Chapter 18
His mind upon the prospect of reading the small book of verse tucked beneath his arm, it took a moment for Frodo to notice that there was something different about his room when he entered. Standing in the centre of the spacious chamber he turned a slow circle. There. Why did he not remember there being a door before? Then he spotted the carefully folded cloth on the floor at its side. Because it had been hidden by a tapestry. But why uncover it now?
Setting aside the forgotten book, Frodo stepped up and touched the handle experimentally, surprised when it turned easily in his tentative grasp. He could hear movement beyond and soft voices. When he recognised one of them as belonging to Bilbo he opened the door wider and four sets of eyes turned towards him in surprise.
Frodo was about to apologise for the intrusion upon Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan and Bilbo, when his mind began to register the other contents of the small bright room. This was very obviously a nursery, its pail yellow walls adorned with pictures of birds and butterflies, trees and flowers. Frodo's hands slipped up to his mouth, to cover the quivering of his chin, but they could not hide the tears that slid down his cheeks and Elrond led him gently to a chair. The hobbit was guided down and Elrohir handed over a small cup of water and encouraged Frodo to sip.
Bilbo was at his side in a moment, rubbing his nephew's back. "Now, now, lad. What's all this? What ever has upset you? We thought you'd be happy. Although we had intended to have it all finished before you got back from your walk with Glorfindel. I'm afraid you caught us all unprepared. We weren't expecting you back just yet."
"It started to rain, so we went to the library. I wanted a book from one of the top shelves and Glorfindel offered to fetch it for me. We had intended to stay and talk for a while but he was called away to attend to something and I decided to return to my room." He glanced down to where Bilbo's hand rested upon his knee. "What's that?"
His uncle held up the small white article and Frodo saw at once that it was a baby's night-gown. Of plain white linen, it was embroidered with tiny forget-me-nots around the neck and hem. Frodo smiled as he handed the empty cup back to Elrohir and took the gown from Bilbo's fingers.
"It's beautiful. Wherever did you get clothing small enough for a hobbit babe in Rivendell?"
Elrond's voice drifted to him from where he now stood with his sons in the centre of the room. "We did not. The clothing arrived yesterday, with this message." He handed over an envelope and Frodo opened it with trembling fingers, recognising the over-neat handwriting of Sam at once.
"Dear Mr Frodo,
I hope you are feeling well. I am well and Masters Meriadoc and Peregrin send their regards.
You know what things are like here and I am sorry that we had to tell you of it but we are pulling everything back together again so you should not worry about us. Hobbits are strong folk and we will come through.
Me and Rose Cotton are going to be wed next May. I wish you could be here to see it but you will have other things to take care of by then. I hope you do not mind that I told my Rosie about you, but I did not want any secrets between us when we start out and she wanted to know why you had not come back with the rest of us. She is worse than Mr Merry for getting secrets out of me.
Anyway. When I told her she went all quiet and I was worried. Then a few days ago she hands me this box. Seems she's been working on these for you for weeks. She says that the elves will likely make you some things but they will be too fine for a hobbit babe. Rosie says a hobbit should have good plain, no-nonsense clothes. I hope Master Elrond will not take offence at that. She did insist on the embroidery though. She says it reminds her of the colour of your eyes.
Should I be jealous, Mr Frodo? Never you worry, sir. I am only joking with you. My Rosie is as true as can be, but she sees everything. She's not going to let me get away with much. Not that I intend to give her any need to.
When I showed them clothes to Master Merry, him and Pippin got together and came up with the idea of sending you some proper hobbit things so that your lad can see what the Shire is like. Gandalf is helping us get them to you and I hope they arrive in good order.
You will know the chest of drawers. We found them when we were cleaning out Bag End. I think they used to be in Mr Bilbo's bedroom. Merry and Pippin had to clean them up a bit and give them a good polish but they were not damaged and we thought they would remind you of home."
Frodo looked about the room and found them by the wall. They were indeed Bilbo's old drawers, the ones he used to keep his waistcoats and shirts in. The top drawer was ajar and Frodo could see that it was now filled with baby clothes. He turned back to the letter.
"I do not know how to thank you for letting me and Rosie have Bag End, now that Mistress Lobelia don't want it. The lady says it holds bad memories for her but it only holds good ones for me. Happy times, when you and Mr Bilbo lived there. Of course, Rosie can hardly wait to move in but it will need a lot of work yet. She says she's never seen a place so big and reckons that by the time she's got from one end to the other with a duster it will be time to start all over again.
The rocking chair is from me. It was my Mam's. Gaffer says she nursed all us children in it and he wanted me and Rosie to have it when we got wed. But we talked about it and Rosie said that she had one from her Mam that she had been promised and that elves would maybe never think of such a comfy thing. And we wanted you to have something to make it home for you and to remember us by. So I hope you won't be offended by the giving of it."
For the first time, Frodo realised what he was sitting in and he leaned back, feeling the chair move and hearing the rockers creak softly as they rolled back and forth on the rug. He let the paper fall to his lap with the night-gown and ran his hands over the smooth, polished wood of the arms. The width of the seat was perfect to accommodate his wide girth, just the right height for climbing in and out of, and he was pleased to see that the faded cushions tied to seat and back had not been replaced. His eyes were misted with tears when he took up the letter once more.
"It is getting late in the year and the weather is closing in a bit but you know, that if you want any of us to be there with you for the birthing, you only have to ask and we will get there. No matter what the weather
We all send our love to you and Mr Bilbo and your little one. You are in our thoughts every day.
Yours truly,
Sam Gamgee."
Accepting the handkerchief his uncle offered, Frodo wiped his eyes and blew his nose.
"How did I ever deserve such dear sweet friends as these?"
"Simply by being you, lad," Bilbo replied, brushing a stray lock of hair behind Frodo's ear. "And there's not just them that have sent presents. Why don't you take a good walk around?"
Frodo accepted Bilbo's help to ease his bulk out of the chair, unconsciously stroking the dark wood of the railed back as he looked about. Elrohir and Elladan had slipped from the room at some time during his reading of the letter and it was Elrond who nodded towards a cradle before the hearth.
The hobbit moved closer, admiring the beautiful carving in the honey coloured wood of its sides and rockers. He recognised at once the symbol of the White Tree, intertwined with ivy leaves and elanor blossom. The cradle was the perfect size for a hobbit babe and had a canopy and covers of the finest deep blue silks and satins, sprinkled liberally with stars. A small note nestled between the legs of a tiny stuffed toy horse upon the down filled quilt and Frodo lifted it, guessing already who had created the gift.
"Dearest Frodo,
We trust that this child will bring you happiness and healing and this gift has been made by our own hands in a poor attempt to show just how much you are loved.
Aragorn, Arwen, Faramir, Eowyn."
Against another wall a small bed had been set, with removable bars for when Calimore grew older. The wood was pale as the moon and as smooth as satin and Frodo recognised at once the delicate work of the elves of Lothlorien. It too, was dressed in soft quilts of the finest embroidered fabrics and lying upon the pillow was a small bunch of dried elanor flowers, tied with a silk ribbon.
A tiny flash of light caught Frodo's eye and drew him to the window, where a delicate creation of coloured crystals twirled on fine mithril chains in the slightest breath of air, sending glinting rainbows of colour dancing about the room from the late autumn sun. He glanced at Elrond in query and the elf smiled.
"From Master Gimli."
The elven lord brought out a small box from behind his back. "And this arrived today."
Frodo recognised the small oak leaf insignia of the Legolas' family on the lid and opened it slowly. Inside was a tiny, carved wooden baby's rattle. The note beneath it was simple.
"May your ears be filled with only happy music. Legolas."
Frodo looked slowly about, trying to memorise every tiny detail and hold it in his heart. He was surrounded by the physical outpouring of his friend's love and he wrapped it around himself like a warm blanket. All fear about his ability to birth his child was washed gently away by their faith that he would one day be sitting with Calimore in his arms, in this room.
TBC