Just to be With You
3:
Picnic by the Brandywine
On
their way back to Brandy Hall, Berilac decided to confront his cousin about
Estella. “That Bolger lass is quite a pretty one.”
“What?”
Merry asked, as if being broken from a chain of thought. “Oh, yes, she is.” He
smiled suddenly at Berry. “I thought you said you would never find anything as
fair as Pimpernel…”
“I
didn’t say she was as fair as my dear Pimpernel,” Berry retorted, annoyed that
his interrogation seemed to be switching from Merry to himself. “But she
certainly is lovely. I believe you thought so too.”
“What
do you mean by that?” Merry demanded, red-faced.
“Oh,
nothing, Mister ‘I-shall-choose-when-I-am-ready’. I suppose you never expected
to be ready so soon, right dear cousin?”
Merry
smiled slightly. “Well, I see that there is little that I can hide from you and
that I should be thankful that it was you, and not Pippin or Frodo, that
noticed my interest in Estella.” He sighed. “She doesn’t seem like all of those
other lasses. Of course, I only really just met her, but I would like to get to
know her better.”
“I
am sure you will have your chance to.”
* *
* * * *
A
host of Tooks arrived the next day, Everard included. Estella worried that she would
lose her new friends now that they both had sweethearts to spend their time
with, but she had no need to. Pervinca brought Everard to Crickhollow to meet
Estella (the other guests of the party were staying at a nearby Inn).
Everard
was a handsome and polite young hobbit. Estella made a note to congratulate
Pervinca later on her fine catch. This thought shocked her – she was actually
thinking like a lass.
An
invitation came to Brandy Hall for the young Tooks, Bolgers and Baggins to join
a few Brandybucks by the Brandywine River for a picnic. The hobbits did not
need to be asked twice. Pippin, Frodo, Pervinca, Pimpernel, Fredegar, Estella,
Everard and Ferdibrand (Freddie and Estella’s cousin) were soon ready and on
their way to the Brandywine.
Merry
was easy to find. He had set up several blankets not far from the banks. He had
chosen a place in the river that had been netted off for young hobbits to swim
in relative safety. It was here that young Brandybucks (and one Baggins and
several Tooks) learnt to swim. Merry was not alone either. Berry had come with
him, as well as Celandine and her elder brothers Doderic and Ilberic. Splashing
about in the water were Merimas, Mentha and Melilot Brandybuck.
It
was not long before the group of young hobbits were happily chatting, eating or
swimming. Frodo was older than the rest, so he thought it his duty to act as
the parent figure. Besides, he had not swum in the river since he was a boy.
The Brandywine had swallowed up his parents and he had been terrified of it
ever since.
Pervinca
pulled Meriadoc aside to have a word with him. “Don’t you think Estella looks
pretty this morning?”
Merry
tensed up. “Why do you say that?” He glared at her suspiciously. “Has Berry
said something to you?”
“No,
nothing at all, cousin. But I can see he has said something to you. Well, here
is my advice to you – go and speak to Stella. You may be pleasantly surprised.”
Merry
looked at his cousin in shock, but he could not find a trace of jest in her
face. She was quite serious. He took a deep breath and started towards Estella,
but before he could speak to her, Melilot had emerged from the water and
sauntered over to him. She had fancied her distant cousin for some time now.
She grabbed him arm.
“Meriadoc,
would you be so kind as to help me change from my bathing costume?” she asked,
with a less than subtle flutter of her eyelashes.
“That
would hardly be proper, Mel,” Merry stammered. He glanced around to his
friends, begging for help. Fredegar was the only one who noticed and he quickly
ran to Merry’s aid.
“Melilot,
put this towel on,” he commanded. “You shall catch a chill!” Merry mouthed Thank
you to Fredegar and quickly escaped.
“Well,
that was rather clever of you, Master Brandybuck,” Estella boldly stated. “Was
that young lass an admirer of yours?”
Merry
grinned. “Well, apparently, yes, but I was not aware of it until just now.” He
cleared his throat. “So, have you been enjoying your stay in Buckland?”
“It
has been lovely so far, and I must thank you for inviting me out today.”
“It
was my pleasure. I…I…” Merry stammered as he tried to put his thoughts into
words. “The point is…I…I suppose, I want to say, that I would like to – if you
don’t mind, that is – get to know you better…”
Estella
blushed. “That would be nice, Meriadoc.”
Pippin
was sitting with his two sisters, Everard, Berilac and Celandine. Celandine had
snuggled close to him as soon as he arrived. Pippin looked over to his cousin
and Estella and giggled. “What in the world is Meriadoc up to?”
“Trying
to get to know Estella better,” Berry and Pervinca answered at the same time.
Pervinca
laughed, and mockingly shook her finger at Pimpernel. “Pim, did you say
something to Berry?”
“Not
at all, dear Pervinca,” Berry replied. “I worked it out for myself and spoke to
Merry last night. How did you find out?”
“I
worked it out also, and spoke to Estella. We had a lovely little chat last
night, didn’t we, Pimpernel?”
“And
I suppose they both thought it would be a complete secret,” Peregrin laughed.
“At least, I’m sure they hoped to keep it a secret from me.”
Pervinca
pouted. “I had hoped to play matchmaker, but it looks as though I will not need
to! The two of them are doing fine by themselves.”
Fredegar
seemed to have escaped from Melilot, and he and Frodo wandered over to the
Tooks and their partners. He glanced at his sister and Meriadoc. “Would anyone
care to explain to me what is happening between those two?”
Merry
and Estella were both blushing. Merry seemed to be telling Estella an amusing
story, for she was laughing.
“The
future Master seems to have found himself a potential Mistress,” Berry
answered, taking a large bite from an apple. “They do make a rather sweet
couple, don’t you think?”
Fredegar
gave a little laugh. “Then I suppose I shall have to spend Merry’s party
distracting Melilot. And I shall be happy to do so.” He looked fondly at the
young Brandybuck lass.
Frodo
smiled to himself. Merry’s party seemed to be sprouting new couples everywhere.
Perhaps even I might find a special someone at this party, but the smile
froze on his lips at this thought, and his hands strayed to his pocket to
finger a small object that he forever kept on a chain attached to his belt.
* *
* * * *
With
the party looming closer, Merry was unable to spend as much time with his
friends during the day. He spent two days running around Brandy Hall, doing
numerous tasks for his mother. During this time, his thoughts often drifted to
Estella Bolger.
Saradoc
Brandybuck suggested that on the night two before the party, the Thain’s family
and Frodo would be invited to Brandy Hall for dinner. He agreed when Merry
asked that the Bolgers be invited also.
When
the invitation arrived at Crickhollow, Estella was terrified. She was to meet
Merry’s parents. In the little time she had spent with Merry, she knew that she
was started to fall in love with him. She had never met anyone quite like him,
and he was everything she had hoped to find in her future husband. She had even
managed to overcome her shyness around him. But meeting his parents would be a
completely different matter. She wondered if Merry had spoken to them about
her. Would they approve of her?
These
were the thoughts that plagued her mind as Pervinca and Pimpernel tightened the
strings on her corset. Though Estella usually hated wearing dresses of the
sort, she wanted to make a good impression on the Master and the Mistress of
the Hall.
“Stop
worrying!” Pervinca commanded. “Aunt Esmeralda will love you. She’s a Took, you
know. Our father’s youngest sister. Father says that I’m a lot like her, and I
like you, so I am certain she will too. Uncle Sarry can be a little frightening
when you first meet him, but he really is an old dear!”
Pimpernel
was also being fussed over. Eglantine had been told about the blossoming
relationship between her daughter and Berilac and was immensely pleased. “We
may have another wedding on our hands soon!” she squealed happily.
Eventually,
all of the hobbitesses were ready, much to the relief of the male hobbits, who
had been ready for a good hour or so. Estella walked with Pippin, since
Pervinca was chatting lovingly to Everard (as Pervinca’s betrothed, he was also
invited to Brandy Hall) and Pimpernel was still being fussed over by her
mother. Frodo and Fredegar were at the front of the group speaking quietly.
Estella
had not spoken to Pippin all that much, but now that she did she regretted that
she had not earlier. She discovered that Merry and Pippin were far closer than
cousins, more like brothers. Pippin shared more than a few embarrassing stories
about Merry’s youth, which made Estella laugh.
“He
really likes you,” Peregrin said at length, shocking Estella. “He’s never
really been all that interested in lasses. He might have fooled around with one
or two, but nothing all that great. He’s almost as dull as Frodo.”
Estella
had to smile at that. She had heard a lot about the promiscuous Peregrin Took
and his conquests from his sisters and her brother. His boyish good looks and
enchanting green eyes would have made it near impossible for any lass to resist
him.
“I
suppose I like Meriadoc too,” Estella almost whispered.
“If
you want my advice, call him Merry and not Meriadoc. People only really use his
full name when they’re telling him off.”
“I
shall remember that Master Peregrin.”
Pippin
grinned at her. “And the same goes for me. You are a friend now, so you may
call me Pippin.”
“Then
you are permitted to call me Stella, if you wish.” The two shook hands as they finally
approached Brandy Hall.
Esmeralda
was waiting to greet them. She embraced her warmly – it had been a while since
she had last seen him. She then hugged her sister-in-law and her nieces and
nephew.
“Peregrin,
you’ve grown so much!” she cried.
“How
did I know you were going to say that?” Pippin mumbled.
“Come
in, come in. Merry and Saradoc are waiting for you!”
They
followed Esmeralda to the large dining room that was reserved for the Master
and any guests he might have. There were more hugs and hand shakes; Berry was
there too, much to Pimpernel’s delight.
“Estella,”
Merry called. He bowed before her and lightly kissed her hand. “I’m so glad you
came.”
“How
could I refuse?” she whispered.
He
grinned at her and, taking her hand in his, led her over to his father.
“Estella Bolger, may I present to you my father, Saradoc Brandybuck.”
Estella
curtsied the way Pervinca had taught her to. “It is a pleasure to meet you,
sir.”
“So,
you’re the young lass my boy has not stopped talking about these past few
days,” said Saradoc. “Then the pleasure is all mine, Mistress Estella.”
Merry
seemed somewhat embarrassed that his father had revealed that he had been
speaking about Estella to them, but Estella was honoured. Despite her fear, she
had secretly hoped that Merry might have mentioned her to his parents.
A
bell was rung to announce that dinner was to be served. As they made their way
to the table, Saradoc leaned close to Estella’s ear and whispered. “You’re
prettier than he said you were.”
* *
* * * *
A/N:
No, that last line is not Saradoc being a dirty old sleaze. He was just letting
Estella know what Merry had said about her. And before anyone says anything
about Frodo and the Ring, in the books, he keeps it on a chain that is attached
to his belt, not in an envelope in a chest as in the movies.