Chapter 4
I repeat my disclaimer.
Josie socked Holmes in the eye, which was the last thing he or I was expecting. "Let me be!" she cried as she clambered up the ladder to the barn above.
I must say that I was pleased to be out of that infernal stuffy chamber beneath the barn, although I had the unpleasant feeling that we'd be going there again before this was all over. Holmed chased her through one, two, three open fields before tackling her. Even as he pinned her down, she still fought like an animal.
"Speak, lass!" Holmes puffed.
Her chest was heaving. Her eyes were angered. "This. is my.. Investigation."
"And mine. I was invited to help you. Now, if you don't mind, please, tell me all that has happened."
I saw her cheeks redden like some poor lass that has committed adultery. Some deep embarrassing shame was beaming through her shrewd mind. "I DO MIND!" she cried as she kneed poor Holmes in the groin, a tactic no man would dare pull on another man.
Holmes fell over in pain as Ms. Marsh scampered away and into the woods.
I rushed to Holmes's side.
"It's alright, Watson." Holmes gasped with a laugh. "I should have known that vixen would still have something up her sleeve. We must either ask what lies in that direction, or follow her."
"Seemingly, it would be much safer for our health if we were to merely ask and follow later on."
"No, Watson. We must take the bull by the horns. If we give in now, she'll know she can always get what she wants. Come, come!"
Once again, we raced after her as a hound races after a fox. I lagged a bit, being less fit than Holmes.
Holmes slackened his pace as we came upon an old beat-up garden house. "Gordon! Gordon! It's Josie!" There she was, the fox, pounding on some poor innocent man's door.
The door opened. A tall Scottish man appeared from inside. "Ah, hello there! What are you doing here?"
Holmes watched curiously. "He's nervous, Watson. Very nervous to see her here."
"Really, after all the work it took to bring you back home, and you've come back here!"
"I just wanted to ask what brought you to my rescue."
"I. er. wanted a breath of. that is. the seeds needed planting. no. I mean. I was looking for something."
Josie leaned towards him eagerly. "Say- me?"
The poor man was visibly hesitating. "Uh. no. I had lost my watch."
Josie laughed. "My dear Gordon, you don't wear a watch, for your wrists show no sign of one."
"What did I tell you, Watson?" Holmes whispered to me. "She's a crafty one, she is."
"Gordon! Gordon!" A man's voice was calling.
"Please, Ms. Josie. Go! Now!" Gordon pleaded. "If they find out- you have no idea. Go!"
Josie planted her feet. "I will not! Not until you tell me!"
"I can't." The poor man looked helpless.
"Gordon! God dammit!"
"I pity the man, Holmes." Said I.
"I as well." He answered.
A young man entered our line of vision. He visibly started at seeing Josie. "Gordon? What is this," his voice dripped with venom. "charming young woman doing with you."
"She was asking for."
"I wanted to know a secret for planting pumpkins. I do love pumpkin pie." Josie answered.
The man's muscles relaxed. "But- Ah, it doesn't matter. I just wish that men wouldn't meddle in business that isn't their own." The young man looked pointedly at the guilty Gordon. "I am Nathaniel Longfellow. My father owns this estate. You are Ms. Josie Marsh?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Kensington has told us about you and how you are helping him with his. mystery."
"Strange how everyone knows everything out here." Josie's voice cut like an icy blade.
"It is not often that witty women wander into our midst." Nathaniel bowed. "The last one was Ms. Hallie, and a dreadful end came to her."
Josie raised an eyebrow catching the deadly innuendo that had made Holmes and myself step back. "I thank you for your time, Mr. Longfellow." She turned about and made her way thoughtfully back to the Kensington estate.
We followed.
In the dining room of the house, we found her bent over in thought. I must admit, that her stance resembled Holmes's thoughtful one.
"Ms. Marsh?" I politely asked.
"You were following me." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes. We were." Holmes stated. "Now, maybe you had better tell us what happened."
"I think not. This is my affair. I can handle this Nathaniel Longfellow."
"How, may I ask?"
Ms. Josie smirked. "All men have at least one weakness." She looked at us. "Seduction."
"Ms. Marsh. That is hardly professional." Holmes remarked disapprovingly. "Have you any better tactic, Mr. Holmes?"
Of course neither of us had one.
"I still believe it to be better if you should tell us the course of events." Holmes growled.
She merely smiled at us as she made her way to her room. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get ready for a date with a certain Mr. Nathaniel Longfellow."
Thankfully, the lass never had to go that far into the world of Mr. Longfellow, though it was rather a frightening experience for us all.
I repeat my disclaimer.
Josie socked Holmes in the eye, which was the last thing he or I was expecting. "Let me be!" she cried as she clambered up the ladder to the barn above.
I must say that I was pleased to be out of that infernal stuffy chamber beneath the barn, although I had the unpleasant feeling that we'd be going there again before this was all over. Holmed chased her through one, two, three open fields before tackling her. Even as he pinned her down, she still fought like an animal.
"Speak, lass!" Holmes puffed.
Her chest was heaving. Her eyes were angered. "This. is my.. Investigation."
"And mine. I was invited to help you. Now, if you don't mind, please, tell me all that has happened."
I saw her cheeks redden like some poor lass that has committed adultery. Some deep embarrassing shame was beaming through her shrewd mind. "I DO MIND!" she cried as she kneed poor Holmes in the groin, a tactic no man would dare pull on another man.
Holmes fell over in pain as Ms. Marsh scampered away and into the woods.
I rushed to Holmes's side.
"It's alright, Watson." Holmes gasped with a laugh. "I should have known that vixen would still have something up her sleeve. We must either ask what lies in that direction, or follow her."
"Seemingly, it would be much safer for our health if we were to merely ask and follow later on."
"No, Watson. We must take the bull by the horns. If we give in now, she'll know she can always get what she wants. Come, come!"
Once again, we raced after her as a hound races after a fox. I lagged a bit, being less fit than Holmes.
Holmes slackened his pace as we came upon an old beat-up garden house. "Gordon! Gordon! It's Josie!" There she was, the fox, pounding on some poor innocent man's door.
The door opened. A tall Scottish man appeared from inside. "Ah, hello there! What are you doing here?"
Holmes watched curiously. "He's nervous, Watson. Very nervous to see her here."
"Really, after all the work it took to bring you back home, and you've come back here!"
"I just wanted to ask what brought you to my rescue."
"I. er. wanted a breath of. that is. the seeds needed planting. no. I mean. I was looking for something."
Josie leaned towards him eagerly. "Say- me?"
The poor man was visibly hesitating. "Uh. no. I had lost my watch."
Josie laughed. "My dear Gordon, you don't wear a watch, for your wrists show no sign of one."
"What did I tell you, Watson?" Holmes whispered to me. "She's a crafty one, she is."
"Gordon! Gordon!" A man's voice was calling.
"Please, Ms. Josie. Go! Now!" Gordon pleaded. "If they find out- you have no idea. Go!"
Josie planted her feet. "I will not! Not until you tell me!"
"I can't." The poor man looked helpless.
"Gordon! God dammit!"
"I pity the man, Holmes." Said I.
"I as well." He answered.
A young man entered our line of vision. He visibly started at seeing Josie. "Gordon? What is this," his voice dripped with venom. "charming young woman doing with you."
"She was asking for."
"I wanted to know a secret for planting pumpkins. I do love pumpkin pie." Josie answered.
The man's muscles relaxed. "But- Ah, it doesn't matter. I just wish that men wouldn't meddle in business that isn't their own." The young man looked pointedly at the guilty Gordon. "I am Nathaniel Longfellow. My father owns this estate. You are Ms. Josie Marsh?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Kensington has told us about you and how you are helping him with his. mystery."
"Strange how everyone knows everything out here." Josie's voice cut like an icy blade.
"It is not often that witty women wander into our midst." Nathaniel bowed. "The last one was Ms. Hallie, and a dreadful end came to her."
Josie raised an eyebrow catching the deadly innuendo that had made Holmes and myself step back. "I thank you for your time, Mr. Longfellow." She turned about and made her way thoughtfully back to the Kensington estate.
We followed.
In the dining room of the house, we found her bent over in thought. I must admit, that her stance resembled Holmes's thoughtful one.
"Ms. Marsh?" I politely asked.
"You were following me." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes. We were." Holmes stated. "Now, maybe you had better tell us what happened."
"I think not. This is my affair. I can handle this Nathaniel Longfellow."
"How, may I ask?"
Ms. Josie smirked. "All men have at least one weakness." She looked at us. "Seduction."
"Ms. Marsh. That is hardly professional." Holmes remarked disapprovingly. "Have you any better tactic, Mr. Holmes?"
Of course neither of us had one.
"I still believe it to be better if you should tell us the course of events." Holmes growled.
She merely smiled at us as she made her way to her room. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get ready for a date with a certain Mr. Nathaniel Longfellow."
Thankfully, the lass never had to go that far into the world of Mr. Longfellow, though it was rather a frightening experience for us all.