Tulipant died in the night. Frodo heard the news when he came to breakfast in the morning, bleary-eyed and miserable after a sleepless night alone. The weight of his responsibility for what Tulipant had done tormented him. He would've been grateful for some company but, after their quarrel, he couldn't cross the hall to Sam's room nor, he knew, would Sam come to him since he had been the one to shut the door between them. He couldn't go to Merry; Sam would explode with jealousy if he heard Frodo entering his cousin's bedroom in the night. Even if he'd dared risk it, it soon became impossible, for after the rest of the household had gone to bed, he'd heard Pippin creep up the hallway past his door to tap on Merry's and ask to be let in. The two appeared more cheerful together than they'd been in days when he saw them seated at the breakfast table. So they'd made up.
Brabantius was the only one who grieved for Tulipant. The Thain looked more old and weary than he had since Frodo had first seen him. He had little appetite for his breakfast and after sitting and staring at his barely touched plate, he retreated to his room. The rest of the North Took family gathered in the parlor after breakfast, Unlike Brabantius, they were in good moods. For once, they didn't resent the presence of the investigators among them. They could afford to be courteous to Frodo and his companions now that they were no longer threatened by them. Alhasrus even went so far as to congratulate Frodo on completing his case so satisfactorily.
"I'm sorry--I feel it's ended badly," Frodo answered.
"On, the contrary, Mr. Baggins," said the Thain's heir, "I don't see how it could've ended better for us."
"But not for poor Tulipant."
"No, that's so. It is a pity, but what else could the wretched creature do once he saw you were close to finding him out? He couldn't possibly have faced Father, after what he'd done, and it's a mercy that Father won't have to face him. Poor Father's dispirited now, but only imagine how he'd feel if the one who'd betrayed him were still alive? Imagine the scandal!"
"It wasn't your fault, Mr. Baggins. Tulipant took it upon himself," Lady Iris said sympathetically a little while later. "You've been a great help to my husband. He sees that. Brabantius has taken such a liking to you, and I'm sure he doesn't blame you for what Tulipant chose to do."
Althaea and her daughter came to call soon afterwards. The two were told the news immediately upon their entrance, and after some exclamations of surprise and "Thank goodness this horrible business is finished!" the ladies settled down to discuss Vidalia's upcoming wedding.
Everyone seemed to agree that the matter had ended well. Diamanta and Aspid were disappointed that Iris wasn't revealed as the poisoner after all, but even they saw that this was otherwise the best conclusion to Frodo's investigation. No one in the household except for Brabantius felt the death of the butler as anything but a relief. They could no longer be under suspicion now that the dead hobbit had made so unmistakable a declaration of his guilt. Frodo also sensed that they were rather pleased that the one person the Thain had trusted--not one of his own family--had been the one to betray him. Though no one said so aloud, they seemed to feelthey'd had a sort of revenge against the Thain for suspecting them, setting investigators upon them, and bullying them into giving away family secrets.
Frodo looked at the people around the room: Lady Iris and Isigo; Mrs. Goodwood with her knitting, forgotten and unnoticed by the chattering group of girls and ladies only a few feet away, but watching them surreptitiously; Alamaric, who had arrived with Diantha soon after Althaea, talking with Alamargo and Alhasrus about the butler's death. His own friends, Merry and Pippin with Diantha, and Sam apart, glancing at him for some sign of what he meant to do next. There was no reason why they shouldn't go home. The North-Tooks would be glad to see the last of him, and Sam and Merry must both be eager to be away for reasons of their own. He had only to say the word for them to begin packing.
But he couldn't go, not until he'd settled the matter in his own mind. He was the only one who felt as if the whole truth hadn't been uncovered yet. There were still some questions that needed to be answered.
Frodo rose and left the parlor. He went to the kitchens, where the maids, all three teary and somber-faced, were washing up after first breakfast and preparing for second. Neither Mrs. Scrubbs nor Jeddy was in sight.
"Mrs. Scrubbs went to bed once she saw we had breakfast in hand," Elsey answered when Frodo asked about the cook. "She was up all night with poor Mr. Tulipant."
"Mr. Tulipant!" her sister echoed in amazement. "Would you ever guess it was him who did it? Him, the properest butler in the whole Shire!""
"I'll tell her you asked after her when she arises, Mr. Baggins," Elsey continued after this interruption, "but I daren't disturb her after the awful night she's had."
"What about Jeddy?" requested Frodo. "Is he here? May I speak to him?"
"The poor lad was up all night too, tending Mr. Tulipant with Mrs. Scrubbs," the maid replied. "She said as he was to go home after he had his breakfast and he wasn't to come back for two or three days."
Frodo thanked the girls and left them. As he exited the kitchens, he found that Sam had followed him from the parlor and was waiting for him in the corridor. "Did you want to say something to me, Sam?"
"No- that is-" His friend blushed and became flustered. "'Twasn't nothing."
Frodo tried not to smile; he could see that Sam wanted to apologize for his behavior last night, but didn't know how to begin. "When you spoke to the Thain's gardener, Sam, did you go to his cottage?" he asked. "Do you know where it is?"
"Mr. Tubrose?" Sam was somewhat confused. "It's just down the lane, not a far walk at all. Why?"
"I wanted to ask the boy, Jeddy, a few questions about Tulipant. He was the one to find him, you know."
"Oh." Sam hesitated diffidently, then asked, "D'you mind if I go with you?"
"Not at all. I would be glad of the company," said Frodo, and he and Sam went out through the nearest door and headed down the lane that led along the foot of the slope. The two walked side by side, silent for most of the way, but eventually Frodo thought that someone must breach the gap between them.
"I know you can't help being a little jealous, Sam," he said, "but you must understand: Merry is my very dear friend, and has been since we were both too small to remember. He always will be. In some ways I am closer to him than anybody. Even you. I won't give up my friendship with him for your sake, any more than I would ask you to give up someone you loved. Don't try to force me. It can only make both of us unhappy."
"You love him? Do you-" Sam hesitated to ask the question. "D'you want to be with him?"
"Not in that way, no," Frodo answered. "That's over and done with between Merry and me. Please, believe that. I thought we settled that when I agreed to come home with you." He took Sam's hand and held it until they reached the gate before the gardener's bungalow.
While Sam waited at the gate, Frodo went up to the door and knocked. Mrs. Tubrose answered and, when Frodo asked to speak to Jeddy, told him that her son had just gone to bed, but if he'd wait a moment, she'd see if he was asleep yet.
No, Frodo didn't mind waiting. Mrs. Tubrose went into the bungalow and, a few minutes later, Jeddy emerged, looking less distressed by his sleepless night than Frodo was after his.
"G'morning, Mr. Baggins!" Jeddy said as he came out into the small garden. "What is it you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you about Mr. Tulipant. You helped Mrs. Scrubbs attend him last night, didn't you?"
"That's right."
"All night?"
"I was in and out, bringing damp cloths and jugs o' hot water, and clean basins," the boy answered. "It was Mrs. Scrubbs as never left 'm 'til he breathed his last."
"And he never awoke?"
"Not to say 'woke,' Mr. Baggins. He had fits something fearful at first, then lay quiet most o' the night. He but stirred once or twice, a-tossing and moaning, and opened his eyes, but he didn't know where he was."
"Did he say anything?" asked Frodo.
"He didn't confess to nothing, if that's what you mean." The boy's eyes brightened. "There was a slip of paper on the bed beside 'm when I first went in, but Mrs. Scrubbs picked it up as soon as she saw it. I expect she's got it. If he took on the blame for putting poison in his Thainship's wine, it'd be writ down in that. All he said when I was there to hear was 'Forgive me, my Thain. I gave it to her. She cosseted up to me. I didn't know.' He didn't stir again after that, and died afore daybreak."
'Her' might be any woman in the household: Mrs. Scrubbs herself, one of the three maidservants, Aspid, Istra, Diamanta, Persifilla, Iris--then Frodo realized who it had to refer to, and suddenly he saw it all.
"Sam," he said once he'd thanked Jeddy and the boy had returned to the bungalow to sleep, "we must go back to the Thain's Hall."
"You know who did it then?" Sam asked him. "And it wasn't Mr. Tulipant?"
"No, it wasn't Mr. Tulipant. But I'm afraid you won't like it when I tell you who it was."
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