Merry unwrapped the blanket Ivy had huddled in. "Time for bed."
"Can I stay here with you?" she mumbled.
He stroked her silky blond hair and kissed her brow. "Of course, love."
With a practiced routine, he tucked her into the bed in his guest room at Meduseld. She'd been unusually quiet all day. His revelation of Éowyn's impending arrival at Edoras had disquieted her, had fostered fears in her that he'd never considered. It had broken his heart when "Do you think she'll like me?" had been his daughter's first question when told she would be meeting her mother.