"Any plans yet, Frodo?" Fatty asked him as he joined the others at lunch. The Master had taken his traditional seat in the rather ornate chair at the head of the dining table and the rest of the family had already started eating. Merimac came in a moment later.
"I have an idea or two, but I honestly don't know if there's anything in them," Frodo answered reluctantly. "It's occurred to me that someone might bear a grudge against Merimas--not because of Celie, but for some other reason." He didn't say what he truly thought, but instead reverted to one of his earlier theories. "For example, there's that- ah- odd rumor we've heard."
"What rumor is that?" Aunt Beryl asked with eagerness; there were few things she enjoyed as much as gossip.
Frodo glanced hesitantly at Celie; if she didn't know, he didn't want to tell her so bluntly as this, especially at the dinner table with the entire family except Ilbie and Estella gathered around.
But Celie said, "It's all right, Frodo." She looked at the others at the table, and explained to those who didn't know what he was referring to, "Frodo's heard a story that Merimas used to go around with some other girl, or girls, before we were married. Dodi told me about it yesterday."
"I thought Celie might know," her brother confirmed.
"And did you?" Frodo asked Celie.
She shook her head. "I wish I had. It'd be something to throw back at him when he started in about me and Berry."
"Wherever did you hear such a tale?" Melisaunte asked in amazement.
"From Eliduc," said Frodo. "He wouldn't say where he heard it from, nor can I find anyone else who can tell me whether or not it's true."
"Of course it isn't true," Melisaunte answered. "I would have known if my son were keeping company with anyone."
"Surely we all would have known," added Hilda.
"I've asked his friends, Gorbulac and others, whom I also believe would know if he had had a girl-friend," said Frodo. "I'm sure Merimas would have told them, and you, if he were courting someone it was respectable for him to associate with. Since nobody seems to know about it except in the form of obscure gossip, or they won't tell me, I have to believe that there was never any such girl..."
"Or else she wasn't respectable for him to associate with!" Pippin finished for him gleefully.
The older ladies looked shocked.
"I'd like to ask Eliduc more about it--or rather, somebody else ought to go and ask in my place, since he and his brother are on guard against me now that they know they're on my list of suspects." This line of inquiry must be followed up in any case. "Pippin, will you do it? I'll go into Bucklebury with you, to poke around elsewhere, but Eliduc likes you. He might talk to you. There may be nothing in his story except mischief, but if there is a cast-off lover or jealous husband or sweetheart lurking, I'd like to know who it is."
Pippin cheerfully agreed to Frodo's request.
"And what can the rest of us do?" asked Dodi.
"For the moment, stay here," Frodo told him. "I know you want to help, Dodi--you all do--but right now, there isn't much to be done. The fewer of us wandering about, the better. Pip's all right--he's armed and can look after himself. I have a job for you too, Sam, one only you can do."
Frodo did not explain this special errand until after he and Sam had left the Hall and were walking along the back road to Bucklebury, Pippin a tactful distance ahead of them. "It's something none of my relatives can do," he told Sam, who had been brooding and thoughtful over lunch and had only spoken when asked a direct question. "You're an outsider to Buckland. You've only been here twice before for short visits and aren't known to the local folk. They might speak more freely to you than they would to me or one of the Brandybuck family, or someone who's known to be connected to us."
"You mean, I'm to pick up gossip and see if anybody has a tale to tell about how the Brandybucks did wrong to 'em?" Sam had done something like this before, in Tuckborough.
"Yes, precisely. Gather whatever stories you can, but see if they have anything special to say about my cousin Berry and that old business. I think you'd be more successful in Newbury, where the common folk are likely to congregate. You weren't wearing your shirriff's cap when you called on Chief Muggeredge yesterday, were you?"
"No, I had it in my pocket," Sam answered. "I didn't want to announce myself official-like, since I didn't know I was going to be official."
"And you've left it at the cottage today?"
Sam nodded.
"Excellent! There's nothing to give you away. Do you know where the High Hay tavern is in Newbury? Just across the green from the sherriffs' hall. Go there, and into the other pubs in town, but mind you don't get so tipsy you can't tell me what stories you hear."
"And where'll you be?" Sam asked him.
"In Bucklebury with Pippin. Well, not with Pippin. There are other people in town I want to call upon."
Sam looked doubtful about this proposed plan. "I'm meant to keep an eye on you, Frodo."
"I'll be all right in Bucklebury in the middle of the day," Frodo assured him. "Pippin will be my bodyguard 'til we get there. Won't you, Pip?"
"My sword is at your service, Frodo! I'll defend you with my life if it comes to it," Pippin answered flippantly without turning to look back, giving away the fact that he was listening to their conversation.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to it!" Frodo turned back to Sam and placed a hand on his arm. "Pippin and I will return to the Hall together when we've finished our errands. Come and join us there when you're done, Sam, and we'll talk over whatever we've learned, if we've learned anything at all."
Sam still looked doubtful, but he accepted that Frodo would be safe enough this afternoon. "How do I get to Newbury from here without going back to the main road or up and around the long way?" he asked.
They stopped walking; Pippin also stopped about ten feet farther along the road to wait for Frodo. "You can cut across here," Frodo said, and pointed to the green meadows and ploughed fields beyond the line of trees to their left. "You can't help running into the cottage lane and, from there, you can easily find your way up to the end, past Crickhollow, and take the footpath to Newbury." Since no one was nearby except Pippin, he took Sam by the front of his tweed coat and pulled him close for a good-bye kiss. But, when he let go, he could see that Sam didn't look very happy with this; his expression was quizzical and somewhat disquieted.
"What's wrong?" Frodo asked, and hoped it wouldn't lead to another argument.
"It's that way you kiss," Sam told him. "You did the same to me last night--that thing with your tongue." He opened his mouth slightly and tried to mimic the movement with his own tongue, and made Frodo laugh out loud in spite of himself.
"Didn't you like it, Sam?"
"I didn't say that, only... where'd you learn such tricks? There's other things too." He asked the question Frodo knew he would sooner or later: "It's Master Merry, isn't it? You said he comes to the cottage nearly every day."
"Yes, that's right," Frodo admitted.
"And stops the night?"
"Sometimes."
"There's been talk about you 'n' him even in Hobbiton," said Sam. "People'll say anything about Master Merry, so I didn't know whether to believe or not, 'til I was here to see for myself. It's true, isn't it?"
"Can't we talk about this later, please, Sam? We have work to do."
"We'll talk later," Sam agreed, "but you just answer me now, yes or no. Is it true?"
Frodo sighed. "Yes, then. We are friends, Sam. A little closer than we used to be, that's all."
"You aren't in love with him?"
"I love him dearly. I always have, and you know that very well, but it isn't what I feel for you." Since he couldn't delay the dreaded discussion, Frodo tried to laugh off Sam's jealousy. "I must say, you've taken an odd attitude for a married hobbit with a baby and another on the way! I never fussed about sharing you with Rosie, as long as I had my fair share of your time. You mustn't get angry if Merry and I happened to turn to each other when we were alone together far from home--after all, that's what happened between you and me, isn't it? Merry isn't jealous of you, Sam. He wouldn't have sent you to me last night if he were. He has no objection to my spending time with you as long as you're here."
"Doesn't he mind?" Sam asked suspiciously.
"Why should he? We don't belong to each other. It isn't as if we were married or had made any promises to be faithful."
Sam was flabbergasted by this answer. "And won't he mind when you come away with me?"
"We'll talk about that later, Sam," Frodo answered firmly. "Go now and hunt up some gossip in Newbury, and I'll see you at dinner-time at the Hall." He gave Sam another quick peck, no tongue, and sent him on his way.
After Sam had started off across the fields, Frodo joined Pippin, who had been waiting and observing this exchange. "You shocked him," said Pippin.
"Yes, I know. Poor, dear Sam. For all the odd situations I've dragged him into, he's still a conventionally minded hobbit at heart. I feel quite decadent sometimes. Between me, Celie with her boy-friends, Merry and his boy-friends, Berry with all the girls, and whatever poor old Merimas got up to--if he got up to anything at all--it seems that we have the most deplorable moral character of any family in the Shire."
"Worse than the Tooks?" Pippin rejoined. "Well, it's not your fault, Frodo. Nobody who gets involved with Merry goes away unchanged. Rub up against him once, and you're never the same again afterwards."
Frodo laughed, glad that they were talking in this friendly fashion, even joking about Merry, instead of being stuck in the mutually tense and miserable situation they'd been in when Pippin had left them in Bree last summer.
"I thought you were going back to Hobbiton with him," said Pippin. "Are you?"
"I haven't decided yet," Frodo admitted. "Sam wants me to so badly, and part me wants to go too, but I don't believe it's best for me to interfere in Sam's life more than I already have."
"I think you worry too much about what's 'best,'" Pippin answered him with surprising seriousness. "Merry told me it was the best thing for both of us when he broke off with me, and I certainly don't feel any better for it. I was happy with things as they were."
"I'm sorry." Frodo didn't want to hurt Pippin any more than he wanted to hurt Sam. By way of consolation, he offered, "You heard what I told Sam--that goes both ways, Pip. Whether or not I go back with Sam in the end, if you want to spend some time with Merry while you're here, I won't mind in the least."
"That's very kind of you, Frodo," Pippin replied, "but it's Merry who's got to want me. He says he doesn't..." A flicker of the old mischief appeared in his eye. "But I'm doing my best to change his mind."
Site Info
We are the home of 1292 authors from among our 2552 members. There have been 2904 reviews written about our 3820 stories consisting of 10734 chapters and 29400445 words. A special welcome to our newest member, Rosamundeb.Categories
Skin Change
Donate
Help us keep one of the oldest running LotR archives available to all. Even the smallest donation helps!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
Many thanks to our previous donors!
