Katherine felt...anxious. In fact anxious wasn't even on her scale at the moment. Blind panic was the least she could describe. The longer she was in the car, the harder her heart beat against her rib cage. She felt an oncoming panic attack coupled with furious rage...though the latter was mainly targeted at the man sitting next to her.
Moriarty had been a dear and 'volunteered' to accompany her on the ride into London on her first day. For all the days to follow she was to take a separate car, she would not be seen with him in any of the areas surrounding her new place of work. She would not call him or speak of him. If in the off chance they asked her about a husband, she was to answer the bare minimum and lie. Well...loosely lie.
But ever since they set off from the house, Jim's concentration had been fully trained on his phone. Apart from the odd couple of sentences however, in which he would tell her what not to do. Though she could forgive him this time. Since the work, for once, was not on Sherlock Holmes.
"We're here." Sebastian delivered the dreaded news as he pulled them to a stop two streets away from the building. She couldn't be seen getting out a certain car by anyone.
Jim looked up and then looked at her. She was like a poor little deer caught in headlights bless her. So frightened and nervous. He'd barely seen her like that since she was a Miss Lucy Scott. The poor thing was going to be eaten alive inside the walls of the government if she didn't book her ideas up.
"Have a good first day." He was overly chipped, singing at her before he leant over her to open her car door. It earned him a glare, as well as a nasty knock to the knee as she swung her bag 'accidentally' too hard onto her shoulder. "Try not to bully any of the other children."
Katherine muttered a response under her breath. "Try not to kill anyone."
"Oh now, you know I can't promise." Just as she made a move to get out the car, Jim caught her wrist and pulled her back against him. Make up was perfect, not a hair out of place. She was perfect to play the part of loyal government secretary. "Make daddy proud." This time, it wasn't a joke and the kiss she received felt honest, if not a little earned.
As much as she wanted to plant her own on him, Katherine climbed out of the car and slammed the door. She'd barely turned her back when it bowled away, leaving her on the busy London street alone. This time, there definitely were no eyes on her. There was no back up. Just her and a five minute walk to what was basically a butterfly trap. Once inside she was safe, secure, but there was every chance that she would never get out.
The walk was quick, or as quick as she could make it in six inch heels. Endless pushing through rush hour crowds came to a stop just before the steps of the large, though be it subtle building. It wasn't where she had been interviewed. No, this was much more...normal. It was like a house. A fancy upmarket townhouse.
Her steps as she walked inside we deliberate, taking extra care not to make a sound. The air was too still. There was barely anyone about, apart from a few men who she could see sat through in an adjoining room. The silence could be cut with a knife.
"May I help you?" The sudden voice to her left made her jump. An older woman, maybe in her late flurries stood just at the foot of a staircase. She was impeccably dressed, not so much as Katherine obviously, but she had made an effort.
"Good Morning, my name is Rebecca Austin. I'm Mr Holmes new receptionist. Though I'm not sure I'm in the right place." A sign of instant recognition appeared in her face and the woman seemed to jump to life.
"Of course, he is expecting you. Welcome to the Diogenes Club." A club? Like a social club, club? She walked forward to stand just in front of Katherine and then gestured for her to follow. "Do you know where your going?" She didn't need to answer, the look of hesitation on Katherine's face was enough. "No worries.. Please, follow me." Katherine smiled lightly, but her concentration was mainly focussed on the surroundings.
The walls were like something out of a Victorian dollhouse. All moody, patterned wallpaper and ivory statues. The alcoves in the walls were practically more beautiful than some of her jewellery. The Diogenes Club. She'd never heard of it, but judging by what she was seeing, she guessed it was one of those 'well to do places'. The likes of which were only known about b the Prime Minister himself and selected associates. They probably sat around all day, drinking port and eating grapes and cheese. Every chair looked like it was made out of velvet, either red or emerald in colour, and all the furniture was carved from rich, dark wood. She felt...too young for the place in all honesty, but overall too stylish. The feel of the place made her want to don a high neck jumper.
Not before long, the woman opened unlocked a door and opened it, revealing a dark concrete staircase leading down to the basement level.
"My name is Francis by the way." Finally she spoke, looking back over her shoulder and smiling reassuringly. To her, Katherine looked exactly like the sort of woman Mycroft would choose to surround himself with. Tall, thin, pretty, young. Probably no real sense when it came to the world they lived in, but as long as they could sit, smile and type... " If you need anything while your settling in, my number is the first in your phones speed dial."
"Thank you." Katherine muttered, she had caught on to Francis's judging eyes. She also noticed the disapproving minuscule turn of her lips. Some people were just too obvious. And jealous.
The rest of the walk was short once they reached the bottom of the stairs. A couple more locked door, the last of which looked like it had previously belonged to a bank. But then she was led into a small room with only one adjoining door and where the only natural light was from small grate windows, parallel to the pavement above. It was mostly decorated in deep maroon, book shelved and painting filling all of the available wall space. Then on either side, there was a desk. Both identically symmetrical, down to the placement of the PC and the filing cabinets. Katherine felt like she'd stepped into the shining.
"This is your desk. This other one belongs to Sandra, she is Mr Holmes personal assistant." It was nice to know she wouldn't be the only one trapped down in the cellar. Although, it was also an inconvenience. It meant there was another person to constantly keep the act up for. Francis gestured to the one on the left and waited for Katherine to walk around, behind the desk before going on. "I am mainly stationed front of house. Mr Holmes will know you are here."
The politeness or social capacity for the day had obviously ran out as Francis pretty much ran from the room, leaving her alone. Nothing else said and no further information given. Katherine was just left, in the foreign room with the knowledge than a man may or may not be behind that other door. But no matter where he was, he knew she was there.
She decided she may as well try to introduce herself. It seemed a better use of her time than sitting there like a brain dead lemon. Besides, she was curious as to exactly who this man was. What he looked like, how he dressed, how he talked. Over the weeks, her brain had formed the image of a man who had everything. Smart Westwood suits and shining shoes. Expensive watches and full well cut hair. Everything would have its place, he'd be fit and would keep up appearances. Young, bordering on middle aged. Think John Hamm and that was sort of the level she was expecting.
After dropping her bag onto the desk and draping her coat over the hook nearby, she cautiously walked to the dark wood door and knocked. There was a hum in reply, so she opened it and stepped through, ever so slowly.
It was not what she was expecting.
He was well dressed, yes. The man seemed to take care of himself, indeed. But Mycroft Holmes was less successful stock broker and more...well...seedy government folk. She should've known. Though, she would not judge yet, since she could barely see all of him in the darkness he resided in. Just one lamp aided his reading, the rest flooded weakly in though the prison like grate in the ceiling.
When he failed to acknowledge her, Katherine cleared her throat. "Mr Holmes? I'm-"
"Rebecca...yes. Take a seat." Upon interrupting her, Mycroft looked up and gave a fake smile, it looked painful for him to even contort his face in such a way. But she did as she was asked and sat in one of the cold metal chairs opposite him.
Unlike her own office, everything looked cold. The grey sucked any life out of the room, and the mirrors on either side just made it..tomb like. This wasn't an office, it was a cell.
"I trust you are suitable for the job, given your past." She was startled when he spoke, given the elongated silence. But Katherine sharply nodded and Mr Holmes went back to his paper. "There are instructions on your desk. If I need you, I will call. Does that make sense?"
She was shocked. No, gob smacked was much more appropriate. He spoke to her like she was a spare part, a piece of meat with nothing more for brains than potatoes. He spoke to her like Jim dared to sometimes. What irritated her most about it was she wasn't allowed to bite back.
"Yes. Perfect."
"I am not expecting any visitors, if I somehow do get any please escort them out." She could barely find her own way out, never-mind guide someone else. Katherine's eyes very nearly rolled back into her sockets with irritation, but she stopped herself and smiled again, wider and even faker than he did.
"Of course...Anything else?"
"No, you may go." Without another word, Katherine stood and left the office. Though she was oblivious to Mycroft's eyes which had lifted to deduce her as she left.
Educated. Married. No children yet.
As soon as the door shut, intersecting their company, she gave a long sigh of relief. It's a shame that it wasn't until afterwards, she realised the other desk was now occupied.
"Don't worry, he's always like that. With everyone." Awkward. It was awkward. With a nervous laugh, Katherine slapped her hands against her sides and shrugged. She was already fucked, five minutes in and she was screwed. At least she thought she was, until the girl laughed and lifted her hand to give a small, polite wave. "Sandra."
"Rebecca." Katherine walked hastily to her desk, shortly finding the long list of mind numbing lay boring activities listed on the leather note pad by her computers keyboard. "He seems, nice." Sandra gave a smile in a reply that didn't seem like it was dishonest, then again afterward she simply turned back towards her computer in silence.
She'd kill Jim when she got home. Working for the government was one thing, but working for a stuck up, unsociable, disrespectful piece of English meat was something else.
"You cannot send me back to work there, it's a hell hole. The centre of British Intelligence is a...a..."
"Snob?" Stopping mid sentence and mid pace, Katherine slammed her hands down by her sides like a spoilt child. Jim wouldn't have been surprised if she'd stamped her bare, freshly un-heeled foot. Wasn't she just adorable?
"Yes!" With a sharp shriek, she stormed over to Jim's desk and perked at the navy corner. The woven material of her skirt looked like a rug and aged her about 20 years, but it strangely suited this new persona of hers. The curve of her hips wasn't hidden and e thick belt around her waist made her appear even slimmer than she already was. "A boring, egotistical...snob." Her arms crossed in a huff and with a pet lip, she looked at Jim from under her lashes. "Even working for you wasn't that bad."
As much as he wanted to laugh at her, he simply ignored her presence and hummed under his breath. "You still work for me."
"Don't remind me." Oh she was going to get on his nerves if she continued to remain in this ridiculous mood. Sebastian had already complained about receiving an earful on the way home, Jim had hoped she had enough sense to not continue it in his presence. Apparently not. However, he couldn't resist the urge to wind her up further, maybe it would make her fettle heated enough to leave him alone.
"It's only until we have enough information on them." He watched her from the corner of his eye, smirking as he carried on. "A few months, a year tops." Like a charm, her face fell into despair.
"A year!" It took a lot of effort for her to hold her tongue, and not smash the marble based desk lamp over his head. "You better be joking Mr Moriarty."
"Just until we know more." Katherine kicked his leg, forcing his to pay her attention. With an exaggerated groan, he pushed his chair closer and allowed her to slip onto his knee.
She was going to try and soften him up. He always knew when it was coming. It had only taken him a month into their marriage to learn the signs. First she'd get close, then she'd play with his tie. Then, she'd do whatever it took to make him submit to her, even for a minute. "What do you need?" Her purr was next to his ear as her hands played with his belt. He had to admit, it wasn't the seducing or the playing, it was the sheer confidence that always led her to win.
"Everything." Moriarty sat back, giving her more room to work with, and sighed. "Anything. Something we can use. Anything we can learn from." Her eyes flicked to look past him, out of the windows behind his desk and across the vast fields of his estate. She could run and run and still be on his turf. In the very distance, the lights of the London outskirts could be seen at night. All of a sudden, the heat was gone from her eyes. "What is it? You're thinking...I know that face."
She came back to the real world, face softened and mind empty. She hadn't been thinking of anything, but she did have questions...ones she knew he would hate.
"I just...concerned. What if one of your clients sees me?"
"There are people out there Katherine. People who want to destroy me, who want to burn down everything I've built." He was t going to sugar coat it for her. "They want to take all this away." Rubbing his hands down the outline of her figure, she was almost purring in his lap. "I need to make sure I don't let that happen. And to do that, I need to know everything. That's what your helping me do. You're protecting us."
Katherine wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so there foreheads rested against each other. For a moment, she simply sat there listening to the pattern of his breathing and the beating of Jim's heart. She could always tell what mood he was in by the human behaviours he couldn't otherwise control or manipulate. The heart didn't lie.
"Jim." She whispered, hearing him hum in response. "I think we should go somewhere, just the two of us. Get away from everything." All the seriousness which had clouded them for months. The paperwork, the meeting and the fancy dinners. They should just ditch it all and spend a week together on the sand.
"I don't think now is the best time darling."
"I meant when it is the right time." Her hand pulled the knot of his tie loose and it allowed her freedom to undo the top buttons. Slipping her hand inside to caress his chest, her lips hovered dangerously close to his neck. "I feel like I never see you these days."
There it was, just what she was waiting for. The sign of truth. Jim's heart sped up, she felt in under her hand and through his pulse by her mouth. It was only by the smallest amount but it happened. It should have made her smile but it did quite the opposite. Knowing your husband loved you was so normal, it was just too ordinary for Jim. It was far too human to tell her such, far too boring to show it more than he desperately needed to. She wished he could just listen to himself. But he wouldn't.
"Don't be boring Katherine." He pushed her from his knee then, shooing her away like a pet dog. The discussion was over, she'd ruined her own attempt at playing him. He was done. "Have someone run you a bath or something, you smell like old men."
Just like that, her mood returned and she left the office with heavy shoulders. She wouldn't see him again until tea time.
I was feeling extra Sherlocky when writing this so I put in a little Easter egg. Maybe it's too obvious, maybe it's too subtle... PM me if you think you see it or leave a review and give a hint!