‘You should know, Bilbo, that others have speculated,’ Rory said slowly, softly, as though afraid to be overheard. Oh, I hope so! I hope every last gossip in all of miserable Buckland has speculated on this! ‘It was just so odd, them not having any babes for so long, then this one, all of a sudden. Some, some who were jealous and spiteful, they said Prim was unfaithful, you know? Betrayed her husband. Said that of my sister!’ Rory was definitely feeling the brandy. Bilbo made a soothing noise. They did say those things. They did say this of our Prim. Is there anything the gossips won’t say? Bilbo suddenly realized Frodo had probably been listening to such things about his parents all his life, particularly after their deaths, and his indignation flared up again. ‘They didn’t know, couldn’t know, how much they were in love,’ Rory went on, lost in his memories, ‘that Prim would never have done that. Never tried to fool Drogo.’