When Sam returned to Bag End, Frodo was in the study; he had filled several pages of the Red Book with his small, neat handwriting, but as Sam came to the study door behind him, he set his quill down and turned, smiling.
"Sam!" Frodo left the desk to throw his arms around Sam's neck and bestow a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm glad you're back."
Sam was glad to be home too after his long, wearisome day, and he squeezed Frodo tightly and gave him another kiss before he asked, "What this about Mrs. Lobelia wanting us all arrested? She hasn't been making more trouble, has she?"
"Oh, she came by this morning, but Merry met her at the door and sent her off. Otherwise, it's been very quiet. No one's come to arrest us."
"Now I'm home, I'd best get dinner started..." but even as he said it, Sam became aware of the smell of roasting chicken coming from the kitchen.
"We knew you'd be home late, so Pip and Merry are making dinner tonight," Frodo explained. Sam looked alarmed at the prospect, and Frodo laughed. "They've been living on their own for months now, making their own meals. I'm sure they're capable of cooking something edible." Arm in arm, they went to the kitchen.
The chicken was not cooked the way Sam would have done it, but he grudgingly admitted that it made a respectable dinner. Over dinner, he told the others what he'd discovered during his day's travels.
"I know something of the old Sackville home," Frodo said when Sam had finished. "It's family history. It belonged to Lotho's grandmother Camellia. She was the last of the Sackvilles, which was why her husband, Longo Baggins, took the name at their marriage. The house has fallen out of use since their deaths. I think Otho used to rent it, but he and Lobelia never lived there. Lobelia never liked it." He chuckled. "All this time, we've been paying too much attention to the wrong piece of property. It isn't that farmland of Peony's--it's the Old Sackville Place!" He turned to Sam. "Could Lotho have been there in hiding all this time?"
"According to the folk in the village, somebody's been staying up there since before Mr. Lotho went missing," Sam told him.
"But you didn't see anyone?"
Sam shook his head. He hadn't told the others how unsettled he'd felt standing before the abandoned house; now that he was safely home, he felt he'd been nervous and silly over nothing.
"And yet the Puddlesbys sounded quite certain that it was where Lotho was," Frodo mused, "and where Daisy was going to--or coming from--when she was killed."
"Did you believe them, Sam?" asked Merry. "I mean, about their daughter and Lotho? It casts that whole love-affair in an entirely different light... and not a very pretty one."
"I never thought they made it up, if that's what you mean," said Sam. "They truly believed it's what Mr. Lotho was after. Whether it was so-" He shrugged. "We don't know Mr. Lotho's mind."
"We know it well enough that it certainly seems possible," Frodo replied. "But I must admit I'm rather sorry to hear it. I would have liked to believe that even as miserable a creature as Lotho Sackville-Baggins was capable of one honest feeling."
"So what do we do now?" asked Pippin.
"Nothing," Frodo answered. "I promised I'd stop my investigation once Sam did this one last thing for me... and he has, quite satisfactorily." He smiled across the table. "Thank you, Sam."
"But what about the Sackville place?" Pippin persisted. "Aren't we going to go have another look?"
"I stopped to tell Robin--Shirriff Smallburrows--about the old place on my way home," Sam told him. He was immensely gratified by Frodo's praise; it made his whole day's travails worthwhile. "Don't you worry. They'll look into it. Anyways, our part's over and done with. It's up to the sherriffs to find Mr. Lotho now."
The next morning passed quietly. Frodo wrote, Merry and Pippin were put to work making notes on their own adventures, and Sam did a little gardening--but they each kept an ear out for a knock on the front door, as if they were waiting for some news to arrive.
News arrived just after lunch-time, when Robin Smallburrows came to Bag End's door and, cap in his hands, asked to speak to Sam. He was disconcerted when not only Sam, but Frodo came to the door, and the other two gentlehobbits remained in the entrance hall, all hanging on what he had to say.
"I didn't wish to disturb you, Mr. Baggins, but I thought as Sam'd want to know." He addressed Sam: "I sent word to Chief Shirriff Thistletoes at Nobottle, like I said I would. I said they ought to go have a look 'round Sackville."
"And did they find Lotho?" asked Frodo.
"They found him," Robin replied grimly, "but not at the Old Sackville Place. The shirriffs up there sent someone 'round the day before yesterday, after Farmer Puddlesby told 'em the same thing he told you, Sam, but the Old Place was locked up tight and there wasn't no sign of 'm anywhere. They found him last night in the Rushock marsh. Mr. Lotho was in the water, with a rope 'round his neck tied to a mill grindstone. They say as he must've thrown himself in, over that poor Puddlesby girl." The shirriff shook his head. "Well, we needn't trouble you again, Mr. Baggins. There's an end to it."
Site Info
We are the home of 1292 authors from among our 2552 members. There have been 2904 reviews written about our 3820 stories consisting of 10734 chapters and 29400445 words. A special welcome to our newest member, Rosamundeb.Categories
Skin Change
Donate
Help us keep one of the oldest running LotR archives available to all. Even the smallest donation helps!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
