[Nurumaiel]

"My family?" Posco held back a deep, frustrated sigh. He wanted to tell Lily all about his family but he did not know how without speaking very much. He hesitated, glanced towards her, saw the encouraging look in her lovely eyes, and felt confidence seeping into him. Firmly setting his tea aside, determined to no longer hide himself behind it, he began to speak.

"My family, the Bramdybucks, have lived in Buckland for as long as can be recalled," he said, and realized with the very first sentence that he had made a dreadful mistake. Lily might think that all the Brandybucks lived in Buckland, not just his immediate family. "I do mean my family," he said. She smiled, and he continued more feebly as he realized that most of the Brandybucks did in fact live in Buckland. "My father is called Posco, for I was named after him, and my mother was called Primrose Brownlock before she was married. There aren't very many of us in my family... there's Blanco, who you have not met but have seen, and myself. We are twins. Our elder sister is called Peony, but she didn't come. My father grows crops and raises cattle, and I suppose I'll do the same as him."

He said this without bitterness; he did not mind that he would follow in his father's footsteps, but it was rather a joy to him. He found no greater peace and contentment than what he found watering plants and watching them grow, and milking the cows and laughing in delight over their clumsy, adorable calfs, and even feeding the few chickens they owned. He glanced at Lily and a passing thought came to his mind, and he wondered if she would enjoy living on a farm.

"But my sister," he went on, "didn't want to stay home and help mother, because mother didn't really want help. She didn't mind the help, of course, but she had always preferred to do things without. So Peony went to the nearest tavern to work as a maid there." He hesitated. "She's having trouble with the family now," he said, "and that's why she isn't here." He wondered if he should continue and elaborate upon the trouble his sister was in, and had just concluded not to do so when he saw Lily's eyes again, full of encouragement and kindness. He firmly made up his mind to tell her all about the family trouble. "My sister, you see, has fallen deeply in love with a young hobbit lad who calls frequently at the tavern, and she wants to get married to him. I can't say if he's asked her or not, but if he hasn't yet he will any day. My father doesn't like the lad, though... Hal Brandybuck is his name. As I was saying, my father doesn't like Hal and thinks he's a drunkard, though I assure you Miss Lily, he is not. My father doesn't care much for... er... poetry as you might say, and Hal is so often speaking of sunsets and sunrises and Elves that my father concludes it's because he is constantly drunk.

"Of course my sister is heartbroken about it because she wants more than anything in the world to marry this Hal Brandybuck, but she doesn't want to go against our father's wishes. Mother doesn't approve merely because father doesn't approve, and both of us feel dreadfully for her. Originally my mother wanted to send all three of us to visit my aunt but decided to keep Peony a little longer so my father could speak to her without us interfering. Peony will be coming tomorrow, if all goes according to plans. You see, we have always interfered dreadfully with the conversations between Peony and my father when it strays to the subject of Hal Brandybuck, because if we let them alone my father would surely grow quite angry and then Peony would be made stubborn and she might go off and do something... er... rash. In short, she might go right on and marry Hal without a second thought."

He paused, stared at Lily in amazement, and dropped his eyes. It was frightening to think he had said so much, and he could hardly believe it. If truth must be told, Posco had ever been one to talk to himself when he was quite sure he was alone, and he spoke at great length without considering. At this moment he had completely forgotten Lily was there, so absorbed was he in the troubles of Peony, and he had believed he was quite alone and so speaking to himself. When he saw this was not so he felt as though he should be embarrassed and humiliated, but he realized with a pleasant thrill that he did not mind. In fact, he rather liked speaking so to Lily.