November 5, 1419 S.R. Daisy Mugwort, Archet, Bree
My dear Daisy,
It was lovely to hear from you, as always. I do not know what I would have done without your cheery letters to sustain me through these dark times. Oh, but have you heard? Of course you have…Breelanders enjoy gossip as much as Shirefolk. But I wanted to tell you myself, because it is not just "strange as Shiretalk." (Honestly, Daisy! You, picking up that horrible Bree-term!) Oh, but it's true, it's true! Cousin Frodo and his companions have returned! And they set Sharkey and his gang packing in about five minutes! Oh, it's all too wonderful for words! The four travelers home safe and sound, and Sharkey and his evil men gone forever! Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. You should be used to that by now…but truly, I've not been so happy since Fredegar Bolger kissed me on Lithe Day!
Let us see if I can get this in some kind of order…Frodo turned up…was it four nights ago already? Anyway, he knew immediately something was up, what with the Rules posted on the Shirriff house and whatnot. He knew right away who must be the rat, so he and Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin (oh, stars! You should see those two, Daisy! They've grown up something powerful! They're 3 foot 8 if they're an inch!) and Frodo's gardener, Sam Gamgee, set off for Bag End double-quick to visit old Lotho. This next bit is a bit confused, and 'tis not my fault.
To all appearances, Lotho has been in charge of all the Rules and tearing down of trees and all. But when the Travelers came at last to Bag End (you should see how torn up it is, dearest…Poor Frodo will have a job setting the old hole to rights again) Lotho was not to be found, only the old man the ruffians call Sharkey and his cringing slave. In short order, Frodo had them on the road… but then that Sharkey fellow went for his knife and stabbed Frodo! Oh I've never been more thankful to old Bilbo than now…he gave Frodo a magic shirt that turned the knife. And Frodo was about to let him go on like nothing had happened, but that slave of Sharkey's …Worm? I think he was called…up and stabbed Sharkey himself! I never…
Well, all's well that ends better. The ruffians have all been chased out of town…I daresay none of them will ever show a nose back here unless they want it to get hurt. And oh, jubilation! They've opened up the Lockholes in Michel Delving and set free all the hobbits what were locked up there…my Fredegar is out! (Yes, yes, I know, he's not my Fredegar yet, as he hasn't spoken, but who was the lass he kissed the moment he was loosed?) Ah, the poor dear was worn down to a shadow, like most of the others in the Lockholes. I'll have him over to dinner as soon as we get some decent rations. Give him a chance to settle things, eh?
Oh, where was I? I'm so glad Frodo is back. I got a chance to talk to him a bit after all the excitement had died down. He's very quiet…more so than usual. When I asked him what he had been thinking, going off into the Blue like that, he just smiled a queer little smile at Freddy and me and all the other reunited families and said, "For this." Isn't that odd, now? I'd never have learned a thing more if I hadn't remarked upon it to Samwise. He looked almost angry…whether at me, or Frodo, or something else entirely, I couldn't tell. He tried to explain to me what happened, but it sounded more like one of Uncle Bilbo's tales than anything else. There was a great deal about a ring and a dark lord, and something about saving the world…Cousin Frodo? The same Frodo that gave us pig-a-back rides and always had his nose in a book? Well, if Uncle Bilbo can steal from dragon hoards , Cousin Frodo can save the world. He does seem different, somehow…those eyes of his can't hide that. You look at him and it's like he's hiding all the bleakness of the world inside his soul. I fair shuddered the first time I took a good look at him. Oh, and his poor hand…one of his fingers was chopped clean off! Maybe he just had a run in with a wagon wheel, but it look almost as though something bit it off him! I dursn't ask…to be perfectly honest I'm afraid to.
I don't know. Maybe he did go to …Moredoor? Odd name…but anyway, maybe Frodo did go there and save us all. All I know is I'll definitely be seeing my cousin in a new light. At the very least, he saved the Shire, and that's all that matters, really.
I suppose I should finish this afore everyone else gets their letters in the post, too. The messengers will be no end of busy and mum'll have my hide for wasting this much of our paper supply.
Your loving cousin,
Angelica Brownlock (Bolger!)
P.S. He kissed me before his mother, even!
November 16, 1419 Daisy Mugwort, Archet, Bree
Daisy!
I refuse to believe what I just read! What do you mean, "about time he showed up after all the trouble he caused,"? How can you say that about Frodo? Your first cousin, no less! I'm only fourth once removed and I do believe I'm happier to see him than you are! I'm sure he had a very good reason to sell Bag End to Lotho…after all, he didn't know he would return! Especially if he was on a life and death quest thing. And even then, Lotho would have gotten it somehow…he was not known for his honesty in business dealings. Obviously. Even without Bag End and the perceived authority it gives the owner, Lotho would have found some way to do his dirty business with Sharkey. Perhaps he would have had a more difficult time of it, but it would have happened anyway…and then the Travelers would have just been thrown into the Lockholes like everyone else who resisted. I don't know how to say this, but…maybe that was the only way the Shire could be saved…by Frodo's leaving. Oh, that sounds silly. But somehow I can't bring myself to take a blotter to it.
Anyhow…thank you for not teasing me too unmercifully about Freddy. But I am not too "concerned" with Freddy, as you so tactfully put it. I fancy myself to be highly restrained! You would not at all care for my actual feelings, so I shall leave it at that. I suppose you'll just say I'm "being on my dignity" again. Honestly, I've no idea why I keep writing you.
Oh, I forgot to tell you in my last letter…in the Lockholes, there was also found a great store of the food that the men had been "gathering." Apparently they were keeping it for themselves. No one is much surprised about that, any road. Frodo (he's been made Mayor of Hobbiton until old Will Whitfoot is able to act the position properly; he was in the Lockholes as well, you know) says it's likely that their other nasty hovels probably have much of the same. As you can imagine, this has stepped up the clean-up effort rather a lot. So it looks to be a much better Yule than we had anticipated. What will you be doing for Yule this year? Do you suppose Tom would be willing to drive up here with you? I know it's a long journey from Bree to Hobbiton, but I have so missed seeing you since you escaped with Tom. 'Twould be perfectly lovely if you could visit for a bit. That's what Yule is for, after all.
Your loving cousin,
Angelica Brownlock
December 11, 1419 Daisy Mugwort, Archet, Bree
Dear Daisy,
I apologize for the interval between letters. But after your last, I judged, in a moment of rare foresight, that 'twould be best to give myself a chance to calm down before I replied. I'm not at all sure I have waited long enough, but I wanted to get this over with before Yule.
A simple, "No thank you, we are already engaged for Yule," or "Tom doesn't fancy driving all that way," would have done nicely. But to refuse to even enter Hobbiton since Frodo invited you? As a matter of fact, I am going. He is your cousin, Daisy. Or did you disown the Baggins branch when you up became a Mugwort? I cannot believe you could be so narrow-minded. Maybe Frodo doesn't deserve all the authority and what not that he is getting…he certainly doesn't seem to think so. He is not getting it just because he came home again-indeed, it seems to be a black mark against him, even around here. And as to him "being a coward" during the Battle of Bywater…if he'd been a bit more "cowardly", perhaps Posco and Berilac mightn't have been killed. They were rotten apples, perhaps too greedy to use their brains, but they weren't evil, Daisy. Hobbits have never killed hobbits before and if it had been Frodo in the troop that drove them out of hiding, it wouldn't have happened now. And if he'd been a bit "braver", as you deem it, maybe one of us might have killed that evil Sharkey and brought down a curse on us. There is a difference between cowardice and mercy. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd have to remind my oldest, dearest friend of that. When we were little, you wouldn't squash the bugs I was too afraid to, not even spiders. "It has a life too, Jelly. Maybe it's ugly and mean to other bugs, but it's just trying to stay alive." Quite a lot for a pre-tween to grasp…and apparently for 45 year olds with a hole of their own, as well.
I may not understand everything there is to know about Frodo Baggins, but I do know he doesn't deserve your contempt. You were hurt when he went away without so much as a good-bye…so were the rest of his friends and relations. He sold Bag End to Lotho, who brought the first Men into the Shire from there. Maybe Sharkey did decide to come here to settle a score with Frodo…why, I can't think. And you're angry with him for holding back on those what did so much harm. Even angry for him being able to escape from the tight rations and the fear and the frustrated fury of it all, not that you've come right out and said it. Oh, but Daisy…if you would just see him once, I think even that could be answered. If Sam's right (and I never knew him to lie), Frodo's been through every bit of that ten times over. He's scarred and tired, and the legendary Baggins' youth is beginning to go out of him. He's broken in some way that don't mend. I don't know if I'm the only one to see it, but I can't see him coming through next winter.
I know you, Daisy. Not as well as I thought I did, perhaps, but enough to know that you have forgiven even greater betrayals than this, without a good reason at all. Especially mine. I know you love Frodo…you wouldn't be so angry with him if you didn't. Just don't let the famous Baggins' stubbornness keep you 'till it's too late.
Jelly Brownlock
January 2, 1420 Daisy Mugwort, The Green Dragon, Hobbiton, The Shire
To the dearest, most wonderful fourth-cousin-once-removed ever, Daisy Baggins Mugwort. (Don't tell Frodo! He's supposed to be my favorite cousin!)
I tell you true, I was never so happy to see anyone ever in my life, not even Freddy. I just wanted you to know that. We were so constrained by company and our own reserve in public that we didn't really get to talk, although you should have gotten the gist of it when I nearly knocked you into the snow hugging you. Ooops. At least Frodo got a laugh out of it.
I was so proud of you. You marched right up and shook his hand, the right one, missing finger and all. Of course he was trying to hide it behind his back, but you wouldn't let him. Covering up the gap with your left hand was a nice touch, I thought…nearly made me bawl right there on Frodo's doorstep, you did. That was what the snowball in the back of the head was for, if you were wondering.
And I'm not just trying to show you how right I was (of course) but that was the first time I saw him light up that night. You must have seen it…I saw you looking the moment before I charged. Mustn't have Frodo thinking we're spying on him or nothing. You saw him with this polite company smile on, but still managing to look a million miles away. He has that look about him almost all the time now…but I must stop worrying about my eccentric older cousin; I've already got you to deal with, in any case. Oh, it's truly wonderful to have my best friend and confidante back!
Speaking of confidante…I can now officially claim him to be my Fredegar, because he is! He finally asked for my hand! Oh, he was so sweet and nervous about it, too…. You can't blame me for being distracted! I'll be down to the Green Dragon as soon as I may to visit you…think of some reason to shoo Tom out, so we can have a nice long visit. Of course, he'll probably leave of his own accord once I start going on about Freddy! No, you can't leave too. You're trapped! I'll probably get there before this letter so you have no warning. The purpose for writing this, anyway, is to talk about those things we are afraid to say for fear of saying too much.
Oh, I must be off! Freddy wants to go skating (him and every other hobbit under the age of 100! Oh, the mill pond is going to be crowded.) Talk to you soon!
All of my love (most of it, anyway)
Angelica Brownlock Bolger
P.S. A June wedding, do you think? Oh, it's going to be a wonderful year….