Merry and Pippin had been living in Buckland since their return to the Shire. The two had long had a special affection for each other but, as had happened with Sam and Frodo, that feeling had grown more intense during their adventures; alone in the Big Folk's world, separated from all other hobbit-kind, and facing danger and death nearly every day, they had formed a powerful bond of love and loyalty that neither could ever form with anyone else. Reluctant to part once they were home again, they had set up house together in the cottage at Crickhollow, which was on the edge of the Brandybuck property--private enough to let them do as they pleased without worrying about prying neighbors or family interference.
The true nature of their relationship remained a secret for many months. Only certain members of the Brandybuck family were aware of what went on at Crickhollow, and tactfully ignored it. Such things were tacitly acknowledged to happen sometimes between two lads or maids in their tweens, when an especially close friendship became confused with first love, but the young pair always saw reason in the end and separated, settling down to marry like sensible hobbits. Most of the Brandybucks were content to wait until the boys grew out of their odd infatuation. Only Merry's father, Saradoc, the Master of Brandy Hall, attempted to hasten things to an end by trying to find a suitable girl for Merry to wed.
The family secret became a public scandal a few weeks ago, following the death of Merry's cousin Berilac. Merry had quarreled with his father just before Berilac's death, and Saradoc had allowed Merry to be arrested for murder as punishment for refusing to give Pippin up.
Merry's innocence was eventually established, thanks to Frodo's and Sam's investigation on his behalf, but relations with his father and family were still strained. Everyone in the vicinity of Brandy Hall was aware that he and Pippin were lovers now, and the secluded Crickhollow cottage no longer seemed quite so private. On Frodo's invitation, they had come to stay at Bag End for an indefinite visit.
To welcome the guests, Sam not only prepared a larger-than-usual dinner, but had set the table in the rarely used dining room. He and Frodo normally had their meals in the kitchen. Over dinner, Merry and Pippin related what had happened at Brandy Hall since the other two had left it.
"Mother sends you her love," Merry told Frodo. "So do the aunties. They're all sorry you couldn't stay on at the Hall a little longer. Oh, and Melilot's leaving."
"Leaving?" asked Frodo.
"She's going to marry Everard Took. You know they've had an understanding since they were children, and after everything that's happened... well, Melly's finally made up her mind. I expect she wants to get away as much as we do, for her own reasons. She wrote to Everard, and he's come up to Buckland to see her and settle matters. She's going back to Tuckborough with him, and they'll marry in September."
"We thought we'd stay here 'til then," said Pippin, "and then go to attend the wedding. You'll come too, won't you, Frodo? They'd be so glad to see you."
"Yes, I'll go with you," Frodo agreed. "And where do you plan to go after that?"
"After that, who knows?" Merry answered. "We may stay on in Tuckborough awhile, if we're welcome there."
"My father's not taking the news about me 'n' Merry any better than Uncle Saradoc did," said Pippin. "He hasn't given up hope that we'll stop this nonsense and get married--to girls, I mean. You're lucky you don't have a father, Frodo-" Merry kicked him under the table, but Pippin continued undeterred, "There's no one to disapprove of you and Sam. I don't suppose the Gaffer knows, does he?"
Sam shook his head. At least, his father hadn't said anything when he'd moved into Bag End, except that he mind his manners, do his job, and not forget his proper place.
"Fatty Bolger's invited us to visit him at Budgeford," Pippin went on. "I wouldn't mind it, but..." He glanced at Merry.
"Estella's there," Merry explained. "You know why I'd rather not see her just now." The quarrel with his father had come to a head when Saradoc tried to arrange a match between Merry and Fatty's younger sister. The most awkward part of it from Merry's point of view was that the girl was sweet on him and wouldn't mind getting married; the only graceful thing he could do was try to stay out of her sight until she was over it and had found some other boy who shared her feelings. "If there's nowhere else, we may just go back to Gondor."
"You were talking like that in the Newbury gaol," Frodo said with a note of concern.
"It still doesn't seem like so bad an idea," Merry replied. "I expect we'll do it one of these days, when the Shire's had enough of us and we've had our fill of the Shire." He sighed and picked up his wine glass to swirl the remaining wine thoughtfully. "Sometimes, I can hardly believe that we ever had a place in the Big Folk's world, that we fought alongside them. That we were smarter and braver than anybody suspected."
"Including us!" Pippin piped in.
"Including us," Merry agreed. "We were mostly fighting to defend the Shire and keep it from becoming like the places we saw out there, where evil had come in and ruined it. We did keep the Shire safe, and they don't even know. No one here knows a thing about the war. It'd be so easy for us to fall back into this safe, comfortable life too, and forget that we were ever anything else. I don't want to forget." He finished his wine and, as he set down the empty glass, turned to Frodo. "You've heard enough of our troubles--What's troubling you, Frodo? Something's on your mind. I can see it."
Pippin nodded in agreement. "You've barely said a word since we came in."
"You haven't given him much of a chance," Sam pointed out.
"But what's wrong?" asked Merry. "You're not still upset over- well- how it all ended at the Hall, are you?"
"Yes, I am," admitted Frodo, "but if I'm worried today, it isn't because of that. We have a new problem to think of. Lotho's gone."
"Pimple gone?" cried Pippin. "Gone where?"
"We don't know," said Frodo. "No one does."
"But why on earth should you care?" Merry asked. "I'd think you'd be relieved to see the last of him."
"I might be, if I weren't suspected of having something to do with his disappearance." Frodo related the full story of the argument with Lotho and the shirriff's visit to his astonished cousins as they finished their dinner.
"But you can't leave things like this," Merry said after the table had been cleared and the hobbits had gone into the parlor to smoke.
"What else can I do?" Frodo slumped down on the settee and lit his pipe. Sam went to make up the fire.
"Why not you look into it yourself?" Merry suggested.
Frodo sat up a little straighter. "You mean, I should find out where Pimple's gone?"
"It's in your own best interests. You can't have this dark cloud hanging over you. Half of Hobbiton would be overjoyed if he never comes back, but as long as his mother's around to make a fuss, we'll never hear the end of it. If Pimple doesn't turn up, you know it's just a matter of time before she starts publicly making accusations against you and calling for your arrest."
"Lobelia's just the sort of vicious old biddy who'd do it," said Pippin. "She'll tell any hurtful tale she can whether she believes it or not."
"It's not as if she hasn't done it before," Merry continued. "You remember, Frodo, after Uncle Bilbo disappeared, how she went around saying that you and Gandalf had done away with him?"
"I remember," said Frodo. "If she does it again, I'll do just what I did the last time: ignore it. I don't think the sherriffs will arrest me no matter how loudly Lobelia screams. The worst she can do is lay a complaint against me. If a sherriff comes to question me again, I will simply tell them the truth: I don't know where Lotho is. And if Lobelia comes around here and makes a nuisance of herself, Sam will throw her off the property."
All four hobbits laughed, and Frodo went on, "No, we can't toss an old lady over the garden hedge, no matter how obnoxious she is. Sam, if my Aunt Lobelia comes here, you are not to allow her past the front door. Tell her I am too ill to receive visitors. If she won't leave, you may show her firmly to the gate."
"Then you won't do anything?" asked Pippin.
Frodo shook his head. "Even if Lobelia were a danger to me, I couldn't investigate her son's disappearance. Sam wouldn't let me." He smiled at Sam, who was nodding solemnly in affirmation. "I'm not up to running around Hobbiton and looking into mysterious happenings."
"You don't have to run about," Merry offered. "We'll do it. Sam will help too--won't you, Sam?"
"You could figure this puzzle out without leaving Bag End," Pippin added.
Frodo laughed. "What extraordinary faith the two of you have in my intelligence! Especially after..." he sombered quickly, "after the last time I stuck my nose in where it didn't belong."
"That wasn't your fault, Frodo," Merry said sympathetically. "You were only trying to help me, and you can't blame yourself for what happened afterwards." He went to stand behind Frodo, then hugged him around the shoulders from the back, and kissed the top of his head. "I'm glad you stuck your nose into that mess and got me out of trouble. You can at least do the same for yourself."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Frodo conceded. "I don't have much of a choice, if I expect to have any peace."
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