They rode up to Sackville a few days later. Sackville was a tiny village, consisting of a cluster of smials and cottages at the crossroads below the abandoned smial on the hill, and some farmlands around them. There was only one small inn, with one available room. Thimula spoke of seeking lodgings in another, larger town not far away, but once the innkeeper understood that she was the new owner of the Old Sackville Place, whose visit was expected, news of her arrival quickly spread throughout the village. Before she could make alternative plans, she was invited to stay at the smial of the most prominent local hobbits, a wealthy farm family named Hodberry. Sam and Frodo were given the room at the inn.
Sam and Frodo were also asked to tea that afternoon at the Hodberry farm. The Hodberries were eager to meet Frodo as well as Thimula; both were connected to the extinct Sackvilles that had once been so notable in the area, even though neither was a true Sackville.
"That line's died out now, I'm sorry to say," said Mrs. Hodberry. "Mr. Lotho was the last. He used to come up this way now and again."
"Missus Lobelia, his mum, was only here once, when she was new married to Mr. Otho, back when I was a wee lad," Mr. Hodberry added. "She never come again since, but she used to write these long letters to Sully Bogwater, who looked after the Old Place for her, though Sully could hardly read nor write a word. We had to read them for him--and your letter to him as well, Miss. She never took an interest in the Old Place, save to see that nobody trespassed on it."
"We had some hopes Mr. Lotho'd be opening up the old home someday, before that awful scandal," Mrs. Hodberry went on.
"That's what I hope to do," said Thimula, but her hosts quickly discouraged this plan.
"I couldn't recommend it, Miss," said Mr. Hodberry. "Much as I'd like to see gentlefolk living amongst us again, there's been one odd happening atop another since Mr. Lotho died."
"Odd noises and strange lights at night?" asked Frodo, recalling Mr. Bogwaters' warning to Thimula.
"That's right," the farmer replied solemnly. "I seen it myself, Mr. Baggins. You can just spy the windows of the Old Place through the trees from our south pasture, and more'n once when I've been out that way after dark, I've seen lights a-flickering up on the hill."
"And you never went closer to investigate?"
"Oh, no. There's been such odd goings-on there, sensible folk daren't go near it."
"Then you believe the place is truly haunted?" Thimula asked the couple. "We'd heard such tales, but I didn't know whether or not to believe it."
The Hodberries both nodded vehemently. "There's a ghost up there all right, Miss! Whether it's Mr. Lotho that haunts, or that poor girl, or somebody else, I couldn't tell you, but 'tisn't a fit place for living hobbits anymore," Mr. Hodberry declared.
"Have a look if you like, Miss, since that's what you and your friends here've come for," his wife added, "but mind you don't linger up there once it starts to get dark."
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