King and Lionheart: Chapter 4
AN: See, I told y'all I'd have a chapter uploaded by the end of the day! Thanks for all the reviews- I got one reviewer who said they couldn't find the playlist on Spotify. If any of the rest of you are having trouble finding it, PM me and I'll send you a list of songs thus far. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter- I had a lot of fun writing it! :)
As Sherlock stepped out of the dress shop, he quietly pondered his next errand. He had already forged the necessary documents to make his sham of a "marriage" seem convincing to any who may ask questions or raise an eyebrow. However, he also was cognizant of the fact that there were social constructs and societal expectations he must adhere to in order to truly make this ploy seem authentic. That required the delicate task of purchasing jewelry. While some noblemen enjoyed buying rings, chains, and other gaudy ornaments for themselves, Sherlock had never been particularly interested in these frivolities. So it was with great trepidation that he approached the jeweler's shop across the road from the dressmaker's shop. The jeweler was at the counter when Sherlock entered into the shop. He looked up, and graciously greeted Sherlock with an enthusiastic, "Lord Holmes! What can I do for you today, sir?"
Sherlock looked back at the jeweler, then crisply said, "I come to you with some needs of personal import. I would like for you to exercise your greatest discretion when mentioning my visit. What sort of women's jewelry do you currently have here in the store? I need two rings for a very slender woman, and a ring for myself as well."
The jeweler replied cheerfully with, "We currently have a great variety of rings in stock, and I'm sure that we can find a ring to fit the woman that you speak of! What sort of rings are you looking for, exactly?"
Sherlock eyed the jeweler before carefully beginning with, "I need a ring appropriate for proposing engagement."
The jeweler's eyes widened as Sherlock continued, "I will also need two wedding bands. One for the woman, one for myself."
The jeweler sputtered out, "Lord Holmes- but I, I hadn't heard that you were announced to be engaged! I didn't know that you were even officially courting any ladies at this time!"
Sherlock cut off the surprised jeweler, quickly interjecting, "Exactly. I am neither truly engaged nor courting. That is why your discretion on this matter is not only advised, but also absolutely necessary. Can I trust you on this? Because I can take my business elsewhere. If you prove your trustworthiness, I will reward you handsomely."
The jeweler quickly nodded, and said, "Of course, your Lordship! Would you like to see the rings we have on hand?"
Sherlock curtly nodded, and followed the jeweler back to one of the large wooden cabinets where jewelry was stored. The jeweler pulled out a tray; on the tray was a vast array of glittering jewelry. Sherlock looked over the tray, carefully examining each piece of jewelry, until he finally came upon a simple silver setting with an amethyst in the center. It was very small, and Sherlock knew that it would fit Mollie's small, delicate hands perfectly. He had observed in the dressmaker's shop how Mollie's eyes immediately moved to the purple dresses first, and how her eyes lingered on the purple dresses for the longest. It was obvious that she had a deep love for the color purple, and that she longed for elegant simplicity in the things she wore. Sherlock pointed to the simple amethyst ring and said, "That one seems that it will do. May I see your wedding bands? Remember, the woman's will go on a very slender finger." The jeweler nodded, placing the amethyst ring in a small wooden box. He then put away the first tray, only to pull out a second tray filled with small, simple wedding bands. The jeweler said, "These rings are really made for young women when they take their first communion. However, if your companion has small hands, they may suit her as a wedding band." Sherlock nodded, once again perusing the wedding band, paying careful attention to detail. He wanted a silver wedding band to match Mollie's engagement ring; after a few moments of looking, he found a thin, silver wedding band that seemed a perfect companion to Mollie's amethyst setting. Sherlock picked that one up and told the jeweler to put it in a box with the amethyst setting. He then proceeded to look over the men's rings. After looking at men's rings for a few minutes, he found a thick silver band that seemed to fit his finger well. He put his ring in the box with Mollie's rings, then wrote out a cheque for the sum that the jeweler requested for the rings.
Sherlock was about to leave the shop when he turned around to the shopkeeper and said, "A young woman's good reputation rests upon your absolute discretion in this matter. I will compensate you once I return from Ripon- I want to make sure her reputation has been preserved before I give you any sum of money." The shopkeeper nodded vigorously in response, watching as Sherlock swept out of the shop. He couldn't help but wonder to himself what this woman meant to Lord Holmes, considering the lengths to which he was going to preserve her reputation.
After making his scathing comment on Mollie's current state of repose in the dressmaker's shop, Mollie quickly hopped to her feet. As she did so, Sherlock looked her up and down carefully. He found himself slightly disappointed that this new dress of hers no longer revealed her thin, stocking-covered legs. However, the more fitted bodice and lower cut of the dress she wore now were very attractive in other areas that did not escape Sherlock's notice. Her long, thin neck was fully revealed, as were her collarbones. He quickly shook his head, dismissing these thoughts as a distraction. He could not afford to let himself become caught up in speculations about Mollie's body, particularly because she was going to be his sole companion over the next few months. He would lose focus on the case if he thought too much of Mollie's admittedly attractive appearance.
"Have you been fitted in the appropriate garments, Mollie?"
"Yes, my Lord, I have been fitted into everything I might need."
"Very well. I'll write a cheque to the dressmaker, and then we will return to the carriage."
Sherlock quickly wrote a cheque out to the dressmaker, then gestured to Mollie to follow him out of the shop. He helped her back up into the carriage, and once they were comfortably settled inside, Sherlock held out the wooden box from the jeweler to Mollie.
"Try these on. They looked to me as though they would fit, but I can't be sure until you try them on."
When Mollie opened the smooth little box, she gasped. Inside were two of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. She took the silver band and slipped it over her ring finger first. She then slipped on the ring with the purple stone; after she had put on her rings, she stretched out her arm to admire the jewelry's sparkle in the light.
"Thank you, Lord Holmes. These are beautiful, and they fit perfectly. How did you know what I would like?"
"A few simple deductions from observing your behavior. These rings will serve as our engagement ring and wedding band. Please wear them at all times, so that no one will question the authenticity of our marriage."
Mollie nodded, then slipped the rings off her finger and put them back in the box.
"You will be dining with me in the main dining room of the manor tonight. We will take our meal early, because we will need to sleep early in order to catch an early start tomorrow morning from the manor. Mrs. Hudson and the servants have prepared one of the guest chambers upstairs for you to rest in tonight. Feel free to bathe in the bathroom- you may call in one of the servant girls that we have to help you bathe if you need it."
Mollie stared at Sherlock curiously, then asked, "You have servant girls in the manor? Why did you not ask one of them to accompany you and pose as your wife?"
Sherlock then said, "The girls who work in the manor are usually no older than fourteen. Mrs. Hudson doesn't like working with girls older than that because she is worried about…fraternization…between the male and female servants."
Mollie found herself blushing out of modesty, and she delicately said, "Ah. Well then. Alright." She was frustrated with herself at becoming a blushing, bumbling ninny at the very mention of intimacy between two people. Lord Holmes, meanwhile, looked deeply amused at her embarrassment, smirking that obnoxious smirk that was always on his face when he felt he had the upper hand in a conversation.
In a desperate attempt to change the subject, Mollie said, "You mentioned I could bathe. However, I have heard that bathing is bad for the constitution. Is this true?"
Sherlock waved his hand, and said, "I think that claim is a load of rubbish. While I have yet been able to achieve a full study on it, I do encourage my servants in the castle to bathe at least twice a week. I myself bathe four times a week. There are hardly ever outbreaks of sickness within my manor. Meanwhile, on the estate, where people rarely bathe, disease runs quite rampant. I think this proves that bathing may be beneficial to one's health. I highly encourage you to indulge in it at the earliest possible convenience." He then raised an eyebrow significantly at her.
Mollie shot him a glare as her cheeks reddened- she understood the implication behind his last sentence fully. It wasn't her fault that she hadn't been able to grow up in a privileged home where water was an insignificant commodity that could be frequently used. She couldn't believe how offensive Lord Holmes could be- furthermore, he knew he was being offensive, but didn't seem to care at all! She looked out the carriage window, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves. Fortunately, after only a few more minutes, the carriage arrived in front of the manor. Lord Holmes helped Mollie out of the carriage. When they arrived at the front door, Mrs. Hudson greeted them, and informed them supper would be served in two hours' time. Mollie then delicately asked Mrs. Hudson if a bath could be drawn for her in her chambers upstairs.
"Of course, dear! I shall send Ella to go draw you up a bath right away! Do you have any soap, or should I get some for you from the stores?"
Mollie answered that she had no soap; Mrs. Hudson tutted, and told Mollie to go up to her chambers- everything would be taken care of for her straight away. Mollie was led up to her chamber by a young girl who was probably no older than 12. The young girl introduced herself as Ella. Ella walked into the bathroom portion of Mollie's chamber, and leaned over into a hole that was in the wall. Mollie watched with interest as Ella pulled on a rope until a small pail full of water came up to Ella's height. Ella saw Mollie watching, and said, "Lord Holmes made this himself, after one of the younger girls was hurt carrying water pails up the stairs of the manor." Mollie nodded, touched by the softer side of Lord Holmes that had been revealed. Mollie saw that a fire had been lit in front of her bed, and that huge cauldron was hanging over the fire. Ella carried back a small pail of water, and started to fill up the cauldron. The cauldron eventually filled to brimming, and was then left to heat up. Ella helped Mollie to remove the bodice and apron covering her dress, hanging it up next to the bathroom door. She then helped Mollie to undress the rest of the way, hanging up or laying out all of Mollie's discarded layers. After Mollie had undressed, Ella said, "You can go sit in the tub, ma'am. I shall carry the water in and pour it over you, before giving you a proper scrubbing."
Mollie did as Ella requested; when Ella came in and poured a bucketful of warm water over her head, she closed her eyes with bliss. The warm water felt so good running down her skin, and she felt so refreshed at having the water cleanse her body. After Ella had filled the tub, Mollie sat still as Ella scrubbed down her skin with a scrub brush and soap. Ella then pushed Mollie back into the water and shampooed her hair out with the soap. After a solid half hour of this treatment, Ella told Mollie to step out of the tub. She then wrapped Mollie in a warm towel, and told her to sit by the fire to dry off before putting her undergarments on. After Mollie felt sufficiently dry, she put on her undergarments, then combed and plaited her hair. She saw a bottle of scented oil had been placed on her bedside table; she gently massaged the oil into her neck and arms. Finally, Mollie put on her dress and bodice. She inspected her appearance in a mirror, and deeming herself appropriate to go take supper with Lord Holmes, proceeded down the stairs.
When Mollie arrived in the dining room, she found that Lord Holmes was already sitting there, ready to eat with her. He gestured at a chair next to his own at the table, and Mollie quickly took her seat. After Mollie was seated, a servant came in with a large tureen of what looked to be a beef stew. The servant ladled soup in their bowls, and then came back and set bread beside their bowls. Mollie began eating promptly after the food was served. Remembering that she was in a formal setting, Mollie made an effort to sit up straighter and eat her stew slowly and delicately, as was expected of a lady. After consuming a few bites of her stew, Mollie asked Lord Holmes where they would be staying in Oxford.
"There is a well-kept bed and breakfast in Leicester- I always get free lodging there because I once proved the owner's son had not committed a crime he was accused of. We will be staying in that inn on the second night of our journey. I have already written to my brother Mycroft relating this to him. Mycroft is arranging for us to be lodged in a small private home in Oxford. He should have the details sorted very soon, and will be sending a letter to the inn at Leicester informing me of our housing arrangements."
After this brief conversation, Lord Holmes seemed to be engrossed in a document sitting beside his dinner plate. Mollie did not wish to disturb him, so she quietly finished her stew and bread, and then excused herself for bed.
As she made her way back up to her room, she began to wonder what sort of sleeping arrangements would be made for herself and Lord Holmes on the journey. The prospect of having to share a bed with a man was simply mortifying to her; however, she also understood that Lord Mycroft would not have anticipated Lord Holmes having more…permanent company of the opposite sex. She tried to put these thoughts to the back of her mind as she reached the door of her chambers. She quickly changed into her nightgown, and fell asleep in the comfortable feather bed shortly afterwards.
Sherlock, meanwhile, was no longer engrossed in his reading downstairs in the dining hall. He knew that putting up an appearance of being busy with something else would deter Mollie from further conversation, and he had found it very hard to focus on anything with her being so close to him. Better to be rude to her and make her feel unimportant than to risk showing weakness by displaying his growing attraction to her. He had not expected the huge improvement of appearance after Mollie had bathed and dressed, but was pleasantly surprised at the change. Mollie, who had come to him this morning covered in a layer of grime and dirt, and with hair that was pretty, if a bit greasy, had come into the dining room completely clean, with her hair looking soft, shiny, and silky, and her skin exhibiting a healthy glow. And her smell…she had smelled absolutely wonderful. When she sat down next to him and he had breathed in her scent, he detected notes of lemon and flowers coming off of her body, and his attraction to her scent was almost too much to bear. Sherlock was well aware that he and Mollie would most likely have to share a bed once they reached the house in Oxford. If she came to bed smelling like that every night, Sherlock was not sure he could guarantee that Mollie would return to the estate with an untarnished reputation. He got up out of the dining hall, willing the embarrassingly obvious evidence of his attraction to Mollie to go away. He didn't want to appear like a lustful schoolboy, unable to control his body and desires, in front of all the servants. Once he had entered his chambers, he pulled up a few buckets of cold water and poured them into the tub. He quickly hopped into the tub, submerging his body in the cold water and erasing any evidence of his arousal. He scrubbed off his body with soap, then toweled off, changed into his nightshirt, and laid back in his bed, eagerly anticipating what the next day's journey would bring.