Chapter Twenty: Sara In The Dog House

The colorful autumn leaves no longer clung to their tree limbs. Instead, they littered the ground everywhere in vibrant mounds and scattered with the gusting wind. Eglantine looked out her kitchen window and watched as it 'snowed' red, orange, and gold leaves. She was sad that summer was over; it was her favorite season. Summer was when the children were able to go outside and have fun under the warm sunshine, and their feet run over the soft green turf all the while laughing and singing to their hearts content. She only saw autumn as the in-between part to what usually ended up being a harsh winter. Someone, somewhere in the Shire would not survive to see next spring...that was the way of winter.

Eglantine shook her gloomy thoughts from her mind and saw again the cool, sunny autumn morn. Working next to her in the kitchen were her daughters and her sister-in-law, Essie. Though for Eglantine, Essie was more than a sister-in-law; she felt more like a sister. Eglantine felt free to claim her as such since all she had while growing up were brothers. Her thoughts were interrupted as clinking dishes and clattering pots announced that breakfast was ready to be served.

Eglantine patted her youngest daughter's shoulder, "Go and tell the others breakfast is ready."

"Yes, ma'am." Pervinca put down the platter of hot cakes she was holding and wiped her hands on her apron. She was eager to taste the sumptuous breakfast she had just helped to cook. Hopefully Merry would notice how fluffy the flapjacks were this morning!

She didn't have far to go because as she entered the hallway she was nearly knocked down by two very hungry young hobbits. "Out of my way!" Yelled the youngest one.

"Pippin!" Eglantine scolded her son, "Mind your manners!"

Merry was slightly more polite, "I'm sorry Pervinca! It's just that I'm starving this morning!"

Eglantine smiled at her nephew, "Well, I'm happy to see you're up and feeling better now, Merry!"

Today was the first day in a long time that he didn't have a headache--not even a tiny bit. His stomach was steady and his ears were clear; nothing sounded as if it were under water.

"Thank you, Auntie! My stomach is happy, too!" He and Pippin started to help themselves to breakfast.

"Merry! You mind your manners as well! Wait for everyone else to sit down, son!" Esmeralda gaped as she watched her son scarf up biscuits, sausage, gravy, and...flapjacks from every platter nearby.

"Papa won't be here for a while--can we eat his portion as well?"

"Absolutely not!" Eglantine chided Pippin, "and what is keeping your father from the breakfast table?"

"He's still sleeping."

Eglantine shook her head. "I just woke him up not a half-hour ago!" She didn't consider it good manners to start a meal without the head of the house at the table, but what else was she to do? Right now there was a table full of hungry children and guests to feed, and it was equally discourteous to keep them waiting. "Very well, everyone go ahead and start breakfast."

After what amounted to a minor all out search of the smial, Eglantine found her husband in the guest's bedroom deep in discussion...with the guest. They spoke in a low key as if the dialogue was for their ears alone. She knew in her heart the subject was Merry, and decided it was best not to disturb them. Eglantine guessed they would come to breakfast whenever their discussion was finished.

"...I think you ought to ask him yourself." Paladin was trying to convince Saradoc to speak to his son about when he intended to return to Buckland--more specifically, Brandy Hall.

"He won't want to talk to me!" Saradoc covered his eyes with one hand; something residual from the night before, and his head throbbed. He sighed at his discomfort, "Now I have an idea of what he's been going through this past week!"

"Would you rather I spoke to him?" Paladin made an offer, half hoping Saradoc wouldn't turn it down.

"No!" Saradoc answered. "No... I'll speak to him--as soon as I can speak and not feel as if my head will burst!" Then he said, "but will you consider being present? I have a suspicion he will feel more secure with you nearby, and....so will I."

It wasn't until after lunch when Saradoc was able to think about food and not feel nauseated. He washed his face and padded out to the to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of tea.

"Well look who's gracing our presence!" Eglantine smirked. She and the cook sat at the table slicing and dicing mushrooms in preparation for canning. "We're getting ready to preserve some of our mushroom harvest for our winter food stores--care for any mushroom stew?" Then a sly grin came to her face, "Or would you simply prefer eggs and sausage with gravy?"

Saradoc held his stomach; reconsidering if he should stay in the kitchen. Obviously, his sister-in-law was having a laugh at his expense. He deserved it. "No, thank you!"

"Sit down, Sara!", she laughed. "I've got a pot of tea boiling just for you."

"Thank you, Tina." Saradoc gratefully accepted the cup of tea Eglantine poured and set in front of him. "Have you seen Essie?"

Eglantine nodded towards the door. "Yes, she's outside with the children snapping beans and peas for preserving. Though I suppose my own Pippin is eating more than he's snapping!"

She leaned closer for him to hear her next words. "Go on!" She whispered, "It's safer with the children around! She not apt to think your head a green bean and snap it off!" She smiled as she watched Saradoc grimace when she emphasized the word 'snap'. "Just be extra nice to her today!"

"Thank you.....I think." He mumbled the last part.