire, and the ones who want her eaten by orcs or trolls...
A lovely satisfying chapter, and how sweet of Merry to apologise to Amethyst, even if she should have had a good smack! And Pippin has really grown up, bless the little Took.
I imagine Hyacinth is nervous when Frodo gives her 'the Look.' I'll bet she is really shifty now whenever she sees him.
I hope Reggie didn't suffer too much of an ear-bashing!
Author's reply
I think her having to apologize herself was just as bad as a smack--I don't think she had ever had to do such a thing before.
Pippin's matured quite a bit, but he's just a doll anyway. He cares so much for the people in his life, that he always tries to do what will help them.
Yes, I can see her avoiding him from here on out. And he might be puzzled as to why, but I can see him realizing that he makes her squirm, and making the most of it.
I'm sure she reamed him up one side and down the other. This was kind of Reggie's last stand up until the Opal incident in "A New Reckoning", and it explains why he more or less bowed out of disciplining his daughters after this.
Andrea
· 10 August 2006
· Chapter 22: Chapter 22
"Reggie?" she asked querulously, "who in the world--?" She stopped, and looked in surprise at Frodo and Merry. She turned a glare on Merry, but it was short-lived, as she became aware of Frodo’s cool regard. She flushed. For some reason she thought he could see right through her.
It's always fascinating to see Frodo give someone "the look"!
So, be aware Hyacinth. Maybe, he really knows or at least suspects something. And the best of all is: Hyacinth will never know, *if* he does ;-)
"You shouldn’t be so quick to forgive people, Pippin," said Merry sternly.
[...]
"Merry!" Pippin said gravely, "you know, Frodo would not agree with that!"
"Yes. Well," Merry flushed. "Frodo’s too forgiving, too, sometimes." He decided to change the subject--he was not used to Pippin disagreeing with him.
LOL! That's great! Pippin has grown a lot during this crisis. And even if he does not like Great Smials now, he will be Thain someday - and he will be a good one.
Now I'm waiting for the identity of the guest. I can still think of more than one possibility ;-)
GamgeeFest
· 10 August 2006
· Chapter 22: Chapter 22
*resists urge not to clobber Hyacinth over the head with a blunt heavy object* She just doesn't get it, does she. I'm glad Reggie stepped up and insisted his daughter apologize for being a brat, and I love that Amethyst had to apologize three different times. It serves her right!
Author's reply
*asks 'why would anyone want to resist?'* It seems a perfectly naturaly urge to me, LOL!
Yes, this was sort of Reggie's last stand, and he made the most of it. Hyacinth was sure to get even worse after this.
harrowcat
· 6 August 2006
· Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Dying to hear the apology Dreamflower. And Merry is quite right I wouldn't want to be a daughter in that family either.
Author's reply
The apology will be coming up in the next chapter.
It's rough to have a mother like that, and Merry has begun to understand that.
SurgicalSteel
· 6 August 2006
· Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Catching up - still enjoying this - that Hyacinth is certainly one to watch out for, though.
Author's reply
Whee! You are back! So glad you are, and glad you are still liking this!
Hyacinth is about as trustworthy as a snake.
Welcome back! ((hugs))
Pearl Took
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 21: Chapter 21
" Merry sighed. "Cousin Hyacinth really is not a very kind mother, is she?"
"Ah," replied Frodo. "So you feel sorry for Amethyst, then?"
"Maybe a little." "
No, *sigh* she isn't, and that makes a great deal of difference. Wise young Merry to sense that.
Such a wonderful scene, the younger hobbits rolling about tickling while Eglantine and Esmeralda look on. And then on to the library for an exciting story!
Wonderful :)
Author's reply
Merry is beginning to learn a bit of wisdom here. Now that Pippin is better, he's also more likely to be forgiving, and seeing Hyacinth speak so cruelly to her own daughter has to arouse his sympathy. It's a good thing, though, that he doesn't know how to read Hyacinth's mind...
I had fun with the horseplay and the library scene. I just thought it was time for them to have some of the fun together they had looked forward to!
PIppinfan1988
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Awww! That scene is so precious! The three "brothers" sitting down for quiet read. Gotta love it. :-) I thought the indulging horseplay was fun, too.
I do like Merry's compassion toward Amethyst; Hyacinth really *is* a sorry-(blank) mother. All three of those lads are sweethearts, so I hope Amethyst apprciates Merry's effort.
I was glad to see an update--I am thoroughly enjoying this wonderful tale! Hope you're feeling better. :-)
Pippinfan
Author's reply
Yes, they are like "brothers" here; I really had fun letting them be all cousin-ly together.
Hyacinth is a sorry excuse for anything. Merry's not quite so compassionate and forgiving as Pippin--or Frodo--but he certainly had to feel sorry for Amethyst after seeing her mother being so mean to her.
I'm feeling a good deal better, and hope to feel better yet, soon! Thanks!
A lovely picture of our three lads together. Yes, Frodo would enjoy walking under the stars, and a journey back to Hobbiton would be quite delightful I imagine. I love walking in the countryside. Can I accompany him? :-))
Like Merry I'm feeling sorry for Hyacinth's daughters - she's not a great example, is she? Merry is a sweet lad really.
And Pippin is recovering. I'm all warm and happy now!
Author's reply
I'm quite sure he'd welcome your company, LOL!
Well, yes, Merry really is a sweet lad and a nice one. Seeing Hyacinth being so unkind to her own children (and really, hobbits don't go in much for talking to their children that way--it would definitely be considered emotional abuse if other adult hobbits heard her doing that) makes him realize how good he's got it.
Pippin is recovering nicely--only one or two chapters left, and an epilogue.
Bodkin
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Now ... arousing Merry's sympathies for poor Amethyst. That's a very clever thing to do. Not that anyone did it on purpose, of course. But if Merry can spot how unfortunate Reggie's girls are when compared to the Took trio - or himself and Pippin, it can only be for the good.
Hyacinth ... well - are you sure there are no hungry orcs around? I'm sure Euphorbia needs the relief!
Author's reply
Well, it didn't take much for Merry to realize how good he's got it. And while he can hold a grudge a bit more than Frodo or Pippin would ever do, he's still a very nice young hobbit, with his symphathies in the right places. Doesn't take much to transfer his ire from daughter to mother.
Hmm...one of these days, I'll have to write a little AU ficlet just for you, in which Hyacinth does give indigestion to some unfortunate troll or orc...LOL!
GamgeeFest
· 26 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Ah yes, the traditional peeling of the skin. There's just something so grotesquely fascinating about it. I'd hate to be the one to walk in on Merry and Pippin and their pile of growing skin peels (Frodo perhaps *hint*hint*. Or even Pearl - she needs something trivial and silly to make her feel like things are getting back to normal and I think that would do it). LOL :)
Too bad Pip won't be able to spend too much time outside. At least he'll be more careful about falling asleep outside in the middle of the day after this (well, until the Barrow Downs anyway and that wasn't really his fault).
I'm glad that poor Begonia will be getting away from the Smials and will be among family now. It will give her an opportunity to get to know her extended family and to make friendships without the burden of Lalia looming over her head. She deserves it after everything she's put up with over the last several years. Reggie's insights on the nephew's intelligence was fun.
I'm very eager to see how this is going to end. I'm starting to waver on my theory of who Hyacinth is waiting for at the beginning of the chapters.
Author's reply
*grin* You know, this is one of the first scenes that came to me for this story, long before the rest of it--Hyacinth, and Lalia, etc. were part of it. I could just see Merry peeling a sunburnt young Pippin. It took me quite a while to find out where it belonged, and figure out the rest of the story!
This is a lesson he'll take to heart. Don't sleep in the sunshine without a shirt on!!
I thought Begonia deserved a nice retirement. No one yet has identified the nephew. I've been surprised that some of my more eagle-eyed readers haven't remembered him, but there was no Begonia in evidence at the time.
It's not long now--one more chapter and an epilogue, I think. I'm quite sure you've guessed it...
Bodkin
· 19 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
H'mm ... has Mistress Bolger not been married long? Perhaps this is the hobbit equivalent of a 'seven-months child' that arrives a tad 'earlier than expected' after a hasty marriage. (Or wouldn't hobbits do that kind of thing?)
Oh, yes. Peeling. Irresistibly gross. And much loved by boys. I'm sure Pippin and Merry will find it enough to keep them occupied for a day or so!
I'm glad Begonia is finding another home - and I just hope she's rather more welcome and appreciated than the infliction that is Hyacinth.
Author's reply
I hadn't thought of that--I don't think that her husband would have been so worried if that were the case. I just figure that perhaps she had an inexperienced midwife or healer at home, or perhaps she didn't give her all the information needed.
"Irresistibly gross"--yes, much loved by children of both genders actually! This scene was actually the first one to come to me when I was considering the story--a scene of Pippin peeling, and Merry helping him, LOL! And yeah, it's fascinating enough to keep them a bit busy!
She will be made quite welcome by her nephew and his wife--who have made a previous appearance in another story--so far no one's spotted them.
Andrea
· 19 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Pippin and Merry both sighed at this restriction, but then Merry put on a brave face for Pippin’s sake, and Pippin, seeing this, did the same for Merry.
LOL! This is wonderful! I'm really proud of little Pippin - such a brave lad :)
It was a clear relief, especially as Hyacinth had been dropping heavy-handed hints that she would not mind having a chambermaid of her own ...
Hah! That's good news, indeed! Well, for Reggie and Begonia - not for Hyacinth ;-)
Go, Reggie!
(BTW, I found the website of the Hobbitons and I really enjoyed the Bath Song. Very good!)
Author's reply
*grin* I'll have to tell Lin you liked that line--it was one of her contributions!
Pippin *is* a brave little lad--I like to think that the courage our lads showed on the Quest was there within them all the time.
Yes, wouldn't Hyacinth just *love* to have a chambermaid to lord it over, and order about, and gloat over? Reggie's not *about* to let that happen!
Oh, I'm *so* glad you like them. I think they do a wonderful job--on some of the songs, I actually like these amateur versions better than the professional ones of the Tolkien Ensemble or Donald Swann.
harrowcat
· 19 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Now he is better can I borrow the rest of Pippin's lotions? I went camping for three days and I am usually so careful about sunburn but I forgot the perils of driving with the window open! My shoulder went lobster red and now is blistered! As I sleep on my side that, and the heat have made sleeping very difficult! But you are making me look forward to the peeling stage! Ugh!
Good old Reggie - he does seem to cope with being married to THAT hobbitess.
Author's reply
Oh, you poor dear! Well, you certainly know how little Pippin felt! *lends you Mistress Hollyhock and her lotions*
Yes, Reggie *is* a good hobbit. He copes very well under the circumstances.
Pearl Took
· 18 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
oooo! I love both doing the peeling or getting peeled :)
Huzzah!! I'm so happy for Begonia :) :)
Looking forward to more ;)
Author's reply
I'm afraid I plead guilty to the same. And I like to watch little flakes of dead skin fall like a snowstorm, as well--though I've never scratched them off onto someone else like Pippin did, LOL!
Yes, a happy ending for poor Begonia!
We're getting near the end.
PIppinfan1988
· 18 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
As for Hyacinth...hindsight is 20/20. Too bad the "Marking" didn't come to her mind while she was actually considering the murder. You have done so well with her character, though!
Oh, I so enjoyed Pippin playing with his dead skin! LOL, typical little laddie--and going so far as to lure Merry into pulling off more of it! Oh, yes, I remember the blissful feeling of pulling off skin...and then the itching right after.
I, too, am glad to see Begonia embarking on a new life with her nephew and his family.
Pippinfan
Author's reply
She was being opportunistic, and didn't really think things through to a conclusion. Almost getting caught would definitely put a dint in her composure, and make her think of the things she missed.
Playing with dead skin--a bit gross and disgusting, but kids like that sort of thing. And being peeled--it's just a delightful sensation, LOL!
I thought that most folks would like this resolution for Begonia. And the blacksmith and his wife will make a nice home for her, and she'll have two little great-neices to spoil.
AspenJules
· 18 July 2006
· Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Ahhh, the joys of peeling long sheets of skin off of a former burn. Many people find it disgusting, but I am with Pippin, and love the feel of it coming off, as well as being fascinated by peeling it off of others. I must be part lizard or something, LOL.
And I'm so glad that Begonia will have a nice place to go, where they will appreciate her. She's had a hard time of it, and is a faithful and devoted woman. They will all benefit from her being there.
I do have one complaint however. I've decided that it is decidedly bad for me to read too many 'hobbit' stories by you talented 'hobbit' writers. You describe so *many* big, yummy sounding meals I'm *always* hungry! It's really bad for my waistline, you know! It's a good thing I simply don't have time to do all that baking and frying and general all-round cooking. *grimaces*
How lovely to see Pippin recovering - even if he is peeling! I'm sure Merry will help there.
So sweet to know that poor Begonia has family who want to take her in, and what a hobbity thing to do. This is what I love about hobbits - their kindness and love of family. And glad that Reggie had no intention of allowing Begonia to go from one bossy old bat to another!
As for Hyacinth - I still wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her!
Author's reply
Yes, I think, actually that Pippin and Merry may have a good deal of fun with the peeling, LOL!
Yes, most hobbits are like that: they care about family, and know that it is important to take care of one another. Reggie certainly would not allow Hyacinth to have a chambermaid! Especially Begonia, who's had it hard enough already.
Er, no, neither would I. But she's back to square one. Not only did her plan against Pearl fail, but her aborted attempt on Pippin has caused her to somewhat lose her nerve. And add to that the fact that without Lalia around, her attitude will not be serving her very well any longer, and her teeth have somewhat been pulled. But she is still a nasty and poisonous specimen.
Well, here I am, all caught up. Hyacinth needs a good spanking. I don’t believe I’ll spank my children when I have them – I was disciplined in other ways – but someone should have molded her character better a long time ago. Is this an example of a child who never learned that ‘no means no’? I can see her willful nature arising in childhood and running unchecked… until here we are, with Hyacinth contemplating murder. I’m very glad that Pippin is all right. I wonder how Hyacinth came to be disgraced, though. Did it have anything to do with what she almost did? Was Merry the only one to notice the fallen cushion, or did Primrose see it, too? Even if Primrose did see it, it’s not solid evidence of guilt at all. Well, whatever happened, I’m sure you’ll tell us eventually. :) Can’t wait for the next update, Dreamflower! I am thoroughly enjoying this lovely story!
Author's reply
Again, a lot of Hyacinth's backstory has not yet been told, and the rest is in "A New Reckoning". But let's add a bit of other info that I've never really revealed before: she has both Clayhanger (Lalia's maiden name) and Bracegirdle in her ancestry (the Bracegirdles were the family that produced Lobelia) and you know how much store JRRT set by inheriting family traits. And she spent her own childhood listening to a mother who felt she had married "beneath" herself, and being told how much "better" she was than the other hobbits around her.
As to Hyacinth's disgrace, it doesn't happen until nearly a year after the Quest, when her reactions to some things cause her mask to slip. All of this is told in "A New Reckoning"--and her hostility to Pippin, though never her secret intention, does come out, and Paladin bans her from the Great Smials.
Actually, her secret and greatest fear is that somehow, someday, someone *might* know what she thought of doing...
We are drawing near to the end of this one, delayed only by some computer troubles my beta has been having.
Hoo, hoo, hoo! So not only does Reggie not want the Thainship – he especially doesn’t want Hyacinth to be the Thain’s Lady! She hasn’t got a ghost of a chance, and she doesn’t even know it. He was smart enough not to tell her that he’d been trying to clear Pearl’s name.
Poor Reggie, hmm? I understand that Hyacinth only attached herself to him because he was in line to be Thain, but if she was such a mercenary, I wonder that Reggie didn’t see it. I can’t hold him wholly blameless for the situation he’s in. After all, choosing a spouse is a matter for the head as much as the heart. People do sometimes change radically, but I don’t get the feeling that Hyacinth is one of those. She’s likely been self-absorbed since her teens, at least. Wouldn’t other people have known what she was like? Did no one try to dissuade him from marrying her? My parents would have had no qualms about telling me if they thought my choice of spouse had a questionable character. These two seem completely unsuited for each other. Reggie should have chosen better.
Author's reply
Yes, you've got it. The Tooks suffered long enough under Lalia, and they most certainly don't need someone who's just like her--or worse!
Poor Reggie was rather blindsided by her. Unfortunately there was no one at Great Smials well enough acquainted with her true personality to warn him (she was a visitor, from far enough away that there weren't any mutual acquaintances who would know) and she managed to push through a whirlwind courtship. Once wed, he began to notice her flaws, but as hobbits don't really *have* divorce in my Shire (though they do, rarely, have something like legal separation and annullment)it was up to him to try and make the best of things. It was her attitude when Pippin was born that tore the blinders off, and made him realize her true nature. But by that time, they had two daughters and a third on the way. (Much of the latter information is in the story I first introduced Hyacinth--"A New Reckoning"; the rest of it is just "backstory".)
Whew! It looks like salvation has arrived! Is it one of his aunts, perhaps?
Poor Begonia. I really do hope she finds some peace and happiness before the end of this story. And why on earth would Ferumbras think that giving Pearl a necklace would make her feel better? I think this goes a long way toward showing that he really doesn’t care about her feelings – only her reputation, and that for selfish reasons.
Author's reply
Perhaps.
I think you will find that she may.
Well, Ferumbras wouldn't want to *hurt* her feelings, but he's rather clueless about people, and well, she's a young lass, and young lasses like pretty jewelry, so that should make everything all right. He simply *doesn't* understand. And yes, he is selfish about his motives for clearing her reputation. What else could you expect of someone who lived so long in Lalia's shadow?
Aaaaack! Nasty, wicked, bad Hyacinth! You’ve set this up all too well. Pippin’s back is burned, so he has to lie on his face. He’s out like a light on account of the sleeping draught. All Hyacinth has to do is press his face into the pillow, and it’ll look like he died of an overdose. Nowadays there are ways to tell if a person died of asphyxiation, but I don’t know if it could be determined without an autopsy. I’m willing to bet that hobbits don’t really do autopsies. Gruesome business. Miss Hollyhock seems to be pretty smart; maybe she’d have some way to tell (blue lips, or some such). Someone hurry back and save Pippin!
Author's reply
You are reading Hyacinth's mind.
Actually, I am quite sure that Mistress Hollyhock *would* have ways to tell, as you said, and she would *know* how much draught she gave him--problem is, what would hobbits believe, who've *never* had a murder to deal with: that someone deliberately killed a child, or that a healer accidentally gave him too much medicine? I think that was probably why Hyacinth had such a hard time trying to get anyone to *believe* her worst insinuations against Pearl; she was probably the only hobbit in the Great Smials who did not find such a thought inconceivable.
Oh, dear. Oh, dear, dear, dear. The healer is going to leave Pippin alone with Hyacinth, isn’t she? The delivery of a child could take some time, too, and who knows what else needs to be done as it’s premature. I think I know what ‘swift, decisive action’ Hyacinth regrets not taking, now. She’s going to find herself in the position to off Pippin!
Ah, so Frodo feels that he is living in Bilbo’s shadow! I can see why; the old hobbit was most definitely a legend in the Shire, what with his adventures and odd friends and very long life – not to mention his fantastic disappearance.
Author's reply
You are coming along nicely in your deductions, dear! *grin*
Well, Bilbo was Head of the Bagginses for a *loooonnnggg* time. And Frodo is brand new to the job, and just barely of age. It has to worry him just a little as to whether he's living up to Bilbo's expectations.
I have to wonder... who is the important guest? My money’s on Pippin! I can’t think of anyone else that would make Hyacinth so bitter, unless it’s Paladin. Either the Thain or his son would make sense.