The shower began to turn into a deluge and I grinned. At the window, I watched the downpour and the wind torment the trees. The branches would sway and shake and occasionally the thunder would roar. While I have never sincerely wished harm on anyone, I could not deny that there was something I found intriguing in the storm's power of destruction.
Another boom sounded and I let out a soft laugh of satisfaction, but I froze when I saw the frantic woman running about outside. Immediately, I flung open my door and ran out to her holding my coat above our heads.
"Madame, you must come inside," I insisted, "this rain is horrendous."
"Not until I find help for Nathaniel," she glanced around once more. "Do you perchance know which one of these houses belongs to the Great Detective?"
"I believe I do," I had to shout over the rain. I led her to my neighbors' house and used the knocker on the door. As we waited, I continued to speak, "my name is Thomas." As this woman was a stranger to me, I was caught with uncertainty whether to entrust her with my full name. In addition, I was afraid that I might be interrupted and I did not want another woman believing my surname to be Andrew.
"Maria," she replied. For the first time, she looked directly at me. Her eyes were as blue as a clear sky, with small amounts of yellow peeking out from behind her black pupils, like two solar eclipses. As the door opened, the light caught the droplets of rain in her dark hair. The reflection was so bright and her hair so dark that when I looked at her hair, I saw the stars gleaming in the night sky.
I turned to the potato and relayed the woman's message; as much of it as I could anyway.
"This woman must to speak to Madame Vastra immediately. A boy requires assistance."