July 3002 SR - Part Two - Maiden Musing Frodo trudged up the path towards Bag End. It was 2:00 in the morning and he had just come home from the Green Dragon. His head wobbled a little and he realised the Gaffer must've made that batch of home brew a little stronger than usual that evening. He peered over the fence towards the Gaffers house. Not for Sam, nor the old Gaffer, but to see if perhaps, by any chance, a young May Gamgee might be peering out her window up at Bag Shot row, hoping to catch sight of Master Frodo of Bag End. Frodo chuckled to himself and thought the title quite charming if he said so himself. And then he slapped himself on the forehead. What in Hobbit's name was he thinking? How could he entertain such thoughts after such an insignificant event? He opened the door to Bag End and took himself into his bedroom where he lay down, without taking his clothes off, and feel asleep almost immediately, something Bilbo Baggins would never have allowed at Bag End. But then Bilbo Baggins wasn't Master of Bag End anymore, Frodo was. It was about time he made the most of it!

A week later on a Sunday, while chattering handsomely with the Gaffer outside his house about his son Halfred's new wife, a pretty young hobbit- maiden approached them carrying large tussocks of wild flowers in her arms. Frodo knew immediately that it was May Gamgee. Their eyes met and she smiled, but she looked away and Frodo did not see the warmth in her cheeks. The Gaffer, made aware of Frodo's straying attention, turned to greet May at the gate. She curtsied to Frodo and smiled at him, then walked slowly into the house, glancing back at Frodo at the door. Frodo caught a glance at her too, but thankfully the Gaffer didn't notice as he started up his proud story once again about Halfred.

Frodo was scheduled to take a short trip with Merry and Pippin out towards the White Downs later that month. Both Merry and Pippin appeared on Frodo's doorstep early on the 31st, while Frodo sat dreamily on his little stool smoking his pipe. He was quite startled to see his friends standing there with packs on their back and their walking sticks in hand. Merry and Pippin half expected Frodo to jump up and say he was ready to go and rush in to get his pack, but on this day he did not. Instead he sat there still, looking up at his friends quizzically. Neither Merry nor Pippin were quite sure what to do. "Frodo, are you ready to go?" Frodo suddenly remembered with all the foozled memory of an old hobbit, that today was the day he was supposed to leave with his friends on their adventure. He leapt up and mumbled a few words about being quite out of sorts and went inside Bag End to pack his bags. He had not packed a thing. He didn't even ask Merry or Pippin if they wanted to come inside and have tea, so they simply stepped inside the hole, inviting themselves in without so much as an inkling of remorse for their forwardness and followed Frodo to his room. Frodo went to grab his backpack from the cupboard but upon seeing his two friends standing at the door to his bedroom, he jumped up again, mumbling to himself and to them that he wasn't quite ready. "Are you ok, Frodo? You do seem unusually out of sorts today. Are you feeling quite well?" Merry said, glancing uncertainly at Pippin. "Yes, yes, I ahhh, I simply quite forgot that it was TODAY that we were leaving, I thought it was tomorrow. But please, by all means friends, make yourself comfortable and I'll be right with you in just a moment." Merry and Pippin walked quietly out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen. The remnants of Frodo's breakfast was still on the table. "Whatever has gotten into him?" Pippin said, quite shocked. "I think I know," Merry said, grinning at him. Pippin returned the grin with anticipation. "I hear through the falls of the Brandywine mill that Frodo has been quite taken by the young May Gamgee." "What? Sam's sister? How so?" Pippin said, his mouth dropping open. "She's been asking after him, and didn't expect that somehow Frodo would find out that she was rather taken by him." "And how did he find out exactly, may I ask?" Pippin said, narrowing his eyes at Merry. "Oh you know. there are some things that never go unnoticed in the Shire, as you know." Just then Frodo appeared in the kitchen and he tossed some bread and potatoes into his pack. He turned to Merry and Pippin and grinned. "Are we off then?" His question was replied by two grinning faces, quite toothy grins staring back at him. "What ever is the matter with you two?" he said, taken aback. The two hobbits straightened their faces. "Oh, nothing!" Pippin said, passing his walking stick from one hand to another. "Right then, let's go!"

And off they went.