5:
A Brother’s Love
The
next day, Pippin and Merry were searching for Pervinca. The tailors had arrived
with their party clothes, and Eglantine wanted her children to try them on at
once. The cousins finally found Pervinca in the place they should have
looked first – her bedroom. One look at her told them that she had been crying.
“Pervinca,
what’s wrong?” Pippin asked, rushing to his favourite sister’s side.
Sensing
that he would not really be wanted, Merry excused himself. “I shall tell Aunt
Eglantine that you will be a moment.”
Pippin
nodded in thanks, and placed a small arm around Pervinca. “I am here, Pervinca.
You can tell me what is wrong.”
She
managed a laugh. “Do not be silly, Pippin! You are my younger brother,
remember!”
He
smiled, but remained serious aside from this. “I may be younger, but I still
care for you. I will do anything that I can to stop you from feeling upset. But
please, tell me what is wrong!”
Pervinca
shook her head. “You would not understand. Not only are you too young, but you
are a boy.”
“Who
is he? I shall tear his eyes out!”
“No,
Peregrin!” Pervinca had to smile at her brother’s reaction. “There is no need
to do that. No one has done anything to me.”
“Then
why have you been crying?”
Pervinca
looked at her feet. “Well…do you promise not to tell anyone?” Pippin nodded
solemnly. “That means Meriadoc, too.” The young hobbit rolled his eyes, but
nodded again. Pervinca took a deep breath. “You probably did not notice
yesterday, but I showed…how did Pearl put it…an interest in Bilbo’s gardener.”
“Sam?
He’s a fine fellow,” Pippin stated, not understanding his sister’s meaning. He
snickered. “Why, old Sam used to help Frodo and Merry look after me when I was
much younger.”
Pervinca
sighed angrily. “I knew you would not understand. I showed an interest
in him! Did you not see me blush?”
“You
have taken a fancy to Sam?” Pippin grinned broadly. “Oh, jolly good! I was
afraid that you were turning into Pearl or Pimpernel! The hobbits they seem to
fancy are always frightfully dull. But Sam…he’s a bundle of fun!”
“It
is not good at all, Pippin,” Pervinca said, sadly. “I am a Took, and he is a
Gamgee…a common gardener.”
“Why
does that matter?” Pippin asked, confused.
“When
you are older, you will understand. Rich families do not marry with poorer
families. I know that it seems awfully stupid, but if Sam and I were to marry –
which, mind you, I am not saying that we are. Why, I only met him yesterday!
But if we were to marry, Mother at least would never speak to me again.
And she would make it difficult for you and Father to.”
“I
think that you should be able to marry whoever you want. But since you already
said that you are not yet thinking about marriage, I do not see what the
problem is! Mother and Father do not mind me being friends with Sam at all – it
should be no different for you. And do not worry about what Pearl and Pimpernel
say.” Grinning at her shocked face, he added: “Of course I guessed that they
had something to do with you being upset. Would you like me to put something
nasty in their beds again?”
Pervinca
smiled broadly and laughed. She threw her arms around Pippin. “Oh, Peregrin,
what would I ever do without you? I am the luckiest hobbitess in the whole Shire
to have a brother like you, no matter what anyone else says! Don’t ever
change.”
“Don’t
you change either, Pervinca. You are my favourite sister, after all.”
* *
* * * *
The
clothes that the tailors had made fit the Took children beautifully. Esmeralda
even made Merry put his party clothes on too, so that they could admire the
children as a group.
“Oh,
Pearl, Pimpernel – you look beautiful,” Eglantine complimented her two eldest daughters.
“And there will be so many handsome hobbits at the party. We may have a wedding
or two within the next year!”
“Pervinca,
you are looking lovely too,” Paladin added. He would never actually admit it,
but Pervinca was his favourite daughter. She was much more Tookish than her
sisters; and not as silly. “You might get a little attention at the party,
too.”
“Oh,
Pervinca has already started to get attention…yesterday,” said Pimpernel,
cruelly.
“No,
Pimpernel,” Pearl corrected, just as cruelly. “Remember, it was Pervinca who
was giving attention.” She smirked at the now blushing Pervinca.
Eglantine
turned to Pippin. “Is this true, Peregrin? Has my dear little Pervinca found
potential husband without any help at all?”
Pippin
just shook his head. Lying to his mother was one of the easiest things for him
to do. “No, Mother. I do not know what Pearl and Pimpernel are talking about at
all. We stayed at Bag End all day, while they went shopping…”
“Oh,
then the girls must be talking about Frodo Baggins! He is such a lovely
young fellow. Do you have a fancy for Frodo, Pervinca?”
Pervinca
hoped that she would sound as convincing as Pippin. “No, Mother. Pearl and
Pimpernel must have been mistaken. Frodo is simply a good friend.”
“Why,
you rotten little liar!” Pearl screeched. “Mother, we did not mean Frodo at
all…”
“Enough,
Pearl,” Paladin interrupted. “I will not have such name-calling. To your room
at once!”
“But,
Father…!”
“Now!”
Pearl
stormed off in a huff towards her bedroom. Pimpernel glanced around the room,
glared at Pervinca, then followed Pearl.
“I
am sorry,” Paladin apologised to Saradoc and Esmeralda. “I do not know what has
gotten into them.”
“They’re
girls!” Pippin concluded. He noticed Pervinca glaring at him, so added: “I am
glad that Pervinca does not act like them!”
“So
am I, Peregrin.”
“And
aren’t you glad, Father, that you only have me?” Merry piped.
Saradoc
grinned. “As always, Meriadoc, you have come to the point immediately.”