A/N: A couple "grammar checks" in chapters 7 and 8. I do comb through these with a fine-toothed comb, though it seems yesterday's comb had a few teeth missing....

Chapter Ten - A Message from Buckland

Young Pimpernel entered the Smial a bit winded and carrying a yellow basket with a linen cloth covering it. It had been gloomy and rainy outside all day. She ran out and back from the Messenger post so as not to get herself or the bundle of letters too wet. She took the linen cloth off and began sifting through the envelopes to see if any were addressed to her.

"You know mother is supposed to go through the envelopes first!"

Pimpernel turned around; it was her older sister, Pearl. "I wanted to see if any were for me. You just hate it when I meet the Messenger before you do."

"Give me the basket." Pearl replied, "If any letters are for you, and I doubt very much that there are, mother will give them to you." Pearl indeed disliked it when she missed the Messenger, but she wasn't going let her little sister be victorious in her guess. She exercised her Eldest "rights" and snatched the basket from Pimpernel and ran towards the study where their mother was, chased by her sister.

Eglantine laid down the book she was reading when she heard, then saw the two girls run into the room, giggling and yelling. "Ladies, ladies! You're going to wake up the your sister from her nap!" Then added with exasperation, "I'll be so happy when the rain lets up!"

"Here are the letters that just arrived." Pearl triumphantly handed the basket over to her mother.

"Momma! Pearl took the basket from me!"

Eglantine was perusing the envelopes, "Pimpernel, go find Merry and play with him. You have far too much liveliness in you than normal."

"I already asked him, but he said he doesn't want to play. He said he wants to sleep."

One particular envelope caught her eye. It was sent from Mistress Esmeralda Brandybuck, Brandy Hall, Buckland. "Pearl, please take your sister and go start afternoon tea."

Pearl understood her mother wanted to be alone. "Yes, mother. Come along Pimpernel." She guided her rambunctious sister back towards the kitchen.

Eglantine looked at the seal on the backside of the envelope. It was definitely Saradoc's seal, and it was addressed to Paladin. She would have to wait until her husband got back from the soggy fields to read the contents. With it raining all day so far, it wouldn't be long before he would be home. Work was work, whenever some folks could get it, but Paladin wouldn't let those he employed work all day; they'd all end up soaked and catching an illness.

She went up to the window and held up the envelope to the light, hoping to see and decipher the faint script inside. Nothing. She paced up and down the study, anxiously flapping the envelope against her other hand while in her thoughts. Did Essie accomplish what she set out to do? If not, what was written in the letter to say how her little nephew would fare back in Brandy Hall with his father? She sighed heavily, finally setting the envelope in the middle of Paladin's desk where he couldn't miss it, and walked out.

She decided to check on the two younger children before heading towards the kitchen to help her daughters with tea. She first went to Pervinca's room. So peaceful and restful the child looked in slumber. Eglantine smiled. Not a care in the world, she thought, as ought to be, unlike some others. She next went to Merry's room where Pimpernel said he was sleeping; it was unusual for a child his age to be napping so much and for so long.

"Merry?" Eglantine whispered, softly knocking as she opened the door. Lying on the bed, the boy turned to face her, rubbing his eyes. "Are you still tired, sweetie?"

Merry shook his head. "My tummy hurts."

Eglantine sat beside him on his bed. "I'm sorry, Merry! I didn't know your tummy was hurting you. Does it hurt a little, or a lot?"

Merry thought for a quick moment. "Only a little, but it hurts." He put his hands to his stomach.

"Well, let's see." Eglantine kindly took his hands aside and gently pressed into his stomach to see if it was something he'd eaten and wasn't processing very well. "Does that hurt?" Merry shook his head. Next, Eglantine reached over and felt his forehead. No fever. "I don't know what to tell you, love. Do you feel better when you're lying down?" She watched him nod and saw his eyes were welling up with tears, as if he were about to cry.

"Oh, sweetie," She swept him into her lap, "You're too little to have so much on your heart."

Nearly an hour later, Paladin came home and found his wife doing the same thing he found her doing when he returned from taking his sister to town some days ago. "Your doing a lot of that with him lately, aren't you?"

Eglantine shrugged as she rocked her young nephew in the rocking chair. "It's what we mothers do best." She kissed Merry's forehead, "Does your tummy still hurt, love?" He wearily shook his head, laying it back onto her shoulder, putting his thumb back into his mouth.

"There's a letter addressed to you I left on your desk--a special letter." She eyeballed Merry.

Paladin nodded in understanding. "Why didn't you open it--if it was important?" Looking at their nephew.

"Because it was addressed only to you, dear, and don't think for a moment that I wasn't tempted!", Eglantine smiled.

Paladin grinned at the thought of his wife's curiosity being bested by a sealed envelope. "I only hope it's good news. I will bring it back here so we can read it together."

He left for his study and came back a few moments later with the envelope. He broke open the seal, took out the letter and then sat at an angle where both he and his wife could read it. It read:

"Dearest Brother,

Cousin Frodo has been visiting Bilbo Baggins in Hobbiton again and has offered to bring Merry back with him and Bilbo tomorrow, the 3rd of September. I could not resist the offer as I am still working on Sara. He is proving to be more difficult than I first thought, but at least he has stopped tipping the bottle as he has been. I can say in this at least, that Merry's father is in a more presentable form, and because of this, you can tell Merry that we haven't shouted at each other all week.

Thank you, Paladin and Eglantine, for opening your home and your hearts to my son. I love you both.

All my love,

Essie"