Chapter 2
Sherlock tried to curb his impatience. He had been waiting a week for his father to keep his promise, but nothing happened. The Holmes family life went on like usual. Sherlock tried to keep himself entertained, but with the deal held over his head, it was hard to keep his mind on anything else. He observed that the household seemed a little blander than he was used to, but he assumed it was because he was bored and impatient. He sulked in his room after three days of excruciating boredom, having teased the cat, yelled at the cook, and annoyed Mycroft until he threatened once again to hang Sherlock by his heels in the well.
George was determined to make the attempt as realistic as possible. Once Sherlock was sent to bed after the lecture, he told the household what he planned, adding that if all went as planned, Sherlock would never disturb their belongings again.
The cook, the maid, and the tutor readily agreed, overjoyed that the boy would not be underfoot for a whole two weeks. Anne worried that what George planned to do to so young a boy would harm him irreparably, scarring Sherlock's sense of safety and trust forever, for what George was planning was to scare the boy so badly that he would never want anything to do with other people's secrets again. Mycroft on the other hand was overjoyed, and immediately volunteered to sacrifice himself to a weekend trip to visit his aunt with Sherlock in tow.
Within a week, the two were packed up and shipped off. Sherlock had been bewildered that his agreement had been delayed in this manner, and it was with difficulty that Mycroft got him on the train.
With the 'victim' safely away, plans moved swiftly forward. In little more than a few days, old clothes became drapes and costumes under Anne's expert sewing, and hammering was heard in the woodshed at all hours. George called in a few favors from the local constabulary, and a canine breeding friend of his. On the eve of the boys' return, a tent was placed into a nearby field with some food and some "burglary" tools, including Sherlock's picks. Anne and George heard much amusement from the staff as they looked forward to long-awaited revenge and the household had an air of mischief and anticipation about it, an attitude more often placed near Halloween than a summer's night.
Finally, the telegram was sent:
GREETING SMITH STOP ALL HAS BEEN PREPARED STOP TENT IS IN NORTH FIELD STOP.
Mycroft grimaced in disgust. He loathed camping.
A/N: Please read and review! Yes, this chapter and the next will be shorter, as the intro winds up.
