Love Letters: A Frodo Investigates! Mystery by Kathryn Ramage

After breakfast, the four hobbits paid a call at the Bolger smial. Beryl was delighted to see Merry, until she understood that he was there to congratulate Estella on her prospective betrothal to Ilberic. While Merry was speaking with Estella, Frodo sought out Fatty and explained the errand he wanted his cousins to undertake; Fatty had a few ideas of Val Stillwaters's favorite haunts, and was happy to help.

Once the three lads had gone in search of Val, Frodo had a word with Estella about her friendship with Camellia.

"No, she didn't confide in me," Estella reported. "I wish she had. She seemed to have something heavy on her heart this summer, and I would've liked to help her, if only I knew what to do. A kind word from a friend might have kept her from going away. I hope she's all right."

When they left the Bolgers' house, Frodo and Sam rode out to Stillwater Hall. Frodo went inside to speak with his client, while Sam stayed outdoors to have a look around the gardens.

Verbena Stillwaters was in her drawing-room, as she had been the day before, and she smiled in welcome as Frodo came in. "I'm glad you haven't abandoned us, Mr. Baggins, after Val was so brusque with you."

"I do understand that he's as anxious as you are to keep this matter from being widely known," Frodo said diplomatically.

"In spite of his inexcusable behavior, he's really quite concerned about Camellia and will be happy to see her home again," said Val's mother. "You will continue, won't you?"

"I've come to do just that, Mrs. Stillwaters. Yesterday, our conversation was interrupted when your son came in, and there were one or two points that I wanted to clear up. If you've no objection, may I do so now?" Frodo requested.

"Certainly." She smiled. "I can assure you that Val won't interrupt today. He's always out at this hour, and won't return until at least tea-time. What is it you'd like to know? I'll answer whatever questions I can."

"You said that your daughter-in-law left her belongings behind. May I see them, please?"

Mrs. Stillwaters showed him to Camellia's bedroom. It was a newly furnished and tidy room, laid out as if its occupant might return at a moment's notice. A hairbrush lay on the dressing table and, beside it, a locked jewelry box. On a small round table beneath the window sat the portable writing desk Camellia had spoken of: a flat, lacquered wooden box with a slightly slanted, hinged lid, designed to sit on a lady's lap while she attended to her correspondence.

It seemed odd to Frodo that Camellia should leave this behind. The writing desk was unlocked; he opened it and looked over the neat little compartments for paper, pens, and an inkpot. Delicately, he ran his fingers over the panel at the back, pushed, and it slid aside to reveal another, hidden compartment. Empty. Camellia had at least taken her letters with her, or found a safer hiding place for them.

He turned to examine the rest of the room before Mrs. Stillwaters should notice his particular interest in the desk. There were a few books of poetry and fairy stories on the shelves beside the fireplace. A tall, oaken wardrobe was filled with dresses, and a chest of drawers contained a froth of lace-edged petticoats, camisoles, and pantalets.

"She took nothing with her?" asked Frodo, blushing as he swiftly shut a drawer full of underclothes.

"I don't believe she returned to the house that night," said Mrs. Stillwaters. "My daughter-in-law's maid left us rather abruptly some weeks ago, and we haven't yet engaged another. My own maid had been attending Camellia as well as myself, and she can answer for the clothing. I've been through the wardrobe with her, and we are certain that all of Camellia's clothing, save those she was wearing, are here."

"You said that she went out for a walk after dinner."

"Yes, that's so. We dined alone, the two of us."

"Your son wasn't here?"

"Val was dining out with friends, and didn't come home until late," Mrs. Stillwaters answered. "It was a fine, still evening and when we rose from the table, Camellia said she didn't wish to sit indoors. She went out through the dining-room door that opens onto the garden. I last saw her walking toward the apple orchard that lies behind the house. I went to bed soon after, and when I came to breakfast in the morning, she wasn't there. I leaned that no one had seen her since the night before."

"Didn't Val notice she was gone when he came in?" Frodo asked.

"No. You see..." She glanced discreetly at the open door at the end of the room. Frodo peeked in. Apparently, Camellia and Val had separate bedrooms, connected by a bath and small dressing-room, where Val kept his own clothes. This wasn't so unusual an arrangement for wealthy hobbits who lived in spacious homes--his Aunt Esmeralda and Uncle Saradoc had had separate rooms at Brandy Hall for as long as Frodo could recall--but it seemed odd that newlyweds would choose to sleep apart.

"One last question, Mrs. Stillwaters," he said. "Yesterday, before Val joined us, you began to tell me something about the boy you suspect Camellia's run off with. You said he'd been seen."

"Yes, but not by me," said Mrs. Stillwaters. "As you may imagine, once we missed Camellia, we searched the grounds for her. I was afraid she might have been injured, or taken ill. Our gardener saw her in the orchard. He said that she was not alone. She'd been joined by a hobbit-lad. It was twilight and our Mr. Rakeweed's eyes aren't what they used to be. He couldn't distinguish more than a figure under the trees. It was then I began to think of what I'd heard about Camellia's old, unsuitable attachment. Of course, I have not told Val any of this."

Frodo thanked Mrs. Stillwaters, then went to the dining-room. He opened the door to the garden, and stepped outside to look out over a trim green lawn, more freshly planted flower-beds around a larger lily-pond, and an apple orchard beyond a low stone wall some hundred yards distant. Camellia had gone out of the Hall this way, up into the orchard, and then..?

What Mrs. Stillwaters had told him confirmed his own impressions: Camellia may have been growing discontented with her marriage--perhaps suspecting that she'd refused one fortune hunter only to wed another--but she hadn't planned her departure in advance. She may have arranged to meet Rolo in the orchard that evening, or merely encountered him there by chance, but once they had met, she'd decided to leave with him immediately. What, if anything, had spurred that impulsive choice?

Frodo thought he ought to speak to the Hall gardener himself, but as he went around to the front of the house, he saw that Sam had anticipated him and was already chatting with the old hobbit on friendly terms.
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