9 ~ Motives

Moments later we are all standing outside, a far more comfortable place than inside the Smial for Aragorn, concidering his height.

He has told us that he came to discuss certain issues with the Thain and the Master of Buckland, and me, but that he decided to come early to spend Yule with us.

Then, as he came to stay for quite a while, and they concern him as well, I tell them about the rumors.

Aragorn looks very grave for a moment, then says, "I cannot believe a hobbit would start such rumors."

Sam and Pippin are silent. Merry shakes his head.

"Uncle Sara told me that it was Lergie Bracegirdle who apparently started them," I reply.

"Repeated them, perhaps, but I don't think he would have started them," Aragorn says.

"Then who did?" Sam asks, looking up at him.

"Perhaps a ruffian who decided to hang around. Obviously it's someone who wants to discredit you, Sam and me," Aragorn replies.

"But why?" I demand. "And if it was a ruffian, how would he know I became Deputy Mayor? How would he know anything about me?"

"I am not sure. But I do not think half the hobbits in the Shire understand half the implications of those rumors," Aragorn states, leaning against the wall of the Smial.

"But Lergie Bracegirdle isn't from the Shire!" Merry says, standing up suddenly from where he had been sitting.

We all look at him quizzically.

"Where IS he from?" Pippin asks.

"He's lived in Bree for the past thirty years. He moved back about half a year before the Troubles. I know because my father didn't want to let him pass through Buckland, he's a rather shady character if you ask me."

"Well that explains some of it, but it doesn't give us a motive," Aragorn says.

I shudder.

"Some people are just bad, if you understand me," Sam says. "If they can't get what they want, they don't want anyone else to be happy neither."

"You think Bracegirdle had a financial motive behind this?" Merry asks me.

I think for a moment. Then it suddenly dawns on me. "I think he would have been Lobelia's heir," I say. "He must have come back from Bree when he heard Lobelia and Lotho owned Bag End, and after the Troubles he must've been waiting for her to die so he would have Bag End."

"So now he's just trying to do as much damage as possible and hope something good happens to him," Pippin states, frowning.

"A habit he most likely picked up in Bree." Aragorn sighes in disgust.

"They say that bad company corrupts good character," I add. "Not that everyone in Bree is like that, but it seems to be the case here."

"Now the only question is what do we do?" Merry sits back down on the bench and glances around at us.

"We pay him no mind," Sam says. "Go about our business as if we don't care what he says. We won't let him defeat us by seeing us cower away."

Pippin nods. "We've conquered bigger problems than this before. I side with Sam. Who's with us?"