By the time Frodo arrived at the Inn, Sam had taken two rooms, unpacked their belongings, and made one room very comfortable with a low fire and warm water ready for washing up. He was only waiting for Frodo's return to order their dinner--but at Frodo's news that they'd been invited to dine at the Bolgers', Sam hastily changed his plans. While Frodo washed up, Sam laid out clean clothes for him, and then washed and changed his own jacket for the best one he'd brought with him.
Merry and Pippin hadn't shown up yet. Frodo left a note for them with the innkeeper on his way out, telling them to come to the Bolgers'.
Fredegar Bolger--called Fatty by his friends--and his younger sister Estella were Frodo's second cousins on the Took side. They were as plump, apple-cheeked, and warm-hearted a pair of hobbits as could be found in the Shire, and they greeted Frodo with a vociferous welcome, for they hadn't seen him since their mutual cousin Berilac Brandybuck's funeral over a year ago.
When Frodo made his apologies for Merry and Pippin's absence, Aunt Beryl was deeply disappointed, but Estella was only thoughtful.
He and Sam told them news of Hobbiton over dinner. Sam was usually shy in company, but he had dined with greater folk than the Bolgers--Tooks and Brandybucks, and the Mayor's family--and could talk about Rose and the baby, and some of Frodo's more peculiar investigations, with ease. Beryl was primarily interested in Frodo's current case; Frodo wouldn't have minded if she could tell him anything about Camellia, but she was so obviously hoping that he could tell her, and there was nothing Frodo wanted to reveal yet. He was hoping to talk to Fatty who, as a young male hobbit, might be better acquainted with Val Stillwaters than the elderly ladies were, but any questions would have to wait until they could speak privately.
After dinner, Fatty invited the guests into his study for a glass of wine and some pipeweed, a custom he had picked up at Brandy Hall. Sam went with him, but as Frodo was leaving the dining room to follow, Estella laid a hand on his arm to detain him.
"Frodo, can I ask you-?" she began softly. "You'll be seeing Merry, won't you?"
"Yes, I will," Frodo answered. "I've asked him and Pippin to join us. We were expecting them this evening."
"Tell me honestly, please: Has he arrived in Budgeford yet? Is he already here at the inn, but wouldn't come to dinner with you, because of me?"
Frodo blushed. He hadn't realized that Estella was aware of how Merry was avoiding her. "He isn't here yet."
The girl looked very sad; Frodo thought he understood why, until she requested, "When you see him, will you give him a message for me? Tell him he needn't be afraid to come. I know he only visits Fatty when I'm away, but please tell him he can come to the house whenever he likes. I'm not silly about him anymore. I see now. I know he couldn't possibly love me."
"It isn't you, 'Stella," Frodo said gently. "He thinks you're a terribly sweet girl, and he's fond of you. It's only..." He hesitated. How could he explain this to an innocent young lady?
But Estella nodded, and said, "Merry doesn't like girls. Oh, I'm sure he likes us well enough to be friendly with, but he doesn't want to marry anybody, except Pippin if it were allowed. I do understand that now. Aunt Beryl's tried to keep it from me--well brought-up young ladies aren't supposed to know such things exist--but I can't help hearing the gossip. Tell Merry, will you? He can come to visit, and I won't make a fool of myself over him. Besides," her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink as she ducked her head and confided, "Ilbie Brandybuck's been calling on me. I told him he could."
"That's marvelous news!" Frodo took her by the shoulders and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Yes, of course, I'll tell Merry. He'll be delighted to hear it. Best of luck to you both."
"We'll need the best luck, I'm afraid."
"Is Aunt Beryl giving you trouble?" He could see that she hadn't given up hope of Merry courting her niece.
Estella looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, I think she'd rather I married the Master's heir, but she has nothing to say against Ilbie. If we were of age, it wouldn't matter so much, but Ilbie's awfully young--only just turned thirty, you know--and I've got two more years before I don't have to ask for Auntie's permission to marry whom I like. So we'll have to wait."
Frodo thought of how Angelica had effectively gotten around this problem, but he couldn't encourage Ilbie and Estella to do the same!
"Aunt Beryl will come around in time," said Estella. "It's Uncle Saradoc. I'm not sure he'll be happy when he hears about it. He hasn't given up on Merry, you see."
After he left Estella, Frodo went to Fatty's study, where his cousin and Sam were sitting comfortably by the fire, sipping glasses of dark red wine. Fatty immediately rose and poured out another glass for him.
"Do sit down, Frodo," he said as he handed the glass to Frodo. "I've just been asking your Sam about this Stillwater mystery. I could see you didn't want to talk about it in front of Stel and Auntie Beryl, but I gather that there's more to it than you've let on."
"Sam..?" Frodo gave his friend a reproachful look; Sam's face went red and his mouth dropped open in dismay.
"Don't blame Sam," said Fatty. "I guessed. You see, I heard that there'd been a stranger in Budgeford and all about the Fields a few weeks ago, asking after the Roots. I knew from the description of this mysterious stranger it couldn't be you, dear Frodo, but it sounded very much like your Sam. Well, you mayn't know, but we had something of a to-do hereabouts when the old ostler Root left Whitfurrows all of a sudden back in June and took his granddaughter with him--after the girl was dismissed abruptly from Stillwater Hall. No one knew what it was all about. This happened weeks before the younger Mrs. Stillwaters went missing, so I wondered what you two were up to, and if the one was connected to the other. Will you tell me?" He sank back into his comfortable chair and regarded Frodo expectantly as he gestured for his cousin to have a seat. "I swear nothing you say in this room will go beyond it."
"It was an extremely confidential matter," Frodo said as he sat down. "I can't reveal the details, but it involved some stolen property..." He cast another glance at Sam and wondered what Sam had told Fatty before he'd come in, but there was no way he could ask without giving more away. Fatty was such an indolent and even-tempered hobbit, it was easy to forget that he possessed a fairly sharp mind. Pippin had once joked that Fatty was the only other young hobbit he knew, besides Frodo, who would rather sit home and read a book than go out for an ale.
Perhaps it might be best to take him into their confidence? A source of information here in Budgeford would be invaluable. "I do believe it is connected to Mrs. Stillwaters's disappearance. In fact, it might help us to locate her. I hope you'll be of help as well, Fatty."
"Yes, of course, if I can."
"The difficulty is that I know very little of the people in this case," Frodo explained. "I never met the Stillwaters before today. You've lived near them all your life, Fatty. You must know them. I'd like to have some idea of what Camellia Stillwaters is flying from before I find her, and try to persuade her to return."
Fatty sat forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at Frodo with keen interest. "You've guessed what's happened to her already, haven't you, Frodo?"
"I have an idea, yes," Frodo admitted.
Fatty's eyebrows rose at this. "Well! Aunt Beryl has it that the lady's flown with a lover. I thought it an absurd notion myself, but I can see that your thoughts lie along the same lines, and no doubt with better reason than the usual gossip." He sat back again. "The Stillwaters? Yes, I've known Val, as you say, since I was a little lad--but I can't say what sort of husband he makes. I felt sorry for his wife myself. Not for anything Val did to her, but because she kept to herself, didn't make friends easily. Stel went out of her way to be friends with her. Here, why don't you have a word with Stel? Camellia might have confided in her.
"I can tell you one thing, Frodo: the Stillwaters aren't as wealthy as they're made out to be. Val's quite extravagant--the sort who likes the best of everything and never thinks of the cost. Plus, he games with dice and darts and whatever else people can find to make wagers on. I know for a fact that he's thrown away handfuls of money on the Bridgefield races, and gone to Michel Delving to lose even more. His mother's paid all his debts so far, but she must be feeling the pinch. I won't say Val married for money alone, but a rich wife certainly must have come as welcome! Even if he didn't care a straw for her, he can't have her run off and take her money with her. Val may be something of a ninny, but he's not so foolish when it comes to looking after his own interests."
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