Mrs. Hudson didn't admit it took her three tries to get the scones right - silly, fiddly print on the measuring cups, too small to read properly - but Mrs. Turner was suitably impressed anyway.
"I never get to cook for my boys anymore," Mrs. Turner said as she took a second scone. "Charles is gluten-free now, whatever that means. And Nigel is on a diet again, so I might as well not even bother baking them anything."
"That's unfair of them," Mrs. Hudson commiserated. "Cutting you off from your main chance to chat like that."
Mrs. Turner gave her a look, but opted to sip her tea instead of objecting. (And it was true, they both knew it was. Especially since by chat they both knew she'd meant gossip.) "You get yours to eat proper meals yet?" she asked in response.
"Oh, Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson huffed a resigned laugh. "John'll eat anything, most of the time, but Sherlock - well, it varies. He's getting better. John bullies him into it."
"Wouldn't have thought him the bullying sort, from what you've told me."
"Oh, it's a sight to see. Sherlock will be in a full temper, saying the most awful things to anyone who ventures near, and then John will . . . actually, I don't know what John says, precisely, but Sherlock backs down meek as a lamb. And that's my cue to go open and close the door and then be quiet as a mouse for a while."
Mrs. Turner gave her a blank look.
"My bedroom's just under Sherlock's, you see," Mrs. Hudson added. "They're nowhere near as loud if they think I'm home. And that part of my life's gotten much more exciting since the two of them finally sorted themselves out."
There was a quiet click as Mrs. Turner set down her teacup, mouth hanging open in surprise, but it was just that kind of friendship so there was no point in prevaricating.
"Wish mine did that," Mrs. Turner finally said. "Mostly they just argue over the telly."
"Yes, well." Mrs. Hudson took a prim bite of her scone. "When I was their age, Walter and I solved most of our disagreements with sex too. Although I'm certain we never had quite as much fun as my boys seem to. Sign of the times, isn't it? Gay and married and able to shop for sex toys online?"
Mrs. Turner had no answer to that. For once, Mrs. Hudson had actually gotten the last word.