AN: Hi! What's up? I know… I know… the first chap wasn't quite anything. I thought I'd make the first two to be like a little introduction to the story. The story itself begins from the third chapter. Or so I hope.

Please enjoy and review!

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A New Case

"I didn't know." I said and felt quite stupid to even say so.

"Of course." Holmes said and sat back to the chair.

"The similarity is so overwhelmingly great!" I said looking again at the picture "I wonder what either of them would say if they would happen to see me…"

"But, that's not the main problem now." Holmes said and looked at me. "The problem is what shall we do about you."

I hesitated to answer. It would be so great if I could stay in this house, but I didn't want to seem too intrusive.

Before either of us could say anything, the door opened and a woman entered the room. I recognized suddenly her to be Mrs. Hubbard, for she was carrying the tray with the dinner (And as far as I knew, Holmes didn't have any other servants). She wasn't too old, about fifty- and half. Yet she was wearing a dress in black, so I presumed that she had lost her husband recently. (I discovered afterwards that her husband had died from a sudden disease, and that they didn't have any children.) The black colour of her dress, made her look thinner than what she was, and her straight white hair, older.

" Just as you wanted sir, but I haven't seen Watson come, he must be late. Well, with a wife like that…do not think me wrong; Mary's such a marvellous creature. And they fit together very well…" She turned to Holmes, and as she did so, she saw me too.

I thought that I would be rather dead than to see her sharp, piercing gaze on me. I hastily tried to cover my legs, feeling my face to be as red as the red in a traffic light. She didn't recognize me as Mary, for I had my hair loose and my skin was far more tanned than hers.

"How good that you came Mrs. Hubbard, for I wanted to introduce you my niece Miss Holmes. I've told you about my brother Frederic, who lives in America? Haven't I? Well, Miss Holmes has arrived straight from the Indies, where my brother is doing a research."

Mrs. Hubbard looked at me again, and now, with a softer expression than before. Of course, she hadn't heard about any brother in America, but she supposed that she should have known it, so she let the matter be. And for the young lady's dress, it was explained by the fact of India. "And she looks quite brown too… Maybe the fashion in Indies is different among the young's than here. Besides her father is American…"

I was relieved --- and astonished. To be given such a role!

"Well, Miss Holmes, it is really nice to meet you. If I should have known of your arrival, I would have prepared something more special."

" You shouldn't blame yourself, I was supposed to go back to America, but my dear father decided that I should visit my uncle Sherlock, since I've never seen him before, and my father has told me a lot of things about him, so I agreed to his wish and --- here I am." I said and smiled. Now that I was given the role of a niece from India, I wanted to seem as natural as possible.

"Well, apparently your father forgot to tell you about the fashion here in England. Here's much more colder than India, so if you don't have any but those kind of clothes (Mrs. Hubbard looked quite disapprovingly at my dress, I blushed when I realized what she might have thought about me), then we should get you proper ones as soon as possible. For how long will you stay here, Miss Holmes?"

"Well, actually I don't know. It depends on how long will my fathers research last. He said that he would send a letter to me when I should depart back to America."

"Oh… I see. " Said the old woman "Then we should buy you ones right tomorrow. Before that, I can lend you my night- dress for today if you don't have any with you."

"Thank you, very much Mrs. Hubbard". I said gratefully and she hurried me to sit down and eat. "

After Mrs. Hubbard had left, Holmes and I sat together and ate. As we both were quite hungry, we didn't spoke anything at first. When we had satisfied the most of our hunger, he told me that I should sleep in the room where my great- grandfather had slept before he had married.

I thanked him.

" There's one question I would like to ask you." He said while we were drinking our tea.

"Yes?"

" When I said me name, you knew me. How's that possible?"

I hesitated to answer. I knew his ego was great, and I didn't know whether it would affect him anyhow if he would know how incredibly famous he was in my time.

"Well, I've heard some stories about you. But I always thought them to be mere legends. Like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It was from some books of a guy called Arthur Doyle that I've read about you. Perhaps you know him?" I asked in a casual tone. To my surprise Holmes smiled. And a really queer smile it was.

"Perhaps I do." He said and changed the subject " As Mrs. Hubbard said, we should buy you new clothes tomorrow, and she shall make your hair. I will ask her to lend you one of her dresses, so that you can go out at all." He paused for a second and then continued, "I guess you know some of my habits, don't you?"

"Well, yes. Some of them like those that you like to play the violin and that you… well, you take drugs."

"Yes, they are some." He said and went to his room. Soon he returned from there with a violin on his hands. "I hope you don't mind." He said with a smile.

I smiled back and after assuring him that I didn't mind at all, I went to Mrs. Hubbard, who had just done with the washing of dishes and asked her if her offer to lend me one of her night- dressed was still valid.

"Of course, my dear" She said kindly. "Will you wait for a while, so that I can make your bed? There hasn't slept anyone on it since Mr. Watson moved with her wife." I offered my help and she was quite amused about that. " Never thought that a young girl like you would do such thing, but then again, you are American."

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I woke up early, as I practically always do, except when I'm staying with my parents. My room was sunny and bright this morning, which made me quite happy. Something still bothered me until I remembered where I was.

A deep sight came out of me, and I couldn't help myself feel a bit lonely. In order to forget my uneasiness, I rose up, made my bed and went to the living- room. Holmes was there already, reading a large newspaper. "Anything interesting?" I asked him.

"Not so far" he said and looked at me "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very well, thank you. The room is really pretty, and the bed is very comfortable." ¨

Meanwhile Mrs. Hubbard came in with the breakfast. We ate it in silence: I was thinking about my future, Mrs. Hubbard returned to the kitchen and Holmes grew deeper into his paper.

I was kind of curious to see what kind of life the people of those days had; what they did and what were their principals in life, but I didn't want to bother Holmes, for I knew very well that people didn't like to be disturbed while reading.

Holmes seemed as he had quite forgotten me, and while Mrs. Hubbard aided me with the dress (which was really awfully uncomfortable and too tight for my taste of liberty) he just read his paper calmly with only few occasional glances towards us. Finally, I was done. "It almost seems, Miss Holmes, as if you wouldn't have ever dressed like this before". Mrs. Hubbard exclaimed and shook her head. What ever she might have thought about the girls in America in that moment, I was sure it wasn't anything very approving, for she looked quite dissatisfied.

In my opinion, I looked rather well. The corset and the dress itself, made me look thinner and firmer.

"You would almost pass as a humble young lady." Holmes said and smiled.

"Almost." I said and grinned. "Where shall we go? Will we walk there?

I was given a short answer for both of my questions and even shorter request to make myself done. My modern high- heels didn't suite at all for the dress, and luckily for Mrs. Hubbard and me, the dress was long enough to cover them even when I walked. Mrs. Hubbard offered to make my hair, but after a few well- wishing but unsuccessful try, I thanked the old lady and begged her to let me try myself instead.

I had had few hairpins with me and used them to collect little hair from the sides, but otherwise let them be at loose after combing them a little. I gain few points from Mrs. Hubbard when she said to me that I looked "very well indeed", even though I seemed a bit "odd, but in a good way". I guess the oddness was added because of the little daisy I had spotted from a bouquet and pinned on the hair, to the side. Yet, before we could go anywhere, the doorbell rang and Mrs. Hubbard ran downstairs to open the door. Few hurrying steps were heard and the door to the living- room opened.

"Holmes! I drove here as soon as I could. Have you seen the news?" A young gentleman (about in his thirties) entered and without noticing me, spoke eagerly to his friend. '

Yes. It was Dr. Watson, the person that I, after knowing the truth about my connections to such a person, wanted eagerly to see him personally.

Soon as he had spoke to Holmes, he noticed me. "Oh, I beg you pardon. I didn't know you had company." He said to Holmes and tuned to me. "I very much beg your pardon miss, I was so eager to see my friend that I didn't notice you." He then bowed to me and looked back to Holmes.

"I knew you would come indeed Watson, but before we go deeper to the matter I want to introduce you my niece, Miss Evelyn Holmes."

Dr. Watson stared first at Holmes and then he looked back to me. "I --- eh, I'm very pleased to know you Miss Holmes, and I'm very much surprised that Holmes – I mean your uncle, has never mentioned you before."

"Oh, do not blame him, for although he knew my existence, he hasn't ever seen me, 'cause I live in America, with my father." I explained him, and not knowing what to do next, stood there and tried to behave as well and as modestly as I could.

"Eve, can you excuse us for a moment?" Holmes said and understanding the hint, I soon left for my room.

Luckily, at least to me, I could hear everything that was said in the living- room, not only because she had a really good hearing, but also because the walls weren't too thick.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had a niece?" Watson asked his friend.

"Well, I didn't feel it to be such an important matter. But you, my dear friend, look quite surprised."

"Well I am! And she's a really beautiful girl too, and quite young. She doesn't seem to be such a girl to cause trouble as some girls do, but one can't always tell it for sure for mere appearance." He said then.

"She has been here only for two days, and she has behaved well enough to me not to think her bad." Holmes answered.

"Well then, I think Mary would be pleased to have some company now and then, while I'm at work." Watson said and changed the subject. "I'm quite sure that you haven't neglected your habit to read the early newspaper, so, I believe that you have heard about the great news."

"Yes, I'm well informed about them. Actually, better than the press or the police." Holmes answered.

"Are you? I guess Lady Hampton herself had showed up here recently?"

"No. It was her sister, a certain Mrs. Bishop to call me. She was very worried about the matter, and wanted me to take the case."

"Did you?"

"Of course. I haven't had anything to do for many weeks, and a little fun would do good to me." Holmes answered, and sound rather amused about the thought of little fun.

"What Mrs. Bishop had to say?"

"She was sure that her husband didn't attempt to murder her sister."

"Was she? Did she tell anything else?"

"That she hasn't got any idea who did it, and why he would do that for just couple of diamonds."

"Couple of diamonds? I heard that there was stolen two diamond necklaces, three rings of ruby, sapphire and emerald. Also few earrings with precious diamonds too. The whole treasure was defined to be of really remarkable value." Watson said anxiously.

"Was something discovered about the death of Lady Hampton?" Holmes asked his friend.

"She died approximately between ten and eleven at night. She was believed poisoned, but nothing was sure before the doctor's confirmation. However, we don't know what it is." Watson answered sounding disappointed.

"Do you mean, that you don't know the poison yet!"

"No, we don't. Not yet."

"Interesting."

There was a long silence until Watson spoke again.

"What are you going to do about the case?"

"Nothing. There's very little to be done at this rate. Yet, maybe I shall visit Miss Bishop quite soon… yes, perhaps I will." I could hear someone stand up, and walk around the room.

"Who exactly is this Mrs. Bishop anyway?" Watson asked.

"Lady Hampton's younger sister, whose husband is arrested as a suspect, and who doesn't have an alibi herself." Holmes answered and continued, "She has been married to her husband for five years now. Captain Bishop was the eldest son of General Fitzwilliam Bishop, and had a large fortune from his father, and a mansion in which he lives there with his wife."

"Interesting, but I bet that anyone knows that already." Watson said but Holmes didn't stop.

"Yes. Yet what is not so commonly known, is that Captain Bishop was to marry Lady Hampton at first, but as she refused him he then married Miss Eleanor Hampton, who is nowadays known as Mrs. Bishop."

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AN: Third chapter coming up as soon as I'll write it down. - The school's starting, so you'll have to wait a bit... Anyway, please review:)