Chapter 9

A Kiss Sweeter Than Honey

Determined steps walked confidently down the corridor of Brandy Hall and turned heading towards the Master of Buckland's study. Knowing his father as he did, whenever possible, Saradoc always retreated to his study when he found a few moments by himself.

Merry could not imagine how his father could tolerate his obsessiveness over his journals and business of running Brandy Hall. He rarely remembered a time where his father did not have one of those offensive journals in his hand, paging through it and reading them or having a quill stuck between his fingers and adding up the columns of figures.

If the running of Brandy Hall required one to give so much of their time sitting behind a desk, then for Merry he wanted nothing to do with this. He would not live his life behind his father's desk.

Opening the door to his father's study, Merry heard the shuffling of papers and the tapping of a quill into an ink well. Just as Merry predicted, there sat his father.

Seeing his son enter, Saradoc put down his quill and sat back in his chair while he waited for his son to approach.

Taking the chair that sat in front of the Master of Buckland's desk, Merry sat to speak with his father.

"I have said my farewells to the Broadbelts and the coach has left Brandy Hall," Merry paused and noticed the journal sitting open in front of his father with rows of figures being deciphered and then he added. "If you have a moment, Da, I wish to speak to you about this arranged courtship."

Saradoc knew that he and his son would be having this conversation after meeting his newest guest, but he was a bit surprised at the suddenness of this. Esmeralda opened the study door and came in to visit with her husband. Seeing Merry and her beloved sitting in a serious conversation with each other, she was glad that she brought the remaining tea and cakes left over from saying her farewells to the Broadbelts.

Placing the tray upon the table in front of the settee, she asked them to join her. "If we are going to be discussing something of importance, then we should sit for tea while doing so," she offered. She patted the settee to gesture where her son should sit.

After pouring the tea and serving the cakes, Esmeralda faced her son waiting for him to explain himself.

Merry cleared his throat and began. "I have come to ask that I be released out of this courtship with Miss Broadbelt."

Sipping her tea, Esmeralda looked over at he husband to see how he felt about this before she answered her son. Saradoc gave a quick nod to show his agreement to where he stood on this subject. However, for her, she was not as sure as her husband. "Tell me why, Merry? Are you not getting along with Miss Broadbelt? Has she done something that has upset you in any way?

"No, Mum," Merry shook his head. "She is a very capable young lass, smart with the business of raising ponies. We are friends, to be sure. But I feel nothing more for her than friendship. I do not wish to court Myrtle Broadbelt any longer."

"Well, Merry, you may have not given enough time to really get to know her. Perhaps if you took a little more time, you might feel differently about her," his mother offered.

Saradoc turned to his son and his curiosity about how his son was feeling about the young lass who came to visit un-expectantly. "Then do you wish to court the lass who is visiting today?

"I don't wish to court anyone!" added Merry frankly.

Esmeralda turned to her husband, "We have more guests?"

"Yes, dear," added Saradoc. "A Miss Estella Bolger and her brother Fredegar will be here for a couple of days before heading back to Stock."

Esmeralda raised her eyebrow in not being told about this from her husband. "If Merry wishes to court her, then why have I not been properly introduced?" she asked a bit perturbed.

Merry turned to his mother, "I am not asking to court Estella Bolger!" He exclaimed a little louder, but his comment fell on deaf ears, while his mother and father spoke to each other.

Talking over his son's comments, Saradoc knew he was in for it with his wife. He could see her displeasure of not being informed about this sooner. "They came unexpected just this afternoon and since Merry seemed smitten with the lass, I agreed to end this courtship with Miss Broadbelt."

Merry cast unbelievable eyes towards his father and commented. "I am not smitten!" Merry insisted loudly, but they did not listen to him.

"How can Merry be smitten with a lass and wanting to court her only after just meeting her a few moments ago?" she too raised her voice in setting with the tone of her son's voice and becoming confused by all of this.

"My dear!" exclaimed Saradoc loudly. "Our Merry has known this lass since his childhood when he would visit Hobbiton. Then seeing her again recently and then discovering that he thought she was married…."

Esmeralda's eyebrow rose in shock and horror towards her husband and she shouted at him. "Saradoc! Our Merry can not be in love with a married lass! This is unheard of!" she shouted angrily.

Saradoc pointed at his son and shouted back, "Miss Bolger is from Hobbiton and is not a married hobbitess, she is a single lass who is in love with our son!"

Merry looked surprised and shocked all at the same time and becoming perturbed by his parents argument over his affairs, shouted loudly back at them, "Estella is not in love with me, nor I am with her. We are just friends!"

Estella decided to walk through the corridor and was admiring Brandy Hall, when she heard her name being mentioned a few times and hearing Merry's loud voice. She went over to the door and put her ear next to it. The door being thick enough did not omit the sound of intelligible words to be heard, but rather just the loud noise of it and the sound of her name being spoken. She decided to go in and see what was occurring.

"Then if Miss Bolger is not a Bucklander and she is from Hobbiton, no less!" Esmeralda shouted angrily. "I will not allow our Merry out of his courtship with Miss Myrtle Broadbelt, Saradoc! He will marry a Bucklander!"

"I'm not marrying anyone!" shouted Merry protesting loudly.

"If he is in love with Miss Bolger, does it really make a difference as long as she is Shire born!" insisted Saradoc to his wife.

"Da, I am not smitten with Estella Bolger and I do not love Estella Bolger and I am never going to marry her!" Merry shouted angrily raising his voice louder so they would hear him. Being so angry at his parents, Merry crossed his arms in front of himself and turned around. Seeing Estella standing there with the most hurt look upon her lovely face, Merry's heart sunk and his eyes widened in surprise.

"If you would only let me get a word in edgewise, I could explain this all to you," insisted Saradoc to his wife and becoming perturbed by all this fussing.

Merry grabbed his father's arm and pulled at him to turn him around. Seeing Estella standing there, he too fell instantly silent looking at her while her tears began to fall from her eyes.

Turning around, she opened the door and ran out crying.

"Now look what you have done!" shouted Merry at his parents and ran calling out to her.

"Estella, Please wait!"

xxx

Servants stood frozen in the hallway with residences of Brandy Hall behind them when they heard the loud shouting coming from the Master's door. They heard their Master shouting and their Mistress as well. When the door opened and a lass came running out with tears falling from her eyes and then the young Master running after her, they all stood and watched.

Frantically she ran even faster through the corridors and out the door of Brandy Hall and turned towards the stable. Servants from the kitchen stood shocked to see the young master chasing a lass through the doorways and corridor. Their eyes first followed the lass and then Master Meridoc who ran as fast as his legs carried him, all the while begging her to stop.

Estella kept running until she entered the stable and Merry suddenly caught up with her and grabbed her spinning her around and into his arms holding her tightly.

"Let go of me!" she shouted at him and pounded on his chest.

"No!" insisted Merry doing his best to hold on to her. "Not until you listen to me!"

"I'll not hear any more of what you have to say!" cried Estella still sobbing.

"I'm sorry!" Merry pleaded with her. "Please, let me explain this to you."

"I already know your true feelings about me, Merry!" she sobbed through her tears. "You made that quite clear to your parents, who also hate me!"

"They don't know you yet, Estella," Merry begged and wrapped his arms around her thin waist and pressed her closer to him, trying to hold her still. "I do care for you a great deal."

"That's not what I heard coming from your own lips!" she cried. "Let go of me, I'll not hear your lies!"

Exhaustion took a hold of Estella while she fought to free herself from Merry's strong arms that held her in place and she broke down sobbing and crying upon his shoulder.

When Merry felt the fight go out of her, tenderly he held her to him and let her cry upon his shoulder. He stroked her soft thick curls and smelt the gentle fragrance of her hair, trying his best to calm her. Hearing her crying upon his shoulder and feeling her trembling sobs, crumbed his heart to its core and the battle that once waged within him was won while the other surrendered in defeat. He moved his lips closer to the side of her cheek and felt the soft delicate texture of her skin and he spoke gently and kindly, almost whispering in her ear.

"I lied, Estella. I lied to my Mum and Da. I do love you. I have loved you from the first moment I wiped the soot from your lovely eyes and across your beautiful lips." Merry's voice trembled and while his own tears filled his eyes from what he was feeling in his own heart for her, he continued.

"I loved you when you stood in front of me in the clearing while I gathered rocks from the creek. I loved when I wrapped my arms around you and put you upon my pony. I loved you when I heard you laughing and giggling while we raced across the hills. When I brought you back to your home and I saw that lad waiting for you. You dashed from me and ran to hug him. I felt my heart leave me because I believed that he was your husband and I was forever lost to you. Then here you are again, standing in front of me and now knowing my worst fear was not true and you are free to love whom you will. I only beg you, that it is me that you will love."

Estella lifted her tear streaked face from his shoulder and looked into Merry's pleading eyes and saw the love that filled them for her and she allowed his lips to kiss her while she returned it equally unto him. With her kiss, Merry surrendered to her, giving to her all of his heart and his dreams of Rohan, Fangorn Forest and Minas Tirith seemed lesser to him and her kiss was sweeter than any honey that he had ever tasted.

Sitting on the hay stack, Tom wiped his tears that flowed from his eyes while he watched the tender scene of his master who had won the love of the beautiful lass that kissed him.

Thinking that his master should be left alone with his lady, Tom tried to sneak out of the stable. Quietly he snuck over to Snowclad's stall to take her out for her daily walk a little earlier than their usual time.

When Tom opened her stall, Snowclad had other ideas than what Tom had wanted to do. She made a run over to Merry and Estella, prancing and tossing her long white mane. Estella giggled when the pony rubbed her nose against her and nudged her so she would pet her. Estella put her arms around Snowclad's neck and rested she soft cheek against her white fur. Merry petted his pony's silky nose and said, "You have stolen her heart as well as mine."

Estella's brilliant blue eyes sparkled with tears that filled her heart with joy and she smiled at Merry. "I love her also," and gently petted her long white fur.

Merry turned to Tom and gave him an order, "Tom, go into the kitchen and fill a basket. My lady and I are going to have a private supper in one of my most favorite spots in Buckland."

Tom smiled and took off running into Brandy Hall's kitchen to speak to the old cook.

xxx

It did not take long until Tom was back with the basket and wise words from the cook. "Hatty told me ta tell ya 'at picnics are fer luncheons and court'n is best served in the eye 'o others ta stop the dog wagglers from a gossip'n. Then she said, knowing ya the best as she does, she packed ya yer favorite wineyard an' her best biscuits." With that said, Tom handed Merry his basket and watched while he helped Estella sit in front of him on his pony and wrapped his arms around her.

Merry gave Tom a wink and a smile before he kicked his pony and dashed out of the stables.

The great hall was in a stir of questions and gossip from the residence and servants when the Brandybuck's table sat empty for the evening meal. Word has it that Merry has run away to get married and the Master of Buckland and his Lady were not on speaking terms.

Hatty was fit to be tied and the pots and pans banged loudly in the kitchen.

A/N: Thank you all who are reading this story and especially to those who have given reviews. They keep me wanting to write more chapters…

Pip 4, I am so glad that you are enjoying my story. I hope you keep coming back to read more chapters…(smiling…)

Diamond North Took, Thank you! I'm a bit shy in saying too much about myself…I love suspense and I am hoping this story will be full of it and keep you interested enough to keep coming back to find out more about Merry and Estella, and what Myrtle is going to do next! You have a sharp eye in not trusting her….Merry is soon to find out the hard way.

Fate and Time, You really made me smile by your review…I am jumping up and down knowing that you like this story. Hands you a big chocolate chip cookie for your kind words….as you can tell by my stories, Merry keeps me interesting in writing more about him. But of coarse, I still love Sam, Frodo, Bilbo and Pippin….gives all the hobbits a hug and squeals with excitement….Hobbit love!