Notes to Readers:

Have I told you lately how much I appreciate my reviewers, especially those of you who take the time to send me regular notes? I certainly do.

Xena, Ferdi is fun to write, all right. I try to make him human and fallible and not too amazing. Hope it works!

Bookworm, yes, patience is a virtue, and will be rewarded in future. How far in future, I cannot divulge. It is on an outline, I can tell you that much, of a story that has the first few chapters written.

Hai, I don't know if Ferdi has taken it all in stride or if he just has so much class (or maybe it is pride) that he appears to take it in stride. I knew someone a bit like him once upon a time.

Aemilia Rose, picnics are invariably romantic, I think, when you get the right people together.

FantasyFan,  well, thank you, but not quite all the loose ends are wrapped up, yet... that's why there is one more chapter after this one.

Miriel, good to see you again! How's that old Spanish coming along? "Como esta Usted?" "Muy bien, gracias, y Usted?" (90% of the Spanish I remember from high school. Sorry, can't do those upside-down question marks.) Patience paid off, and you get to finally see Farry and Goldi. Whew. Thanks for the kind words.

I continue to post new chapters simultaneously to ffnet and www.storiesofarda.com. So if ffnet has a bad day, hopefully you can still get your update of the continuing saga... StoriesofArda has author alerts, and can send author replies to reviewers, imagine that!

Comments are always welcome. Have some tea and a ginger biscuit fresh from the oven...(Frodo! Leave some for the guests!)

Look for an update in "Runaway" on the morrow, if all goes well, and the final chapter of "Truth" the day after. When "Truth" ends, a story with a new main character will begin. Hope you enjoy getting to know Fredegar Bolger as much as I did.

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Chapter 23. Teatime with the Thain

They sang their way out of the courtyard, across the wide field, over a hill to the meadow where hobbits of the Great Smials often chose to picnic. Wildflowers bloomed in profusion, butterflies danced in the air, a tiny brook chuckled sparkling over bright stones, and a lark sang its sweet serenade so high above them that it was a mere speck in the sky.

'Lovely,' Diamond said. 'Come, lasses, let us spread the feast.' The Thain and his sons quickly had the blankets stretched out upon the ground, and Diamond, Goldilocks, and Forget-me-not laid out the food, enough for an army, it seemed. Jonquil's duty, as littlest maid, was to be in the way, for the most part, singing blithely as she adjusted the positions of the plates for best effect. Finally all was ready.

Goldilocks rose and made a courtesy to the Thain and his wife, thanking them for their invitation. 'You're most welcome, my dear,' Diamond said warmly. She patted the blanket next to herself. 'Sit down, now, you must eat before the locusts devour all.' Indeed, her sons were eyeing the food hungrily. Pippin waited until the ladies had been served before he gave the word to the lads to dive in, and dive in they did, headfirst and headlong.

As they ate, the Thain regaled all with stories, and there was much laughter. At one point, Diamond said, 'This has been such a delight! I hope you can join us again, and often, Goldi!' Goldilocks nodded and smiled, but avoided Faramir's glance. How could she bear to spend more time in their company, in Farry's company? Her heart was already heavy with all she had vowed to give up, "for the good of the Shire".

When they finished, Diamond started to pack up the baskets, saying, 'Farry, Meri, it's time to pick a drift of wildflowers that the lasses may make their garlands.'

'What is a picnic without garlands, after all?' Pippin laughed. 'Goldi, you and Ruby (as they called Forget-me-not for "short", after Diamond's sister) had better go along and direct the lads, lest they pick all the wrong colours and spoil the effect.'

'Joy,' Diamond said to little Jonquil, 'you stay here with me and we shall make our own garland.'

'Who will pick my flowers?' Jonquil pouted.

'I will, of course!' the Thain said regally, taking his littlest daughter's hand and dropping a kiss upon it. 'I am your most ardent secret admirer.'

'Secret's out,' Diamond whispered behind her hand while Jonquil giggled.

'Oops,' Pippin said. 'Well let's just keep it between us, shall we?' He made a sweeping bow. 'Ladies? If you will proceed, I await your choice…'

They wandered, and the Thain stooped to pluck each blossom his wife or youngest daughter selected. It was not long before he was wiping his brow and groaning beneath the "heavy load" of the armful of wildflowers he bore. Diamond laughingly took pity on him and said, 'We must stop here, before we denude the hillside! Come, Joy, let us weave our garlands.' The three sat down together and began to braid, until little Jonquil's eyelids grew heavy and she fell asleep, head on her father's lap.

'What a good idea,' the Thain yawned, and Diamond patted her own lap. Carefully, so as not to disturb his sleeping daughter, the Thain laid his own head down, and soon he, too, was asleep while his wife stroked his hair and watched over the flower-gathering tweens and the twins, who were busy seeing who could catch the most hoppers.

Together the young folk wandered, Farry and his younger brother Merigrin cutting the flowers that the lasses pointed out, and soon each had an armload to bear back to the blankets. There all sat down again, and the lads obediently handed flowers to the lasses on demand, watching the garlands grow under the skillful fingers.

'There!' Goldi said. 'Now give me your hat, Ruby, for this will suit perfectly, I believe.' She wound the weaving of wildflowers around the hat's crown, and held it out away from herself with a critical eye, tucking more flowers in here and there, studying the effect. Finally, she held the hat out. 'What do you think?'

'O it is beautiful!' little Forget-me-not breathed.

'Just like its owner,' Goldi smiled, putting the hat on the little girl's head and tying the ribbons. Forget-me-not presented her with a necklace made from her own carefully chosen flowers, and Goldi adorned herself with grave thanks. The Thain sat up, refreshed, and admired the effect of the flowers, while Jonquil stirred and rubbed her eyes, then rose to dance a few steps in delight at her own flower-adorned hat that Diamond had decorated as her littlest daughter slept.

'You lasses look fit to grace the court of the King and Queen,' Pippin said solemnly. 'Unlike you ruffians,' he added, turning suddenly to seize the twins, who'd been at the jelly and were well-smeared and sticky. The Thain hauled his youngest sons over to the little brook and proceeded to wash them, despite their vigorous protests. All three ended up quite damp from the exercise.

'Time to head back,' Diamond said. There was a general groan, but the Thain supported his wife, of course. ('I dare not gainsay her,' he whispered to Goldi. 'She'll put me on water rations, you know.') They finished packing away the last of the plates and silver and folded up the blankets, stuffing all into the baskets.

Goldi found that the basket she shared with Farry was considerably lighter, for the food and drink were now inside the hobbits, and everyone was carrying his or her share. They sang their way back to the Great Smials, and it was with a pang of regret that Goldi thanked her hosts once again and turned to go in.

'We must do this again, as soon as the election is over and you return from Michel Delving,' Diamond said.

'Indeed,' the Thain answered. 'I will impress upon the Mayor the need to make a good long visit at the Smials after the election.'

'If he's still Mayor,' Goldi said doubtfully.

Pippin's laughter rang out. 'Whether or not he is,' he said, 'he's always welcome here! But I have no doubt as to the outcome.' He took Goldi's hand and bowed over it, much as if she were a grown-up hobbit. 'Thank you again, my dear,' he added.

'You're most welcome, Sir,' she replied. 'My parents will be wondering what has become of me...'

'Then go,' Diamond said, 'and thank them from us, for sparing you.'

'Yes, Mistress,' Goldi said, and entered the Smials, where over the eventide meal she was prompted to share with her family every detail of the picnic.

When she retired after late supper, she slowly removed the garland from her neck and hung it up on the mirror. The flowers were already wilting, as wildflowers do, but as she sat before the mirror and brushed her hair, they reminded her of the brightness of the day. Her littler sisters were already abed, and asleep, when she laid down her brush.

She was about to blow out the candle and seek her own pillow, when her mother stepped softly into the room, a bulky packet in one hand.

'Goldi?' she said, her voice low so as not to disturb the others.

'Yes, Mum?' Goldi whispered, turning from the mirror.

'I have something here that belongs to you,' Rose said. Ah, how grown-up her daughter looked, not the little girl she remembered, but a tween already, well on her way to adulthood. She held out the packet, and Goldi took it questioningly.

'Belongs to me?' she echoed.

'Take a look,' Rose murmured.

Goldi looked... and gasped. The bundle was made up of envelopes, each directed to her, in clear, bold handwriting she knew at a glance.

'Yes,' Rose said. 'They are Farry's letters to you. We were wrong to keep them from you, Goldi, and I hope you will forgive us. Your father and I... we didn't want to see you hurt, and so... I fear we have hurt you, ourselves, by our actions.'

'O Mum,' Goldi breathed, then stopped, not knowing what to say.

'Farry's father is giving him your letters this night, even as we speak,' Rose went on. 'If...' she paused, seeking for the right words. 'If this friendship that has grown up between the two of you... if it is meant to be more than that, well, we have decided that you ought to have a chance to see... if it is more, or if it is just a lovely friendship.'

Goldi nodded, taking in her mother's words.

'Goldi,' her mother said, demanding her full attention. She met Rose's gaze. 'I would rather that it was not more, for reasons you well know.' Goldilocks nodded. 'But if it is something that is meant to be, then you will have my blessing, and your father's. We love you, Daughter, and want only for your happiness.'

'O Mum,' she breathed, and hugged her mother. Rose's arms tightened around her.

'O Goldi-lass, it seems only yesterday you were lisping "Mum" for the first time,' she said, a catch in her voice. 'But kittens grow up, and so do lasses... and we would be fools to try and stop them. Bless you, lovey, and now, go to sleep.'

Goldi, usually an obedient child, kissed her mother on the cheek and sought her pillow, putting the precious packet of letters under it, to be at hand first thing on the morrow... but she did not go to sleep, not for quite awhile.