Family Secrets
A Hope Holmes Adventure Chapter I
Hope Robin; Elizabeth Robinson
A shot fired behind me as I ran from the grove of trees. My mind whirled; I had to get back to the safety of town. Dogs began howling and barking. They were tracking me. I ran towards the river.
'I need to hide,' I thought frantically as I waded downstream. I reached the other side and hid in a hollowed out tree trunk. The sound of dogs got louder. I closed my eyes as my life began to flash before my eyes. I thought about my father, who was hopefully not walking into their trap. I wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't…
"Blast it! We've lost her boss!!" one of his men reported to his master.
"She won't get far in that dress," that slow British drawl that sent shivers down my spine. That voice triggered my fear to spread its black wings.
'My name is Hope Holmes. I am 16 years old. Like my father before me I am a private consulting detective, never mind that I'm just sixteen. My Father is my Master and I am his apprentice.' I recited in my head, as if I could gain some comfort from these memories, trying desperately to forget that I was being chased, and that my father could be meeting his true demise.
I nearly wept aloud. Alarmed I put my hand over my mouth to keep myself quiet. I remembered the cursed day that I started receiving the blackmail. Had that letter never been written I would have remained quietly anonymous for the rest of my somewhat dull young adult life. I was at home for holiday, reading my required reading for my return to my boarding school. My father called me into his study.
"Did you call me Father?" I asked, poking my head into his study.
"You have a letter on the desk" he said from his chemistry table, returning to his experiment that began to produce a foul smell. I went to his desk and picked up the letter.
'Strange, no return address' I thought shaking off the feeling that crept into my stomach. I picked up the letter opener and sliced open the envelope. The smell was almost too much to bear, so I moved into the sitting room. I sat onto the sofa and opened the letter. I unfolded the letter and read its contents. I froze, not believing my own eyes. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I looked at the letter again; its first and only line etched itself into my very memory, the poisoned words.
"Dear Miss Russell, I know you're secret. Beware Daughter of Holmes."
There was no signature. The words where cut from the Times paper, and were pasted crooked so the writer was in a hurry, written by a man because there was no scent of perfume and it was not dated. My corset was too tight; I was had a hard time breathing with this distressing news on my mind. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. I started coaching myself in my mind while trying to calm my trembling body.
'In thru your nose, hold it, now exhale thru the mouth, but quietly I don't want to father to know about this just yet. For all I know it could be just someone's idea of a practical joke. Now who do I know that would joke like this?' I wondered. The door rang, I folded the letter and put it back into its filthy hole from which it came from. I placed it into my dress pocket. Mrs. Hudson entered the room.
"Oh, Miss Holmes do you know where your father is?" She asked.
"Yes he's in his study performing one of his experiments again," I responded, moving towards my room. Knowing Mrs. Hudson's expression it was a client and she needed the sitting room. When I had my door shut behind me; She went to answer the door. I locked the door behind me as a precaution. I never knew when this "client" could turn out to be an assassin. I heard Mrs. Hudson talking to someone. I stood on edge, it was a man.
"Hello Dr. Watson, how are you?" Mrs. Hudson asked. I exhaled softly, it was just Dr. Watson.
"Good Afternoon Mrs. Hudson, I'm fine, Is Holmes home?" Dr. Watson asked. I heard his footsteps move into the sitting room.
"He's in his study performing another one of his experiments, I'll fetch him." Mrs. Hudson said walking towards the study. I moved towards my desk and removed the key that hung around my neck. I unlocked my drawer and placed the letter into the drawer. Then I closed and locked the drawer. I heard my father's quick footsteps go down the hall.
"Ah, good to see you again Watson," My father said greeting his old friend. Knowing them, they could chat all evening. I settled myself on my window seat and opened my book. I tried to read but soon found I couldn't shake off this distressing news off my mind. I bookmarked the page on which I was on. I laid the book aside and stared out the window calming my whirling mind by watching the hustle and bustle of London, my home. People were going on with their usual business.
'I wonder what they want with me and I wonder what they want from me. What do they think they'll gain by knowing who I truly am?' I wondered.
"Hope are you in there?"Mrs. Hudson asked thru the door.
"Yes, I'm in here is anything the matter?" I asked opening the door.
"No nothing just wondering what was going on in here, it was so quiet in here I thought you went out. May I come in? She asked.
"Sure I needed to ask you something," I said moving aside holding the door for her.
"Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?"Mrs. Hudson asked.
"Oh nothing real particular it's just that someone sent me a letter and there was no return address, and I was trying to figure out who sent it to me," I said sitting on my bed.
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