The night of the raid in A Case of Importance

That would not make enough food. I did not have time to cook that. No child would eat that.

No adult in this country would eat that. My pencil marked through yet another possible recipe as the front door opened, then shut. Strange. I had not expected Holmes back for hours.

"Mr. Holmes, you had better not be in my kitchen."

Or Mrs. Hudson until tomorrow, but rapid footsteps followed the familiar voice down the hall. She halted in the doorway, a glance at me displaying far less surprise—and irritation—than I would have expected even as she noted everything I had arrayed on the counters.

I still hid my face. While Mrs. Hudson had allowed me to use her kitchen many times over the years, I had never raided it as I did now, and the last time Holmes had done something similar, she had raised his rent and made me clean up the mess. I would have preferred the chance to clean and replace what I took before she returned.

"You are back early."

"Telegram." A step back let her valise thump the floor in her room before she joined me at the tall worktable. A glance easily noted the list of recipes in front of me. "How many children?"

"Twenty." I did not have time to make that. "Everyone over twelve will be at the raid tonight, and I doubt the younger children will be able to find enough food." A wave referenced the spread. "I had hoped to find some way to help, but I either don't have enough ingredients, or I simply don't have time to cook enough. We have to be in place at sunset."

And the clock approached one, now, but she simply shooed me out of the way.

"I imagine that is why Mr. Holmes wired me," she said wryly. "Where are the children, and when will you return to the courtyard?"

I willingly moved to let her set several spices aside. Everything else started returning to its place. "The Haven is on Montague Street. I doubt we will finish there before midnight. Do you need me for something?"

"Not for this." A scrap of paper started compiling a list of what she needed to purchase even as she cast a grin at me. "I would let you make supper, though."

Which meant I would need to work around her recipe. "I can do that. What are you planning to make?"

One hand waved me off. "Cold cuts, bread, cheese, and chicken. The chicken won't take the entire oven." She stood, list in hand as she moved for the door. "Tell Mr. Holmes my niece doesn't like his timing."

I could not restrain a laugh, but she merely smirked and kept going. The front door closed behind her a moment later. She would have plenty of time to visit both grocer and butcher.

I, however, would cut it close in preparing supper. Retrieving several things Mrs. Hudson had just put away, as well as the beef she had pointedly left on the counter, I set to work. Even Holmes did not mind meat pie.

Between the three of us and a large group of children, we would have everything in place for tonight. Those young ones would not spend another night in that house of horror.

Hope you enjoyed this little snippet, and feedback is always greatly appreciated :D

So...this is that chapter plus hiatus alert I mentioned. I am currently packing to move within the month (within the week if I can manage it). I can all but promise I'll be back for the December challenge, but I'm not sure I'll be able to update before that. I definitely promise I'll be back as soon as I can, because I have 10 stories sitting in my queue waiting to post and many more I want to write. So if you don't have me on subscribe, check back occasionally. Even I don't know exactly when I'll be able to get back on-just that I don't intend it to be long. I'll see all of you as soon as I escape this crazy-and somewhat frightening-situation. (Seriously, my landlady should be in Bedlam)

Happy reading :)