"Are you back for good?" he asked her with amusement all over his face while they moved with the music.
"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I really thought you knew me better." She said making her fake sad face.
He grinned loudly while they span together around the room, he missed her, they knew each other for years, friendship were built naturally between the both of them with her revolutionary personality and his outstanding mind and love for adventures, but when she got the opportunity to travel the world she didn't let it slip out of her hands, he didn't see her for three years but she never failed to send him letters every time she traveled to a new country.
"How long will you stay?" he asked her but didn't really hear her answer, his eyes laid on Molly talking to the ladies, he smiled unconsciously looking to her.
"Hmm, I see you got a new gold fish," Irine said in an amusing tone getting him back to where he was.
"No" he simply answered making her eyes going wide and her smile going wider.
"Dear lord! Sherlock Holmes the man happily married to his work is in love!" she laughed loudly making him admonishing her with a look as some guests started to stare.
"But I don't see a ring" she said eyeing the petite doctor from afar.
He felt unease and bit his lip "I haven't told her yet."
"What on earth is keeping you?" She asked in shock.
"I was waiting for the right time," he answered simply.
"And the right time is when you are using help to walk after you reached your golden seventies or when you are on your bed of death?!" she said sarcastically making him twisting his mouth in happiness, he really missed her and her sarcasm.
"Actually I was planning to reveal my feelings for her tonight asking to court her." he said waiting to impress her but she was the one who surprise him with her answer.
"Hmmm, are you certain you want to do this tonight, she is looking really uncomfortable from what I can see from the language of her body."
He swallowed hard beginning to remember how she didn't want to attend this party in the first place. Wondering again if this was the best time to do what he planned.
"How did you meet?"
"At the morgue." The surprise on her face was indescribable with words.
"She's the first woman holding a pathologist position in London." He said with voice filled with pride.
"I don't even know why I'm surprised. Of course you would fall for a woman who's fascinated by the death."
Before he could admonish her she continued "I said it as a compliment!" then grinned.
"What should I do?" he really felt lost in the moment.
She smiled kindly "choose a place where she feels herself, where she feels home"
The dance finished, he leaned and kissed her hands gently.
"I won't leave till I hear the church bells Sherlock, don't make me wait for long." she left him considering what she suggested.
He moved to where Molly was standing minutes before but only found the ladies she was talking with, he walked fast around the place to catch a glimpse of her and found nothing.
"Dr. Hooper left." he turned fast to find his sister-in-law glaring at him with cold eyes.
"What do you mean she left? She just arrived!" he whined unbelieving what she said.
"Well, she apologized to me for being unable to stay for long, she said she felt tired." her eyes were still cold.
He began to get worried about her, she looked fine the beginning of the evening, she looked charming!
"From what I saw and heard it was more of an emotional issue more than physical, after all she only left after seeing you dancing with the nice lady you were dancing with, who was she again?" lady Anthea knew his brother and his family only after Lady Adler left England, and from what he heard on her judgmental voice she wasn't aware about the friendship he had with Irene, what lead him to a conclusion if she didn't know, then Doctor Hooper definitely thought the same as his sister-in-law did.
He left his brother's wife and ran outside. Maybe he would catch her before her carriage moved away.
He didn't.
He sighed deeply cursing himself and his luck for how everything turned to.
He ran his hands on his hair, ordering his mind to find an answer to what he should do.
His mind convinced him the best solution is to wait for the morning, he was going to see her at the morgue then, and he could explain everything happened this night.
His heart and legs had another said.