Frodo didn't go to Brabantius with his conclusions immediately; instead, he decided to wait and see what Lady Iris would do. He had little idea how the lady would respond to his ultimatum, but he thought it best to avoid eating or drinking anything during the remainder of his stay at the Thain's Hall. While Sam packed their bags and made ready to leave whenever Frodo gave the word, Frodo himself lay down to smoke his pipe and think. He didn't go to lunch but, after his restless night, drifted into sleep. He slept through the afternoon, and so missed all the excitement until his cousins came to find him and tell him about it.
Lady Iris hadn't appeared at lunch-time. There had been a few comments from the others at the meal, which had been cooked as well as served by the maidservants. Tilsey reported that her ladyship was lying down in her room; Iris claimed she had a terrible headache and no appetite. She'd sent for Mrs. Scrubbs, and the cook, who'd just awakened after her night of nursing, made a pot of chamomile tea and taken it to her ladyship.
It wasn't until tea-time that Brabantius grew concerned and went to Iris's chambers himself to see if his wife was any better. He found Iris gone. A quick investigation of her rooms showed that Iris had taken few of her belongings, clothing and her jewelry box, but she had definitely and purposefully decamped, apparently going out her terrace window. Ponies had been taken from the stable, and Isigo was also not in the house. When the cook was sent for, she was also found to be gone. By the time Frodo joined the others, inquiries at the tavern where Florisel was lodged revealed that Mr. Pumble-Took had gathered his bags rather hurriedly shortly after midday. Lady Iris had been with him--an unprecedented event at the tavern!--and the two had ridden away together.
"She's gone," the Thain told Frodo with a note of bewilderment.
"Really and truly gone!" Diamanta echoed. "Run off with Florisel."
"I never suspected that there was anything- well- disreputable between the two," Istra added in an undertone. "They always seemed quite affectionate, but I imagined it must be the intimacy of a brother and sister. Perfectly innocent! Who could guess?"
"And that boy Isigo's gone with them," said Helimarcus. "The whole Pumble family's cleared off."
Brabantius could hear no more, and went to his study to leave his family to celebrate this astonishing turn of events out of his hearing.
Merry approached Frodo. "You know something about this, don't you?" he leaned close to murmur in his cousin's ear. "You were hardly surprised when we told you her ladyship was gone."
Frodo was aware that Sam was making an effort not to watch them. "Yes," he admitted, "I was expecting something, but I didn't know what it would be. I'll tell you all about it while we get our things."
"Then we're going now?" Sam asked.
Frodo nodded. He was as eager to see the last of this household as his friends were.
They left the front hall, where the North-Tooks were all talking excitedly, to return to their rooms and gather their bags. Pippin went with them rather than to his own room, to hear what Frodo had to say. They'd gone well up the tunnel before they were aware that someone was following them.
"Mr. Baggins?" Diamond stood in the curve of the tunnel, ten feet behind them. She had come up quietly and was timidly twisting her skirts in her hands. "Mr. Baggins..." she leaned forward on her toes and spoke softly, "Frodo? I couldn't tell Mamma and Papa. Isigo didn't go away with his mother. I saw him leave the Hall, and I know where he went."
Frodo had never been to the cottage where Isigo lived with his mother before her marriage to the Thain, and so had to ask Pippin to accompany him. Pippin was also on friendlier terms with Isigo than Frodo was, and the boy would be more likely to trust him. Diamond didn't dare to tell Frodo more, but darted away once she'd delivered her information to return to her family before her absence was noticed.
"Do you think she told you because she likes him, or was she trying to get him into trouble?" Pippin wondered. "According to the other Di, her cousin is an awful tattle-tale."
"If she'd wanted to stir up trouble, she had only to tell her family where Isigo was hiding. I'm sure they'd be happy to make the most of it," Frodo answered. "If he's lost the Thain's protection because his mother's gone, there's no one in that household to stand by him now... except for her." He gave Pippin a smile. "Your matchmaking may have accomplished something there, Pip."
Pippin grinned. "Pity her family wouldn't hear of a match between them now--not that they'd consider it before!"
When they reached the cottage, Frodo knocked on door and tried it, but found it locked. Pippin, meanwhile, peeked into the windows, and found that the latch on one had been pried back.
"It wasn't like that when we were here before," he told Frodo once his cousin came to see it. "Diamond must be right--he's inside." Pippin opened the window and called into the cottage. "Hello! Isigo? Are you there?"
There was no answer for a long while, then a voice replied, "I'm here, Pippin." After another minute, the front door opened and Isigo stuck out his head. "You'd best come in this way. I tore my trouser leg climbing through that window."
Pippin and Frodo went inside and followed Isigo into a room that must once have served as the cottage sitting room, now containing only a few sheet-covered, dusty pieces of furniture, straw-stuffed boxes, and corded trunks. One of the smaller trunks had been opened and the contents taken out and spread on the floor--books, a patched velveteen jacket, and a pipe case.
"I was looking at Father's--my real father's--things," Isigo explained. "Have you come to arrest me, Mr. Baggins?"
"I don't have the authority to arrest anybody," Frodo answered. "Is there any reason you ought to be arrested?"
"Mama..." the boy answered softly, and sat down onto the nearest box. "I swear to you, Mr. Baggins, I didn't know anything about it until today. I like Father Brabantius. I've always said so. Mama called me to her not long before lunch-time. She was packing a bag and told me she must leave the Hall right away. She said she was sick of the place and everyone in it, and Uncle Flori would help her. Uncle Flori would, you know. He'd do whatever Mama asked. He even brought Grandmama down from the north when Mama wanted her here, and we kept the secret of who she was. Mama wanted me to come away with them." He gulped, and tears swam in his eyes. "She said you were going to tell Father Brabantius awful lies about her, Mr. Baggins, and I wasn't to believe a word of it--but I didn't believe her. My own mother, and I didn't believe her. She did do it, didn't she? Not Tulipant."
"I'm afraid so," Frodo answered.
Isigo nodded. "She said I was to gather my things up as quickly as possible and meet her at the tavern. I didn't go. I couldn't, not once I knew... I couldn't abide to face her after that. But I also saw that I couldn't stay at the Thain's Hall once she'd gone. This was the only place I could think to go." Tears had begun to flow down his cheeks, and he blotted them with his shirt-sleeve. "I don't know what to do!" He looked from Frodo to Pippin hopefully. "May I go back to the south with you? Nobody knows me there. I won't be a bother to you. I can take work, any work."
"You can come back to Tuckborough with me," Pippin offered. "My family won't mind. You're a relation, although I suppose we shouldn't tell them that!"
"You are welcome to come with us," Frodo added, "but will you let me speak to Brabantius on your behalf first?"
"He won't want to help me," Isigo sniffled. "After what Mother's done, he'll want nothing more to do with me. I might as well have gone away with her."
"Nevertheless, may I try?"
"Do as you like," the boy answered sullenly. "I'll be here, waiting, whatever comes of it."
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