Chapter 18: Goodbye
Three weeks prior Watson's daily visits to Cassandra she has gotten a bit better. Moving from her bedroom she has taken to the wheelchair. Her sudden disapperance from the circle of nobles and her absences from parties have brought a whirlwind of gossip. It was dinner and Mycroft sat across from Cassandra as they dine off chinese noodles and Indian currey which was spread across flat bread. As she sipped her green tea, she glanced over at what Mycroft was reading, letters were piled on the side of his table. "Yes Cassandra?" he asked his eyes still looking down at what he was reading.
"I've taken in consideration that I'll start making my persence known amoung the upper class... Once again." He sighed, knowing she was going to come to that conclusion sooner or later. Yet she was still weak and can barely walk by herself let alone dance across a ballroom.
"You are not well enough yet," Getting up and going around her back she started to push her wheelchair toward the fire. "Give yourself sometime."
"I am only delaying, what is to come Mycroft. You know as well as I do that the Duke has been granted everything. You yourself told me... Father made it offical did he not?" He walked around slowly and sat across from her, feeling her stern gaze upon his profile as he tried to think of a better answer. Of course Cassandra's father gave in and instead of transferring all rights to the outcome of the silk trade to his daugther. He gave it to his partner Duke Charles, a move that both parties weren't intending, yet the Duke wasn't angry at the sudden change. Instead it made a loop so that he didn't have to marry Cassandra, the money is his.
"Your father can change his mind-"
"They have rendered him to a mental hospital. You think they'll listen to him now? I am trap Mycroft, the only way is to transfer everything out of my account into his. And pray that I leave Europe before he comes after me." She turned her face away from Mycroft, wishing her life wasn't so. If only her father didn't cheat on her mother like so. Her little brother would be alive and joyful. Also the lies and deception of the Duke and her step mother would be no where near them. It was Lady Catherine's fault, she was her mother's best friend. Her fault that she charmed her father out of his marriage and caused the death of both her brother and mother.
"You think he's going to go and kill you?" He hated the fact that Cassandra always harbored that idea. Though if he were the Duke he would also go off and try to kill her. In fact it would be a grand idea, so that he wouldn't have to worry about reprocusions in the transfer of all trades,money and treasures. Because if she's dead then she would not be able to hold anything, nothing. If she's alive she could hold back as much as she can with the motto that it was a family heirloom. He thought for a moment and realized that holding her back from transferring everything would place her in danger.
"I hate the fact that we can't find anything that could help with our case." She muttered. He couldn't believe it either. He was practically the smartest man in England. He was in fact the brain of England when it's on the verge of war or econmic breakdown. He has narrowly save the countries too many times. Though like Sherlock his younger brother he cares not for any heroic congrats. Just his silence and his usually habits not to be interferred.
"Maybe... What you think-" She whipped her head around and stared at him with intense eyes. They were filled with anger and haterd.
"I know what I heard... It seems this will be our last conversations concerning the outcome of the silk trades." Her voice has turned cold and distant. He knew when his service wasn't needed, and he wouldn't complain. This was entirely different matter.
"Cass-"
"Mr. Holmes I am grateful for your services and will forever be in your debt. Tomorrow I will go to the conference hall and sign the transfer. I will go alone. You are no longer needed." He stood up as she inclined her head to the left. Frank standing by the door opened it and motioned toward Mycroft the exit. "Goodnight sir." Without giving him a second glance she lifted her hand and Martha hurried over wheeling her out of the room.
"Sir... The lady wishes that you leave the townhouse..." Frank whispered, Mycroft only nodded and placed on his jacket and tophat.
"Frank... " They started to move toward the main hallway, once at the front of the entrance Frank let out a long sigh.
"Mr.Holmes sir, she be acting this way... Because... She be hurting...Not her pride... Her heart."
"Her heart? What has her heart to do with this matter? If she thinks her life is in danger-"
"Sir you be not getting it. Her father's in the hospital, her step mother and sister be tricking her and the duke. He be doing nasty things to her once everything is taken away. She be a poor child... The worst is a poor child with a broken heart. She has never felt love. Not even from us... That be her only dream and yet it was never accomplished. You best be going sir, the cab is out in front." Mycroft only nodded and left the house getting into the cab he glanced up at her room. There a shadow of her bending down and blowing the candle. At once the room went into darkness. The cabby whipped the horses and off they went into a trot over the snow covered cobble stones of London.
