Since the death of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins that spring, Frodo had been assisting her niece and heir, Thimula Bracegirdle, in sorting through the deeds for the property that Lobelia had left. This was a long process; Lobelia had left much more than either Frodo or Thimula had anticipated and the old lady's papers weren't in the best of order. Whenever they thought they'd gone through it all, another strongbox full of more papers turned up to be sorted through. One October day when Frodo called, Thimula expressed an interest in one particular piece of property she'd recently discovered.
"It's called the old Sackville Place. Aunt Lobelia's husband's mother left it to him. You've been there once, haven't you, Frodo?" asked Thimula.
"Yes, several years ago, when Lotho went missing," answered Frodo. "My friends and I went looking for him there."
"Did you go inside?"
"As a matter of fact, we did," Frodo admitted. "We made our way in through a broken window in the scullery like a pack of burglars. The kitchen was filthy. It'd been used as a rubbish dump. I'm sure there were rats. Someone had been living in the place." He wouldn't tell her who, however, nor what his friends had placed in the Sackville family vault afterwards. He, Sam, Merry, and Pippin had all agreed that the truth behind Lotho's agreement with Saruman to despoil the Shire was best kept a secret between the four of them. Gandalf was the only person he'd ever told. While he and Thimula had grown to be good friends during the months since Lobelia's death, and he had even let her read some of the Red Book, he wasn't ready to tell her that story yet. Mordor and Isengard were so far away and alien to a hobbit's understanding that Thimula might see the things that had happened there as something from a dark fairy-tale; to place such a threat within the Shire was too horrific.
"But that's just the sort of thing I want to know!" Thimula said. "I don't know what to do about this old house her husband left her. I've asked about it since we first found the deed. Miss Dora Baggins told me that it was a grand residence long ago, but no one's lived in it for years. She said Lobelia never liked it, and had it shut up. I wondered if it would be worthwhile to have it refurbished and made livable so that it can be rented out. I might even want to live in it myself. Or, if it's so far past repair, it might be better left alone." She hesitated, then added, "I've also been informed that it's haunted."
When Frodo didn't respond to this statement beyond looking extremely interested, she added, "It's kind of you not to laugh at such nonsense, Frodo. I would've said you were just the sort of sensible and intelligent hobbit not given to idle fancy and superstition. Not the sort to believe in ghosts."
"I believe in ghosts. I've seen one or two myself."
It was now Thimula's turn to look extremely interested. "Have you really?"
"Oh, yes. I had an especially odd encounter with the ghost of an Elf who was slain over a thousand years ago. I've written an account of it. You can read it one of these days." He wasn't surprised to learn that the Old Sackville Place had a reputation for being haunted, and he could guess by whom. Someone worse than a poor, murdered Elf had died there. "Who told you the house is haunted?" Frodo had never heard such a story in Hobbiton; if it had been Aunt Dora, he was certain it would have reached his ears by now.
"It was a Mr. Bogwater, who's looked after the house for Auntie all these years. I found his address among Auntie's papers last week. I wrote and told him that I was the new owner and was planning to come and see the place. He wrote me back... Well, it's a very curious letter." Thimula fished a folded square of paper out of her skirt pocket and gave it to Frodo. "See for yourself."
Frodo unfolded the letter and read the following ill-spelt message:
"Miss-
"As Old Place is yurs now, ye be mos wellcom to com an i wil shew
ye abut, but wit rispek i say as ye doan owt to com an liv in
it. Som fowlk herabuts say as there be a gost as walks Old Place.
There do be od noyses an lites aseen at nites. Tisnt a fit howse
for no desent hobit fowlk, an tis rite ye no of it afor ye com.
'Rispekfly, S Bogwater
as was manger to Mrs. L. Sackville-Baggins
"I didn't know what to make of it--whether or not to believe it," Thimula went on once Frodo had read the letter and returned it to her. "But I'm determined to go have a look at the house regardless. The idea of visiting a house with a ghost is too remarkable to resist. I thought you might agree to go with me and see if there's anything in it. It isn't your usual sort of investigation, Frodo, but I can't think of anyone else who could be of help. If there is something unearthly going on at the Old Sackville Place, you'll be sure to find it out and it will help me decide what to do about it. But perhaps we'll discover that there's nothing to fear."
"You can't go there, Frodo!" Sam protested when he heard Frodo's plans later that afternoon. "Miss Bracegirdle don't know what's in that house, but you do. Better not to go poking in. Leave well enough alone and let the roots take over and the roof fall in. Let it go back to Nature, that's what you ought to tell her."
"Thimula intends to go whether I do or not, Sam, and I'd rather she not go by herself. If the house is haunted, she oughtn't go inside it unprotected. As you say, I know what's to be found in there."
"Well then," Sam huffed, "if you're bound to go to protect her, then I'm going to protect you."
Frodo smiled. "Will Rosie let you?"
"I'll tell her it's another investigation, and you need looking after. She'll understand."
"Very well then. We'll look into this haunted house together, and do what we can about it. Not much, I expect. If there were time, I'd try to send a message to Gandalf and see if there is some way to lay the spirit of a dead wizard to rest."
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!
The Library, elsewhere
Other projects
Settling an Old Ghost to Rest by Kathryn Ramage
Story notes: This story takes place in the autumn of 1425 (S.R.).
In this story, Frodo and Sam recall the events of "Lotho Sackville-Baggins is Missing," including the ending and solution to that mystery. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it online at the Library of Moria
Lobelia's death and Frodo's befriending of Thimula Bracegidle occur in "Where There's a Will..."
