She held her cup out for tea and Mrs. Hudson dutifully filled it.

"Is that enough, dear?" Her voice was so frail that it made Theodora scared she might break.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mrs. Hudson sighed a bit and set the pot down again on the coffee table. "It's not often that I have visitors," She explain, motioning to a pile of dirty laundry. "Please excuse the mess."

"Oh, it's fine, really."

There was a silence and Theodora tried to gather up her courage. "Ma'am," She started, her palms sweating.

"Oh, please, there's no need to talk so formally. Just call me Mrs. Hudson."

"Mrs. Hudson," She started again. wiping her palm onto her jeans. 'Are there any spare rooms?"

The old womans face lit up, and she reached out her hand to pat her on the leg. The guesture made Theodora jump and Mrs. Hudson romoved her hand immediately.

"Why, dear, I'm glad you asked." She looked a bit confused at Theodoras apperant rudeness but continued right on, happy as ever. "The basement room is perfectly free. A bit damp, though..." She added as an afterthought.

"Oh, no, that won't matter at all!" She tried to keep herself from getting too excited but it didn't work. A room! A room was free! "Just show me to my room and I'll be fine."

"Your room?"

Theodora knit her eyebrows together. "Yes. This is an apartment, right?"

"Apartment...?" Mrs. Hudson looked confused.

"Yes, an apartment. You know, you rent a room and then you live there." The only possible explaination Theo could think of was that the old woman was getting a bit old and senile.

"Oh! You mean a flat. Well, yes, that's what we are."

A flat? Theodora thought. What in the world is a flat?

She stared at Mrs. Hudson for a minute longer before deciding that it just must be a strange British word. Standing up, she started to walk to the door when she realized that Mrs. Hudson was not following her.

"You coming?" She called, without turning around.

"Oh, no, dear. I'll stay here and clean. The keys are under the door mat, and if you need anything just call me, okay?"

Theo paused. "Alright."

And thus Theodora Main came to live at 221 Baker Street.