Duplicitous
It isn't that Watson's skills are devoid of any acting – far from that, as I have all too often been caught on the receiving end of duplicitous medical administration due to my own reticence toward such. On few occasions is my comrade caught off guard, though his skill-set is quite different from my own in many respects.
No, perhaps a more apt explanation is that once one has become familiar with the man, his every thought is displayed on his face like a written page. It is a fascinating display for a man of my occupation; therefore it is little wonder that our mutual fascination secured our lodgings and consequent acquaintance at Baker Street so long ago.
While I can usually read his every thought, however, some have found him to be as inscrutable as my own person. For when he sets his mind to it, none can tell just what he intends. This was proved for me on one rainy day when a mutual enemy – though I did not know it at the time – came to our door. Watson was first to greet him, and I was startled to see him calmly negate every fear the man had of his imminent discovery within moments, even making light of his 'mistake' in identifying the two of us. Even I, standing just out of our visitor's view, could not detect any duplicity in my friend's gaze even though I knew his words to be false.
After Watson had seen our unexpected visitor to the door, I addressed him. "Just how, pray tell, did you manage to persuade our unwelcome visitor of his purported error?"
Watson chuckled, settling back into his seat. "Simply because I do not make a practice of deception does not mean I am incapable of it. I dare say it should take him some time to discover that he has been mislead, during which time we should be able to alert the Yard and have the man apprehended."
True to his words, it was the work of a few hours to see the oblivious brigand ensconced in the local gaol, and remove him from our worries altogether. And not many months later, much to my amusement, I found when perusing my friend's most recent works that he had quoted a mischievous line of my own to extremely misleading ends. 'Incapable of deception,' indeed – I shall have to keep a closer eye on my flatmate in the future.
Not that I will tell him from whence my warning came. That shall remain my own surreptitious pastime.