A/N
++This is a short little quip that originally was in the previous chapter but I took it out because it took too long to get the "pool" scenario. So I thought this chapter could stand on it's own. No worries, the conclusion to the drowning is almost at the end of the drawing board, so to speak.++
Bilbo delighted at his solitude alone in his home. To further secure his privacy he remained in his is study. Bilbo Baggins' study, a marvel unknown, a chamber of glorious secrets. Widely believed that a horde of treasure lay hidden beneath its paneled floors that often declared it was the foundations Bag End was built on. A ridiculous notion being that Bag End existed long before Bilbo collected his finds. Others prattled on about trap doors and secret passages escaping to far off points in the woodlands where hush-hush rendezvous were kept with elves. Not a soul could verify these credulous beliefs with certainty aside from self-proclaimed experts who heard from a hobbit that knew a hobbit who saw a Bilbo-looking shadow that seemed to be speaking with an odd, tall figure. However ambiguous it made for a good story telling at local taverns and market places.
Frodo of course was the only soul to take leave into the study; for one day sooner than anybody expected, for that matter, sooner than even Frodo expected, the secrets would be his to inherit. Bilbo looked at the will now. Legally it was official to the letter, including most importantly the seven signatures in red ink. Again and again he delighted in reading the first line:
I, Bilbo son of Bungo of the Shire, being of sound mind bequeath all contents of my estate herein the address of Bag End under the Hill in Hobbiton, to my sole heir, Frodo son of Drogo.
The latter lines of mumbo-jumbo detailed miscellaneous handpicked items for special distribution to other family members and close friends. All in all Bilbo's will would prove unquestionably generous. Regardless, petty relatives will lobby relentlessly for a higher percentage of the Bag End treasure trove (as it's been referred). Let it be known the Bagginses are not the wealthiest family, but Bilbo Baggins is the wealthiest hobbit and therefore suspicion inevitable.
But he cared not.
Anyway, he forged more friendships in peculiar races such as Elves and Dwarves alternative to building stronger bonds with his own kinsmen. A point to argue against Bilbo's character. Among hobbits he was a popular fellow and when he entertained (which occurred infrequently) his company was eagerly sought after. Point two, he never married. A lifetime of bachelordom was not unheard of but it was odd and certainly didn't benefit public opinion.
Enter now Frodo, the lad who came to live with him, destined to grow in the old hobbit's example… or maybe not. Too early was it to tell if he would not marry and he appeared to have quite a normal social life. But he was no stranger to Elves, Dwarves or Men, speaking their tongue, knowledgeable of their customs, and that was enough to send everyone reeling in a self-righteous fit. It should be noted the blood of the Tooks ran heartily through both Bilbo and Frodo and that bloodline is partially to blame for these very strange behaviors. The adventurous Took-gene awoke in scattered generations and for in Bilbo it landed flat on his back and screamed at his sleepy mind. As a result he traveled 'there and back again' to far off lands in the north. At his return the Shire greeted him rather unwelcomely and the rift between he and the hobbits began save for only a handful of relatives (mostly the Tooks) that understood him. Presently, the tales are known only fireside but were now being laid down by his own pen as an autobiography, accounting, in detail, the strangers he befriended as well as the riches acquired. Much like the study not another pair of eyes has seen the book except Frodo, his sole heir.
"I have much planning to do." Bilbo placed his will down, picked up pen and paper and began to scribble: "September 22nd of the next year, 1401, the Long Expected Party will come to fruition (I'll need an entire year to plan). No one hobbit in the Shire, living or dead, will have been guest to a party of this wondrous magnitude. A celebration to summit all celebrations welcoming Frodo's coming of age and my one hundredth and elevendieth birthday." With the mission scripted at the top of the page themes and ideas flowed swifter than foam on a racing river. "I must make a guest list first off… and birthday gifts to give away, unusual gifts unseen before, brought in from distant lands… oh, and fireworks, yes, to light the night sky so brightly the birds will chirp to greet the day…"
Then he halted suddenly, like remembering a dreadful detail he ought not to forget. "Good gracious! Today is September 20th! I'd nearly forgotten our birthdays for this year!"