King and Lionheart Chapter 5

AN: Sorry it took me so long to update- I was at a conference all last week presenting research. Exciting stuff, I know. But it is exciting to nerds like me! :) I was also celebrating my birthday while at the conference, so I think I can be given some forgiveness for taking forever to update. This chapter didn't come out exactly how I wanted to- I've had a migraine, which apparently stifled my creative juices. Any feedback (or migraine cures!) y'all have is deeply appreciated. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter. Chapter title is from "Off to the Races" by Lana Del Rey. Hugs and kisses, y'all! :)

"Mollie, dear, do wake up. I would hate for Sherlock to be upset due to your lateness. He can have such a frightful temper sometimes."

Mollie awoke slowly to the sound of Mrs. Hudson prodding her awake. She suddenly shook herself awake when Mrs. Hudson mentioned the word "late". Mollie was never late. She woke up at least an hour before dawn every day like clockwork. She then considered where she was sleeping. This was undoubtedly the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in- her bed at home was a pallet on the floor, stuffed with a combination of sheep's wool and wood shavings. This bed was completely filled with feather down, and was raised several inches off the ground. Now that she thought about it, this was probably the most luxurious night's sleep she had ever experienced.

Mollie stretched and rubbed her eyes, then murmured, "I'll be up and getting ready now, Mrs. Hudson."

Mrs. Hudson nodded, then gently smiled and said, "When you are ready, you can come down to the dining room. I've had the cook fix a bite of breakfast for you and Sherlock."

Mollie quietly spoke her appreciation, and then sat on the edge of the bed until Mrs. Hudson left the room. After that, Mollie undressed herself and washed her face and underarms in the basin of water that Mrs. Hudson or Ella must have filled in the corner. She then rubbed some of the scented oils onto her neck and arms. She then put on her undergarments, before she set about taming her hair, which had become rather wild and messy during the night. After combing her hair, she ran some scented oil through it with her fingers for good measure. She then pulled on her dress and apron, pulling the bodice tight around her upper body. She grabbed the satchel that held her old tunic and stockings, and put the bottle of scented oils and the bar of soap into the satchel alongside her clothing. She then left her chambers and walked downstairs to the dining room to get some breakfast.

When she arrived in the dining room, she saw a small tureen of what looked to be hash sitting in the center of the table. Mollie also noticed some strange little round pots with spouts coming out of them sitting on the table. Lord Holmes looked up when she entered the room.

"Good morning, Mollie. I trust you slept well?"

Mollie responded in the affirmative. She sat down at the seat Lord Holmes gestured to, and ladled a bit of the hash into the bowl at her place. Before she began eating, she quietly asked Lord Holmes what was in the little pots on the table.

"It's something called tea, Mollie. I picked it up on my travels to Asia. It's quite popular over there. I find it delicious, and the Chinese swear by its healing and medicinal properties."

Mollie then quietly said, "Do you…drink it?"

Lord Holmes nodded. "You place one of these little strainers over your mug like so, and then you pour the tea over the strainer. You get all of the liquid, and none of the tea leaves. Rather ingenious."

Mollie nodded, and picked up the pot. She placed a strainer over her mug, then poured the stream of hot liquid over the strainer. She removed the strainer when her cup was full, and then took a sip of the hot beverage. She grimaced when she tasted it. "It's rather bitter, don't you think?"

Lord Holmes smiled, and said, "It is an acquired taste, I suppose. Eat up, we'll need to be on our way soon enough."

As Mollie dug into the hash, she observed Lord Holmes's manner of dressing. He was wearing relatively plain clothing this morning, clothing better suited to a modestly successful merchant than a nobleman. Mollie chose not to question his taste in clothing, and continued to quietly eat her hash. When she was finished, Lord Holmes looked up and said, "Well then, it looks like we can set off on our journey. Do you have everything you need?" Mollie quietly nodded. "Good. Let's get to the carriage, then."

When Mollie and Sherlock arrived at the front door of the manor, Mrs. Hudson reached out and hugged both of them. "Now, I've packed some bread and a few root vegetables that you'll be able to eat on tonight. I've also packed my favorite cleaning soap for you to use, Mollie. Oh, do be careful, dears. I'd like to see you both arrive home without a scratch."

Sherlock smiled indulgently, then said, "We must be off Mrs. Hudson. I know I am leaving the manor in more than capable hands."

Mrs. Hudson nodded and smiled. "Well, off you go then. Can't have you arriving late at night!"

Sherlock and Mollie then walked to the carriage, with Sherlock helping Mollie up into the carriage before entering himself. Mollie looked around the carriage once she got in, noticing the blankets and small pillows that Mrs. Hudson must have packed for them. Mollie watched as the carriage pulled away, leaving Mrs. Hudson waving at them. A few stray tears slipped from her eyes as she looked out at the estate of Bakerston. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hands, not wanting Lord Holmes to think that she regretted his employment. As she looked out the window, the rhythmic movement of the carriage soothed her and slowly lulled her to sleep.

Sherlock appreciated Mollie's effort to hold in her emotions- he had never dealt with crying women very well. The stray tears that slipped from her eyes as she watched her home become small in the distance did not go unnoticed by his keen, observant eyes. Sherlock settled in to begin reading the latest treatise on chemistry he had received when he heard a quiet sliding sound. When he looked up, he saw that Mollie had drifted off to sleep, and was beginning to slide sideways on the bench of the carriage as it rocked to and fro. Before she hit her head on the wooden seat, Sherlock caught her upper body in his arms. He quickly grabbed one of the pillows beside him and tucked it gently under her head. He then grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her, telling himself that it was logical to do so in order to ensure that his new housekeeper wouldn't become ill with a cold. He leaned back in his seat and watched her for a moment as she slept. She looked very pretty with the smooth, peaceful expression on her face. Her lips were parted slightly open, and her shoulders rose and fell gently in her sleep. Once he was content that she was soundly sleeping, he turned back to his treatise on chemistry.

An hour or so into the ride, the driver halted in front of the dress shop in Ripon that Mollie had been fitted in yesterday. Sherlock took a quick look back at Mollie, happy to see she was still asleep, before leaving the carriage. Sherlock then rapped on the door of the dress shop with his knuckles. A minute or so afterwards, the dressmaker he had met with yesterday swung open the door.

"Lord Holmes, welcome back! You are here to pick up the dresses?"

Sherlock nodded curtly. The dressmaker gestured for him to come inside the shop. Once the door was closed behind her, she passed Sherlock eight neatly wrapped packages.

"I only ordered five dresses to be made for Mollie, one of which she is wearing. What are the extra packages?"

The dressmaker quickly responded with, "She needs proper headdresses as well to wear to the balls she might be attending, so those are wrapped up separately. It also seems the girl had no proper undergarments to be wearing, so I ordered two extra sets for her."

Sherlock nodded and thanked the dressmaker. Having paid the day before, he then took his leave from the shop. After exiting the shop, he passed off the packages to the driver and asked him to keep the packages stored with all the rest of their luggage in the secret compartment below the carriage. Most people who owned carriages were content with stacking all of their luggage on top of the carriage. However, Sherlock believed this practice was rather foolish. What better way to make oneself an open target to bandits than by setting all of your possessions on top of your mode of transport? As such, when Sherlock had his carriage built, he had ensured that it was modest in its outward design so that it would be less likely of a target from thieves. He had also commissioned for larger wheels on the carriage to pick it up higher off the ground so that there would be room on the bottom of the carriage for a compartment to store all of their luggage. Most importantly, whenever Sherlock traveled, he chose a modest form of dress so as to conceal his true wealth. He was grateful Mollie had unconsciously mirrored his humble attire today- it made their portrayal of a married couple more convincing, and reduced their likelihood of becoming a victim of crime. He had noticed Mollie's surprised glance at his clothing that morning at breakfast. He was pleased that she had refrained from impertinent questions about his choice of dress. He truly hated having to answer silly questions. With a satisfied grunt, he settled back into his seat and continued reading his treatise.

When Mollie stirred awake again, she was surprised to find a pillow under her head and a blanket around her shoulders. She gently blinked her eyes a few times before looking over at Lord Holmes. He was engrossed in a book laying in his lap. However, when Mollie shifted up to a sitting position, Lord Holmes looked up.

Mollie quietly murmured, "Thank you for the blanket and pillow. They kept me quite comfortable."

Lord Holmes waved his hand dismissively and flicked his eyes back down to his book. "It made sense to keep you warm. You wouldn't be much use to me ill."

Mollie quietly said, "Thank you all the same, my Lord."

Lord Holmes grunted noncommittally and returned to reading his book. Mollie wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders and leaned back in the seat, letting her body relax and her mind go to the reaches of her imagination.

A few more hours later, Mollie was stirred from her daydreaming by Lord Holmes speaking to her. "Mollie, you need to put on the rings now. We're almost to the inn."

Mollie nodded and held out her hand to take the rings from Lord Holmes. She first slipped the amethyst ring onto her left ring finger, then followed with the silver wedding band. She felt the carriage pull to a halt, and adjusted her skirt and hair so as to look appropriate when she exited the carriage. She then looked up at Lord Holmes and asked, "Where are we at, my Lord?"

Sherlock swiftly responded with, "We are in Mansfield." He then stepped out of the carriage and offered Mollie his arm as she followed out behind him. Mollie linked arms with him once she had stepped out, and they approached the front door of the inn. Lord Holmes told the driver to wait with the carriage until he came back outside. Mollie tripped once keeping up with Lord Holmes's swift footsteps to the door, but after that increased her pace in order to keep up with him. When Lord Holmes opened the door, they were met by a young girl sweeping the floor.

"Is the innkeeper about?"

The little girl nodded and ran to the back. Sherlock and Mollie waited patiently for a few moments, before a man who appeared to be in his late twenties emerged from the back room.

"How can I help you?"

"My wife and I need lodgings for tonight. Do you have any open rooms or cottages?"

The innkeeper nodded. "We've just had a new vacancy in the cottage out behind the inn. If you'd like to stay there for tonight, it's yours. Will you be requiring a meal?"

Sherlock shook his head. "My wife will be cooking for us. However, if you could give us a small cut of whatever meat you have on hand, you can add that to our bill for tonight."

The innkeeper nodded, and said, "Let me go to the back and tell my wife. She'll cut off some meat for you. In the meantime, if you could please count out the money for your stay tonight, I'd be much obliged. It'll be 18 shillings for the cottage and meat tonight."

Sherlock nodded and reached into his pocket to pull out his money sack while the innkeeper went to the back to speak with his wife. He counted out the shilling notes, and when the innkeeper returned to the front, he gave the innkeeper the money. The innkeeper passed Sherlock the wrapped cut of meat, and a set of keys for the cottage. Sherlock thanked the innkeeper, then led Mollie back out the door. Sherlock told the carriage driver to bring in all of Mollie's packages, and to bring in his smallest trunk, as well as the sack of food that Mrs. Hudson had packed for them. The driver nodded, and Sherlock and Mollie walked over to the small cottage. Sherlock unlocked the door, and held it open for Mollie, who walked in through the doors.

Mollie looked around the small cottage. It was modest but cozy. There was a bedroom off to the left with a large, fluffy bed, a small kitchen to the right, and a dining area in the center of the cottage. Mollie first went over to the fireplace in the kitchen and started a fire. She then grabbed a candle from the table and lit it in the fire. She began to light the lamps around the cottage in order to illuminate the place some. She then hung a pot on top of the fire, and poured some water from a jug by the door into the cauldron. She took the cut of meat that the driver had just brought in and chopped it up before tossing it into the pot. She then left it to simmer in the pot for a few minutes. Lord Holmes walked back into the dining area and commented, "Whatever you are cooking smells quite good." Mollie smiled back at him and murmured, "Thank you."

Mollie chopped up a few turnips, onions and carrots and tossed them into the pot. After letting them cook a few more minutes, Mollie tore up some bread and put it into the pot, stirring it around to let the bread soak up some of the liquid and thicken the stew. She then filled two bowls with the stew, and set the bowls on the table. Lord Holmes walked to the table and sat down across from Mollie. He tentatively tried the stew; after a moment's pause, he gave a nod of appreciation, and then continued to eat the stew. Mollie finished her bowl before Lord Holmes did; it seemed like he kept getting lost in thought between bites of stew. When he was done with his meal, Mollie picked up his bowl and took them both to a wash basin next to the hearth, where she washed the bowls with soap and a rag. When she was done washing them out, she set them out on the table to dry. She then covered the pot of stew with a cloth to prevent rats and bugs from getting into it. She grabbed a pan hanging next to the hearth, and then took a ladle and scooped hot coals out of the hearth to fill the pan. She then wrapped the pan in a towel and carried it over to the bedroom. She slipped the warm pan in between the bedcovers; Lord Holmes looked curious as he watched her do this.

"I've always done this in my house for my father to warm up his bed before he goes to sleep. I hope that it will help to rid him of his illness."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense. You can go ahead and change into your bedclothes now. I'll change outside in the dining area."

Mollie then looked up and asked the question that she had been dancing around throughout the whole day, "Where will you be sleeping tonight, my Lord?"

Lord Holmes looked back at her, tilted his head to the side, and said, "Well, I'll be sharing a bed with you, of course. I don't much fancy giving up my bed to you, and I also don't feel quite right making you sleep on the floor tonight." With that, he left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him to give Mollie privacy while she changed.

Mollie bit her lip with anxiety as she removed her dress, bodice, and underskirt. The prospect of sharing a bed with Lord Holmes was incredibly intimidating to her. There was the lack of propriety to consider, and also the intimacy of the gesture. Having a man lying so close to her while she was so scantily clothed was quite disconcerting. Mollie continued on her worried train of thought as she braided her hair to prevent it from tangling during the night. She was stirred from her fretful thoughts by a knocking at the door and the deep voice of Lord Holmes asking if she was properly clothed for bed.

"Just a moment," she called back to him.

She scampered over to the bed and tucked herself under the soothingly warm covers before calling out that Lord Holmes could enter. He carried a single candle with him, and Mollie was pleased to see that he had snuffed out the candles in the other room. His nightshirt trailed down to his knees, and was extremely loose on his tall, thin figure. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and murmured, "We won't have to wake nearly so early tomorrow morning. We'll be dining with the innkeeper and his wife tomorrow night in Leicester."

Mollie intended to respond with a sentence, but what came out instead was something a bit like a squeak. She breathed in and out, willing her mind and body to relax. Unfortunately, they were not feeling very cooperative, and as such her body only tensed further when Lord Holmes blew out the candle and laid next to her. Her mind was teeming with thoughts of the improper nature of the situation, and it was all she could do to keep the words from spilling past her lips.

Mollie's panicky thoughts were once again interrupted by Lord Holmes, who drily murmured, "Mollie Hooper, you should know that there is no threat to your purity from me. You can relax. I can practically taste the tension in your body, but know that I will not harm you."

Mollie swiftly nodded, then closed her eyes, focusing on breathing deeply and relaxing the muscles in her body. As she relaxed her body, she realized just how tired she was. She let the exhaustion seep in, and fell asleep shortly afterwards.