I
It was autumn, the first frost had not yet swept over London, neither had the fresh new snow grazed the rooftops. But the autumn leaves were in their prime, brilliantly colored, and, to the fifteen year old girl, shockingly beautiful. Having never been to London, everything there possessed a magical feel. Even though she had seen plenty of fall leaves on her father's estate in the country, she couldn't help but fuss over London leaves...
London! Just the name of the city made her quiver with excitement; the bustling city had been on her mind for countless months, even years. Pressing her nose to the glass of the carriage window, she peered out into the street, barely able to keep the broad grin off her face. Suddenly, she sat up again, as if remembering why she was in this carriage to London. Folding her hands in her lap, she recalled her governess's face. Sit up straight, avoid direct eye contact with anyone, and never allow your lips to meander into a smile. Why? No reason. The girl grimaced, then shook away her governess's scowling, pallid face. Her name? Elizabeth Holmes. Personality? Rather like organised chaos.Why exactly she was here, she knew. To pay a visit to her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock. But both her brothers were strangers to her, and no more than a distant memory. They hardly wrote even to their parents, and the only news from Sherlock was the stories that were published in The Strand.
She knew of her brothers' abilities, yet she was not intimidated, only curious. As the carriage pulled up to 221B Baker Street, Elizabeth's lips curved into a devious smile.