My first try at a Holmes Story. Though I have been madly in love with Sir Conan Doyle's stories for years, the film has finally forced me to write a fan fiction.

This is the book version of Holmes! NOT Robert Downey Jr.'s depiction! I really hope, I can at least do the original a teeny-tiny-little bit of justice.

Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for Lord and Lady Barker and Catherine Calendar!

From the first moment I laid eyes upon the young Lord Barker, I knew, that Holmes would be fascinated by him.

A young Lady had come to the rooms at Baker Street while I was visiting my good friend. Miss Bishop, a sweet thing, with watery-blue eyes and a shock of unruly blond curls, had taken a fancy in the young Lord Barker. As we understood a wondrously handsome lad, who had been a perfect gentleman up until three days ago. He had escorted her to the opera, both had, evidently enjoyed the evening and then he had insisted to see her home.

Miss Bishop blushed furiously, when she admitted, that she had made advances towards the young Lord, but the pink on her perfect porcelain cheeks vanished quickly, when she told us, that her gentleman had made hasty excuses then and left her, rather abruptly on the porch of her fathers estate. Since that evening, she had seen neither hair or hide from the Lord. When she went to enquire at his estate just outside the city, why he had not even considered her worthy of a reply to her letters, the servants told her, that the Master had gone on a trip.

"Just this morning, Mr Holmes, I drove to his estate again and saw a woman come out the door. I had never seen her before, but she was a beauty, like I had none seen before. She was young, maybe my age and a true Lady, her dress was fashionable and expensive and she bore herself like a noblewoman.", the blue of our clients eyes turned glassy from tears. "I can see, why my dear Lord would rather have such a wonderful creature as her, but what did I do to him to deserve his complete ignorance? I was under the impression, that he had at least some interest in me."

Holmes, as per usual showed only interest in her case, and not the beautiful Miss Bishop herself. He promised her curtly, that he would find her young Lord and bring her some explanation as to his very ungentlemanly manner towards her.

When our client left, Holmes was strangely quiet. Silently he took down a heavy volume from his shelf. "Lord William Barker.", he said, more to himself and flicked through the book. "Ah, see here, I knew, I had heard of him. He is quite the item among the young women in the city. He is the only son of Lord Henry Barker and Lady Elena Barker, both deceased.", he handed me the volume and there was a picture of a very handsome young man. I am seldom pressed to use the word beautiful for a specimen of my own sex, but this young fellow surely deserved this term. His light coloured eyes looked intensely from under long dark lashes and his even face was made very distinct by his high cheekbones and aristocratic nose.

"I can see, why the ladies are so in a deuce of a stir about this man.", said I, studying this interesting face a little while longer. The picture was a portrait, but what could be gathered from it was, that the Lords hair was very dark, that he wore it long and tied at the nape of his neck. His dress was fashionable, but not in the overly lush way of the modern dandies.

"He is quite a sight, is he not?", Holmes remarked, in a far off sort of way, that told me, who knew him so well, that his mind had already fully plunged into the case.

Two days after the encounter with our young client, Holmes send me a telegraph, that ran as follows: "Hope you have no plans for the evening. Would be delighted, if you would extend me the pleasure of your company at tonight's ball. Holmes"

Said ball, as it turned out was a small festivity to which our elusive young Lord had been invited and Holmes hoped to get a glimpse at the man.

"The old Lord Barker had kept his son under tight watch, when he was still alive. The mother died at childbirth.", Holmes elaborated on our drive to the venue. "The boy has retained his fathers reclusive habits, goes out seldom and then only in the company of young Miss Calendar, a charming young thing, but I mean no offence by saying: she does not posses the features to warrant such a praise on her beauty as Miss Bishop has given. So the identity of that mysterious beauty on the premise of the Lord that had our client so reduced to tears is still unclear."

"But he was alone on the outings with Miss Bishop!", reminded I, but Holmes shrugged his bony shoulders and would say no more of the matter.

We arrived at the venue of the ball and Holmes reminded me one more time, that our sole purpose was to take a look at young Lord Barker.

And a good look at the young Lord we would get. And not twenty minutes after we arrived, nonetheless. He was dancing with a red-headed girl, whose pale, freckled skin contrasted nicely against her sky-blue dress. She was pretty, but, as Holmes had said, not an extraordinary beauty. The man however was even more striking in person. I find myself guilty of having rather enjoyed Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Grey, but I always thought, that his description of Dorian Grey himself was rather overdone, now however, I was feeling quite like Basil Hallward, so stricken was I by the Lord's appearance.

The piece the pair was dancing to ended and Barker smiled at his company. It was an infectious smile, that made his partner smile back shyly and rest her pale lashes against her cheek in a coquettish gesture. A group of young girls nearby was whispering behind their feathered fans, throwing jealous glances at the pair.

I, as a doctor could not help but notice the slight stiffness in the lords left leg and the long, silvery scar, that ran from his temple towards the corner of his well shaped mouth. It did not mar his beauty in any way, but indeed added to his interest.

"There he is.", Holmes was speaking from right behind me.

"There he is, indeed.", I answered, turning towards my friend. "And looking quite unperturbed by the fact, that he has probably broken a young lady's heart."

Holmes brows knitted together "I do not think he is quite aware, what he has done to our lovely client.", looking over my shoulder I saw the Lord entertaining a cluster of young Ladies. "He has not quite grasped the effect he has on the people surrounding him.", and with that, the detective stalked away, towards the flock surrounding the point of our investigation. I stayed behind, wondering, what Holmes knew about this young lad, that had him so interested in this otherwise ordinary case? Indeed, I have to admit, that I was very surprised, that he had taken the case at all.

I watched my friend converse with the young Lord for some time, before I engaged in my own conversation with a professor of medicine, who I had met once before. It was three full hours, until Holmes returned to me. "Fascinating creature!", he exclaimed. "Fascinating, indeed. But we will have the sad obligation of telling our client, that the young Lord is not interested in her. Or anyone of the fairer sex for that matter!"

"Holmes!", I exclaimed, shocked, at what he was implying.

"Fascinating!", my colleague replied simply with an appreciative glance towards William Barker, as though he had not just accused the boy of being a sodomite!

"It's quite al right, Watson!", Holmes said happily and motioned for the door. "I am very sure, your wife will already miss your company dearly, so we should head for home.", and yet again, he would say no more of the matter.

Hope you enjoy, I would LOVE some reviews :)