A Pearl Beyond Price 3: Foreshadowings
The Great Smials 1402
Pearl saw that there was nothing for it but to settle the boys in for the rest of the night and, somehow, find an adult to escort them back to Brandy Hall. She gently scolded them because, at just under twelve, Pippin was far too young to be wandering about at night and Merry, who was almost twenty, should have known better. They had, no doubt, scared Esmeralda terribly and put a further burden on her. However, she did not doubt the courage and love in their hearts that brought them here. After a mild scolding, she hugged them and explained that she could not go away with them.
She sighed and said, "I am very glad to see you, dear lads, and I know your hearts are in the right place but I can not leave here yet. It would reflect badly on father if I proved weak or angered Lalia. You will have to go back to Brandy Hall tomorrow and hope that 'Aunt' Esme does not kill you both after she gets over her relief that you are alive. We will just have to find someone to bring you back to her."
"But, Pearl," complained Pippin, "it is not fair! Father should never have made you go. I would have run away! You are braver than me. Lalia scares me!"
Pearl smiled, ruffled his hair, and said, "Nothing in this life is fair, Pip. As for being braver than me, I would never have dared go all the way from Buckland to The Great Smials at night with nothing but a silly, tweenage Brandybuck for company. When you have a duty, I think you will fulfill it."
When she said these words, Pearl felt that they were right. Would her little brother one day serve a master even more frightening than Lalia? If so, she knew he would be able to face it.
She was brought out of this brief spell of thought when an outraged Merry exclaimed, "Silly! I am not silly and I am old enough to go where I want." In a less pugnacious voice he continued, "I left a message for mother. She will probably be worried but she will know where we went."
Pearl smiled at him and said, "I stand by silly but it was brave and daring of you. I think you two will be heroes one day."
This seemed to mollify Merry and Pearl again felt that sense of the rightness of her statement. She felt like a drum that had been tapped and was now gently vibrating. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. She had hardly gotten 6 consecutive hours of sleep since coming here and that was not enough for a hobbit, especially a tweenager. Not only that, Lalia seemed to take a delight in making sure Pearl got only the worst leftovers to eat. She was thinner and paler than when she left Whitwell just over a week ago.
Pippin looked at her with concern and said, "Pearl, I think we ought to go to bed. It is late."
Pearl was very tired now that the adrenaline of seeing the lads arrive had gone and her voice was a hoarse whisper when she said, "I am almost done with Lalia's dress, Pip. I have to finish it. There are some extra blankets in the chest by the window."
Merry and Pippin made a pallet on the floor with the blankets and Pearl, with a last burst of energy finished mending the dress quickly and got into her bed with a great sense of relief. Merry slept on the floor and Pippin curled up next to her in the bed. The extra warmth and the sound of his breathing were comforting and lulled her to sleep.
The next morning they were roused from sleep by a loud pounding on the door and Lalia's demanding screech, which startled birds from the branches of nearby trees.
She shouted, "Get up, you lazy girl! The Baggins boy will be here for elevenses and I need my dress!"
"Oh, dear," thought Pearl, "I will have to tell her about Merry and Pip being here."
Pearl was so tired and hungry she felt dizzy and her voice was faint when she replied, "The dress is ready, Lalia. Give me a moment."
She woke the boys up quietly and motioned them to be quiet. Maybe she could conceal their presence for just a little while, at least until she had some breakfast in her.
The Great Smials 1402
Pearl saw that there was nothing for it but to settle the boys in for the rest of the night and, somehow, find an adult to escort them back to Brandy Hall. She gently scolded them because, at just under twelve, Pippin was far too young to be wandering about at night and Merry, who was almost twenty, should have known better. They had, no doubt, scared Esmeralda terribly and put a further burden on her. However, she did not doubt the courage and love in their hearts that brought them here. After a mild scolding, she hugged them and explained that she could not go away with them.
She sighed and said, "I am very glad to see you, dear lads, and I know your hearts are in the right place but I can not leave here yet. It would reflect badly on father if I proved weak or angered Lalia. You will have to go back to Brandy Hall tomorrow and hope that 'Aunt' Esme does not kill you both after she gets over her relief that you are alive. We will just have to find someone to bring you back to her."
"But, Pearl," complained Pippin, "it is not fair! Father should never have made you go. I would have run away! You are braver than me. Lalia scares me!"
Pearl smiled, ruffled his hair, and said, "Nothing in this life is fair, Pip. As for being braver than me, I would never have dared go all the way from Buckland to The Great Smials at night with nothing but a silly, tweenage Brandybuck for company. When you have a duty, I think you will fulfill it."
When she said these words, Pearl felt that they were right. Would her little brother one day serve a master even more frightening than Lalia? If so, she knew he would be able to face it.
She was brought out of this brief spell of thought when an outraged Merry exclaimed, "Silly! I am not silly and I am old enough to go where I want." In a less pugnacious voice he continued, "I left a message for mother. She will probably be worried but she will know where we went."
Pearl smiled at him and said, "I stand by silly but it was brave and daring of you. I think you two will be heroes one day."
This seemed to mollify Merry and Pearl again felt that sense of the rightness of her statement. She felt like a drum that had been tapped and was now gently vibrating. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. She had hardly gotten 6 consecutive hours of sleep since coming here and that was not enough for a hobbit, especially a tweenager. Not only that, Lalia seemed to take a delight in making sure Pearl got only the worst leftovers to eat. She was thinner and paler than when she left Whitwell just over a week ago.
Pippin looked at her with concern and said, "Pearl, I think we ought to go to bed. It is late."
Pearl was very tired now that the adrenaline of seeing the lads arrive had gone and her voice was a hoarse whisper when she said, "I am almost done with Lalia's dress, Pip. I have to finish it. There are some extra blankets in the chest by the window."
Merry and Pippin made a pallet on the floor with the blankets and Pearl, with a last burst of energy finished mending the dress quickly and got into her bed with a great sense of relief. Merry slept on the floor and Pippin curled up next to her in the bed. The extra warmth and the sound of his breathing were comforting and lulled her to sleep.
The next morning they were roused from sleep by a loud pounding on the door and Lalia's demanding screech, which startled birds from the branches of nearby trees.
She shouted, "Get up, you lazy girl! The Baggins boy will be here for elevenses and I need my dress!"
"Oh, dear," thought Pearl, "I will have to tell her about Merry and Pip being here."
Pearl was so tired and hungry she felt dizzy and her voice was faint when she replied, "The dress is ready, Lalia. Give me a moment."
She woke the boys up quietly and motioned them to be quiet. Maybe she could conceal their presence for just a little while, at least until she had some breakfast in her.