In response to sagredo's prompt - Write about a distant relative, of either Holmes or Watson, dropping in at 221B unexpectedly during the holidays. Who is this relative? Why have they come? What happens?
I found this quite tricky to write.
Thanks lovely reviewers!
It was early December, and I was grateful of the fire which blazed merrily in the grate. Holmes was sprawled, limp and unresponsive, across the sofa. There had been an absence of cases recently and I knew that soon he would turn to the cocaine.
Knock, knock, knock! I sat up straight in my armchair. Could it be..?
"A client?" I enquired. Holmes stretched lethargically.
"We shall se-"
"Oh, Sherlock!" a trilling voice interrupted from outside. Holmes froze. "Anyone hooome?"
"A friend of yours, "Sherlock"?" I teased and stood to look outside. As I made to lean out of the window Holmes seized my arm, a desperate light entering his eyes.
"For the sake of all that is right with this world Watson," he begged. "Don't let her in!"
"But… why?" I asked, completely dumbfounded. Who on earth could inspire such terror in him?
Downstairs Mrs Hudson could be heard, "Oh yes, go right on up. He's in the living room with the Doctor."
Holmes gulped."Oh shi-!"
"Sherlock!"
The door flew open and standing on the threshold of the living room was a, very old, very loud woman. She stepped inside. "Sherlock, it simply has been too long!" she crooned, reaching out a hand and pinching his cheek with a long, brittle fingernail. I stifled a grin at my friend's expense.
Holmes grimaced. "Doctor, this is my er… my great aunt, Miss-"
"Oh, a Doctor!" she screeched. I had the urge to take a step back as she made toward me, but resisted it. I did wince however, at her loud words. "My name is Miss Florence Holmes – but you can call me Florence." She gave a wink and grasped my battle scarred hand in her own, callused one. "You would be Sherlock's roommate I suppose?"
"Y- Yes," I replied, trying in vain to extract my hand from hers. She was surprisingly strong for such an old woman. "Er, I don't suppose you'd mind-?"
"Sherlock!" she cut across me. "What are you grinning about?"
Holmes was indeed grinning; or rather, smirking. The smirk slid off his face, however, when Florence turned toward him, dropping my hand in the process. I rubbed at the indentations her nails had left in my skin.
"Oh, er… nothing. Why are you here again Florence?"
Florence smiled in what she clearly thought was a sweet manner. Her lips took on the appearance of a wrinkled prune. "Come now Sherlock... I don't need an excuse to visit my nephew now do I? Especially not when he shares rooms with such a… handsome doctor." Inwardly I cringed. "I bought your Christmas present today and I just wanted to check that you haven't forgotten about me!"
"I wish," Holmes murmured quietly, but Florence didn't notice. She had focussed her attentions back on me.
"Now then – I've told you my name, but I don't believe that you've yet done me the honour!" she let out a jarring laugh and both Holmes and I winced. "What is your name Doctor?"
The last thing in the world that I wished to do was tell this irritating woman my name. Yet I could see no way around it. "John-"
"Vernet," Holmes interceded. "Florence this is Doctor John Vernet."
Florence turned around and I raised an eyebrow questioningly behind her back. Holmes gave an almost imperceptible wink.
"Vernet?" she echoed. "Surely not-?"
"That's right. Your nephew on the other side. My cousin."
"Oh…" she sighed, disappointed. "What a shame. I thought I would have met you… Well," she cleared her throat. "I have an appointment to keep. Sherlock I'll drop by on Christmas to give you your present." With that she left, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
"Why-?" I began, but stopped. "Just… why?"
"Aunt Florence has something of a liking for… younger men," Holmes explained. "Unfortunately younger men don't have much of a liking for Aunt Florence."
"Ah. And erm… she's um, coming back at Christmas, is she?" I asked apprehensively.
"Oh no," Holmes responded cheerfully. "I've arranged that we will be detained by an important case."
We both shared a glance and erupted into laughter.
