Eliduc's funeral was held the next day at the Bucklebury tomb atop the ridge of the hill above the town. The small ceremony was attended primarily by the young hobbit's friends, Brandybucks from the town and the Hall, and a few guests who remained after Merimas's funeral. The bier was carried by Dodi, Marleduc, and two other young lads from the Bucklebury branch of the family. Ilbie would have been asked if his broken arm hadn't made the duty impossible for him, but he got up for the first time since he'd been attacked to be present. Frodo was allowed out of bed as well, if tended as carefully by Sam as Estella watched over her injured husband.
After the rites had been concluded and the guests were heading down the hill to the smial of Emeliadoc and Sirabella Brandybuck for refreshments, Frodo spoke briefly with Amarilla Underhaye. "I didn't see your cousin Darco here today."
"No, Darco went home after he heard that the murderer had been captured and you'd been injured," Amarilla told him. "He was only staying to see how things turned out. I think he was disappointed I didn't go with him, but I won't and never will."
"The news of my injury must have delighted him," said Frodo.
Amarilla smiled. "For all his hard talk, I don't believe Darco actually wishes you harm, Mr. Baggins. He was even pleased to hear that the murderer was shut up safely in gaol. But he also said he supposed the farmer would now be hanged, and he didn't want to stay and see it."
"I don't like it myself," said Merry, who was walking with them. "I don't want to be the first magistrate in Shire history to actually sentence someone to hang, but I don't see how it can be avoided. Jebro Todbrush killed two of my kinsmen for no good reason and attacked two others, and I can't let that pass."
Later, as they were walking home on the road between Bucklebury and Brandy Hall with Sam and their cousins, Merry confided, "I went to see Jeb at the guardhouse this morning."
"Did he confess?" Frodo asked.
"He'll only say that he did what any husband has a right to do where his wife's honor is concerned, and that Milli's still his wife even if she... Well, I won't repeat what he said about her. He hates the Brandybucks. He seems to hold us responsible for ruining his life, and he isn't the least repentant about what he's done, but he blames Milli most, as if he wouldn't have had to kill anybody if she'd behaved herself properly."
"And you saw Milli too," said Frodo. "Did she know it was him?" He recalled how nervous she had been since the first murder.
"She said not. She didn't see her husband on the night Merimas was killed, but she's seen him often about town since, at hours when he had no business to be there. She said she's been afraid that he was up to some terrible mischief, though she didn't dare think of murder. She thought he meant harm to her or her little boy. Well, she's safe now and won't be troubled by him for much longer. I'd be doing her a favor."
"Poor Milli. And I thought Merimas was bad." Celie murmured and took Frodo by the arm to make him walk a little more slowly, so that they fell behind the group. "I never thanked you for all you've done, Frodo," she said, and stood up on tip-toe to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Everyone might be talking about me today if it weren't for you, and always saying I had something to do with Merimas being killed."
"Now they have Milli to talk about instead."
Her eyes went wide. "Do you think they'll talk so very much? No one except the family and the Shirriff knows about her and Merimas, and if the tale gets out, it's only gossip. If her husband talks about how Merimas went to see her, you and poor Eli did the same and no one could possibly believe she was carrying on with all of you. Everyone will remember how her husband behaved over Berry, and there was nothing in that, so this gossip will die down too after awhile. They'll think he's simply gone mad with jealousy."
"Perhaps you're right," Frodo had to agree.
"Besides, they can't talk much when they see how we've stood by her," Celie continued. "Have you heard? Merry says he's going to ask Milli to come in as a nursery-maid for my boys and little Addy."
"But Milli is my housekeeper."
"Merry seems to think you won't be needing her services much longer," replied Celie. "Besides, she'll be paid better at the Hall, and she can keep her little boy with her in the nursery. They are part of the family now, aren't they, even if we can't acknowledge it."
Frodo was surprised. "So you did know!"
"I knew you were lying yesterday," she answered. "I didn't guess before, but I used to see Merimas staring at Jem sometimes when he saw him at your cottage, and I wondered why. He would never speak to Milli. I thought he didn't like me associating with her either, but I know better now."
"And you won't mind having Milli and Jem about?"
"No." Celie shook her head. "I ought to, shouldn't I? I should hate Milli as a husband-stealer, but I don't feel that way. Not in the least. Now I know what was between her and Merimas, I see why he was always so mean to me. It used to feel awful when he said things about me and Berry. I thought it was my fault that our marriage went wrong. I couldn't ever be the sort of wife he wanted--but now I know I wasn't the wife he wanted at all. And he misbehaved just as badly as Berry ever did, so I don't feel so bad myself anymore."
As Celie left him to walk with her mother and Melisaunte, Frodo thought that she might have been a silly young girl, but she was growing up into an interesting young lady, just as Amarilla had predicted.
Just before they reached the Hall gardens, he caught up with Merry and tugged on his coat sleeve to draw him aside. Frodo had wanted to speak to Merry privately the day before, but had had no chance while he was abed; cousins and aunties were in and out of his room all day, and Sam was always at the bedside as if he meant to keep guard. In fact, Sam remained to keep watch over them now from a discreet distance once they stopped under the trees that bordered the Hall gardens while the rest of the party went on.
"I'll stay at the Hall tonight, since your mother insists, but I'm going back to Crickhollow tomorrow," he told Merry. "I want to be there for my bad spell next week. Sam has agreed to stay 'til then, and care for me. We've made plans to prepare for it." They'd discussed these plans while he was in bed: Sam would gather athelas from the woods near the Hedge and have it ready to brew on the day; Frodo knew from his spell last year that the wholesome scent of the leaves had helped him to sleep through the worst, and his dreams were more restful than the usual waking nightmares. With that potion and the Queen's gemstone to ease his pain, Frodo hoped that his bad spell wouldn't be so terrible this time. "Afterwards, Merry, I'm going back to Bag End with Sam."
"Yes, I thought you would," Merry answered.
"You guessed it already, didn't you? Celie said you expected me to be leaving soon and offered Milli another job. Did Sam tell you?"
"He didn't need to. I knew he meant to take you back the minute he arrived in Buckland, even if he had to throw you across his pony's saddle and carry you off. He had that look--he has it now. I wouldn't dare stand in his way! There've been too many Brandybucks injured lately."
"Coward," Frodo said affectionately. "Then it's... all right if I go?"
"Of course, it's all right! You belong with him, Frodo. I always knew it. You were the one who pretended it wasn't so. I've told you time and again that you might leave whenever you liked. But I will miss you."
"I'll miss you too. I do love you very dearly, Merry."
"And I love you, but it isn't the same thing and we both know it," Merry responded. "We don't care that deeply about each other. When I sent Sam off to you at Crickhollow, I knew you'd spend the night getting a lovely rogering, and I didn't mind. I was pleased for you. But Pippin only has to smile at Hy Bunce and I know he does it to provoke me, but it drives me wild just the same."
Frodo acknowledged that this was true: Their relationship had given them both companionship in a lonely time and a great deal of pleasure; they might have gone on comfortably together for many years more, but they didn't share the heart-felt passion that made love a torment and a hunger and the most marvelous of life's joys. He'd never feel for Merry the way he felt about Sam. They'd become lovers nearly a year ago on the friendliest of terms, and they could part now in the same friendly spirit.
"I don't want to leave you alone, Merry," Frodo said after they had one last, light kiss in farewell
"I won't be alone," Merry answered. "I have a whole house full of Brandybucks to keep me company."
"You know what I mean. After all the trouble Pippin's taken, I'm sure he'd be delighted if you wanted to have him back."
"I know. I'm not a fool, even if I behave like it sometimes."
"I suspect I am--the biggest fool in the Shire," Frodo said. "When we broke with them, we said that it was for their sake as much as our own, but that was wrong. I was wrong. Sam's made me see it. It wasn't kinder to break with him before I had to. Even if we don't have much time together, we must make the most of what time we have, and so must you and Pippin. Maybe he will get married one day, or you might, but that day is a long way off. In the meantime, Crickhollow will be empty again. Our discreet arrangement there worked very well, and Pippin might agree to stay for awhile on the same terms, if you asked him nicely."
Merry smiled and glanced over Frodo's shoulder. Sam was not the only person who had lingered to wait for them; Pippin was standing near the garden gate. When he met Merry's eyes, he smiled in return. "I already have," said Merry.
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