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"...the Forefathers of Buckland then constructed Brandy Hall, where the Master of Buckland and family of his eldest son or, in the case of no children, the family of his closest male relative, would live. To this day......Master Meriadoc, if you aren't going to pay attention, I don't see why I'm teaching you this."
"I'm sorry, Filius. I can't concentrate today."
"You're thinking about your little cousin again, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"It's nice having him over, gives extra joy to Brandy Hall. But you haven't seen him in--"
"Three months. I'm beginning to get worried. I wrote eight letters, but he hasn't written back. I know his handwriting isn't that good, but he usually has one of his sisters write for him. I don't know what's wrong."
"Don't let your heart be troubled. Why not just go to Tuckborough and visit him?"
"What an idea! I feel quite stupid now for not thinking of it sooner! Filius, if you'll excuse me, could we continue this lesson tomorrow, perhaps? I want to get an early start. Can you please tell my mother I went down to Tuckborough, and I should be back for supper?"
"I shall, Master Meriadoc. You had better hurry. I expect your little cousin would be very excited to see you."
"Thanks, Filius!"
"Yes, Master Meriadoc."
As Merry, suddenly bright-eyed and excited, ran from the schoolroom, his old tutor smiled. "Young Master Merry" was the most difficult student old Filius Underhill had ever taught, and that was saying a lot. The old tutor, who was nearly 106, had taught three generations of Brandybucks, including, for a short time, Rorimac Brandybuck, just before he came of age. In fact, most of the decedents of the children of Rorimac's own brothers and sisters had been, at one time or the other, taught by old Filius, a trusted individual. And although Filius found a most difficult time in teaching the young lad who was soon to be the Master of Buckland, he found that the boy showed true potential.
I don't know why I bother. The old Hobbit thought to himself, as he began putting the materials from the day's lesson away. Young Master Merry has rarely, if ever, paid attention in class. I suppose his parents really do want what's best for him, but I've never seen them during one of his lessons. He's so easily bored, but at least when he's with that little cousin of his, he lights up immediately. His heart doesn't beseech him to know how many Brandybucks have ever use Bucklebury Ferry. What he really needs are friends. He doesn't have many his own age, except for young Master Peregrin, although he's eight years younger.
Again, the old Hobbit sighed. What business of it was
his to interfere with how Saradoc and Esmerelda Brandybuck raised their
son? It wasn't, and so he wasn't going to bother. He picked up his satchel
and sauntered off to go and find Esmerelda Brandybuck to relay the message
from her son.
Merry was just preparing to leave, when his mother appeared in his room, holding a telegram. Her hand was over her mouth, and she looked at her son in great sadness.
"What is it, Mama?"
"Oh, my darling. I've just gotten a letter from Eglantine..."
"Auntie Elan? What's it say? Is it about Pippin?" Merry stood up and walked to his mother. "What's wrong, Mama?"
"She says she came back home from picking up Pearl and Pimpernel from their school and found Paladin..." But she could not finish. Merry expected the worse. Were his uncle and cousins dead? His mother moved over to his bed and sat, crying softly. Merry went over and sat next to her, putting his arms around her.
"Mama?"
"He was beating them, Merry. They're bruised and Pervinca's got a broken arm, and Pippin a broken rib. Elan's going to bring Pippin over here to stay. She's taking the girls to stay with their grandmother. Pippin was going to go with them, but he wouldn't go anywhere but here. He'll be staying with us until his mother and father get things straightened out."
From the moment his mother told him, Merry felt as thought he was going to be sick. His uncle had never been extremely kind towards Merry or his father, but Merry couldn't see his uncle Paladin as ever hurting Pippin. Merry gave a little whimper and his mother held him close in her arms.
"Why did this happen, Mama?"
"I don't know, love, I don't know. You must be careful with Pippin, however. He was already a delicate child, and now, with his bruises and broken rib, he'll be especially fragile."
"When is he coming?"
"After supper. His mother is bringing him."
"Mama! It's almost supper now!" Merry said, springing up. "I have to get ready for Pippin."
"Hurry, love. Supper will be on the table in a moment."
"Yes, Mama."
If waiting by the door for Pippin was getting ready for him, that was exactly what Merry had in mind. Instead of going to the table, Merry headed straight for the door. His parents kept insisting that he come over to eat, but he spoke absent-mindedly, his excitement overwhelming.
"Come and eat, Meriadoc." His father told him.
"Yes, Papa."
"Merry!"
"Alright, Papa."
"Meriadoc, sit down at this table and eat."
"Yes, Papa."
"I'm your mother."
"Alright, Papa."
"Merry!"
"I'm coming!"
It went on like this for some time, until his father, tired of his meal being disturbed, walked over and dragged his son to the table. Merry never took his eyes off of the door, and ate so fast that he was back at the door in less than five minutes.
"I give up," Saradoc said, and returned to eating. Twenty minutes later, there was a light, barely audible knock on the door. Merry, who had been opening the door at the least sounds, had it open in seconds, and nearly scared his little cousin to death when he caught him in his arms. Merry, forgetting Pippin's rib, squeezed his cousin tightly. Pippin gave a cry of protest, and Eglantine, managed, with her free hand (the other holding Pippin's suitcase), to pry her nephew from her son. She placed a stunned Pippin, who had a sling wrapped around his chest, on his feet.
"Careful, Meriadoc, his rib."
"I'm sorry, Auntie Elan. I'm just so happy to see him!" Merry said. Pippin kissed his mother and took his suitcase from her. Then, without words, he beckoned Merry to him. Merry let Pippin lead him into his own room. Pippin placed his suitcase on top of the extra bed in the room, the bed he always slept in when he came to Brandy Hall. He slowly went to Merry's bed, climbed on it, and buried his face in the pillow. Merry took his small cousin delicately into his arms. Pippin let out a small sob. Merry cradled Pippin, humming softly, soothing him.
"Hush, everything's alright. I'm here, everything is fine."
"Merry, I'm so scared."
"I know, love, you're alright now. Tell me what happened."
Pippin sat up, and tugged on one of his loose curls. For the first time, Merry got a good look at his cousin's face.
"Oh my goodness, Pippin, your eye!" Merry exclaimed. The vivid dark spot surrounding his left eye was still visible, and looked worse when accompanied by his reddened, tear-stained eyes. Merry just happened to look down, and his eyes widened even more when he saw a large bruise at the edge of Pippin's wrist. Merry unbuttoned the cuffs, then pulled up both sleeves of Pippin's shirt. He was horrified by what he saw. Bruises, of various sizes and shapes were running all around his arms.
"Your father did this to you?" Merry asked, his eyes blazing with anger. "Uncle Paladin did this?"
Pippin threw himself at his cousin, wrapping his little arms around Merry's frame. "He doesn't know he's doing it. It's not him, it's...it's like another side of him. It's the ale. Before..." Pippin stopped to sniffle a little, and wipe tears from his eyes before continuing his story.
"Before, everything was fine. He was a good daddy before. Maybe the goodest hobbit ever, because he'd never ever had a drink. Mummy said it was always bad to pick up a mug of ale if you don't know what it'll do to you. I loved my papa before. They told my mummy he went into Hobbiton one day, three months ago, with some of his cousins, and they went to the pub. He got tea, but they told the lady to give him ale, instead, and he didn't know. And he kept on drinking it, and he came home that day and he was in a bad mood. He'd never ever had an ale before, and it made him really mean. He was mean to me and Vinca. Never to Pearl or Pimmie, they were always at school. It was always just me and Pervinca, all the time. Then, it got badder, and he started having ale a lot. Mummy was afraid. She tried to protect us, but Papa said he would hurt her very bad if he tried to stop him doing it. So they couldn't help us, and me and Vinca were hurt all the time." Pippin stop again to sniffle. "Mummy went to get Pearl nd Pimmie from their school and left me and Vinca home alone so--"
"What a stupid thing to do, Pip!" Merry interrupted. "If your mother knew your father was going to hurt you, why would she leave you home?"
"Papa wasn't home then...Mummy wanted us to sleep in. We usually go with her, but yesterday, me and Vinca played around the Smials all day, and we were very tired. Mummy didn't want us to be tired for when Pearl and Pimmie came home, so she let us sleep in. She said if Papa came, we had to run away. But...we couldn't go in time." Pippin paused to take a breath, then he continued. "Last time, three weeks ago, Mummy let us stay home to sleep in, and after she left, Papa came out and was being mean again. He told something to Vinca really bad--" Here, Pippin's eyes grew wide. "--and then he went and locked all the doors, and we had to hide lots of places. Today, he was gone for a while, and we were going to leave, but he found us, and he hurt Vinca really bad, and oh, Merry!" Pippin wailed. "Merry, I want my papa back!"
Merry shushed his cousin and held him close. "It's alright, Pippin. I understand. I'm going to help you, like I should. I'm going to help you get your own papa back. Here," Merry picked Pippin up and took him into the washroom. He set his small cousin on a chair and pumped the water into the silver basin. When he'd gotten enough, he took a cloth and submerged it in the icy cold water, squeezing it out the excess water. He brought it towards Pippin's face.
"This is going to feel quite cold, but you hold this over your eye until I can get some raw meat to put on it." He put the cloth on Pippin's eye. Sure enough, the little Took shrieked in protest, but Merry held the cloth firm.
"You take it off while I'm gone, and I'll knock you into
the ground." Merry told him. Pippin gave Merry a hurt look, and Merry suddenly
realised what
he'd said. He smiled and ruffled Pippin's hair. "Just
a minute, wee one, I'll be right back."