A Pearl Beyond Price 5: Aftermath
The Great Smials, 1402
Pearl returned to consciousness in her room with the sight of her cousin's anxious blue eyes looking into her own hazel ones. She felt battered and bruised. It had been difficult to come back to consciousness and it took Pearl a moment to realize what had happened.
"Frodo," she asked in a faint voice, "Where are Merry and Pippin. Is Lalia..." Pearl could not bring herself to say the word. The last thing she remembered was the chair slipping through her fingers. She knew that, however sturdy Lalia might appear, she was an old woman and old women had brittle bones. The stone steps and landing would have been unforgiving to them.
Frodo brushed her hair back from her face and said, "Merry and Pippin are fine, the rascals. They are very worried about you but they were hungry and have gone in search of food. Lalia is dead."
Pearl remembered something, frowned, and said, "Frodo, did I see you disappear? I remember you were there in the garden, and then you were gone."
Frodo seemed to want to say something but thought for what seemed like a long time before he replied. In a deliberate tone, he said, "Pearl, you did not tell Lalia about Rosemary, did you?"
This got her temper up and she retorted, "Of course, I did not. How dare you think otherwise, Frodo Baggins! I have no idea how the old witch found out but I assure you I had nothing to do with it."
Frodo laughed and said, "You seem to have your wits about you, Pearl, and to have some energy. That is a relief. I do apologize, though. I should not have suspected you of betraying my confidence. It is..." He paused and ran his hand through his hair before continuing, "...a difficult subject for me."
Pearl's ire abated and, in a calmer voice, she said, "I know it is and I am sorry she found out." She started to cry and said, "I hated her, Frodo. I really did but I never thought to cause anyone's death, even Lalia's. It is my fault she is dead. I let the chair go."
Frodo held her hand and, in a gentle voice, said," Shhhh....stop that nonsense. You fainted, Pearl. You might not have done that if it had not been for me. I was trying to avoid Lalia, you see."
Pearl's eyes widened and she noted the look of sadness and guilt on Frodo's face. She blurted out the answer to her own question, "So, you did disappear. How is that possible?"
He sighed and said, "I can not really tell you, Pearl. It is something I inherited from Bilbo and Gandalf told me to keep it safe. I should not really be using it, although I know Bilbo used it to avoid the Sacksville- Bagginses."
Pearl was astonished and she replied, "Gandalf? The wizard with the fireworks, you mean?"
Frodo nodded and said, "The very one. He would not be pleased with this situation."
Pearl asked miserably, "What will happen to me now? Does everyone blame me?"
Frodo frowned and said, "They should not..."
Frodo's words were interrupted with a knock on the door and two young hobbits burst into the room. It was Merry and Pippin.
Pippin exclaimed joyously, "Pearl, you are alright!" He proceeded to jump on the bed next to her and hugged her."
"We brought you some cake," Merry said shyly.
Pearl thanked and kissed the boys. She surprised herself by eating the whole piece of cake.
Pearl heard a soft knock at the door. It was Ferumbras. He had obviously been crying for the death of his mother but his bearing was more commanding than Pearl remembered. He seemed sad but not angry.
He addressed the boys. "Lads," he said, "I would like a minute alone with Miss Pearl. There are a few things I need to discuss with her."
Frodo, Merry, and Pippin looked at each other and seemed reluctant to leave. Pippin placed himself between Pearl and Ferumbras and was about to say something when Pearl preempted him.
"I will be fine, Pip," she said, "You, Frodo and Merry may go. Thain Ferumbras will not hurt me.
Pearl said that but she was not so sure that it was true. He had never done or said anything untoward or cruel to her but he was Lalia's son and might blame her for his mother's death.
Pearl returned to consciousness in her room with the sight of her cousin's anxious blue eyes looking into her own hazel ones. She felt battered and bruised. It had been difficult to come back to consciousness and it took Pearl a moment to realize what had happened.
"Frodo," she asked in a faint voice, "Where are Merry and Pippin. Is Lalia..." Pearl could not bring herself to say the word. The last thing she remembered was the chair slipping through her fingers. She knew that, however sturdy Lalia might appear, she was an old woman and old women had brittle bones. The stone steps and landing would have been unforgiving to them.
Frodo brushed her hair back from her face and said, "Merry and Pippin are fine, the rascals. They are very worried about you but they were hungry and have gone in search of food. Lalia is dead."
Pearl remembered something, frowned, and said, "Frodo, did I see you disappear? I remember you were there in the garden, and then you were gone."
Frodo seemed to want to say something but thought for what seemed like a long time before he replied. In a deliberate tone, he said, "Pearl, you did not tell Lalia about Rosemary, did you?"
This got her temper up and she retorted, "Of course, I did not. How dare you think otherwise, Frodo Baggins! I have no idea how the old witch found out but I assure you I had nothing to do with it."
Frodo laughed and said, "You seem to have your wits about you, Pearl, and to have some energy. That is a relief. I do apologize, though. I should not have suspected you of betraying my confidence. It is..." He paused and ran his hand through his hair before continuing, "...a difficult subject for me."
Pearl's ire abated and, in a calmer voice, she said, "I know it is and I am sorry she found out." She started to cry and said, "I hated her, Frodo. I really did but I never thought to cause anyone's death, even Lalia's. It is my fault she is dead. I let the chair go."
Frodo held her hand and, in a gentle voice, said," Shhhh....stop that nonsense. You fainted, Pearl. You might not have done that if it had not been for me. I was trying to avoid Lalia, you see."
Pearl's eyes widened and she noted the look of sadness and guilt on Frodo's face. She blurted out the answer to her own question, "So, you did disappear. How is that possible?"
He sighed and said, "I can not really tell you, Pearl. It is something I inherited from Bilbo and Gandalf told me to keep it safe. I should not really be using it, although I know Bilbo used it to avoid the Sacksville- Bagginses."
Pearl was astonished and she replied, "Gandalf? The wizard with the fireworks, you mean?"
Frodo nodded and said, "The very one. He would not be pleased with this situation."
Pearl asked miserably, "What will happen to me now? Does everyone blame me?"
Frodo frowned and said, "They should not..."
Frodo's words were interrupted with a knock on the door and two young hobbits burst into the room. It was Merry and Pippin.
Pippin exclaimed joyously, "Pearl, you are alright!" He proceeded to jump on the bed next to her and hugged her."
"We brought you some cake," Merry said shyly.
Pearl thanked and kissed the boys. She surprised herself by eating the whole piece of cake.
Pearl heard a soft knock at the door. It was Ferumbras. He had obviously been crying for the death of his mother but his bearing was more commanding than Pearl remembered. He seemed sad but not angry.
He addressed the boys. "Lads," he said, "I would like a minute alone with Miss Pearl. There are a few things I need to discuss with her."
Frodo, Merry, and Pippin looked at each other and seemed reluctant to leave. Pippin placed himself between Pearl and Ferumbras and was about to say something when Pearl preempted him.
"I will be fine, Pip," she said, "You, Frodo and Merry may go. Thain Ferumbras will not hurt me.
Pearl said that but she was not so sure that it was true. He had never done or said anything untoward or cruel to her but he was Lalia's son and might blame her for his mother's death.