The eating area was on the edge of the dance floor so the front tables usually got a good view of the shows and dancers. Tables were covered with fresh bowels of fruits: the last crops of apples, pears and blackberries of the season. Plates of pumpkin, potatoes and corn were being served as well and many hungry Hobbits crowded the tables to fill their plates.

Frodo was sitting at a side table with Sam and Merry. Fatty had left their company to go eat with his family. Pippin came trotting up to their table as Frodo, Sam and Merry were eating their fill of corn, potatoes and the other fruits. He was cleaner now; wearing a change of shirt and pie was no longer on his face. He sat down with a mug of beer and smiled. The blue ribbon he won was proudly pined to his clean shirt.

"Glad to see you're feeling better Peregrin." Merry smiled. He took a sip of his ale and patted Pippin on the back. "You know it doesn't take a lot to keep me away from first supper." Pippin laughed.

"Pippin, you could hardly keep your pie down and now you are back for more food? You're amazing." Frodo commented, voicing the opinions of both Merry and Sam.

Pippin sat quietly and drank his beer. "Oh, to each his own." He shrugged and stole a biscuit from Merry's plate. As he ate, the sound of flutes and drums started off at the band stage. Some of the young girls started pulling the boys out to dance. "Hey, now the fun can begin." Pippin exclaimed. "I already reserved a dance with Primrose." He smiled proudly.

"Well, I have my eye on Janice Bracegirdle." Merry smiled, pointing to a pretty young lass in the corner. "What about you Frodo?" Pippin asked as he kept his eye on all the girls. But there was no answer. He looked at the table and saw Frodo was gone. "Hey, where is Frodo?" Pippin asked. Merry laughed and pointed to the dance floor. "There,"

May-Belle Greenhill was pulling Frodo to the dance floor. She then wrapped her arms securely around his neck and Frodo led her around a bit. "They got to him." Merry chuckled. "Poor old Frodo; he won't get a rest till the end of the night."

"Some guys have all the luck." Pippin sighed.

"Luck?" Merry asked with a hearty laugh. "Not when you are dancing with May-Belle; she is gorgeous but deadly on the dance floor." Merry chuckled. "For once I'm happy the lass is after Frodo and not me."

Pippin laughed and finished his beer. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to find someone who CAN dance." As he got up, Merry nodded and stood. Sam, who was quietly drinking his beer grinned and wished the two younger hobbits a fun evening. "Aren’t you going to join us Sam?" Merry asked but stopped when he saw Rosie coming their way.

Sam looked up and his face brightened. "I will join you in a few." He smiled. Merry laughed and winked at him. "Have fun Gamgee. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Rosie came up to the table as Merry left, calling his last words. "What was that Merry was yelling?" She questioned, sitting down across from Sam.

"Nothing of importance." Sam smiled. He looked down to his ale shyly. The two Hobbits sat together without saying a word. Finally, Sam decided to speak: "You look very lovely this evening miss. Cotton."

Rosie blushed furiously, hoping she would get a comment from Sam sooner or later. She had been wearing her favorite dress; a dark green and white flowing dress with a square cut neckline. The roses Sam had brought her were delicately intertwined into a crown that was lying on her head. "You don't look so bad yourself Samwise." She returned sweetly.

It was now Sam's turn to blush. "Nothing different from what I usually wear." He replied as he drank his ale. His body felt stiff as he sat with Rosie. He was tense and was thinking too much about whether he would mess something up. The last thing he wanted to do was sound like a fool to her.

"I watched you and Frodo during the leg race. I was cheering for you two." Rosie commented suddenly.

"It was fun; we had a good pace going until Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck knocked into us." Sam smirked. "One day we will beat the Took/Brandybuck curse and win that contest." Rosie laughed and took a few blackberries that were in a dish on the table. Sam quietly watched her eat them and a chill of delight rushed through his body. He was so fond of her graceful movements; 'She is as fair as an elf, if not fairer,' he thought to himself.

"What are you staring at?" Rosie said, breaking Sam out of his daydream.

"What?" Sam asked as he shook his head a little with confusion. "Oh, pardon me, I didn't mean to stare. I am so rude..." He said nervously. Rosie laughed and shook her head. "No, it's all right, I didn't mind." She replied.

Sam looked at her for a moment and let out a nervous laugh. "I feel so silly."

"Don't." she returned and ate another piece of fruit.

After a few more moments of contemplation about being a fool, Sam finally thought about asking Rosie to dance. But he was too nervous to get the words out. Five simple words: ‘Would you dance with me?’ And he could not form them into a sentence. “Rosie? Would you-you, I mean, would you…”

“Rosie!” Came a cry from another lad as he came up from behind Rose and grabbed her hand. He was laughing and panting for breath after making his rounds around the dance floor. “Come dance with me luv!” He cooed as he pulled her up, grabbed her waist and danced her out to the dance floor before Sam could finish his words.

A chuckle left Rosie's lips as she disappeared into the crowed with the young Hobbit. Sam sat in annoyed shock. He just watched the spot where Rose had been sitting only a second before. ‘You did it again Samwise.’ He sighed to himself, returning to his ale.

Meanwhile, Frodo was actually enjoying his time with May-Belle. The girl had not stepped on Frodo’s foot once while they danced, which Frodo was very happy about. In fact, it seemed to Frodo that May-Belle had become quite graceful in her movements. She had separated herself from Frodo and started dancing for him. Softly swaying to the music, lifting her hands over her head smoothly and doing other gestures that caused Frodo to smile with delight. ‘Graceful indeed!’ Frodo thought to himself as the music slowed a little. Taking her hand, Frodo pulled May-Belle close to him and smiled. “You have really improved on your dancing.”

Blushing, May-Belle came closer to Frodo and slipped her hand behind his back. “Thank you Frodo, I try-” Suddenly, her sentence was stopped when Frodo grunted in pain; she had stepped on his foot. “Sorry.” May-Belle bowed her head with embarrassment.

“It’s all right.” Replied Frodo with a forced smile, trying to hid the pain so that May-Belle was not totally humiliated.

When the music stopped, Frodo smiled down at May-Belle and gently pulled her off of him. She sweetly returned the smiled and reluctantly let him go. "Thank you for the dances Mr. Baggins."

Frodo gently took her hand, kissed it, and then walked off the dance floor for a break. But as he was about to sit down to a nice mug of ale with Sam, the music started again and someone grabbed his hand. "Where do you think YOU are going Frodo Baggins?" laughed a Hobbitess with reddish brown hair. She led Frodo back to the dance floor before he had a chance to talk. 'Well, at least she isn't as bad a dancer as May-Belle, and she is closer to my age.' Frodo thought as a slight grin appeared on his face.

May-Belle watched Frodo dancing with the other girls and felt rather alone. She hardly got enough time to even talk to him before he decided to leave. She knew he was not interested in her the way she was in him, but there was always the possibility that he could learn. And he wouldn’t learn until she could talk to him alone. She needed to seclude him from the other distractions of the Festival. But how was she going to do that?

Suddenly, May-Belle’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud but familiar laugh. She looked over towards the beer kegs and saw Merry Brandybuck with Janice Bracegirdle. The two were having a good time, though they were not dancing as much. They were having a few mugs of beer and enjoying each other's company, alone off to the side of the pavilion.

Perhaps Merry could help her? The two were cousins. Frodo listened to Merry. If she could get a message delivered to Frodo, she might have a chance to get him alone after all! Yes, it was all becoming clear; she must talk to Merry.