Chapter Three
Merry headed directly for the house of Miss Estella Bolger, driven with a purpose. He knew if he did not continue with such haste as he had acquired, he would chicken out, and Pip would never let him live that down. In fact, he would not himself let himself live it down.
She lived not far from Pip's hobbit-hole. He recognized the familiar mailbox, reading, "Odovacar, Rosamunda, Fredegar, and Estella Bolger." Merry had been in the house before, as he was Fredegar's, Estella's brother's, friend. On such occasion he had lightly chatted with his fair sister hobbit, but no more. On this occasion, he came not for Fredegar, but for Estella.
Merry knocked lightly on the door, shaking a bit, but fine otherwise. Odovacar, Estella's father, answered. "Well hello Meriadoc," said the elder hobbit. "Fredegar's out working today, he'll be back this afternoon."
"I was not looking for Fredegar," Merry said quickly. "Is Estella home?"
Odovacar looked slightly puzzled. "Yes she is, I shall fetch her." He turned back. "Estella! Meriadoc is here to see you!"
He heard the scrambling of hobbit feet in the back of the house, and saw Estella Bolger emerge, graceful but slightly frazzled. Her light blond hair was pulled back from her face, and her blue eyes looked fairly uncertain.
"Hello, Merry," she said, and Merry could tell she was trying to sound demure.
"Why hello Estella," said Merry, trying to be as friendly and open as possible, "I was wondering if you would come walk with me. Pip's gone off with Diamond, and I found myself here at your doorstep, for some reason. Do you think you can come?"
"Certainly," she said, and smiled at Merry's familiar tone in conversation. "I'll be back later, father," she told Odovacar.
"Right. Have fun!"
The two walked out into the bright day. Merry had to restrain himself strongly from taking her hand right then. "I.I've been thinking about you lately. I think we should become better friends," Merry said, trying not to rush his voice.
"I do as well," said Estella. "I always see ye with Fredegar, but never really had the nerve to make friends with ye meself." Merry could already see she was becoming more open with him, from her dialect popping through.
"Well we are now, an' that's all that matters," Merry said with a grin. "You know Diamond pretty well, don't ye?"
"Aye," she said. "What about her?"
"Nothing really. She just told me.you were a really nice girl," Merry said, improvising at the last moment what he was going to say about her.
"She didn't say anything else, did she?" Estella looked worried.
Merry broke then. "Well, actually she did. I told her I was looking for a lass to call me own, while me an' Pip were struttin' about town an' such. An' she said I didn't need to, because lasses already did. An' I said asked, "Who?" an' she said you, an' frankly that made my day cause I've had me eye on ye too," Merry said quickly, hoping to get it all out.
Estella's eyes widened. "Well I didn't expect her to tell.but at least you feel the same way.so I'd be honored to become better friends, and more than friends, with ye, since obviously we feel the same way an' all."
Merry's eyes felt like they were glazing over. "I didn't expect it te happen this way.."
"Neither did I.but this sounds fairly promising."
"What say ye that we get to know each other better in a place a wee bit more private an' this one?"
"Now Merry, that sounds slightly dirty," Estella chided.
"Meanin' nothin' of the sort, m'lady, just felt we should get out o' the middle o' the street afore we get run over. Of course, if ye wanted it te sound dirty then by all means take it that way. "
"Well.I suppose we'll just have to find out, won't we?"
Merry headed directly for the house of Miss Estella Bolger, driven with a purpose. He knew if he did not continue with such haste as he had acquired, he would chicken out, and Pip would never let him live that down. In fact, he would not himself let himself live it down.
She lived not far from Pip's hobbit-hole. He recognized the familiar mailbox, reading, "Odovacar, Rosamunda, Fredegar, and Estella Bolger." Merry had been in the house before, as he was Fredegar's, Estella's brother's, friend. On such occasion he had lightly chatted with his fair sister hobbit, but no more. On this occasion, he came not for Fredegar, but for Estella.
Merry knocked lightly on the door, shaking a bit, but fine otherwise. Odovacar, Estella's father, answered. "Well hello Meriadoc," said the elder hobbit. "Fredegar's out working today, he'll be back this afternoon."
"I was not looking for Fredegar," Merry said quickly. "Is Estella home?"
Odovacar looked slightly puzzled. "Yes she is, I shall fetch her." He turned back. "Estella! Meriadoc is here to see you!"
He heard the scrambling of hobbit feet in the back of the house, and saw Estella Bolger emerge, graceful but slightly frazzled. Her light blond hair was pulled back from her face, and her blue eyes looked fairly uncertain.
"Hello, Merry," she said, and Merry could tell she was trying to sound demure.
"Why hello Estella," said Merry, trying to be as friendly and open as possible, "I was wondering if you would come walk with me. Pip's gone off with Diamond, and I found myself here at your doorstep, for some reason. Do you think you can come?"
"Certainly," she said, and smiled at Merry's familiar tone in conversation. "I'll be back later, father," she told Odovacar.
"Right. Have fun!"
The two walked out into the bright day. Merry had to restrain himself strongly from taking her hand right then. "I.I've been thinking about you lately. I think we should become better friends," Merry said, trying not to rush his voice.
"I do as well," said Estella. "I always see ye with Fredegar, but never really had the nerve to make friends with ye meself." Merry could already see she was becoming more open with him, from her dialect popping through.
"Well we are now, an' that's all that matters," Merry said with a grin. "You know Diamond pretty well, don't ye?"
"Aye," she said. "What about her?"
"Nothing really. She just told me.you were a really nice girl," Merry said, improvising at the last moment what he was going to say about her.
"She didn't say anything else, did she?" Estella looked worried.
Merry broke then. "Well, actually she did. I told her I was looking for a lass to call me own, while me an' Pip were struttin' about town an' such. An' she said I didn't need to, because lasses already did. An' I said asked, "Who?" an' she said you, an' frankly that made my day cause I've had me eye on ye too," Merry said quickly, hoping to get it all out.
Estella's eyes widened. "Well I didn't expect her to tell.but at least you feel the same way.so I'd be honored to become better friends, and more than friends, with ye, since obviously we feel the same way an' all."
Merry's eyes felt like they were glazing over. "I didn't expect it te happen this way.."
"Neither did I.but this sounds fairly promising."
"What say ye that we get to know each other better in a place a wee bit more private an' this one?"
"Now Merry, that sounds slightly dirty," Estella chided.
"Meanin' nothin' of the sort, m'lady, just felt we should get out o' the middle o' the street afore we get run over. Of course, if ye wanted it te sound dirty then by all means take it that way. "
"Well.I suppose we'll just have to find out, won't we?"