CHAPTER Fourteen - Paladin's Heart

Paladin stormed into the kitchen, "Where is Saradoc?!", he demanded.

"Paladin!" Eglantine didn't understand why her husband burst into the kitchen with such annoyance--and toward his own sister!

Esmeralda puzzled at Paladin's insistence. "He's at Brandy Hall looking after his brother Merimac. He fell ill the day before I left to come here."

"Hogwash!!", Paladin shouted. "Saradoc has a son--his own flesh and blood, here needing him--why would he stay back at Brandy Hall?!"

"I--I don't know, Paladin!", Esmeralda tried to guess her brother's source of

anger.

"What is going on?", Eglantine grew worried. "Is Merry alright?"

"No!!", Paladin looked at his wife, "no, Tina! Merry is not alright!"

There was silence in the kitchen. Paladin paced back and forth. "Esmeralda, Merry...", he paused and scratched his head, "...Merry just called me 'papa'!" Paladin watched his sister to see the effect of his statement; she looked up at her brother.

"Does that not bother you?" He asked.

"That Merry called you...papa?"

"Yes!", Paladin replied. "And I would gladly take Merry in as my own son, but for that ass of a man who calls himself Merry's father!!"

"Paladin", Esmeralda said, "you don't understand..."

Paladin cut his sister off, "You're right--I don't understand!!"

Paladin took family business extremely serious; he was as

close to his own children, especially his son, Pippin, as he was with his own

father. What was wrong with Saradoc? Saradoc was an adult hobbit; Merry was a child. Whatever hurt or anger Saradoc carried over from before, he needed to get rid of NOW. "Esmeralda, you're my sister and I love you dearly, but eventually, I feel I will be forced to take on Saradoc's responsibilities! Merry desperately needs and wants a father who is not locked behind closed doors all the time!" Paladin continued, "Being Master of the Hall can't be that time consuming, and you know what I am saying." Paladin sat in a chair beside his sister, and sighed.

"Essie," he used his sister's nickname from childhood, "Merry is your son; I can be his "Papa"--and I would like to be his papa, but you must agree to this."

Esmeralda looked incredulous at her brother. "If you're saying you want Merry to live at Whitwell," Esmeralda shook her head, "Saradoc will never agree to it--I will never agree to it!"

"I am not asking if Saradoc agreed to this! He should be here to argue the point! But I do want you to agree to it, Essie. Saradoc refuses to come out of his room, and yet who is it hurting? You--or Merry? I know Merry can't live here, but I have a plan that might work."

Merry needs a father...this is about him, she said to herself. She sighed, "Alright, what is it?"

Paladin told her the plan he had in his head. The plan was for Merry to learn how to farm the land and manage it. He would tutor Merry many times throughout the year. "Saradoc is constantly behind closed doors, is he not? Unless he comes out of his self-imposed closet, he will never know." Piece o' cake, he thought.

"And when he does?", asked Esmeralda.

"I'll deal with him, Essie. Right now, Merry is more important than anything

Saradoc might have to say!"

Esmeralda nodded. "So, you agree?" Paladin wanted to be sure on this. His sister nodded again. "Good, Essie", and he knelt down to look her in her blue eyes, "Understand, I will insist he call me Uncle, but to me, he will be as my own son. Alright?"

"Merry will be back for the harvest." Esmeralda announced.

Paladin looked at his sister. "Sweet, Essie," Paladin hugged her, "I know this is hard for you, but this is for Merry, remember? We'll start as soon as he is well!"