Brabantius Took, Thain of Long Cleeve and head of the North-Took family, sat alone in his study. He poured a glass of wine from the decanter set on its silver tray, which had been moved from its place on the sideboard to the small table at his elbow, as it was every afternoon at this hour. He held the filled glass up to the light, gazing into the dark red depths of the liquid for a long while, but did not drink.
After a few minutes of considering the wine, he set the glass down and tugged the bell-pull to ring for his butler. "Has he come yet, Tulipant?" he asked when the servant arrived.
"No, your Thainship," came the reply, "but a watch is being kept on the road from the south."
"Inform me as soon as the investigator arrives."
The butler Tulipant bowed. "It will be done, your Thainship."
"It can't be much farther now," Merry said hopefully as the four hobbits slowed their ponies to peer at the signpost planted at a fork in the road ahead. None of them had been in the far reaches of the Northfarthing before. Long Cleeve was a three-day journey from Hobbiton; they had come by way of Oatbarton then turned westward to skirt the northernmost borders of Bindbale Wood. It was now late afternoon and, from the directions obtained in Oatbarton, they had every reason to believe they were nearing their destination.
"This North-Thain," said Sam after they'd chosen the path that turned northward and ridden on for awhile, "didn't he say what he wanted you for, Frodo?"
"No, Sam. You know as much as I do. It's 'a peculiar and most delicate problem requiring a great deal of discretion.' That's all he said in his letter, and the letter contains all the information I have." Frodo had brought the North-Thain's cryptic message with him, and carried it now in his inner waistcoat pocket, but he'd read it over so many times since he'd received it last week that he could recite most of it from memory. He had written in reply that he would be glad to come to Long Cleeve and offer his services, then invited his cousins to accompany him.
"What d'you suppose it can be?" wondered Merry. "A robbery? The family jewels stolen and he thinks it's one of the family who took them? Or maybe it's some dark, terrible secret he doesn't want to expose to public scandal."
"There was a scandal last year," Pippin remembered. "Mother and Father were talking about it after they had a letter from Aunt Di. Thain Brabantius got married again, to a lady much younger than he is--half his age, Mother said."
"Well, there's no mystery in that," Merry laughed, "except how an old hobbit near eleventy-one can hope to please a wife so much younger."
"You didn't tell him about us coming along?" Sam asked Frodo.
"I said I might be bringing my associates to aid me in whatever investigation he required. Since I've no idea what he requires, I can't predict how much help I might need, and I didn't know when I wrote if you would all be able to come with me." Frodo gave his friend a smile. "You would, of course, dear Sam, but Merry has his Buckland to look after these days, and Pippin has his family." Pippin had only returned from Buckland to visit his family in Tuckborough a few weeks ago; he had grown homesick since leaving them in the spring.
"Uncle Merry's glad to take Buckland off my hands for awhile," said Merry. "I think he prefers having me out of the way so he can manage things properly."
Pippin grinned. "My family didn't mind me going away again. I only had to tell Father and Mother that you'd asked me, and I was off. Mother wasn't sure if she should be pleased or worried when she heard where we were going. She's hoping that if I see Diamond again, I'll reconsider marrying her. On the other hand-"
"There's the other Di," Frodo finished for him. It wasn't difficult to guess; this wasn't the first time Pippin had spoken of Diantha Took during their journey.
"Exactly! Mother's terrified I'll come home and announce I've got myself betrothed to her. That'd almost be worse than Merry!"
"Thank you!" said Merry.
Pippin ducked his head. "Well, you know what I mean. As far as Mother's concerned, one's nearly as bad as the other. She couldn't imagine a worse girl for me to like."
The northward road went around the curve of a hill, then led into a deep, rocky cleft. This narrow passage went on for perhaps a quarter-mile before it gradually widened into a grassy gap between steeply sloped hills. On an outcropping of rock above the path, a figure was sitting; as they drew closer, they could see it was a young hobbit with bright red hair, wearing a well-worn jacket and trousers. This youth stood up, waved, and shouted, "Halloo! I've been keeping watch for you!" then jumped down into the road before them, fearless of the height.
"Di! Hello!" Pippin climbed down from his pony and went to her.
"That's a girl?" Sam murmured doubtfully as the two hugged.
"That," said Frodo, "is Miss Diantha Took." He too dismounted to be hugged in turn.
"Welcome to Long Cleeve, Mr. Clever-Baggins!" Di said once she let go of him. "Granduncle Brabantius has been asking after you every half-hour since he received your letter, saying you'd come. He doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"We came as quickly as we could, Miss," said Sam. He had heard the story of how this strange young girl had come to Tuckborough, pretending to be Pippin's prospective bride, but was uncertain what to make of her.
"You don't know my granduncle. He's used to having everybody jump and obey him instantly," the girl responded. "I told him how Frodo's worked for a great King of the Big Folk and wouldn't be pushed about by a mere Thain, but he only said I was impertinent."
"So you are," replied Frodo.
"What if I am? It's still true, isn't it?" Di retorted.
"Yes, it is, but how do you know about it?" Frodo was aware that he was famous throughout the Shire as a detective, but he doubted that his recent adventures in Minas Tirith were well known.
"Pimmy wrote and told me about it last year, before Pip went off to find you and Merry. How is she, by the way? I heard she's made an awful scandal and run off with a troupe of acrobats. I wish I could run off with some acrobats. Anyway, I was the one who recommended you, Frodo. You didn't know that, did you?"
Frodo shook his head.
"I thought it must be Aunt Di," said Pippin.
"Granduncle did ask Auntie Di about Frodo, but she said that investigating was a disreputable occupation for a gentlehobbit so closely connected to the Tooks, always involved with murders and such. I told him that I knew you as well as she did and knew how clever you were. I ought to, oughtn't I, after you figured out I wasn't Diamond? Besides, there hasn't been any murder in Long Cleeve. I almost wish there was one. It'd be exciting to be in middle of it, but I suppose I'd feel bad for the poor person who was killed unless it was somebody I really didn't like."
"Then you'd probably be suspected," said Merry, "and that wouldn't be fun at all." He hadn't spoken before, since they'd encountered Di, and had hung back a little during the hugs and banter. Like Sam, he'd heard Pippin's and Frodo's story of how they'd first met this girl and would probably have been more pleased to meet her himself, if Pippin hadn't so obviously looked forward to seeing her again.
Di looked him over with curiosity, and Frodo took the opportunity to introduce the two.
"So you're Pip's Merry?" said Di. "I've heard all about you. Pip's told me everything." Then she tugged on Frodo's sleeve. "Come along. Granduncle Brabantius is waiting. He'll want to see you the minute you're in the front door of the Thain's Hall."
"How much further is it to Long Cleeve, Miss?" Sam asked her.
"You're in the Cleeve now," answered Di. "This is the bottom end of it. It goes on for nearly twenty miles, but it's only another mile or so to the Hall."
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The North-Thain's Murder by Kathryn Ramage
Story notes: This story takes place in the late summer of 1423 (S.R.).
October 2007
The Frodo Investigates! series
