A Ambulans Umbra
[A Walking Shadow]
Once outside, Mycroft turns up his collar against the chill. The rain has stopped but the grounds are shrouded in mist and everything is quiet. It's perfect weather for brooding. Mycroft almost wishes that he smoked; it seems appropriate to do so just now.
Without a destination in mind, Mycroft begins ambling around the property. The Manor has been in his family for generations, and he realizes with a start that it now belongs to him. He'll move back in, of course, but when he does, he'll sleep in the master bedroom instead of his childhood bedroom. People have long been needling Mycroft to marry and have children, and once he takes possession of the Manor, the pressure will intensify. He's thirty years old and has never married, which is a bit odd even for a Holmes.
"Have you anyone, er, special, son?"
It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. "Not this again, Father."
"Don't take that tone with me. It is not good for a man to be alone, and if our family name is to continue, there must be a legitimate heir…"
As if Father wasn't bad enough, his diplomatic colleagues occasionally got in on the act. One would think diplomats would have a better sense of propriety, but on the rare days when there were no foreigners in the office, rules could be broken.
His supervisor asked, "Mycroft, are you attending the dinner with the representative from Sweden?"
"Yes."
"You're welcome to bring a date, you know." After an awkward pause, the older man added, "That is, Sweden is a very progressive country, and er, it truly wouldn't matter who your date was…"
Mycroft folded his hands on top of his desk. "If I find anyone who wishes to bring a same-sex date, I will be sure to pass the message along to that person. I, however, shall attend the dinner solo."
He later found out that his supervisor had a wager going with some of the lads at MI6 – evidently Mycroft's supervisor had bet them a bottle of Talisker that Mycroft would bring a male date to the dinner if given permission do so. Mycroft was alternately exasperated that people still think a bachelor his age must be gay and pleased with himself for doing such a good job of misleading his supervisor.
Trudging through the wet grass, Mycroft comes upon his and Sherlock's derelict tree house. He last entered it eight years ago, when he had to convince teenaged Sherlock to go see Mummy on her deathbed. Instead of Mummy, however, it's his last conversation with Father that comes to mind. The two men last saw each other a month ago, just before Sherlock completed rehab. Father did his best to keep a stiff upper lip, but one glance told Mycroft that the older man's health was declining rapidly.
Father said, "When he is discharged, tell him to come home. I have much to say to him." He paused, and taking a deep breath added, "I am much like Edward VIII. Unlike him, there was no George VI to carry on for me after I abdicated. I'm sorry."
"I shall tell him, Father."
Mycroft groans as he rests his forehead against the trunk of the tree. All the pieces of the story have come together in his mind. Father knew his time was short and he hoped that Mycroft would bring Sherlock round to see him once more, just as he'd done for Mummy.
"I'm sorry, Father. I failed you."
A/N: The title of this chapter comes from Macbeth: "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is no more."
Edward VIII abdicated the British throne in 1936. George VI, his successor, led Great Britain through World War II. Father comparing himself to Edward is his way of admitting failure.