Love Letters: A Frodo Investigates! Mystery by Kathryn Ramage

Sam and Frodo returned to the Inn to find that Merry and Pippin had arrived while they were out, and were finishing their own dinner in the common room.

"We left a message that we were at the Bolgers'," Frodo told them. "You might have joined us."

"We got your message," said Pippin, "but you know how Merry won't go near 'Stella. He's afraid he'll be forced to marry her if he so much as smiles at her."

Frodo stared; this was an oddly catty remark for Pippin to make.

"I'm trying to spare her feelings, and her family's," Merry replied tersely. "I'm very fond of the Bolgers, 'Stella included. There's no point in getting their hopes up."

"That's no reason not to be nice to her," said Pippin. "It isn't her fault your father's pushing you at her, is it? You're brave enough to ride into battle and stab the Lord of the Black Riders, but you won't face one chit of a girl."

Frodo felt as if he'd blundered into the midst of a quarrel between the two and he was certain that whatever their argument was about, it had little to do with Estella Bolger.

"You needn't worry," he told Merry. "Ilbie's courting her. Estella told me so herself. She's asked me to say that she isn't 'silly' about you anymore. She understands about you and Pip."

"Now that is good news!" Merry cried with obvious relief. "I knew Ilbie'd win out, if he was patient and didn't make a nuisance of himself."

"You'll have to call on 'Stella now and be civil, especially if she's going to marry into your family," said Frodo. "I assume they'll take up residence at the Hall."

A maidservant came to clear the table, and the foursome rose to each order a half-pint at the bar. Frodo turned to business: "I'm glad you both came. I'll have work for you to do. I'm thinking of bringing Fatty into this investigation too, since he already knows quite enough about it." He glanced at Sam, who went red in the face again.

"I never told Mr. Fatty about those letters!" Sam protested indignantly. "He asked why I'd been looking for that Root girl, who was Mrs. Stillwaters's maid. What could I say? He knew it was me, and I must be on an errand for you. Then he wanted to know if it had something to do with her being gone."

"And what did you say to that?" Frodo asked.

"Nothing! You came in before it went any further, and you told 'm more'n I did."

"What letters?" asked Merry, looking from Sam to Frodo with curiosity. "And what's this about a maid? You haven't told us much about why you wanted us for this investigation, only that there's a missing lady."

"Not here." Frodo led the group to a double settle at the far end of the room, away from the inn's staff, other diners and merry-makers, so they could talk without being overheard. "Camellia Stillwaters, the missing lady, was a client of mine," he explained in a lowered voice. "You weren't involved with that case. She came to me earlier this summer. Her old love letters had been stolen..." He told his cousins the story now, and how the elder Mrs. Stillwaters had written to him for help. "Her mother-in-law believes she's run off with her cast-off lover, and wants me to bring her back. She doesn't know who the lover is, or where they've gone."

"But you do, don't you, Frodo?" Pippin asked eagerly.

"If she's with flown with Rolo, they've most likely gone to hide in Bindbole Wood, near his home. They might be sheltered by his family." Frodo sighed. "I've been engaged to find Camellia, but I'm concerned for Camellia's welfare as well. She asked for my help before her mother-in-law did, and I want to do my best for her. When I find her, I'll speak to her on Mrs. Stillwaters's behalf. If she wishes to avoid a scandal, Camellia will agree to come home. If she doesn't... well, I don't know yet what I'll do. What can I do? In such a case, there's no way to serve both ladies' interests."

"Why wouldn't Mrs. Camellia want to avoid scandal?" Sam asked.

"She may not care. If she's happier with Rolo than she was with her husband, and he doesn't care for her, then she has no reason to return to her home, except for duty to her family. That may not be enough for to give up her happiness. She might prefer to stay with Rolo, even if it means social disgrace."

Merry grinned. "Being a social disgrace isn't so bad, once you're used to it. You learn not to mind what people say."

"Camellia isn't like you, Merry," said Frodo, thinking of that plain, timid girl who had sat so nervously on his parlor sofa one afternoon. "She left Stillwater Hall without even leaving a note for her husband. I suspect she flew on a moment's impulse, but she hasn't thought through the consequences of her flight. Right now, her mother-in-law is doing her best to keep things quiet, but the secret can't be kept indefinitely. People are already talking. Once the truth is publicly known, it'll be very hard on her. Poor Camellia may find she doesn't have the courage to brazen it out as you and Pip have done."

"She might find courage, if she's in love with this other lad," countered Merry. "Maybe that's enough."

"She did love Rolo," Frodo agreed. "When I last spoke to her, I believed she loved him still."

"She must, if she's run away with him," said Pippin.

Frodo nodded. "It may be difficult for her, and scandalous, but if it's what she wants, then there's nothing I can do. But I do want to help. If I am to speak to Camellia, perhaps advise her on the best course, I need to learn about her situation--why she flew, and whom she's flown with. When I met this Rolo, he seemed decent enough, but there was something odd about the part he played in that business with the letters. I'd like to know more about his character. If he's a scoundrel, she must be made to see it before it's too late.

"I'd also like to know about Camellia's husband, Val. I can't decide if he's an utter fool, indifferent to her, or if he's only trying to conceal an unpleasant truth. All I'm certain of is that he objected to his mother's engaging me to find his wife. He says he doesn't think it necessary to search for her, but I wonder-?" He turned to Merry. "You've been to Budgeford recently, visiting Fatty, and you know this part of the Shire. Are you acquainted with Val Stillwaters?"

"I've seen him about," said Merry. "You know that his mother's one of Great-Aunt Del's select circle of friends. Milo knows him quite well, of course, although I wouldn't call them friends."

"They used to be," Pippin interjected, "but Milo won't speak to him now."

This made sense, if both Milo and Val were ardent pony fanciers from their youth. Frodo wondered what had divided the two. "Fatty tells me Val's a great gambler," he said.

His cousins laughed. "That he is!" said Merry. "As a matter of fact, he was at the Michel Delving races this past Lithetide. We saw him there, but not to speak to. As Pippin says, Milo went out of his way to avoid Val whenever he saw him."

"Can you seek him out tomorrow? There must be some way for the two of you to become better friends with Val Stillwaters. It's too late in the year for races in the Bridgefields," Frodo mused. "All the ponies will be needed to bring in the hay. Maybe Fatty can help. When you talk to Val, you needn't say a word about his wife--I know he won't talk about that. Buy him an ale, play dice with him, encourage him to chat. I want to find out what sort of hobbit he is."
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