Chapter Seven

Three days later, Freddie was able to walk across his bedroom on his own. His sister and parents had been helping him for hours on end, trying to get his strength back. He still did not have much of an appetite and still had horrible dreams about the Lockholes, but he would be all right.

He was sitting in a chair in front of the fire, watching the bright flames as they danced around and crackled. Estella came in. "Hello," she said. "Are you feeling well?"

"Better than I did four days ago," her brother replied.

Mrs. Bolger came into the room. "Estella, you have been caring for your brother for three whole days now. I think you should have a rest."

"I don't mind," Estella said. "I don't have anything better to do and I want to help Freddie."

"I know you do, but you've barely slept these past days. Your father and I will take over from you for a bit. Why don't you go take a walk outside? It's been unusually warm since yesterday. You had better enjoy it while you can before the extremely cold weather comes."

Estella sighed. "If you insist." She didn't feel like arguing with her mother that day. After trying to get some tea down her brother, she opened up the door of the hole and went outside.

x-x-x

"So how long do you think it will take to get rid of all the ruffians?" Pippin asked.

"Not long," Merry replied. "I don't think it takes much to scare them off." He and Pippin were riding through the Shire, searching for any ruffians they would have to drive out of the Shire. They were patrolling the Eastfarthing that day and were about to pass by the village of Budgeford.

They rode on in silence for a couple of more minutes, until Pippin unexpectedly asked, "Merry? Why are you so mean to Estella?"

Merry was a little taken aback at the question. "Mean to her? What are you talking about? She's the one who's awful to me."

"And you treat her every bit as horribly," Pippin said. "I just don't understand what it is between you two. Why can't you just get along?"

"I don't know," Merry confessed. "Things have always just been the way they are now. We've always been enemies. I don't even know what started it. I don't think we'll ever get along. She's just so bratty and immature."

"Well, maybe she'll change," Pippin said. "I think she's less of a brat than she was before. And she is maturing. She's become more mature ever since what happened to Freddie. I dropped by her house the day before to check on Freddie and her mother told me that Estella has been completely devoted to him and hasn't left his side."

"Well..." Merry started to say, but couldn't think of anything. "So?"

"So she's taken on responsibilities. She's being unselfish."

Merry sighed. "What are you getting at, Pippin? There has to be a reason for all of this. What is the purpose of pointing out all of Estella's so-called good qualities?" There was blatant sarcasm in his voice as he said the last two words.

Pippin chose his words carefully. "Well, I've just begun to wonder something. There could be some hidden purpose behind the hatred that you and Estella have. Why would you two put so much energy into hating each other? By doing that, you're paying an awful lot of attention to her and-"

"What?" Merry cried. "What are you saying, Pippin? Are you suggesting that I... that I like her? You've gone mad!"

"No need to get so defensive, Merry," said Pippin. "I believe I've struck a nerve then." He grinned at his friend wickedly.

"Just be quiet, Pippin. I hate her, and she hates me! Nothing is ever going to change that and nothing will ever make me or her think otherwise!"

Pippin did not say anything more on the subject, but he decided that he would keep a careful watch on his friend whenever he was around Estella.

x-x-x

Once she had started walking, Estella didn't want to stop. She wanted to just keep walking and never go back home. Her mother had been right. She did need a break.

She had been walking for quite a while now and suddenly heard the clopping of pony hooves. She realized that she had wandered onto the road and Merry and Pippin were riding towards her. She felt her body tense up. Great. Just what she needed. Her least favorite person in the world was going to interrupt her nice walk.

"Hello, Estella!" Pippin said amiably. He brought his pony to a halt and Merry did the same.

Estella stopped walking and stood there right in front of them on the road. "Hello," she mumbled.

Pippin leaned over and nudged Merry. "Say something nice," he whispered, so quietly that only Merry could hear.

Why? Merry wanted to retort, but he didn't say anything to Pippin. He looked down at Estella. "Um... I'm glad to see you today, Estella." He looked at Pippin and then back at Estella. "Er... you look nice."

What is he doing? Estella wondered. His sudden niceness couldn't possibly be sincere. She wondered what he wanted from her. "All right, Merry, what are you getting it? You're obviously pretending to be nice because of some hidden motive or prank that you have in mind." She folded her arms. "Just leave me alone today!"

"Well maybe I just felt like complimenting you today," Merry said hotly. "Now that I know how much that sort of thing offends you, I'll never do it again."

Estella was now confused. What did he mean? He wasn't planning something mean after all?

Merry wondered if Pippin was displeased with him for having a bit of an outburst like that. It was Estella's fault. Why did she always have to let out some rude comment every time he spoke to her? As he looked at her he saw that her eyes were no longer smoldering but only looked confused instead. He hated admitting it, but she really did look pretty that day, and he was going to let her know, even if it made her mad.

"Estella," he said, "I'm not quite as mean as you think I am. Maybe I think you really do look nice. Because I think you do. You're beautiful."

Estella thought she was going to fall over and have a heart attack. Was this some crazy dream? She looked up into his face to see if he was lying, but he appeared sincere. Was he sick? Had something happened to him to make him act like this? She tried to think of something to say, but only blurted out, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you understand human speech?" he said. He spoke slowly, as if she was some dimwitted troll. "I. Think. You're. Beautiful. Understand?" As he looked at her, he realized that he spoke the truth. Why hadn't he realized how pretty she was before? He continued to watch her. Maybe Pippin was right. Maybe she wasn't so bad. Maybe she was maturing.

Estella felt her face go warm and knew she was probably blushing. Did this have anything to do with the incident that occurred when he spent the night at her home? The nightgown incident in which he had seen something that a lad shouldn't see? She desperately hoped not.

She shook her head. "I still don't understand."

Pippin rolled his eyes at his cousin. Merry was taking the niceness thing a little too far.

"Then I'll make you understand," Merry said.

Estella didn't want to hear it. This whole situation was disturbing her. Maybe none of it was real and she would suddenly wake up. She looked around nervously. "I really should go home now. My parents will be expecting me!" And without saying goodbye, she ran off as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran and ran, faster and faster, without even really knowing why.

She was almost home now. She felt a sharp pain in her foot and gasped as she fell to the ground. She had tripped over a tree root and there were grass stains on her dress. She didn't care and got up and kept running until she got to her hole. She flung open the door and flung herself onto her bed as soon as she entered her room.

x-x-x

Merry was still staring in the direction had Estella had taken off in. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," said Pippin. "Nothing at all. Estella was probably too afraid to let out her emotions and so she decided to run instead." He clapped Merry on the shoulder. "Well, you didn't do as horribly as I thought you would."

"Thanks a lot," Merry muttered.

"I had a feeling that this whole hatred business was only to cover up something else," Pippin said. "Something deeper."

Merry was outraged. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I think you're beautiful!" Pippin said, in imitation of his cousin. "How long have you been denying that to yourself, Merry?"

"I've never denied anything like that," Merry said. "You shouldn't tease me just because I was trying to make peace with her and actually be nice for once."

Pippin laughed. "Make peace with her? Be nice? I'm sorry to say that it was more than that, Merry. You may deny it, but I think you're in love with Estella."

"Don't ever say that again!" Merry said. Without another word, he turned his horse around and rode off. Pippin wasn't worried. He would give Merry his space for a little bit and then he would catch up.

Merry was all confused. How exactly did he feel about Estella? All these years he thought he hated her. But maybe that's all it was. Maybe he only thought he hated her. Maybe he was horrible to her and tortured her constantly because he didn't want to admit that he loved her. He didn't know what to think anymore. He was going to do his best to just forget about the whole thing.