After being spurned by Estella at the dance, Merry decided he may as well come to call on Peony Bracegirdle. She was quite pretty, pleasant company, and she was interested in him. So that's what he had done. The very next day, in fact, and news spread quickly. His attempts to make Estella jealous with Peony had come back to bite him when both lasses involved misunderstood his intentions, but perhaps that was all for the best.

For her part, Estella seemed to be largely unbothered by what most would have perceived to be very insulting.

Fred, however, had not been pleased with him, and had told him so in a drunken rant. He'd publicly called Merry names of all sorts, shouted that he was dishonorable, dishonest, contemptible, and vile. He repeated Estella's accusation of "skirt chaser," and added his own more vulgar insults as well. "I'll not have you using my sister to get what you want!" In his inebriated state, he had even tried to hit Merry to avenge what he perceived as a slight against Estella.

A week after the drunken outburst from Fred, Merry had received a letter from his old friend, requesting a visit. Merry had quickly extended the invitation for Fred to come to Crickhollow, and he was accepted.

They sat in chairs in the garden that evening, smoking and watching the wind bend the branches of the trees as the sun began sinking in the western sky.

"I s'pose I wanted to apologize," Fred said after a long silence. "For the things I said to you last week. I didn't mean them." He drew a breath of his tobacco then exhaled the smoke slowly. "Most of them."

Merry shrugged his shoulders. He felt uncomfortable receiving such an apology when many of the things Fred had accused him of were true. "I am sorry as well," he offered. "No hard feelings then?"

Fred shook his head and took more puffs from his pipe. "No hard feelings," he agreed. "Estella is not upset with you, somehow, so I will make an effort not to hold a grudge. But I am going to ask you to stay away from her. She wasn't hurt this time, but I won't be as forgiving if it happens again."

Merry nodded, the guilt growing within him. His intended outcome from the dance hadn't come to fruition, but regardless of how it turned out, he had used both girls, if he were honest.

"She hasn't got anyone but me to look out for her, you know, since Dad died. I failed at it before, while you were away. I thought I'd done enough to keep her safe, but... but I was wrong. Did you know they'd put her in the Lockholes too, Merry? She got out before you got back but she..." Fred's voice trailed off and he didn't complete his thought.

In fact, Merry had not known that Estella has been imprisoned. "Wasn't she practically still a tween? Did she pull a Lobelia on Lotho's ruffians?" he joked.

Fred let out a huff. "It's not funny. And what makes you think they cared how old she was? I know you saw more and worse when you were away, but things were bad here too. Very bad, in fact, for a lot of us."

Merry apologized once again. He knew it was not funny. He'd had taken Pippin aside after they had freed the prisoners to console him it has been so awful. Why, Fred himself had nearly died. If they had come much later, it was unlikely he would have made it.

Fred stood then and offered his hand. Merry took it firmly.

"You'll stay away from Estella?"

"On my honor," he said.

"Good. I'll be on my way then."

When Merry came inside, Diamond and Pippin were in their usual evening position; Pippin sitting in his favorite armchair with a pipe in hand, his wife on the floor at his feet, playing a small lyre.

Diamond was such a peculiar lass, though far and away the most beautiful one Pippin could have chosen for a bride. Merry's deep love and regard for Pippin carried over to her, but he would still readily concede that she was very odd.

Almost immediately after their marriage she had gotten Pippin into a daily routine more consistent than Merry had ever seen before. She was often unyielding in it, becoming angry or needing Pippin to console her if things changed without warning. Though the two could often be heard chattering and giggling together in private, Diamond seldom spoke at all, or spoke very little to others, if she did not know them well. She had at last grown to be at ease with Merry, after four years of marriage and living in the same home, but it had taken months for her to feel comfortable speaking freely around him.

Diamond was also a gifted musician, something Merry had enjoyed this from the beginning of their relationship. Diamond seemed able to play any instrument with strings, the harp being her favorite. And she was quite a talent, nearly rivaling some of the music Merry had heard from the elves in his time abroad. Since Pippin had married her, Crickhollow was filled with gentle music every night and it brought such delight and peace to his heart.

"You look sullen," Pippin said, but Merry knew it was meant as a question. He wondered what Fred had come to say.

"Estella," Merry replied. "Didn't like how I treated her, clearly. He apologized for shouting at me."

"Using her to make another lass jealous is a bit low, even for you," Pippin told him. Laughing merrily, he took a few puffs from his pipe. "The truth hurts, doesn't it, Merry?"

"Don't pretend you were any different before Diamond came along."

Pippin feigned offense and put a hand over his heart. "You'd not lay the crimes of a mere child at my feet, would you? All my mistakes can be chalked up to youth and inexperience. The moment I turned 33, I settled down with my lovely lass." Here he cast his gaze at Diamond, who beamed like the sun and looked at Pippin with such love Merry could feel it from across the room.

"You were still 32," she reminded.

"That is true, my sweeting. What excuse have you got, Merry?" Pippin continued, bringing his eyes back to his friend. "You're what, pushing 44 now, yes?"

Merry chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "You know, at the dance I was actually hoping Estella would be the jealous one," he admitted, hoping to slightly assuage his conscience with the admission.

Pippin shook his head in great surprise and even Diamond set down her lyre, scolding him. "That is most unfair to Peony!"

Pippin was quick to add, "And to Estella, as well. You ought to have just told her you were interested."

"I did," Merry insisted. "She didn't believe me. I told her twice, actually. Once in July and at the dance."

"Hold on a moment," Pippin said. "When did you decide you fancied Estella Bolger?"

"I didn't decide anything, Pip, it just happened. But she wasn't interested. Peony is and I've been enjoying our time together quite well anyways." This conversation hadn't quite gone the way Merry had assumed it would. His conscience was not assuaged in the least.

Diamond looked at Merry with her head slightly tilted to the side, her gray eyes soft with what Merry perceived as pity. At length, she sighed and went back to her lyre. Pippin merely continued to shake his head.

"I think Fatty was right about you," he said.

Merry thought so too.