Earlier that afternoon, when Merry arrived at the Thain's Hall in Tuckborough and asked to see Pippin, he was directed next door, to the home of their uncle, Adelard Took.
Merry went through the Hall and around to the back slope of the smials to find Pippin on the terrace above the garden; he was sitting on the grass and playing with his eldest sister's baby, Peveril. Pippin dangled a jointed wooden doll on a string before his delighted nephew and was cooing like an idiot, but he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the baby. When they'd visited Tuckborough in September for the wedding of their cousins Melilot and Everard, Pippin had became entranced by his little nephew, and Merry wasn't sure he liked it. What if Pippin decided he wanted a baby of his own?
When Pippin became aware that someone was approaching, he looked up from the fascinating infant and beamed. "Merry, hello! When did you get here?"
"Just now. Frodo's got a mystery to be solved over near Green Hill, and I thought you'd want to join us, if you can tear yourself away from the joys of babysitting." Merry knelt on the grass, and made Pippin laugh out loud as he described Noddy's bizarre predicament. "It could be fun, running about the wood chasing after ghosts and little Big Folk. Even if you don't fancy that, we've taken rooms at the Inn. Wouldn't you like to get away from your family for a night?" He lowered his voice to add, "I've missed you terribly, Pip."
They had been apart for several weeks. After the wedding, Pippin had decided to stay on at his family home to work things out with his parents; Merry had kept away at his request. They'd exchanged a few letters, but except for when Pippin had come up to Bag End for Frodo's birthday, they had not seen each other since.
Pippin's broad grin softened into something more tender. "I've missed you too, Merry."
"So, will you come?"
"Yes, all right. It sounds like an adventure." The grin returned.
"Have you settled matters with your parents?"
"No, but it's not so bad here now I've stood up for myself. Mother hasn't given up hope of getting me married, but Father's on my side. After this trouble with Ev and Toby Clover, and what happened with Uncle Addy and Mr. Clover when they were boys, he says he won't make me do anything I don't wish to. And now that that's all come out and everyone knows about it, it makes everything we've done not look so bad."
"Did they ever find that boy?" asked Merry.
Pippin shook his head. "Maybe Frodo should investigate that. We've heard some stories of the investigations you've done lately. I wished I could be with you."
"You can, whenever you like," Merry answered. "Why don't you?"
"I will. Soon," Pippin promised.
"What's keeping you here?"
"Well..." Pippin looked away, "it is my family."
"That baby, you mean," said Merry.
"Sort of." Pippin gathered little Peveril closer and gave him the wooden toy to chew on. "I never had a nephew before. I always thought babies were awful, howling messes. I didn't know they could be such fun to play with! But it's not just Pevvy. It's everyone. I was away from them for so long--nearly two years!--and I forgot what was it was like to really be home again. Not just the Shire. Home. You were in Buckland for months before we left it, but I never had the chance to be here before now. I'd- well, I'd like to stay on for awhile. You don't mind, do you?"
"No," said Merry, even though he did; he wasn't going to drag Pippin away from his family if he wanted to be near them. "As long as you don't end up agreeing to marry anyone. Do you want me to go on staying away?"
"Of course not!" said Pippin. "I said I missed you, didn't I? Come and visit. Nobody will mind- well, Mother might, but she won't say anything against it." He gave Merry an impish smile. "Don't worry, Merry. I've agreed to meet this niece of Aunt Di's next summer--but that's all I've agreed to! Nothing will come of it. I can promise I won't like her as much as you, and maybe she won't like me at all!"
Merry laughed. "A girl might be willing to put up with a lot if she wants to marry the next Thain."
"If she's that sort, then I don't have to trouble about being nice to her," Pippin responded gleefully. "I'll tell her the whole truth about you and me right away."
"I think you ought to do that anyway-"
He stopped as one of the doors to Adelard's house opened. To Merry's surprise, his cousin, Doderic Brandybuck, emerged.
"Pearl wants you to bring the baby in, Pip," Dodi announced. "It's time for his nap. Oh, hello, Merry. I didn't know you were here."
"I didn't know you were, Dodi!" Merry returned. "What are you doing in Tuckborough?"
"I've been... ah- visiting," the younger Brandybuck answered shyly. "I took Ferdi's advice, and started talking to the girls when we were here for Melly and Ev's wedding. I got on very well with one of 'em, so I came back to see her again."
"Which one?" asked Merry. There were five unmarried Took girls.
"It's Isalda," Pippin said teasingly, and picked up the baby to take him indoors.
Dodi blushed and nodded.
"Good for you, lad!" Merry said encouragingly, and carried on the conversation with Dodi after Pippin had gone. "How are things at home? You must've come down just after I left Fatty's."
"Not long after," said Dodi. "I left Buckland last week. You should have stayed on a little longer yourself, Merry, and come with Fatty to the Hall. Your mother and- well- everyone would've been so happy to see you."
"Even my father?"
"Well, yes. It troubles Uncle Saradoc that you won't come home. I think he knows he was wrong to treat you so badly before, although of course he won't admit it. I'm sure you'd find it much nicer than it was last spring." Dodi smiled. "And besides, if you'd come, you could've been at the Newbury harvest festival. You missed all the excitement"
It was Merry's experience that the harvest festival was never very exciting--a dance, a bonfire, some carved pumpkin-lanterns--but Dodi sounded as if something remarkable had happened this year. "Why?" he asked. "What did I miss?"
"A circus!"
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