The doorbell cut through the silence of the flat. John Watson raised his head slightly, a kink forming at the base of his neck from his prolonged attention to the computer screen. He waited a moment, seeing if his flatmate would emerge from his bedroom, a place he'd been occupying for the last few days.

The bell rang a second time, and as John got up he heard shuffling from the end of the hallway. He shook his head and put the laptop down on the table when Sherlock Holmes strode into the parlor, giving off a nervous energy.

"A client, John!" He exclaimed. Instead of going towards the door, Sherlock settled himself on his favorite chair and poured himself a cup of tea from John's pot.

"Very well," John mumbled while on his way to let in their visitor.

John opened the door to a young lady, he placed her mid-twenties, with dark hair pulled tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck. She was dressed very primly, with large dark-rimmed glasses framing chestnut eyes. Her face was tanned and kind, if slightly plain, and she held a large leather tote with both her hands. She spoke first.

"I was hoping for an audience with Sherlock Holmes?" Her voice was level and very polite.

"Of course," John replied, extending his hand. "I'm John Watson, Sherlock's colleague, I'll take you up to him."

The lady took his hand and smiled earnestly. "Violet Hunter."

John led Violet up the stairs into their flat, where Sherlock waited with a bored look on his face. Violet entered, not waiting for John to introduce her, and extended her hand to Sherlock. "Mr. Holmes," she began in the same polite tone, "my name is Violet Hunter and I've come for your opinion on a matter very dear to me."

Sherlock looked at her hand for a few moments, and just when she began to pull it back, he took it and shook it lightly.

"I'm afraid if it's advice you're seeking, Miss Hunter, then your request would have been better addressed to a newspaper column."

Violet took a seat across from Sherlock, a tight smile on her lips. John was amused. He sat back and began taking notes of this appointment for his blog.

"If it wasn't a matter of such urgency, I should agree."

"You seem like an intelligent woman, I'm sure you heard that John and I take inquires through the website."

"Of course, as you should. However, Mr. Holmes, I believe if I asked for your opinion through an e-mail you would simply reject it, and I hoped to have a better chance in person. If you're going to kick me out, I hope you do so immediately, because I understand you're quite busy and once I get started this should not take too much time. And I would hope that once you hear me out, you would be so gracious as to simply give me your straightforward opinion, even if it be without explanation, and I will pay you promptly for the inconvenience and simply be on my way."

Sherlock shot a glance to John who met it and simply shrugged. Violet looked between the both of them, waiting for Sherlock's approval to continue.

"Very well, I have a few minutes, what is this 'urgent' matter then? Trouble with a boyfriend?"

For the first time since her arrival, Violet broke her formal appearance and chuckled softly.

"Hardly. Mr. Holmes—"

"Sherlock."

"Very well, Sherlock. As I'm sure you've deduced with that penetrating stare: I'm a nanny. I've worked with the same family for eight years which began back in my home of Rhode Island, in the United States, and extended into their move here to London. They're very lovely and I was quite happy with them, except now they've moved back to the States. Since the children are already quite grown and I have really come to love London, I decided to stay and find another family. Unfortunately, times are quite difficult, and it seems as though families aren't investing in full-time nannies, especially when they are unfamiliar with their background."

"An opportunity, I would think, to move your career outside of babysitting."

Violet's eyes widened slightly and she nodded with a sad smile. She shuffled through her tote and removed a few pieces of paper which she held tightly in her hand.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do love what I do, Sherlock. And I hope to stay in my current career for as long as I can. There are recruitment offices for nannies, which I applied to since it was too difficult for me to find the right family on my own. The recruitment office hasn't been as fruitful as I would have liked, but they did just give me this opportunity here." She handed the paper to him and he took it, gingerly.

"I interviewed with this man. He was very pleasant, and apparently very particular in his requirements. Once I walked into the office he told the recruiter that I was the one."

"It seems the pay is very generous," Sherlock observed as he read through the paper.

"Yes. And for only one child. The issue is, in order to take the position I would be required to wear a very specific uniform of his choosing and that I absolutely had to..."

"Cut your hair. It says it here. What exactly is the problem, Miss Hunter? Vanity?"

Violet's back straightened and her politeness gave way to an edge. "I won't deny that I like my hair. And the only reason he had for me cutting it was that his wife demanded it. The cut is really very severe. To be honest, vanity aside, all these peculiar contingencies coupled with the exorbitant pay struck me as odd, and I was hoping you could give me your opinion on it. This job is very intimate, I would be living with the family after all, and I really don't want to end up in a dangerous situation."

"What makes you think it could be dangerous?" Sherlock drawled, doing his best to sound bored, but John could see his interest pique.

"I...I don't know exactly. I guess it's just a gut feeling. But I need work, desperately. If I turn this down I would probably have to leave London. Sherlock," her voice was earnest and almost pleading, "I've heard of your reputation and I'm consulting you because I have no one else and based on what I've heard your voice has proven to be one of reason. Based on the information here, do you think I should take this job?"

Sherlock leaned back in his chair and kept his eyes locked on hers. Even under such intense scrutiny, she did not look away. He knew she was being honest and could understand her concern. Although convoluted to others, the bits of data she had provided did begin to paint an unusual situation. One that if not dangerous, was at least unconventional. John broke their silence.

"Surely if you feel uncomfortable you should decline, I'm sure you could get something else—"

"Nothing that pays this well on such short notice. And you are what, Miss Hunter, a week away from being evicted from your flat?"

Violet inhaled sharply and nodded. "If it isn't this job, I would have barely enough to cover a ticket back home."

"Take the job." Sherlock stated matter-of-factly. Violet looked at him for a beat and then took her wallet from her tote.

"Thank you. You didn't list rates on your website?"

Sherlock leaned in and plucked the wallet from her hands. He slid out a receipt from inside one of the folds and scribbled something quickly. Sherlock placed the paper back into the wallet, and handed it back to Violet.

"If you fall into trouble, call me immediately. Good luck and congratulations on your new job, Miss Hunter."

"Violet." She smiled as she took back her wallet. "I appreciate your time, thank you."

She gathered her things and said goodbye to John as she let herself out the door and down to the street.

"You really think she should take it? It didn't sound bizarre to you?" John clicked his laptop closed while reclaiming his favorite chair.

"We will be hearing from her again, John. And when we do...the game is on!"