Frodo forwarded the packet of letters to Camellia Stillwaters, and considered the matter closed. It was just one of the many cases he had acted on privately in the past year, quickly settled to his client's satisfaction.
He thought no more of it, until a month later, when he received a letter addressed from Stillwater Hall:
"Dear Mr. Baggins-
"We are not acquainted, but your aunt Asphodel Burrows is a great friend of mine and recommends that I write to you. I have been informed that you investigate mysterious circumstances, and my family, finding ourselves in such a circumstance, turns to you for assistance.
"My daughter-in-law, Camellia, has become a source of great distress to my son and to me. I have reason to believe that she has run away with a boy she knew before her marriage, deemed unsuitable by her family. It is my hope that she can be found and recalled to her sense of respectability and duty to her family and ours before the incident becomes an irreparable scandal. I rely on your discretion.
"I understand that you are an invalid, but if it is possible for you to travel, I invite you call upon me at Stillwater Hall at your earliest convenience. If your health makes the journey impossible, I am prepared to call upon you at Hobbiton. I look forward to your reply, and will make arrangements accordingly.
"With sincerest regards,"
It was signed, "Mrs. Verbena Stillwaters."
"Here, Sam-" Frodo handed the letter across the breakfast table to his friend. "What do you make of this?"
Sam read the letter slowly. "She uses a lot of fancy words," he said after a minute. "She must be a very grand lady."
"If she's a friend of Aunt Asphodel's, she must be one of the most prominent ladies in the neighborhood of Budgeford. Fit to associate with a Brandybuck."
Of the innumerable older female relations whom Frodo addressed as "Aunt," there were only two who actually were: his father's sister Dora Baggins, and his mother's last surviving sister, Asphodel Burrows, Milo's mother. Asphodel was a Brandybuck by birth, daughter of a Master of the Hall. She never forgot her place in the world even after she had married the unassuming Rufus Burrows, and never let anyone else forget it either.
"Do you remember Camellia Stillwaters, Sam? Angelica's friend? The business with those stolen letters?"
"Back at Lithetide, when I went riding all over the Shire looking for that maid?" Sam nodded. "And now the lady's run off? It's funny that her mother-in-law wrote you about it, 'stead of her husband."
"Maybe he doesn't know as much about it as his mother does. Mrs. Stillwaters seems rather anxious to keep Camellia's old love affair with Rolo Bindbole a secret."
"Are you going to go?"
"Yes, I have to, for Mrs. Stillwaters's sake--Camellia, I mean." Frodo became thoughtful. "She was such a gentle and vulnerable creature when I met her, Sam. I'd hate to see her come to harm, even if she weren't a former client or Angelica's dear friend. After all the trouble we took to recover her letters and preserve her reputation for her, I can't let her fall into scandal now. I shall write and tell Mrs. Verbena to expect me this coming Trewsday. I've been thinking of visiting Fatty and Estella in any case, and this will be a good time to go. Will you come with me, Sam?"
He could see that Sam wanted to accompany him, but was reluctant to leave Rosie for long. The baby wouldn't be born until the following spring, and Rosie was doing quite well now that those first nauseous weeks had passed, but Sam was anxious for her all the same.
"Can you spare Sam for a week or so, Rose?" Frodo asked as Rosie came to the table to refill the teapot. "I've been asked to investigate a case near Budgeford, and may need his help."
"'Course Sam can go, if you need him, Mr. Frodo," Rosie answered.
"You'll be all right while we're gone?" Sam asked her.
"I'll be fine. I'll ask Mum to come and stay with me while you're away. If I need anything, she can look after me best at a time like this."
"There we are!" said Frodo. "We'll leave on Trewsday morning. I think I'll write to Merry and Pippin and ask them to join us. Merry knows that part of the Shire much better than I do, and they both might be glad to come away for awhile." From Merry's last letters, Frodo inferred that his cousin was bored in Tuckborough and only stayed on for Pippin's sake. "An investigation may be just the thing."
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