Day Eight
Pippin awoke early and was excited to greet the day. He felt almost as excited as he did on birthdays or at Yule. He just hoped the morning would go quickly. If Merry could see him now he'd laugh. Pippin was acting just like the impatient tween he'd been those many years ago.
He went about his morning routine as quietly as he could. He wanted to sing but didn't want to wake Diamond. He dressed a little nicer than was strictly necessary, but he wanted to make a good impression on his first Highday hearing cases. He only hoped there weren't a lot of them. He was a little worried that there might be since they had not had the regular session last week do the Paladin's passing and the accession.
He gave himself a final inspection in the small washstand mirror and slipped out of the room. He glanced in on Faramir. He wanted to make sure the child had plenty of sleep because he probably wouldn't get much tonight with all his cousins around.
Pippin walked through the quiet passages of his ancestral home and thought about the shear number of hobbits that had walked these halls before him and those that would follow after. It amazed and overwhelmed him at times to think that he was a part of something so vast and that he had the guardianship of it all in his hands. He smiled though to think of the people who had faith in him and foremost of those were his King, his cousin Merry and Frodo and Gandalf: even though the latter two were no longer here to let him know how they felt. For a moment, he was aware again of the weight of the ring on his hand but it was for only a moment. He was now the Thain truly and completely, other than for the confirmation at the Free Fair, and there was nothing that would change that now. Really, it wasn't turning out nearly as bad as he'd feared it might a week ago.
By the time he reached the dining room, there was a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. He greeted the few people there cheerfully, fixed himself a plate, got a mug of tea and headed to his office.
He didn't know if the food was especially good this morning or his mood just made it taste that much better, but he found himself, after finishing everything on the plate, wishing he could go get seconds. Maybe he'd send Regi when he got there. That one would definitely do anything to not see the Thain waste away to nothing.
Pippin was finding that he seemed to do his best work and clearest thinking in the early hours when no one else was around. This morning he continued to go over the contracts making notes about things that needed to remain in the new ones and things that clearly needed to be renegotiated. The only two things that intruded into his thoughts this morning were his nervousness about his first public judgements and his excitement about his surprise for his wife.
Regi arrived shortly before the scheduled time for the hearings to start. Pippin noted the people already gathering in the corridor when his assistant slipped through the door and closed it securely behind him.
"Are there a lot?" asked Pippin.
Reginard shrugged his shoulders. "It depends on your definition of a lot," he said.
"I'm giving them two hours," said Pippin determinedly. "I have no plans to stay here past elevenses. I have things to do this afternoon and I'm sure all these people do too. Let's get this started so that I'm not wasting their time or mine."
He was devoted to his people but he had decided long ago that he would never become a slave to them.
Even though it was considered a public audience, usually there were only two or three people at a time who came before the Thain seeking counsel or judgement. The room would only hold a few people after all. The term public was used mainly to indicate that anyone could present a case.
Fortunately, on this day there were only a few disputes to settle. It was still too early in the year for the farmers to start bringing truant teens and tween before him seeking restitution for crops these had lifted.
The biggest decision Pippin had to render today was his last one. Two farmers and one bull. It seemed that one of the farmers owned the animal but could not keep him contained. The other farmer was now claiming it since it spent so much time in his fields and had mated with his best cow.
Pippin ended up ordering the one who let bull escape to build a better pen for the animal and pay for damages done to the other farmer's land. He was also to have the bull marked to show his ownership. If he didn't and it was caught wandering again, the finder would become the new owner. The farmer who's cow was now expecting could either keep the calf or sell it and keep all proceeds of the sale.
The bull owner wasn't overly happy with this but he knew that the alternative would have been to forfeit his bull so he accepted it.
The hearings adjourned just before elevenses, which gave Pippin enough time to pick Faramir up and take him into Tuckborough. They didn't bother getting anything to eat before leaving since Pippin knew Pim would have something waiting when they arrived.
As they walked to the village, Faramir was so excited that he kept skipping and bouncing.
"Now, you're going to be good for your Aunt Pim, aren't you?" Pippin asked him
Faramir nodded. "I'm going to be a good, big lad. I'm going to eat my vegetables and get along with my cousins and I'm not going to get homesick."
"Good. I'm sure you'll make your mum and and I proud."
When they got there, Pimpernel insisted on feeding them both before she let her brother head back to the Smials.
"I can only stay for a moment," Pippin told her. "I have a lot to get done and only a short time to do it."
Pimpernel led him to the table and sat him down. She put a cup of tea in front of him and placed soup, sandwiches and fresh vegetables on the table. She then dipped up a bowl and handed it to him.
Pippin couldn't say no so he proceeded to eat.
Once he'd had enough that his sister was satisfied that he'd survive a trip back home, he stood to excuse himself.
By this time, Faramir had already run off to play with the other children.
"I'll just slip out before he knows I'm gone. It sounds uncaring but I don't want him to think about not have Diamond or I around"
"I agree," Pim answered. "Now, get on with yourself. You have a surprise to set up."
"Right," said Pippin, recalling the task at hand. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
As she shut the door, Pim could only shake her head. No matter how old he was or how much responsibility he took on, Pippin would always be her silly, irrepressible, baby brother.
He got back the the Great Smials in time to sit down and have a real luncheon which he would have enjoyed even more if he'd truly slowed down to enjoy it. People were looking at him and shaking their heads. It just wasn't right for a hobbit to eat that fast.
When he was done eating, Pippin went to speak to Blossom in the kitchen.
"I have everything ready," she said before he could even ask. "I've got everything on a little trolly. If you want, I can have one of the girls wheel it to your quarters for you."
"That would be most helpful. Thank you."
He waited and walked with the serving lass who was assigned to take the cart, drop off the trays and wine bottles and return the cart quickly to the kitchens.
As soon as Pippin had the trays safely on a table in the sitting room and the lass had left, he stood and looked at both trays for a moment. They were delicious-looking. He was tempted to taste but restrained himself. He wanted Diamonds first view to amaze her.
He took the first tray and placed it on the night table by Diamond's side of their bed. The second would go in the bathing room when he had everything there ready.
Soon, the gardener and one of his helpers arrived with three vases of Spring flowers. They were bright with daffodils, hyacinths, roses and lilacs. There was also tulips and several others in the arrangements but these were not as fragrant.
He accepted the vases with much thanks. They were just what he was hoping for. He took two of them and put them in prominent places in the bedroom.
Once Pippin had everything he needed, he then turned his attention to readying the bathing room. He got out several candles and placed them throughout the room. He then began heating the water they would need.
While the water was warming, he readied and lit the lamps in the bedroom and got a basket that he filled with some of the small bottles of lotions that he knew were Diamond's favorites and placed on his night table.
Once the water was ready, he lit the candles, brought the flowers and the food in and placed them on a table that he'd borrowed from another room. He made sure all was easily reached from the tub. He filled a glass with the wine, placed a selection of soaps near the tub and filled the tub with water.
He took a last look around each room and then went to find the recipient of this surprise.
Eglantine did not seem the least bit startled by the knock on her door Diamond noticed. In fact the elderly matron smiled and said, "Come in, Pippin." Diamond wondered how she knew it was her son at the door.
A grinning face capped by dark golden curls peeked around the door. "Can I have her now?" he asked innocently.
"Yes," his mother said. "We've done all I planned for today and I know that you have something you want her for this afternoon."
"Actually, for the rest of the day," he added. "Mum, please let everyone who needs to know that we will be unavailable until tomorrow?"
She nodded. "Go on, Diamond dear, and see what your husband has in mind."
Her curiosity piqued, Diamond went to the door where Peregrin put an arm around her and led her back toward their own home.
When they were safely in their apartments, Pippin told her to close her eyes. Trustingly, she did so and let him lead her down the hall to a door which he opened. "Now, open them," he said.
She let out a little gasp as she took in the sight before her. The bathing room was filled with the warm, golden light of the candles and there was a scent of Springtime in the moist air.
"Go on in," he said. "Make yourself comfortable in the bath. I've got one other thing to do and then I'll be in to see to anything you need."
She went into the room and looked at the wine and the food and the soaps that were her favorites. She dipped her hand into the water. It felt wonderfully warm and inviting. Happily, she slipped out of her clothing and into the bath. She let the water cover her like a blanket as she felt herself relaxing.
Pippin quickly went to the bedroom and got out of his own clothes and slipped on his dressing gown then he checked that all was ready in this room as well before returning to where his wife was waiting.
He let himself into the room and quietly shut the door. Diamond smiled when she saw him.
"Not taking any chances on getting your clothes wet, huh?" she giggled.
"I just figured that this would be better if you wanted me to help you wash any hard-to-reach places. Besides, I was hoping you might just invite me in there with you."
"I just might do that," she said as she picked a small cube of cheese off the food platter and popped it into her mouth, "after you scrub my back. You know how hard it is to reach that one certain spot for yourself."
"Your wish is my command," he answered.
He knelt beside the tub and washed her back as she'd requested. He did take the opportunity to try to rub some of the tension from her muscles. Once he'd finished, he looked at her longingly.
She smiled up at him as her hand reached out and caught the tie of his dressing gown. She gave a little tug and it came undone. "Come here, love," she said and leaned up to give him a kiss. As they parted she added breathlessly, "Join me."
In no time he was in the water with her and they were working out an arrangement that was comfortable and allowed them good access to all the things they needed and to each other.
They fed each other bites of food and traded kisses and touches until the water began to cool.
"I think we may want to take this to a drier location," he finally said.
"Really," she teased. "I thought you were going to take a page from your Brandybuck cousin. They say Brandybucks do everything in the water, if you know what I mean."
Pippin laughed. "I don't doubt it," he said, "but, unfortunately, you know my limitations. I want to make this last a little longer, unless you really want to try that."
She tipped her head on the side as if deep in thought. "No," she finally said. "Maybe in a bigger tub. We'll have to keep that activity in mind the next time we visit the King."
That made Pippin laugh so hard that he had difficulty getting out of the tub so that he could help Diamond out.
He got a warm towel and carefully dried her off then, once he'd dried himself, he got an oversized towel and wrapped it about both their shoulders. Holding it closed at the neck with one hand and with his other on her hip, they made a quick dash to the bedroom.
The sights and smells that greeted her there were as lovely as the bath had been. "You've outdone yourself, Peregrin Took," she said.
"Now, I'll have to think of something even grander the next time I want to surprise you. But for now, let's just enjoy this."
He picked up the basket that had the lotions in it. "Do you want to choose or shall I?"
"Lavender," she said and pointed at the lavender lotion. "Now that I've chosen, what are you going to do with it?"
"That little back rub I gave you was just a preview. Go ahead and lie down and I'll give you the full treatment."
By the time he was done, she felt like melted butter. "That was wonderful," she murmured into her pillow."
"Good," he said lying down beside her. He snuggled beside her and began bestowing kisses to her lips, her cheeks, her nose and eyelids. Then he moved on to nibble on an earlobe and sweep his tongue along the shell up to the point. She shivered delightfully when he did this.
Gradually, the kisses between them became more heated and the explorations of their hands more focused and then, at last, they both were where they wanted to be; that place where two become one and love is at the center of all.
Diamond slept soundly as Pippin got up and made sure that all the candles were extinguished as well as all the lamps but the one on his night table. As he turned down the lamp on Diamond's side of the bed, he looked at her sleeping and smiled. "I may not have the virility of some but I hope I make up for it in the depth of my love."
As the lamp dimmed, he noticed a walnut biscuit on the tray that they'd missed. He picked it up and popped it in his mouth. He smiled and nodded. It was a deliciously sweet bite, but not as sweet as his jewel, his Diamond.