"She merely needs a place of residence for a short while," Sherlock said as the carriage driver dropped a trunk at the bottom of the steps.
Watson watched outside the window as Sherlock's sister stepped from the buggy. "How come I've never met this sister of yours before?" he looked back to his partner.
"She's a bit of a free spirit, my sister," Sherlock replied, looking back at Watson, "I rarely see her myself," he explained.
Watson nodded. He wasn't sure how Mary, the woman he'd just begun to court, would feel about a single, "free-spirit", moving into his home. But, he could consider the Holmes girl family- his partner & friend's baby sister.
Their attention turned to the front door when a knock sounded. "It's open, Lizzy!"
The door opened and Elizabeth Holmes entered the house. Named after her mother, the girl gave a resemblance to Sherlock, but she was younger and
"Beautiful…" Watson muttered quietly. The moment he realized he said it out loud, he coughed. Lizzy did not seem to hear him. However, Holmes' ears twitched and he threw a look to his partner before continuing to his sister, "My dear baby sister! How long's it been? Or should I ask, how many men has it been since I've last seen you?"
"Sherlock…" Lizzy said warningly as the siblings embraced, "Not in front of Watson," Lizzy turned her attention to the other man in the room. She smiled warmly, "Sherlock's written to me, and you always seem to take up a heavy portion of his letters," she stepped forward.
"Yes, yes, and Holmes has told me all about you," Watson held out his hand. They greeted each other, and there was a pause. Sherlock looked from both of them. No. This was not going to happen, "Well, to your room, then, Lizzy? Up the stairs, second door on the right," he said ushering her that way, "I trust you can get her trunk there, Watson?" he glanced back.
He followed his sister up the stairs and Watson nodded, "Yes, yes of course," he agreed. "I'll bring it right up!" he called after them. He set his cane up against the window and headed out the door again. However, when he got to the foot of the stairs, the immensity of the trunk truly came into perspective. He sighed.
Upstairs, Sherlock watched his sister examine the room, "You should find everything you need here. Our landlady, Nanny, should take a liking to you," he meandered back towards the door, "And you can't have him…" he said.
Lizzy looked at her brother incredulously, "What?" she asked. Though, she had not the talent like her brother, she was a sharp girl. "I've just met Watson…and from what you've told me, he has a woman to himself… I believe you even described her as a 'deceiving leech' who was 'bent to destroy your means of life'?" she smirked.
The door to the room swung open again as Watson, panting, pushed the trunk through the door and into the room. He took a breath, stood up to his full height and leaned against the trunk with his hand, "That's rather odd," he said when he found his breathing pattern once more, "Holmes, you've never used the term 'leech' before…that's a new one…" he then left the room.
Lizzy frowned and then hit her brother's arm, "You insult his woman to his face?" she asked in a hiss.
"I've never been one to hide my feelings, Lizzy, you know that," he said, though he did look a little remorseful.
"And you think it's the 'deceiving leech' that's pushing him right out the door…" she said underhandedly. She followed Watson out the door to thank him for bringing her trunk in and apologizing for spilling the beans on Sherlock. She had no right to be the one to tell Watson what Holmes had said about Mary.
Sherlock sighed, "I open my home and yet, I'm the one left alone…hmph…"