Miss Watson

Sherlock Holmes watched the unchanging front of the cab as it rattled past a small book seller's shop and a few newspaper lads trying to make a shilling or two. Finally the cab halted in front of some imposing brick buildings and as Holmes climbed out and paid the cabbie, he thought he saw a figure of a woman watching from a window.

Looking at the piece of paper in his hand, he strode up to Number 19 and knocked on the door promptly. After a moment, the door opened to reveal a stocky woman with graying red hair.

"Yes, how may I help you, good sir?"

Holmes tipped his hat at her.

"Good afternoon, I'm here to see Miss Watson."

The older woman's eyes brightened in recognition.

"Miss Watson, of course. Please come in."

Holmes entered into a front room containing a delicate oak table on which a small vase full of fresh cut roses stood. As he examined them, the old woman returned.

"Miss Watson will see you now; please follow me."

Holmes nodded his thanks and followed her to the door on the right side of the sitting room. The woman opened it to reveal a study of sorts with Claire sitting at a desk looking at a letter.

"Here's the gentleman, Miss Watson," the housekeeper said with a small nod towards Holmes.

Claire looked up briefly. "Thank you, Helen, that will be all." Her tone was unsurprised at the reappearance of Holmes.

The housekeeper closed the door behind her as Holmes took off his hat and gloves.

"Miss Watson, I have come here to apologize for my ungentlemanly conduct to you this afternoon," he said, looking at the woman before him with a blank expression on his face.

Claire gestured to a chair in front of her desk.

"Do sit down, Mr. Holmes. I know my cousin was a key part in making you come here to apologize and I shall honor it by allowing you to remain here for a length of time." Claire replied, looking at the hat upon her desk.

Holmes's glance moved from bored to annoyed in a flash.

"You do not believe that my apology is sincere, Miss Watson?" he asked, extremely ruffled by the fact that she saw through him.

Claire Watson's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Mr. Holmes, you are not the type of man who associates himself with the affairs of women. You clearly showed your disposition towards my sex this afternoon - therefore, I must say that John made you feel guilty and made you come here." Her answer seemed very commonplace and regular, as if she expected Holmes to act like this.

Holmes was taken back by her deduction.

"Miss Watson, I do not feel guilty about what happened earlier; I am surprised by your deductions. You thought you would acquire a job by working for me?"

Claire shook her head.

"Mr. Holmes, under normal circumstances I would not come to you for employment. But, as of late I have been in dire need for an occupation that shows some respect."

Holmes looked at Claire with wonder.

"Respect? Have you any notion of how ridiculous that sounds?"

Claire's eyes came close to flashing in anger at Holmes.

"Mr. Holmes, in all seven years I have been in this city, I have worked and gotten nothing but a nod and few 'good job's for my efforts. No one in the force or the government recognized my spy work as anything but as a daring act of rebellion against society."

Holmes began to realize the reason behind Claire's aggressiveness; she was tired of doing all the work no one else could do and getting none of the credit for it.

"So, you thought if you worked with someone with similar training, you would get the respect you deserved," Holmes calculated while looking absently at her bookshelves.

Claire nodded.

"Yes, exactly, Mr. Holmes. I know you take no credit for your cases - but for me, just being able to be a part of solving them would help considerably."

Holmes looked at Claire, his grey eyes softening more than they normally did.

"Well, Miss Watson, it seems that I have gathered all the information I need to reconsider your offer except for one thing." He held up a finger to represent the idea. "Your spy work, is there any current officer who could strengthen your value as a spy?"

Claire thought for a moment before answering. "Ask Inspector Lestrade; he is the one who promoted me to spy in the first place," she said with a nod.

Holmes nodded in return.

"Thank you for the information, Miss Watson. I should have an answer for you by early tomorrow morning."

And with that, Sherlock Holmes gathered his hat and gloves and left the room at a steady pace.