[Nurumaiel]

A soft knock on the door interrupted Merimac. "Madoc, would you go get that?" he asked, frowning. Now was not the time for guests, no matter what they might want. Hadn't they all heard of Fosco's disappearance? Of course they had, and now they were here to go on about how sorry they were when they could be searching the Shire for the lad.

Madoc left the dining room and went down the long hallway, towards the front door. The knock sounded again, so he hastened to open the door. Then he blushed to the tip of his ears as he found himself face to face with a young girl… whom he thought very beautiful indeed.

"Hello, Miss…"

"Rose Goodchild," the girl said. "I want to speak to your mother or father. It concerns Fosco's disappearance."

"Of course, Miss Goodchild."

"You can call me Rose."

"All right then, Rose." Madoc stood there, staring into her eyes, completely fascinated, while she waited politely for him to go fetch his parents. A few minutes passed.

"Are your parents home?"

Madoc started and came back to earth. "Yes, miss, they are. Dad can talk to you. Mum is unable to come right now. Would you come in?"

"Thank you."

Madoc led her down the hall, back to the dining room, where he announced her to his father. "Miss Rose Goodchild, here to see you, Dad." He received a puzzled look from his father, but he didn't care. He wanted to impress young Rose.

"Well, Miss Rose," said Merimac, offering her a chair. "What brings you here?"

theWhiteLady's post

Rose was too distracted to notice the faint flush that lit up the young hobbit lad's face when he opened the round door, but she was able to admire the tidy, well-organized hole in which he lived. It did not seem the type of place, nor did it house the type of people, to allow their children to carelessly wander away. Her thoughts were quickly dragged back to the subject at hand by Merimac's courteous greeting, however, and her words began tumbling out as she sat into the chair he offered, then popping right back up as she spoke, too agitated to rest.

"Oh, Mister Merimac, I have been looking all night for your little Fosco - parties were sent out when the news reached the Green Dragon - and neither hide nor hair were we able to find in my party. I was getting quite tired, to tell the truth, when I happened to spy this piece of cloth by the roadside."

And Rose lifted up the crinkled handkerchief she had been clutching in her hand for Merimac to see. Merimac rose slowly, but Rose's attention was drawn back to the doorway where Madoc still stood.
"Dad, that's Fosco's handkerchief! That's just got to be his! It is, Dad, isn't it?"

Madoc's eyes were very round as he looked from the cloth back to his father. Merimac reached out and took the bit of fabric from Rose's outstretched hand; his head shook, he was not listening to his son, and, for a moment, he turned away. Rose felt her happiness at finding a clue vanish as she watched him, and her heart began to cry with pity and anger.

Nurumaiel's post

"Thank you so very much," said Madoc, deciding to take things into his own hands. It was clear that his father was unable to speak, and it was also clear that he was doing all he could to keep from tears. "You don't know how much it means to us all."

Rose was quite unable to speak as well. She just gave a little nod and murmured something inaudible, and then, with Madoc by her side, left the room and travelled back down the hallway. Madoc found his face growing more and more red as he looked at Rose. She was awfully pretty, and so nice.

"I hope I haven't disturbed you," said Rose haltingly. "And I'm sure Fosco will be found, alive and well."

"Yes, I'm sure he will, especially if more people like you help," said Madoc, unable to take his eyes from her. "You must be very sleepy now," he added, without realizing how abruptly he was changing the subject.

"I am rather sleepy… good night," she said, walking out the door, Merimac's grief-filled face still in her mind. She walked slowly down to the gate, then paused. She had something to say in the back of her mind, but she could not reach it. She hadn't been given a message but she knew… Oh, yes, that was it. "And tell your mother Cami gives all her love and is sure everything will turn out wonderfully."

Madoc looked like he was in a daze. "And tell Miss Rose Goodchild that Madoc gives her all his love," he said dreamily. "Good night."

Rose opened the gate, laughing silently to herself at Madoc's final remark, praying that Fosco would be found, and went down the road, while the little lad of ten years stood at the door of his hole, still watching her until she was out of sight. Then he turned and went inside, singing an old love song his mother used to sing a long time ago.

[ April 19, 2003: Message edited by: Nurumaiel ]