I tweaked this at the end--Old Rory hasn't kicked the bucket just yet! :-P Silly me; I knew that!

Chapter Eight: The Letter

Pippin woke up the following morning a little confused. I must have fallen asleep here, Pippin said to himself. He noticed Merry was gone. Just like him--always wanting to be first at the table!, he mused. He yawned and stretched out the sleep in his arm and legs, then he got up to freshen himself for breakfast. Pippin heard a noise and the door opened; in walked Merry with wet hair and wearing a large towel wrapped around him.

"Dahlia's making baths!" Pippin said.

Merry went to his wardrobe and began to grab a clean nightshirt to change into; this was the day to stay in bed. "You'd better hurry up otherwise you won't get any breakfast!"

Pippin dashed out of Merry's bedroom and down the hallway, into the kitchen and skidded to a stop at the sight of a closed door.

"You're too slow once again!" Pim laughed at her brother. She sat at the table eating breakfast with Pearl; both lasses had their wet hair tied behind their heads. "Pervinca is in there now."

Pippin sat at the table to await his turn at a bath. "I think you all plot against me!", he teased, "How is it that I'm always the last one?"

"Because that's the benefit of being older; we plot against the youngest! It's our lot in life!" Pim jested in return.

Pearl couldn't let Pim jab at her favorite (and only!) little brother any longer. "Truth be told, Pip, Mother woke up Merry first on purpose. You're going to need help with your bath.", she said indicating to his splinted and bandaged wrist.

"Oh", Pippin said. "Can I eat breakfast while waiting?"

"Why? Pervinca will be out in a few moments; she's been in there for a while now!", Pearl shouted the last part.

The door opened up and out walked a sopping Pervinca; herself wrapped in a large towel and dripping water all over the floor with her long, wet hair.

"Hurry up and get dressed, lass!" Pim said to her, "or we shall eat everything before you get back!"

Pervinca quickly exited, leaving Dahlia to set the bath water for her brother. Pippin looked around noticing his mother wasn't anywhere bustling about as she normally was. "Where's Momma?", he asked while nibbling on a piece of bacon.

"The Messenger arrived with letters, and well....you know mother!" Pearl craned her neck to see through the window, "That poor Messenger!", she uttered, "His ears must be worn down to nubs by now!"

Merry entered the kitchen wearing his overcoat over his nightshirt to ward of the morning chill and sat down, "Auntie is still out there?", he shook his head. "I wonder at what's so interesting to hold her audience for so long!"

"It doesn't take much, Merry!" Pim chuckled. "Mother needs to get to town more often!" Pim noticed her cousin's odd attire, "Why are you wearing a coat at breakfast?"

Just then, Dahlia peeked into the kitchen and spoke to Pippin, "Your bath is ready, lad!", and stood aside.

"Thank you, Dahlia!", Pippin shouted as he darted past the elder hobbit and into the puffs of steam coming from the wash room. Merry got up and followed after Pippin to assist him.

After the door was shut, Dahlia laughed, "I've never met a laddie who likes baths as much as he does!"

Eglantine opened the kitchen door holding a bundle of letters. She set the entire pile on the little table to the right as she came in except for one, and brought it to the breakfast table with her. Her expression was one that all mothers have when worrying about their children.

Pearl watched as her mother placed the letter in front of her to read. Pearl picked up the small parchment and began to read, "Dear Paladin, I wish to visit with my son, Meriadoc. I shall arrive shortly before supper tonight; I trust this will not inconvenience you. Signed, Saradoc Brandybuck". Pearl looked up at her mother. "Do you think Merry will want to see his father so soon?", she said as she passed the letter to her sister.

Eglantine shrugged, "He has not spoken to me at all about his father so I don't know how he feels. I rather hoped he had done so with his uncle, or at the very least with one of his cousins." She looked at both her daughters.

Pearl shook her head, "He has not spoken to me." Then she nudged her sister sitting beside her, "How about you, Pim?"

Unable to take her eyes from the script, Pim also shook her head. She replied, "No, but it shouldn't take much of a guess whom he has spoken to!" Then she looked up, "I only hope Merry is ready for all of this."

"Ready or not," Eglantine answered, "the forthcoming Master of Buckland will be our guest for supper this evening."