"It belongs to Father Brabantius," Isigo told Pippin as they and Di approached the cottage. "He invited Mother and me to come live in it after my father died. I'd never been to the south end of the Cleeve before that."
"How long ago did your father die?" Pippin asked.
"Nearly three years ago. He worked for Thain Brabantius, you know. The Thain was always good to us, even when my own father was alive and he could have no idea that he'd be my step-father one day. Father was forty years younger--who would guess that Brabantius would live longer?" They reached the cottage, and Isigo held open the gate to admit the other two. "We only lived here for a few months, until Mother married Brabantius and we went to live at the Thain's Hall. I'm glad for her, but I was happier here. It's a comfy place, almost like our old home in the north, and was getting to be like a home of its own. The Thain's Hall isn't my home, and won't ever be. They've made that plain."
"The Thain's family," said Pippin.
Isigo nodded. "Di and her father are only ones who've gone out of the way to be welcoming."
"Diamond's been sweet too," Diantha said with a meaningful smile.
"Diamond is sweet," Isigo agreed. "She never says much, but when she smiles..." A smile briefly touched his own face. "If it weren't for those beastly brothers of hers always standing in the way, I'm sure she'd say more to me. She's coming home today, did you know?"
Pippin didn't always pick up subtle clues, but he gathered that Isigo was sweet on Diamond--and he was delighted to hear it. "Where are these trees we've come to see?" he asked.
"In the back-garden. I'll show you." Isigo led them around the hillock of a cottage, to a cluster of small decorative trees on the far side of a rock-edged pond. They were not fenced off from the rest of the garden, but the garden was so tiny that no cows or sheep were likely to wander within its walls.
Pippin wasn't certain what he was supposed to do now. He'd come to see the laburnum trees, and here they were! Since Sam had been looking under the trees in the Thain's garden, he did the same. He saw only plain dirt and tufts of untrimmed grass covered by some old, dead leaves and withered seed pods than had darkened from the characteristic golden color to a tawny brown. There were no footprints he could see.
"Nobody lives here now?" he asked.
"No," answered Isigo. "Some of my father's things are stored here, in boxes. I'd show you inside, but it's locked up. Father Brabantius is sure to let you or Mr. Baggins have the key if you want a peek at the rooms."
Frodo might, but Pippin didn't see the use of it.
"You don't think the poison came from here?" asked Diantha. "Trees like these grow all over the Cleeve. All over the Shire!"
"We had a grove like this at our old home," Isigo said in agreement, "and laburnums grow wild in the hills, although of course the farmers won't have them in their meadows."
"Exactly!"
Pippin was inclined to agree. Since he thought Sam would gather some of the seed pods, he picked up a handful and tucked them into his jacket pocket.
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