[Child of the 7th Age]

That morning, Master Lotho sat at his mother's breakfast table contentedly eating his bacon and eggs. He was wearing his fashionable brown waistcoat, the one he usually donned for parties or other festive events. He was feeling particularly cheerful, as to how things were turning out.

Lobelia came out scratching her head, "Lotho, dear, I can't find your green waistcoat anywhere, the one you were wearing yesterday. I need to wash it today. Do you know where it is?"

Lotho wiggled uncomfortably in his seat. He had been careful not to tell his mother exactly how he'd been chasing Belle, or the mistake he'd made tripping over a rock, and landing on top of the young girl. "My green jacket? Uh, I don't know! Maybe I lost it somewhere?"

"Lost it! Lotho, you must be careful. That was a very fine velvet jacket that came all the way from Bree. Not like the cheap ones that the other Bagginses wear! You must not lose your fine clothes if you want to present a good appearance."

Lotho dumbly nodded his head, hoping his mother would't go out to the hen house today. So he paid close attention to his breakfast and then disappeared out of the house to go off on some secret errand.

Later that morning, Mistress Lobelia had just ordered the servant girl to go out and feed the chickens, when the young hobbit came running back inside.

"Miz Lobelia, Miz Lobelia! Look what I've found. It's Master Lotho's green waistcoat only it's torn mighty bad, and there's dirt all over. I found it stuck back in the hay under the laying hens. And, look here, one of the buttons is missing."

Lobelia gingerly took the sodden mess out of the girl's hand and wrinkled her own nose in disgust. Lotho's jacket! There was little doubt of that. Yet, how had he managed to get it in such a disreputable state? Her eyes took in the long rip and missing button. There was even a patch of velvet missing.

She turned to the girl and looked sternly at her. "Not a word of this to anyone! Do you understand? If I hear anyone discussing this, you can wave your job goodbye."The girl nodded dumbly in agreement.

At first, Lobelia wasn't sure what to think. It was probably nothing, but why would her son hide a ripped waistcoat?

She reflected a moment and then decided that another hobbit had been bullying poor Lotho, and he'd been afraid to tell his dear mother about his uncomfortable situation. Probably that awful Frodo Baggins, the lad who lived with Bilbo and who was trying to cheat her out of her inheritance of Bag-end. She shook her head in dismay. By the end of two minutes, she had thoroughly convinced herself her beloved son was in the right, and she vowed to stand up for him no matter what might happen.