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However the "long" Tale of Years, TY4, although submitted to A&U, turned out not to be the final word- JRRT made many, many alterations between that version and the historiy printed as Appendices A and B.
I think that this is one of those cases where we have insufficient data, and where quite likely Tolkien himself couldn't make up his mind- like the revised Law of Succession in Numenor. T also had a characteristic habit when referring to something already described of expressing himself elliptically or deceptively categorically- leading in extreme cases to things like the Great Balrog Wings Flame War, or in lesser cases to the Treebeard-or-Bombadil-Eldest affair, or the all-Elves-had-dark-hair shibboleth.
Personally I think E&E eventually sailed West, because of their mother. That would mean that they could up to a point delay their choice-- but I doubt Tolkien really ever thought the question through.
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.
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