I'm going to apologise now for all the build-up. I need to set the scene and the characters early on before we can get to the heart of the story. It will be worth it...honest. Thank you all for your initial reviews and follows and favourites, I'll do my best not to let you down, especially those of you familiar with Oxford. I have visited a couple of times but don't know it very well.

But enough of this, on with the story.

Chapter 2

After Mandy left her, Molly took a moment to take in her surroundings a little bit more. She knelt on the bed and looked out of the small casement window that had been opened some time earlier, no doubt to let some fresh air into the room. It was early August and for once England was having a proper summer and the sun was shining. The view out of the bedroom was of the smaller Chapel quad and the grass there looked just as lush and inviting as it had in the main quad. This one had the added advantage of shaded cloisters running around the outside edge with ivy running amok over the arches and pillars.

She could feel her muscles relaxing at the thought of two weeks in these peaceful surroundings. She'd brought herself a heap of chicklit and murder mystery novels to read and thought that the cloisters looked like an ideal reading spot, keeping her out of the worst of the sun. Years spent hidden away in the morgue meant that Molly was particularly prone to sunburn. She'd have to build up her tolerance and tan gradually.

It didn't take her long to unpack her belongings. She went into the small bathroom which just had space for the basics. The shower was attached to the bath with an old fashioned Victorian style switch on the taps. It was all immaculately clean though even if it was a bit archaic. She couldn't help but double-check that the lock was turned to the other bedroom. Molly knew it was empty but she'd seen enough trashy horror films to not have an inherent fear about leaving the door unlocked.

After unpacking she decided to make her way downstairs and have a quick look around before lunch. The classrooms themselves were locked up but she looked through the small windows set into the doors feeling suddenly nostalgic for her school days, for a time when she'd had her whole life ahead of her, all her dreams still a possibility.

She had no regrets over her career. She was very proud of where she was and what she'd achieved. She had a job in one of London's top hospitals, a senior and accredited pathologist with various papers published in leading journals. No, any regrets she might have were over her personal life.

She wandered outside and walked around the outside of the chapel quad through the cloisters letting her hand trail over the rough stone balustrade. She knew she couldn't control who she fell in love with but she couldn't help but sometimes wish it hadn't been with an emotionally stunted, self-proclaimed sociopath who was married to his work.

She sat down for a moment on one of the benches and tried to imagine how a young Sherlock would have looked rushing around Oxford in his cap and gown. Alright so nowadays people didn't wear caps and gowns apart from during graduation but she was only fantasising, his gown would have billowed in just the same way as his coat does now, the cap battling with his curls for dominance of his head. She giggled to herself at the images in her mind. She knew he'd been to Oxford but she had no idea which college, she should have asked him before she left. Maybe, she would have if he hadn't been so grumpy about her going.

A bell chimed somewhere in the distance breaking her out of her reverie. She got up hurriedly and half ran/half walked round the rest of the cloisters until she got back to the arch through to the main quad.

She followed the other stragglers into a large dining hall and quickly saw Mandy waving to her discreetly from the top table.

The room reminded her a little bit of the dining hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. It was slightly smaller than that one but still very impressive with a double height ceiling and large pictures of various decrepit Wardens and Deans from years gone by, forever looking down disapprovingly on the students. There was a horizontal table at the head of the room with proper chairs, which compared to various smaller vertically laid out tables with benches on either side. It was easy to see the very clear distinction between staff and students.

About half of the staff table was filled and less than two of the ten student tables. Molly hadn't given much thought to her attire, she was only wearing a simple summer dress, with sandals and a light cardigan but she needn't have worried, it seemed that expectations were for casual dress with some of the students in shorts and others even in jeans. There was a mix of male and female students though maybe biased slightly towards girls.

She went and sat next to Mandy who set about introducing her to a couple of the others sitting near them. She started with an elderly gentleman who looked very jovial, sitting on the other side of Molly.

'Molly, this is Andrew Littleton, Art History, Andy's been here about as long as Arthur has. Part of the furniture isn't that right?'

'I hope you're not implying that I'm wooden,' he said laughingly as he took Molly's hand. He turned it over and kissed the back of it, 'always a delight to have some fresh conversation my dear. I hear you are a pathologist, fascinating, fascinating...I can't wait to hear all about it.'

Mandy gestured to another younger chap sitting opposite them, 'Johan, this is my friend Doctor Molly Hooper. Molly this is Professor Johan Nicholas, History.'

Molly smiled at him quite shyly, he was pretty gorgeous and his eyes lit up as he turned to Molly and greeted her, 'I hear you're down for a couple of weeks. I'll happily give you a bit of a tour of Oxford and tell you some of the history if you like.'

Molly blushed and could feel herself stumbling over her words as she replied, 'mmm yes, th..thanks. That'd be great.'

'Good, well let me know when you're free and we can fix something up.' He spoke with a hint of a European accent and Molly wondered where he originated from. She couldn't tell how tall he was but he had broad shoulders and straight blond hair that was swept back away from his face. He wore small round glasses which sat on a very straight, aqualine nose and his eyes were the bluest blue that Molly had ever seen. 'It will be good to get off the college site after the last few days. It's made me feel very uneasy.'

Molly was about to ask him what he meant by that last statement but she was interrupted by her friend who was discreetly pointing up the table at two women who were sat, deep in conversation, on the other side. They were very different in looks. One was in her fifties with iron grey hair held up in a wispy bun. She looked like a stereotype of a school marm down to her tweed jacket and pearls. The other seemed only slightly older than Molly herself and was very beautiful. In some ways she looked like Johan's twin sister, very blond with blue eyes.

'The other two ladies further up are Martha Collins, Medieval Studies.' She lowered her voice conspiratorially, 'that subject suits her as she's a right old battle axe.'

Molly laughed. 'The other is Alison Struthers, Latin. She's a good friend, you'll like her.'

The food was simple but delicious. It was cold cuts and salads but complemented the heat of the day perfectly. Desert was a refreshing mango sorbet.

Even with so few people in this grand setting there was a loud hum of shared conversations, laughter, the odd fractious word as people engaged in lively discussions. Molly could only imagine how noisy it must be when the place was full.

She chatted happily with her friend as they talked about their lives, their families. Unlike Molly who was an only child Mandy had two brothers and a sister. Her siblings had all married and had kids so she had her hands full being an aunt and godmother. Molly envied her her family. Even though Mandy was single like herself there were regular family parties that she was invited too and Christmas's and Birthdays were all huge events. Molly just had her mother who was in failing health and who she'd never really been that close too.

After the meal as they were getting up from the table and making their way outside they were accosted by Martha who without introduction or preamble just barked, 'have you asked her yet?'

Mandy coloured and frowned, 'no, not yet Doctor Collins, I wanted her to at least have some time to settle in, I was going to mention it this afternoon.'

'Well, there's no time like the present. We can't afford to delay on this, if it comes out it'll be disastrous...disastrous I say. We can't have the good name of the college brought into disrepute like this.'

Molly stood between them feeling thoroughly confused, 'I'm sorry ask me what? What's going on?'

Mandy turned to her and was about to speak but she was interrupted by Martha, 'she's going to ask you to get your boyfriend down here,' her lip curled as she said the word boyfriend. 'There's some sort of malicious prankster at work and we need to find out who it is and fast. Well, I've said my bit for now and given the issue over my files I have far too much work to do, so I'll leave you to it. You'll make sure to tell me what you both decide. Good day!' With that she nodded once and left Molly and her friend in stunned silence.

Molly turned to Amanda her face still a picture of confusion, 'I think you need to tell me what's happening. And who did she mean when she mentioned my boyfriend, I don't have a boyfriend.'

'Oh, I am so angry that she just dumped this on you like that. I was going to talk to you about it this afternoon, honestly. As for your boyfriend, she means Sherlock Holmes, you're still friends with him right?'

Things were just getting more confused in Molly's mind, 'yes, we're still friends but that's all, what's going on and what has any of it got to do with him?'

Mandy took her arm, 'come on let's go to my study and I will tell you everything.'

And if you guys come back in a few days you'll get to find out too. I'm aiming to get the next chapter up on Sunday so not too long to wait.