December 14: "Dirty tactics" (from Wordwielder)
Continued from the previous. The resolution is a little silly, and doesn't totally fit the prompt, but I hope you enjoy regardless.
"Oh, wonderful Doctor, you're awake," Mrs. Hudson greeted a bleary-eyed Doctor Watson, who sat reading the newspaper before the fire.
"Yes, quite so," he replied.
"I was wondering if I could have a second set of eyes," she said. "I seem to have misplaced the recipe for my Christmas biscuits. At any rate, I couldn't find them for the life of me last night, and when I looked this morning, I had no more luck.
Watson's brow furrowed with concern. "Well, at least it's early in the month. Might I have some coffee before we begin this search? I must admit I'm rather tired after yesterday's events."
"Aren't we all," Mrs. Hudson replied, and left to put on the kettle.
Some twenty-odd minutes later, Watson joined his landlady in the kitchen, carefully thumbing through her recipe collection. "Didn't you say you were going to organize these last summer?"
She sighed. "Yes, and the summer before that too. I haven't seemed to find the time."
Watson frowned and shook his head. "I'm not seeing it either. There's nowhere else in the flat it might have gone?"
Mrs. Hudson shrugged. "Nowhere I can think of."
Some time later, Holmes arose. Holmes and Watson were seated at the table when Mrs. Hudson brought up the lunch tray, and she asked him about the recipe.
"I took it," said Holmes flatly. He did not even look up from his book.
The two stared at him. He could not be serious.
"I am quite serious," he replied. "Miss Morstan wanted to borrow it, presumably to surprise you, Watson, since they are your favorite."
Mrs. Hudson put her hands on her hips. "And you couldn't have written her up a copy instead?"
Holmes threw his hands in the air. "I am the world's greatest detective, not your secretary!"
"Quite so," she replied, and pursed her lips. "How is your leg?"
"Fine," he replied. "At any rate, I have no doubt that Miss Morstan will return your recipe."
That Saturday, when Watson saw Mary for dinner, he asked her about the recipe.
Mary turned bright red. "I never asked for that recipe. It would have been a sweet idea, but I have nowhere near the kitchen prowess that Mrs. Hudson has. I'll leave the Christmas biscuits to her."
"Come now, my dear, you are a terrible liar."
She reddened further. As it turned out, Mary had borrowed the recipe, but had made biscuits to take to the charitable organizations at which she volunteered her time. She had quite forgotten it was Watson's favorite biscuit recipe, and did not think Mrs. Hudson would miss it until the middle of the month. She felt very foolish for not simply writing her own copy of it, and for forgetting they were Waston's favorite.
But, bless her, her heart was in the right place. And in the years to come, Mrs. Hudson and the future Mrs. Watson would bake the recipe together every Christmas.