Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Shall I put you all out of your misery and resolve the cliff-hanger? (almost literally in this case! Strangely enough it was going to be a cliff in the first draft - but then I remembered that there are no cliffs in the centre of London)
Chapter 21
Gruner and I fell down towards the ground. I flailed my arms and managed to get hold of a ledge, about a couple of metres from the top of the wall. I felt a tugging on my ankle, and looked down. Gruner had grabbed hold of me, and we were both hanging metres away from certain death. Despite this, Gruner was grinning, manically. "If I die…" he yelled. I screamed, and Holmes seemed to realise that I was alive. He shouted my name, and I called back "Please Holmes! Help me!" I was absolutely terrified. I've never been particularly good with heights, and my head was spinning. Worse was the fact that the combined weight of myself and Gruner was causing my fingers to start slipping…
Holmes' face appeared over the top of the building, and he reached down, trying to get hold of my hand. He was already hanging rather precariously over the side, one hand on a small wall behind him, and the other reaching toward me. "Beth," he said "You are going to have to let go"
"Holmes…I can't…"
"Beth, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do…but…"
"Let go"
I did so, and Holmes caught my wrist in a vice-like grip. The fall lessened Gruner's grip on me, as well, and he fell to the ground, dead as soon as he hit the path. Holmes pulled me up higher, and took hold of my other hand. He pulled, while I tried to manoeuvre myself upwards, and eventually, I was back up on solid ground. I sat on the floor, shaking like a leaf, and tried in vain to calm down. Holmes, meanwhile, had taken off his coat, and wrapped it around my shoulders. I looked up at him, and smiled gratefully. He came to sit next to me on the floor, and put an arm around me. "It's alright" he said "Gruner's dead. You saved my life."
Feeling a little better, I smiled "Again."
Holmes laughed "Thank heavens I have you with me." He stopped abruptly, his face blushing pink. He shook his head "It's a bit hot up here…"
"Holmes? Are you alright?"
"Fine. I just…" Holmes was looking at me strangely, like he wanted to say something.
"Holmes…?"
"It's nothing. Don't worry." He got up, and offered me his hand, pulling me up to stand next to him. "We had better go back to Watson" he said, and started to walk away.
I don't know what made me do what I did next, but as I looked at Holmes, I realised the meaning of all those surreptitious glances and cut short conversations. The reason why he would look at me in concern, whenever we were off on a dangerous case, or touch my hand or arm if I needed reassurance. "Holmes?" I said, and he turned. I walked over to him, so that I was facing him, and took hold of his hand. Standing on tiptoe, I kissed him, just once, lightly on the lips. As I did so, I felt his hand tighten around mine. He looked at me, straight in the eyes and opened his mouth, as if to say something. He seemed unable to find the words, and instead just stood there, his hand still gripping mine, staring at me. I grinned at him "That's the first time I've ever seen you speechless". He nodded, still seemingly unable to speak, but he did move to put a hand on my waist. We stood there for a moment, completely silent and I started to feel a little awkward "Um, Holmes… Are you actually going to say anything?"
Holmes laughed, and to my surprise, reached up and stroked the side of my face. "Women…so impatient…"
I gasped in mock indignation "I am not impatient!"
"Yes you are, one of the most impatient women I've ever met…"
"Oh, very romantic, Holmes," I said sarcastically "listing all my faults."
"But…"
"But…?" I smiled expectantly, and Holmes grinned "You are also beautiful and kind and clever. Perhaps a little impulsive…"
"Good point. I won't argue with that…"
"But…I…I…" he stumbled over his words, looking more than a little scared.
I decided to help him out "I love you, Holmes."
He smiled "You do?"
"Of course. Why else do you think I put up with you?" I said, innocently.
Holmes laughed "I love you, Elisabeth, my Elisabeth"
I looked into his eyes "I can't think why we took so long…"
"Because you and I both have one thing in common."
"And what's that?"
"We both believed the opposite sex to be completely useless. We just had to be proved wrong."
"Even 'The Woman'?" I asked, teasingly.
"She might have been 'The Woman' but you are 'My Woman'"
"How unbelievably sentimental."
"I'm not very good at this, am I?"
I chuckled "Good enough for me."
He cupped my face in both his hands and said "I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. Will you…" he took a deep breath "marry me?"
I felt tears come to my eyes, and I blinked them away "Of course I will." I sighed, tearful "Oh, no, now I'm the sentimental one…For heavens sake, kiss me, will you?"
Holmes laughed and took his hands from my face, and held both of my hands. He kissed both of my hands, and then kissed my forehead, and then my lips. He was tender, and loving, and I felt as if I could stay there, with him, for all of eternity. After a while, Holmes pulled away, and said "We had better go back to the cab. Watson will be worried about us." I nodded, and we walked away together, down through the house, and out to the cab. Holmes offered me his arm, and I took it, smiling up at him.
We reached the carriage, and Watson stuck his head out of the window "Thank goodness you're back. You had us both terribly worried…" Then, he seemed to see, for the first time, the way we were glancing at each other "Ah," he said, smiling knowingly "I see. Come, we should be getting back to Baker Street." He looked at Holmes "Gruner?"
Holmes helped me into the carriage, and then looked grimly at Watson "He's dead."
"Well, if it were between you and he, old man." He clapped a hand on Holmes' shoulder "and no doubt others feel the same."
"Thank you Watson. But if it had not been for Beth…"
"Come on." I said, not liking to think of what could have been. "We should go. Get Kitty back to Mr Johnson."
I sat next to Kitty, as Holmes took his place next to Watson, and Kitty spoke up, "I suppose they'll find out what I did. But I don't care," she spat, bitterly.
"Kitty, I'm sure they won't. Everyone knows the sort of man he was. Everyone will understand that you did it in self-defence." I was talking to convince myself then, too, a little worried that Holmes and I might be suspected of murder. Holmes leant over and squeezed one of my hands, in encouragement. I smiled up at him, and then tried to think no more about it.
We were not prosecuted for the death of Gruner - everyone realised the kind of man he was, the awful choice that we were faced with. Our mysterious illustrious client was, it seemed, none other than a member of the Royal Family, although Holmes did not tell me which one. I didn't care anyway, as he managed to clear us from any investigations from the police.
Holmes and I were married today, 8th November 1894, in the Church of St Peter's and St Paul's in London. It was a wonderful affair, quiet and low-key, with only Watson, Mrs Hudson, Johnnie, and his new wife Mary present. Unsurprisingly, my aunt and uncle did not take kindly to my marriage to Holmes, even going so far as to disinherit me. But I don't care. I know that my mother and father would have approved of my choice of husband, and that is what matters. I am excited, and more happy than I have ever felt in my life, as I am sure, now that I know where I belong.