A/N- Reviews keep me going, you know. Kudos and virtual cookies to :Medcat, my superb beta,
Mrs. Pencil- I'm so glad that you liked it. Thank you for reading and reviewing and have a great week.
The Liberal Admitted- Help yourself, my dear. Your review made my day, thank you for reading and reviewing.
Sebastianfangirl101- I like those parts of the story, too. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Werepanther 33- You are right, I am having problems with the tenses in the story, but I am trying to keep it 3rd person. Thanks for letting me know. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
and last but certainly not least, Westron Wynde- I'm glad that you liked it, and thank you for reading and reviewing.
The Case of the Cursed Corpse.
The woman and the two children came over to greet us. The woman smiled and extended her hand. The two children were right behind her, giggling between themselves.
"Hello, I am Mrs. Porter. I am pleased to meet you two gentlemen. These are William and Victoria, my children. My husband is at work, but will join us for dinner. Please make yourselves at home. Dinner is at 6.30. I hope that you like mutton."
The children began to bombard the doctor and the detective with questions, but their mother intervened.
"Children, the gentlemen are tired from a long trip, and need to rest a bit and refresh themselves. Your questions will have to wait until dinner. Run along now, dears."
She waited until the children ran off, and then said to Holmes and Watson, "They are quite energetic, are they not?"
Both Holmes and Watson answered at the same time with a heartfelt "Yes, they are."
Mrs. Perry laughed. "I will show you to your rooms. Can you manage your bags?"
She showed them to a set of rooms on the second floor.
"I'll call you when dinner is ready. Welcome to our home."
She turned and went back downstairs, leaving them to their own devices until supper.
Holmes and Watson took their bags into their room and sat down on the twin beds. They exchanged glances.
"I wish that I had half the energy as those children, don't you Holmes?"asked the doctor.
"Yes, I do. I have had energy like that in the past, but you don't want me to use those means to obtain it."
"Holmes!" hissed Watson. "I doubt that they are under the influence." He chuckled at the thought. Holmes thought that Watson's laughter was one of the best sounds on earth.
They both lay down to rest for just a bit, and woke up when they heard a knock at the door.
"Dinner is in fifteen minutes, gentlemen. I hope you are hungry."
The voice was not that of Mrs. Porter. Watson thought that it must be the maid. He was proven correct a few minutes later, when they stepped out into the hall. She was just putting away her duster and turning to escort the men downstairs.
"I am Miss Carpenter, the maid. If you need anything, just let me know, and I will do what I can to accommodate you."
She looked at Holmes and Watson. "I understand that you are here to look into the unfortunate death of Mr. Leboux. If there is anything that I can do to help you, please let me know. He was kind to me, and I would like to repay that kindness."
"I see,"said Holmes. "And how was Mr. Leboux kind to you?"
The maid blushed when she realized the implications of her words. "He lent me books that he thought I would be interested in. And he always had a kind word to say. He was nice that way."
"How would you describe Mr. Leboux?" Holmes asked.
"Well, other than kind, he was also generous. That used to be a sore point between him and the missus. She used to tell him "Jean-micheal, you would give the shirt off your back to help someone, but one of these days you are going to run out of shirts." said the maid. "He would laugh and say "Then I will go out and buy more, my dear."
"Were there any other sore points that you know about between Mr. Leboux and his wife?"asked Watson.
"Yes, there are, but since we are expected at the table, would I be able to tell you later?"
"Yes, yes, of course," replied Holmes. "We will talk later, then."
"Thank you. Now, if you gentlemen will follow me, I'll show you to the dining room."
