Of Hobbit Lads and Lasses
Chapter One
Blotmath, 1425
"Hello, Diamond!" exclaimed Estella, peering out the round front window of her kitchen.
"Hello yourself, Estella! May I come in?"
"Just a minute." Estella wiped her hands on her apron and came to the door, wondering what she was on about this time.
"You said I could come over for tea today," said Diamond in answer to Estella's quizzical look.
"I'm sorry, I forgot. Come in, sit down," she hastily added.
"How's your father doing?" Diamond asked concernedly. Estella frowned, pausing in her kneading of the dough for biscuits.
"Well, as you know he's not been quite himself since my mother died, but the illness at the very least has passed."
"Well at least that's good news." Diamond put on a sympathetic face.
"Yes." She put a kettle over the fire for the water to boil for tea and continued her kneading. She was upset about her father, but tried not to show it. "So how are you doing lately, Diamond?" she asked. Diamond hesitated for a moment, as if in thought.
"Do you know Pervinca Took?"
"How could I not know Vinca? Firstly she's my third cousin twice removed and secondly we were born the same year; she in Halimath and I in Astron. What about her?" Estella queried, her curiosity peaked.
"It's Blotmath the 4th, is it not?" inquired Diamond.
"Yes," replied Estella, wondering where this was going.
"Well, you remember Pervinca's birthday party on Halimath 19th right?" she asked.
"I was there," replied Estella, annoyed at the constant stream of questions.
"Yes, of course," said Diamond hastily. "Pippin asked me to dance, do you remember?" Estella searched her memory.
"No, what time was it?" she asked.
"I'm not sure- late." Estella thought about that.
"I think I was inside with Pervinca." She stopped in her kneading for a second. "Wait. Who asked you to dance?"
"Pippin did," came Diamond's reply.
"Pippin?" Estella repeated, raising an eyebrow. She had completely forgotten about her baking by this point.
"Yes Pippin," Diamond replied indignantly.
"So, then what happened?" queried Estella, leaning over the counter.
"Well..." Diamond described the scene as best she could.
"May I have this dance, Miss Diamond?" Diamond quickly shook off her daydream and found herself face to face with one Peregrin Took, whose hand was extended courteously, but whose face wore a wide grin. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself excepting his offer.
"I would love to, Mister Peregrin Took," she said with a smile.
"Please," he blushed, "call me Pippin."
"Alright then, Pippin," stated Diamond, "you may call me Diamond." She took his hand and he led her out onto the dance-floor.
Pippin faced her and bowed, she responded in a curtsy, and the dance began. It was a fast-paced variation on the waltz. When the dance ended, he asked her again, and again she complied, happy to have something to do.
After several dances together, both of the exhausted hobbits made their way off the dance floor and started talking, unconsciously drawing nearer as time wore on. After a time, there came a long silence, when they realized that party was over and everyone had gone home. Pippin reached out a hand and brushed it across her cheek. She shivered. Then he leaned forward and gently kissed her. She embraced him, deepening the kiss.
They kissed for what seemed an eternity, tongues mingling, Pippin's fingers running through her dark brown, almost black curls. Finally, a rustling in the bushes behind them, brought them back to reality. Diamond abruptly broke the kiss, quickly glancing about her.
"What was that?" Diamond asked in fright. Then from out of the bushes walked a stray cat. She breathed a sigh of relief, and looked back at Pippin.
"I really ought to be going now, Pippin," she said. I've stayed later than I should have. She thought. I don't want it to end, though.
"May I walk you home, Diamond?" She smiled to herself; maybe the evening didn't have to end quite yet.
"You may." They walked the long way to Diamond's home in the North Farthing in amiable silence, until they came at last, in the wee hours of the night, to Diamond's door.
"Goodnight Pippin." She wavered for a moment, then kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight Diamond," he replied, turning to leave.
"No, wait!" Diamond cried! He turned back around. She hesitated, suddenly embarrassed by her outburst.
"Tis a long walk back to Tookborough—you are staying there, right?" He nodded. "We have room for guests; you could stay here for the night."
"No, I best be off."
"At least let me get you a pony," she said anxiously. He shook his head, then turned around and headed toward the Smials. Diamond watched his retreating figure until she could see him no more, then, with a sigh, went inside to bed.
"So then," she continued, "he started dropping by my hole, at least a couple of times a week—which I expect was as often as the distance would allow. Sometimes he would come in and we'd have tea, sometimes we'd walk together up the lane and have a picnic in the shade of the apple orchards…" She paused, sighing wistfully. "Sometimes," she paused for dramatic effect, "he even brought flowers!" She seemed to think this the most important thing in the world, Estella noted, wryly.
"And?" asked Estella, motioning for her friend to continue.
"And well, we began to have a sort of - courtship - if you will. And then, yesterday, when we were having tea in the garden, he told me that when I come of age, he hopes to marry me." She paused, as if waiting for Estella to say something. Estella ignored her, deep in thought. "Isn't that wonderful, Estella?" She didn't reply. "Estella?!" Estella shook her head to clear it.
"I'm very happy for you, Diamond, but are you sure this is really what you want?" she asked, pouring a second round of tea for her guest. Diamond didn't touch it.
"Of course this is what I want!" It was clear that she was trying to sound indignant, but Estella knew she had hit a chord. After a long moment, Diamond backed her chair away from the table with a screeching sound upon the wooden floorboards.
"Well, I'm afraid I must go now, Estella, I'm due to meet Pippin for tea."
"Goodbye then, Diamond. Will I see you tomorrow?" Estella asked absently.
"If you're at market," Diamond replied somewhat tersely.
"I'll see you there then," Estella said somewhat stiltedly. With that Diamond picked up her basket and left the hole.
Estella lay back in her chair, and rubbed her temple. She had been thinking about love. She'd thought she'd been in it before, once. She was ten years older than Diamond—past her thirties, while Diamond remained a tweenager. She hoped for her friend's sake that this wasn't a young lass's daydream. She didn't want to see her hurt. But maybe she shouldn't doubt. She should be happy for Diamond, and not pull her down so.
She thought about herself. Many hobbits her age had been married several years, and most with children, while now at forty, she didn't even have a sweetheart. It was not as if she had planned it that way; age seemed to have just snuck up on her. Although maybe, she reasoned, she didn't need—
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the outside door. Seeing no one else around to answer it, she stepped forward and opened it.
It was Meriadoc Brandybuck who stood on the doorstep. She assumed him to be inquiring about her brother Fredegar, as he often did.
"Fatty's in town right now Merry, you'll have to come back later." She began to shut the door.
"This may come as a shock, Estella, but it's you I need to speak with." Startled, Estella rushed inside and shut the door tightly. She needed time to think. He needed to talk to her? About what? What should she say? When she got over the surprise, she realized she was being terribly rude and reopened the door.
"I apologize, Merry," she said, "would you like to come in and have some tea?"
"If you wouldn't mind," he replied, "thank you." He sat down at the table and she went to fetch an extra teacup.
"So, Merry, what was it you wished to speak to me about?" she inquired, sitting down across from him, and pouring the tea.
"It's Pippin," he answered, "Pippin and Diamond, actually. I thought, since you know Diamond so well, you might be able to tell me something about them." It was ironic that he wanted to talk to her now, of all times, she thought.
"I..."
"I just don't want to see him hurt. He's my best friend, as well as my cousin." Having observed this herself from a very young age, she considered his words, and then agreed to tell him about Diamond, and about what Diamond had said to her. Merry sighed.
"She seems like a nice enough lass."
"Yes," replied Estella, "that she is."
They proceeded to have a rather lengthy chat about goings on in the Shire and before they realized it, it was half past five and the sun was beginning to set.
"I'm afraid I really must be going, Estella, but I've had a lovely afternoon and you've settled any doubts I might have had about Diamond. Oh and while I'm here, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What?" Estella asked.
"Will you allow me to escort you to my cousin Berilac's forty-fifth birthday party?"
"I," she said struggling to regain her composure, "I'd love to." She beamed.
"Good, then I'll pick you up at 7'O'Clock on Friday evening?"
"I'll be here."
"Goodbye then, Estella."
"Goodbye, Merry."
With that he walked outside, mounted his pony, and rode off to Brandy Hall. Estella watched from the window. What have you gotten yourself into? She wondered. She smiled and shook her head, then stood and began to clear the table.