For a long time I have kept quiet about what happened that day amongst the wisteria. Not only was I plagued by a guilty conscience, but I was also more than a little humiliated. Nor did I see Bennie again, right away. For one thing, I avoided like the plague any encounter with her parents, and for another, I can only assume that Bodo and Lavender were keeping her under close watch.

I hoped that her punishment wasn’t too severe, but I couldn’t imagine Bodo physically chastising his treasured daughter (at the time, Verbena was his only child--Mundee had not yet come into the couple’s lives-- However, Lavender had born Bodo another child two years before Bennie’s birth which had only lived for a very short time--which may have been the reason that Bennie was all the more coddled and spoiled).

Even though I had no meetings with Bennie for a fortnight after our misadventure, unbidden thoughts of her popped into my head repeatedly. Odd little details that had been tucked away, surfaced from the innermost regions of my mind and became quite important. For example, the time that I had impulsively carved "Frodo loves Bennie" into a broken piece of fence post and presented it to her. Therefore, after spending quite a bit of time brooding over the separation from my lady love, I decided to do something about it. Young love it seems, is a great conqueror of fear.

Wrapped in a handkerchief, in the bottom of a bureau drawer was a small sum of money that I had been saving for nothing in particular. But now, it had a purpose. Being fairly familiar with my cousin, Bodo’s schedule, I waited for a time one afternoon, when I was sure he would be visiting the tavern in Woodhall that was his regular haunt. I took my small bundle of coins to a shop in Bucklebury and there, after much examining of the shop goods, I purchased a bracelet, woven of a delicate silver chain. I even had enough money leftover to buy a small bouquet from a flower vendor. Then I bravely made my way to Bennie’s residence.

I hoped that luck would be on my side and Bennie would be the one to come to the door. Of course, I knew there was the chance that, instead, it might be either her Mother or their maid, Amaryllis. Of those two, I would have preferred Amaryllis, but I was willing to take my chances with Lavender. After my last encounter with Bodo, Bennie’s mother hardly seemed threatening at all.

I don’t know how long I hesitated on my cousin’s front porch, trying to compose my words, and when at last I raised my hand and rapped upon the thick oak door, it seemed like an interminable amount of time passed before the door finally swung open.

Much to my dismay, It was Lavender’s unsmiling face that I stared into. She eyed me with carefully veiled suspicion as I stood there on the porch shuffling from one foot to the other. I had a hard time meeting that chilly gaze. I hastily plunged into what I meant to be an apology about what happened between me and Verbena, but it came out rather garbled, what with the mumbling and nervous stammering. It didn’t help that Lavender made no comment. She continued to study me as if she were inspecting a carelessly dusted piece of furniture. Finally, I hesitantly voiced a request to speak with Bennie.

"I’m afraid she’s not here. She’s away visiting her Grandmother Took." Lavender affected a cool smile as she voiced her carefully concocted lie. Her impassive eyes took in the little bouquet, which was slightly wilted, after my trek from Buckland to Woodhall.

Wilted or not, I thrust the flowers upon her. "OH!... um... these are for you, Cousin Lavender."

Lavender was a bit taken by surprise, but she smiled, albeit, a trifle cold one. "Why, thank you, Frodo."

"You’re welcome." I mumbled, before I resumed the shuffling of my feet. But I was determined not to let her put me off.

"Is there something else? " Lavender questioned a little impatiently.

I could feel my face starting to colour. "It’s... it’s just something I... uh... it’s something I wanted to... um... give...."

"Is it something for Verbena?"

I nodded and shoved my hand into my pocket and brought forth the silver bracelet, wondering at the same time, why I hadn’t thought to have the shopkeeper put it in a gift box. There I was, trying to get on the good side of Bennie’s mother, and my sweaty palm didn’t make a very impressive display.

Lavender drew her brows together, however, her voice was filled with contrived sympathy. "Oh Frodo... you poor boy... I’m so sorry..."

I wasn’t sure exactly what it was that she was sorry for, the fact that Bennie wasn’t there to receive her present in person, or that I had neglected a proper presentation of the gift.

"I don’t know how to tell you this..."

"Tell me what?" I was truly confused now, and a small seed of worry was beginning to take root in my mind.

"Verbena... well... I don’t know how to say it except to just put it bluntly...," She drew a breath and bestowed a pitying look upon me. "Verbena has instructed us... to inform you that she no longer wishes to receive your attentions."

She paused, in order for her words to take the full effect.

As for me, I could say nothing at first. All I could do was stare back at my older cousin in disbelief. When I did manage to find my voice, it sounded surprisingly quiet as I asked, "What?"

"I said-" Lavender prepared to repeat her speech.

"I don’t believe you!" I interrupted, my voice no longer quiet.

Lavender narrowed her eyes to indignant slits. "My dear young hobbit, are you calling me a liar?"

For a brief space of time, I met her gaze head on, but young as I was, I was no match for my practiced and accomplished cousin. "No... I... I... no...," I faltered. "But it just seems so sudden; it doesn’t sound like Bennie. I don’t understand why!"

"Considering what happened the last time that you and Verbena were together, I’m not surprised. Yes, of course, I am well aware of what happened between the two of you, and I must say that I was shocked as well as immensely disappointed." Lavender stated, pity no longer in her voice.

"Verbena told her father and me that she feels she behaved rashly with you and she fears that she can’t trust herself when she’s alone with you. She believes, and rightly so, that she is much too young to be engaged in a serious relationship and she is not ready for such--ahem--encounters. She said that what had started as a lark almost went too far... that you encouraged and clouded her judgement."

"What?!" I interrupted again.

Lavender held up a hand to silence me. "Let me finish! Verbena told me with complete and utter conviction that she no longer wishes to see you. My daughter wisely prefers to keep herself chaste until she is one day married... to a hobbit that she truly loves."

I was nearly shaking by the time Lavender completed her speech. I desperately searched her face for some sign that she was lying, but her expression looked for all the world as if she were telling the truth. Besides, I had never known my older cousin to lie. If anything, she had always presented herself to me and other young hobbits as an exemplary model of upstanding scruples.

My mind reeled with a thousand protests and questions, yet, I voiced none of them. I simply stood in shocked silence, still clutching the silver bracelet so tightly that the chain bit into my palm. So, with nothing left to say, I turned slowly to leave. I had only taken a few steps, however, when I suddenly turned back to face Lavender. Her face registered surprise as I took her hand and impulsively thrust the bracelet into it.

I fought down the lump that was forming in my throat and said, "Give this to Bennie, anyway, and tell her... tell her... that I... that I...," I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, they died on my lips as I turned and beat a hasty retreat down the path.

Although I couldn’t have known it at the time, Lavender didn’t bother telling Bennie that I had come calling, nor did she pass the silver bracelet on to her daughter. But then, that was part of the plan, a plan that was thorough and nearly flawless. She and Bodo had put a lot of thought and effort into it, although if they hadn’t enlisted the aid of a few select, understanding close friends and relatives it might not have succeeded.

Some might think it odd that I bare no ill will against my elder cousins for what they did to Bennie and me (although, I must admit that I have experienced moments of amusement, as, ironically, Lavender now tries to play matchmaker to me and Bennie. I hesitate to say it, but it seems as though now that I'm of age and heir to Bilbo’s fortune, I’m much more acceptable as a potential husband than I was as that hapless Brandybuck orphan).

At any rate, even though their actions at the time may have seemed calculated and cold, I have come to understand their reasoning. Bennie was their only cherished daughter. Not to mention, that both of us were very young. Bennie was precocious and strong willed. No ordinary plan of action would stop her when she put her mind to something. If they had forbidden us to see one another, it would only have increased her resolve, and perhaps mine as well. Bennie, in particular, has never taken well to authority.

Operating on that knowledge, Bennie’s parents went to painstaking and meticulous lengths to see to that she and I and had no contact with each other, for quite some time. They contrived a series of fabrications, Bodo having told Bennie a story similar to the one that I received from Lavender. He made Bennie believe that I had promised him that I wanted nothing more to do with his daughter.

Indeed, he went so far as to say I did not even desire any correspondence or contact after what had happened that day in the arbor. He and Lavender made it a point to intercept any incoming or outgoing mail, so neither of us received the many letters that ended up tossed into the fire.

If either Bennie or I had been a little older and wiser we might have been suspect, but as naive youths we had never had any reason before to distrust our elders. As added insurance, Lavender sent Bennie off on a number of visits to various relatives in various parts of the Shire.

Needless to say, Brandy Hall kin were not counted among those visited. As a result, the rare occasions when I did glimpse Bennie, her eyes hardly met mine. In my inexperience, I took it as a sign of rejection. Understandable, since any attempted visits had met with a rebuff, and the countless letters that I sent, were never answered. Plus, it didn’t help that I never spoke to Bennie alone again, until years later. Only then would either of us learn of the truth, and then only through sheer coincidence.....

Not long after the events described in my last couple of journal entries, Bilbo adopted me and took me to live with him at Bag End. I had new preoccupations and eventually I thought of Bennie less and less.

In the meantime, I was introduced to a new cousin, Mundee Baggins. I won’t go into Mundee’s history in detail, suffice to say that she still was not a ward of Bodo and Lavender. She was new to Hobbiton, however, and a close neighbor of Bilbo’s. Circumstances and the loss of her parents had resulted in her becoming wise beyond her 21 years. I was drawn to her generous nature, but I must admit I also found her very pleasing to look upon, with her curly, dark locks and big brown eyes. And though she was some 12 years my junior, we became quite close. Despite the fact that there were a number of interested lads in the village, seemingly Mundee considered me, not only her favourite cousin but, also, her escort of choice.

As for Bennie, our paths crossed, infrequently. But, if possible, she had blossomed even more into a desirable young hobbit lass than I remembered from years ago. While she, too, collected a great many suitors, she granted none of them the approval to court her exclusively. She seemed far too preoccupied with riding ponies pell-mell over the countryside, to her mother’s utmost displeasure.

Until, one day not long ago, it was announced that she had accepted the marriage proposal of one Fastred Brandybuck, a distant cousin.

There was to be a party at Brandy Hall to celebrate the betrothal of the happy couple. I remember so clearly how I felt, standing there in my parlour, the empty envelope in one hand, the smooth parchment invitation in the other, as I read the words inviting me to the celebration in honour of the forthcoming marriage.

I had thought I was over Bennie, but at that moment, my heart had landed in the pit of my stomach. I very nearly declined the invitation. In fact, I left it lying untouched on the dining room table for days. I wished Bilbo had been there. He had departed not long before. I would have welcomed his advice. He was one of the few people with whom I’d shared my feelings about Bennie.

My cousin, Merry, knew something of the matter, but at that moment, he was miles away, in Buckland. Of course, there was Fatty and Folco, who sometimes tended to laugh things off as a joke. Then there was Sam. He had become a close confidant. I finally sought out his opinion on the matter, which was to steer as clear of Bennie as possible.

Then one day, the topic of the celebration came up when Mundee and I were together. She knew nothing of Bennie, and the prospect of such a large celebration was exciting to her. She had never set foot inside Brandy Hall, let alone glimpsed sight of it. On an impulse I invited her to attend as my guest. She accepted with delight and we made arrangements to travel to Buckland along with another couple. So, it was with a hint of reticence but plenty of determination, that I went home, picked up the neglected invitation and scribbled off a hasty acceptance.

Any lingering doubts about attending the affair were confirmed almost immediately upon our arrival at the Hall. From the very minute I laid eyes upon Bennie, I was under attack from an onslaught of mixed emotions. Her shiny, dark curls bounced around her face in the most beguiling way as she smiled sweetly at me. I had to remind myself that this girl had cast me aside and for years had wanted nothing to do with me. But, her words to me couldn’t have taken me by more complete surprise.

"Well, Cousin Frodo," She said, a mildly teasing tone in her voice "Doesn't the bride-to-be get a good-luck kiss?"

Not sure of exactly how to answer that question, I opted for the gentlehobbit route and leaned as close to Bennie as I dared, intending to grant her a cousinly kiss on the cheek. However, at the last second, Bennie turned her face so that our lips touched. She took a firm hold on the lapels of my waistcoat, impeding any attempted escape on my part as she pressed her lips to mine, much longer than was necessary. When she released me, I pulled away with as much decorum as I could muster and cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure.

Something made me glance at Mundee and much to my dismay, she was wearing an astounded expression, as if she couldn’t quite comprehend the bold display she had just witnessed. Another cousin, Daffodil, who had been standing close by and had been witness to the scene, quickly stepped up. Her hand closed on Bennie's arm with an iron grip.

"Excuse us!" she said to Mundee and me. Then, to Bennie, "A word, please, Cousin!" And she commenced to pull her brash, young cousin from the room. "We shall be right back." Daffodil promised us, backing out, Bennie's arm still firmly in her grasp.

As they turned to leave, they came face to face with Bennie’s betrothed, Fastred, who had apparently, just entered the room. But, from the look on Fastred’s face he had been there long enough to have seen the kiss. He threw an angry glance in my direction but the look he turned on Bennie was a mixture of hurt and disbelief. He mumbled. "Excuse me," then turned and left the room. We could hear the front door as it slammed behind him.

It goes without saying, that little scene put something of a damper on the party, although, somehow, Bennie appeared to smooth things out with Fastred, later. However, from those who had witnessed the event, there were whispers that the groom-to-be, might be a bit of a fool. Regardless of the gossip that was slowly snaking its way around the room, it didn’t stop Bennie from a few other attempted flirtations with me. I could only wonder what sort of callous game she was playing. She seemed to derive pleasure from toying with the hearts of others. I tried my best to keep to out of her way. And, out of Fastred’s way, too. His few glances my way were anything but friendly. To tell the truth, I wasn’t too keen to run into Bodo or Lavender, either. The last few times I had encountered them, had been on much friendlier terms. I didn’t want Bennie’s overly friendly kiss to dredge up memories of my last ill-fated contact with their daughter.

It didn’t come as much of a shock to learn that not long after the party, Bennie and Fastred had canceled their wedding plans. One good thing that came from the party was my first real kiss with Mundee. It started as lark amongst some of the more boisterous guests, led by Merry. I was not included, as I was far too busy trying to stay out of trouble. Mundee was to hide in a dark hallway and several wagered that she wouldn’t have the courage to kiss the first fellow that came along. That Fellow happened to be me, on my quest to avoid either Bennie or Fastred. Imagine my surprise at being waylaid in such a manner, a very pleasant manner, if I do say so. At first I feared it was Bennie, up to one of her tricks, but almost immediately, instinct told me the person kissing me was not Bennie. Whoever it was, I decided I wouldn’t have minded the kiss to go on for a little longer. But suddenly, a light was struck, accompanied by a laugh that I recognised as belonging to Merry Brandybuck, among others. Mundee was as surprised as me, and to make another potentially long story short, Merry’s little joke, resulted in mine and Mundee’s friendship taking a different turn.

Another positive that came from the party was the meeting between Mundee and Bennie’s parents. Bodo and Lavender took an immediate liking to Mundee and the resulting friendship among the three of them ended with Mundee becoming something of a ward to the couple, even though she insisted on living in her own place in Hobbiton. Of course, Bennie was not exactly overjoyed with this development, particularly when she learned that Mundee and I had been seeing a lot of each other. Mundee worried over Bennie’s jealous behavior, while I was sure it was a case of the old adage of her not really wanting me, but not wanting anyone else to have me either.

Back at home in Hobbiton, things went along quietly, sometimes a little too quietly, I thought, for now and then the urge to be off on some adventure caused a bit of restless ness to take hold of me. Nevertheless, for the most part, I was happy and comfortable and thoughts of following in Bilbo’s footsteps usually fled rather swiftly.

But the quiet was soon disrupted. One surprising day, Bennie moved to Hobbiton, and, almost immediately after that, so did Fastred Brandybuck. Having been known as something of a lady’s hobbit, Fastred couldn’t quite come to terms with the fact that Bennie had jilted him. He was determined to win her back. She ignored him, while he, in turn, gave me decidedly unfriendly scowls each time he and I met, blaming me for turning Bennie’s affections from him. However, Fastred found a sympathetic ear in the person of Mundee, and being rather taken with her, spent a good deal of his time trying to impress her.

At any rate, Bennie had sweet-talked her father into endowing her with a huge sum of money for her birthday, in order that she could begin her own breeding farm. Since her father had basically cornered the market for ponies in the East Farthing, Bennie decided that the West Farthing was wide open for her particular breed of pony. She chose Hobbiton as her base of operations. When she settled all by herself, into a farm on the outskirts of the village, village tongues began to wag. It was practically unheard of for a young, unmarried hobbitess to take up residence alone. Mundee had been the only other female to do something similar, since she had some money of her own, but even she had a maid that stayed with her, and Bilbo had been close enough to look after her. Now that he was gone, the Gamgees, who were close neighbors and friends kept a watchful eye out. Bennie, on the other hand, was all alone. Still, she was of age, so she could do as she liked, (as long as she was able to talk her father out of a portion of his wealth), which was not a novel concept for her. Therefore, it didn’t take long for her to shake things up for me. She descended upon my peaceful life with all the force of a gale wind.

A particular unfortunate event came about late one afternoon. Mundee happened to witness Bennie kissing me, again. Perhaps I should amend that statement, for the activity was not at all one-sided. And, this kiss was nothing like the one Mundee had watched Bennie impart upon me at the party that was to have celebrated Bennie’s betrothal to Fastred Brandybuck. This kiss spoke to me of sweet memories of days past. Yet, once again, I fleetingly wondered about her sincerity. Could I trust her? At that moment it didn’t seem all that important. Against my own wishes, I found myself reliving those days so long ago, when I had been caught up in Bennie's charms. But, it troubled and grieved me tremendously that Mundee had seen us. I couldn’t deny my feelings for her, but I had also discovered that what I felt for Bennie had not vanished, as I had thought. And, it was becoming increasingly difficult to put those emotions aside.

It became even more difficult the next day. I made up my mind to speak to both of the girls about the matter, but Mundee was not exactly in the mood for a chat. On the other hand, Bennie, although more than ready to accept my company, was not willing to tolerate any mention of hers and Mundee’s name in the same sentence. We had already been round and round on the matter, with no mutually satisfactory conclusion, as I walked her home from the Green Dragon, where we had met. It didn’t help matters that she was wearing a very distracting frock. I don’t recall much about it except that it was one that her mother would most definitely not have approved of, low cut and designed to stir up the senses. It would have been easier and less disturbing to converse had she wore her usual favoured boy’s clothing, consisting of oversized shirt and loose-fitting breeches.

"My, it’s definitely breezy today!" I noted. "Aren’t you a little chilly, Bennie?"

"Not really." She replied, taking my arm.

"You look a little chilly. Here, take my jacket." I didn’t wait for her to answer. I had my jacket off and over her shoulders in a heartbeat.

Now that the distraction had been dealt with, I could relax a bit as we strolled. Bennie chattered along the way, managing to steer the conversation in her desired direction. I must admit that I enjoyed the reminiscences. There were several instances of my pony riding exploits that made for very entertaining memories, and I could look back on them now with laughter.

"Frodo, do you remember the time that you set out to impress me with your riding skills and you were trying to stand up on that pony’s back…" Bennie began to giggle uncontrollably at the memory, "…and the pony decided he’d had enough and headed back to the barn at a dead run…" more giggles, "…and…and you…ended up slamming into that tree branch…" Bennie’s giggles turned into gales of laughter, "…and you just hung there…" she was having trouble getting her breath, "…while we laughed and laughed!" She finished, as we arrived at the door to her hole. We had been enjoying each other’s company so that neither of us had noticed how quickly the walk had ended. She put a hand on the doorknob, gave it a turn and it swung open, yet she made no move to go in. She was busy too wiping away tears of laughter.

"As I recall, that’s the last time I ever rode a pony close to a tree!" I replied, offering my handkerchief to Bennie. She took it gratefully and dabbed at her eyes."Oh Frodo, what fun we had! There were so many good times!"

I nodded, "We did have some wonderful times…but," I became serious, "we were tweens then. We’ve gone our separate ways!"

"Have we?" she asked, also turning serious, her eyes meeting mine. There was something deep and consuming in those blue depths. "It doesn’t have to be that way, Frodo. We don’t have to part company."

"You should have thought of that long ago, Bennie."

She looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Don't talk in circles, explain yourself!"
"All right then," I replied flatly, "you were the one who decided you wanted nothing more to do with me. Not only that, you couldn't even tell me yourself, you had your mother deliver the message to me when I came to see you! It was shortly after ...after your father caught us in the wisteria. I had come to see you and make apologies to your parents. I’d brought-" I stopped myself short, I’d almost confessed the little silver bracelet that I’d scraped up enough money to buy. "Anyway, you never gave me an explanation or a chance to find out why you didn't want to see me anymore! You never even answered my letters."

Bennie reacted as if she were genuinely surprised at this revelation. "That can't be!"

I wasn’t in the mood for her games, so without waiting another moment, I turned, intending to go.

"W-wait, Frodo, please! I-I don't understand." Bennie stammered. "Father told me that you didn't want to see me ever again. That... that you thought it was all a mistake."

"Oh?" The skepticism was evident in my voice as I attempted once more to leave.

But she grabbed my arm. "Frodo, you have to believe me! I wrote you letters every day, for a year, to find out what I had done to make you upset with me, but... but I never received a word from you!"

"Oh come on Bennie, why lie to me, now? It was the other way around. Not once did I receive a letter from you! I wrote dozens of letters to you! Needless to say, they all came back stamped with ‘Return to Sender’!"

Bennie seemed more confused than ever. "What letters? I can assure you that I never received a single, solitary letter from you!" Then she continued, her voice almost a whisper, "As for talking to you in public, I-I wanted to talk to you, but whenever I saw you out and about anywhere, you’d barely even look at me, or give me the time of day!"

My brow wrinkled in a frown. "How could I? I thought I was a ‘mistake’ to you. Besides, you seemed so... distant."
"That’s because I didn’t know what to think... or say!" She explained, desperation sneaking into her voice.

"You don’t usually have a problem in that area," I scoffed.

"I was just barely a tween! I hadn’t a lot of experience when it came to knowing boys’ minds. All I knew was that I loved you, Frodo, and that you... you... didn’t love me."

There was a moment of silence. Bennie for once, really couldn't think of a thing more to say. As for me, I just stood there, deep in thought. A new idea had begun to tug at the back of my mind and it was not a pleasant one, although it was perhaps better than what I had believed all these years.

"Bennie...at the time I never considered it, being young and foolish...but, thinking about it now, doesn't it seem a bit odd that all our 'messages' to each other came from your parents?" I surmised. "And, that you never received my letters? I know I never received any from you."

Bennie gave me a startled look, but in her eyes I could see the light of realisation had begun to dawn. It might have occurred to her long ago, but for the fact that she had trusted her doting father implicitly. She began to shake her head, "I can't believe that Father would have --could have..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Then she sighed and admitted, "I can see Mother coming up with a scheme like that, especially since back then, you weren’t Bilbo’s heir, yet. But, Father?"

Now that I could examine the situation with a measure of maturity, I answered, "He had his reasons. After all, we were only irresponsible tweens." I shook my head in amazement. "Your parents did a thorough job."

"Oh yes! It was thorough all right. They ruined everything!" Bennie exclaimed.

"Don’t be too hard on them, Bennie."

"Too hard on them?!" she asked incredulously. "How can you say that? Frodo, they deceived both of us!"

I nodded, "Yes, yes I realize that. However, I believe they had honest intentions."

"Maybe so," Bennie replied hotly. "But they could have approached it differently!" Now that she had come to the full realization of her parents' treason, disbelief had been replaced with indignation and bitterness. "They didn't have to resort to lying and trickery!"

"Now, don't get too upset, Bennie." I said, attempting to sooth her. "Your parents love you dearly. You were...and still are...their little girl. I'm fairly sure they were only trying to protect you. You mustn’t resent them for that. Think about it. Any good parent would do whatever it would take to keep their daughter..."I hesitated, searching for the most delicate way to phrase it.
"Out of trouble?" Bennie finished, her lips curved in a slight smile. "Frodo, do you think it might have led to... to..."

"Bennie!" I scolded, struck with the sudden urge to clap my hand over her mouth. Of course, I didn’t and she continued in a teasing voice.

"Just think, then! We might have ended up with a little Baggins!"

"Stop it, Bennie! You shouldn’t be saying things like that!"

She laughed. "You’re beginning to sound like my mother, Frodo and it’s not very becoming!" Then she grew suddenly serious. "Frodo, don't you see, what my parents did, well....it puts things in a different light!"

I wasn’t sure where she was headed with this line of reasoning. "A different light?"

"Oh, I would have preferred that they had let us well enough alone, of course," she went on, "but I realise now, that all this time you haven’t trusted me, and I know why. But don’t you see? Everything has changed, now! At least you finally know that I wasn't playing games with your heart!" She reached up to touch my face. "You don't have to be afraid to love me, anymore. You can trust me, again." She took my hands in hers and squeezed them gently.

"Can I?" I asked quietly. "That’s all good and well, Bennie, but our feelings are not the only ones to consider, here."

"Are you speaking of my foster sister?" she asked, her voice taking on an offensive tone.


"Not only Mundee, but what about Fastred? How can I be assured that you'll not do the same to me as you did to Fastred?"
Bennie was obviously taken aback by the question. She let my hands slide out of hers. "As I did to Fastred?" She repeated.

"If I gave my heart to you, how can I be sure that you wouldn’t change your mind, again, if another fellow came along?"

"I would ever do that!" The hurt was apparent on her face. "That's not why I broke off the engagement with Fastred. I realized what a mistake it would be to marry him, when I was still in love with you. I had never stopped loving you. I tried to make myself believe that I could be happy with someone else. It seemed that everywhere I turned, people were pushing me into a marriage with Fastred. I started to feel trapped and...and I felt as if I were suffocating...Frodo, I knew it was no good, there was no way I could ever give myself to someone else."

I was touched by her words and a score of old memories came rushing at me. "I still hold feelings for you...strong feelings," I admitted, "but... I also have feelings for Mundee, and they are just as strong. Be that as it may, I’m not ready to settle down with anyone, just yet."

"I suppose I should just be relieved to hear you admit that you still care for me. But then, " she smiled, her saucy manner returning. "I already knew that." She came quite close to me, until she was close enough to put her arms around my neck, saying, "Are you so sure that you want to spend even one moment with my foster sister, when we could pick up where we left off....hmmmm?"

How like her! One moment she could be so sweet and sincere, and the next, mischievous, vain, and maddeningly exasperating. And through it all, she was beautiful and charming.

"Bennie..."I admonished.

"Frodo, I could tell you to stop trying to be the perfect gentlehobbit, yet unfortunately, that's one of the things that I happen to love about you. It makes me all the more determined to have you for my own. Do you think after loving you all this time that I would give up so easily? I would be a fool and a weakling if I did."

I was still trying to think of a trying reply when she leaned forward and kissed me full on the lips, right there, in broad daylight, framed in her open doorway, for anyone who happened to pass by to see. Her kiss became more passionate and it left me with a feeling akin to falling into a deep well.


I knew was that I was in a potentially dangerous situation. A voice inside my head warned me. "Leave! Now! Get out while you still can!" But for some reason my feet wouldn’t obey. Possibly because of the fact that she was raining sweet kisses on me. She drew her arms around me more tightly, causing my jacket to slide from her shoulders to the floor. She took her lips from mine just long enough to breathe my name longingly into my ear. The scent of her was intoxicating, she smelled of violets and the sweet perfume of summer nights. I closed my eyes and heard myself saying her name softly in response, as she brushed the tip of my ear with her lip. My arms went around her and I pulled her close, returning her kisses, during which, she somehow managed to pull off my waistcoat and toss it aside. I wondered fleetingly how she had accomplished that so quickly and skillfully. That thought had barely finished crossing my mind, when a noise like the shriek of an angry cat disrupted the passionate interlude. Our kiss broke off instantly as a blur of yellow chintz and ribbons came hurtling at us.


Now, the lane on which Bennie lives doesn’t usually get a lot of foot traffic. But as misfortune would have it, Mundee and her new found friend, Fastred Brandybuck had happened along at that ill-fated moment. (I suspect that Fastred, with his objective of keeping an eye on Bennie, might have maneuvered their stroll to wind past Fanciful Farms.) At any rate, seeing Bennie and me, in each other’s arms, again, was too much for Mundee’s quick temper.

With the swiftest tactical dodge I’ve ever seen, Bennie strategically placed herself behind me, but to no avail. Although an attempt to break up the altercation may have proved as foolhardy as separating a cat fight, I might actually have had some success if my jaw hadn’t come into contact with Fastred’s fist, right then.

Oddly enough, that particular day, Willow Springs Lane was apparently a rather busy thoroughfare. For, not long before the melee took place, Bennie’s parents had arrived in Hobbiton, and had headed first thing to Bennie’s hole, intent on surprising their daughter with a visit. I don’t know who ended up the most surprised. But, I suppose it was fortunate that they showed up when they did. Lavender was not much use, however, with her attacks of the vapors, but Bodo’s presence put a damper on things quickly enough. Now that I think of it, I believe that was the first time he actually gave voice to the fear that his daughters might pose a threat to my continued well being.

Since that day, my cousin, Fastred and I have made amends. Sadly, he’s not as friendly toward me as he once was, although he no longer openly scowls at me.

At last, I have finished with this line of thought, at least for now. But, if I know Bennie and Mundee, there will be more to record later. From time to time, I have considered taking Bodo’s words of warning to heart. To be sure, there are many other pretty girls in the Shire. I could, with some difficult, avoid my lovely cousins in favour of safer females. But since I started this reflection, some four journal entries ago, I have come to a conclusion. And it is this. At times I have lamented life in the Shire as too dull. I’ve longed for more excitement. I believe I have found it in the forms of Bennie and Mundee. I suppose I should have been more specific, and careful with my wishes.

So, with a sigh of relief, I close my journal for the evening and subsequently look forward to the business of recording more recent events.