King and Lionheart: Chapter 6

AN: Happy day! New chapter! Quick shout out to the anonymous reviewer who gave me some constructive criticism on the last chapter- I just wanted to say that you caught my greatest weakness as a writer (repetitive sentence structure). So thanks for that! I'm so excited by all the favorites, follows and reviews I'm getting! You all are wonderful! The title from this chapter comes from "Melodies and Desires" by Lykke Li. It's a pretty cool song, and if you check the spotify playlist, it's on there. It just has a very medieval feel to it. I had a BLAST writing this chapter- I hope y'all enjoy reading half as much as I enjoyed writing it! :) Oh, and as a farm girl, I just have to make a quick shout-out for National Cow Appreciation Day, which is TODAY! Hugs and kisses!

Mollie was awoken to the sounds of pacing inside the bedroom. Her body quickly transitioned to being awake- Mollie was neither a heavy sleeper nor slow to wake. She threw an arm out to the side to see if Lord Holmes was lying beside her still. It was immediately discovered that her bedmate was conspicuously absent.

"You're awake."

Mollie heard this from the far end of the bedroom, and instantaneously identified it as the voice of Lord Holmes. Mollie murmured back, "It was a bit tough to continue sleeping with you prancing about like a deer."

Lord Holmes responded back with, "Your snide attempts at humor are not appreciated. I was deliberating on a new theory I'm considering on testing out with chemistry once we become a bit more settled. Movement helps me think."

Mollie bit her lip- as excited as she was about the prospect of a chemistry experiment occurring in her own living quarters, she knew that it wasn't proper for a lady, much less a housekeeper, to take a keen interest in these matters. She settled for letting out a hum of understanding to respond to Lord Holmes. She heard him approach the bed, and squinted a bit as he lit the candle next to the bed. "What time is it?"

Lord Holmes responded, "It's probably about seven hours into the morning, judging by the position of the sun in the sky."

"Can I request a bit of privacy, and perhaps a bit more light, so that I can wash up and change? The faster I get changed, the sooner you can have some breakfast."

Lord Holmes grunted dismissively, "I don't really care for much breakfast this morning. But I'll open the curtains and light another candle for you to change." Mollie nodded with appreciation. She waited in bed patiently with her legs and chest covered as Lord Holmes lit another candle and opened one of the curtains. She was going to attempt to preserve at least some of her modesty in the light of the day. After Lord Holmes had left the room, she rolled out of bed. She loosened the top string of her chemise and pulled it off so that her chest was exposed and it hung around her hips. She gratefully observed that there was a jug of water in the far corner of the bedroom to fill the washbasin with. After she had filled the washbasin with water, she splashed some of the cold water on her face and underarms. She loosened her hair from its braid and combed through it with her fingers. She dabbed a little bit of oil onto her neck and behind her ears, and was getting ready to pick out a dress, when she realized she had a big problem- none of her dresses were here in the bedroom. Mollie knew she would have to ask Lord Holmes to come back in and bring in her undergarments and a fresh dress. She sighed, acknowledging the fact that her body was being ridiculously embarrassing. The cold air had made her nipples stick out rather obviously, and her bare calves and part of her thighs would be bared to his gaze. Mollie didn't really want to ask for Lord Holmes to come in, but she also didn't want to keep freezing in her thin chemise. With a deep breath to strengthen her resolve, she leaned out the door and called, "My Lord? I need a bit of help."

"Yes, I suppose you will be needing a dress to wear today."

Mollie suddenly blushed red with a combination of anger and embarrassment. "You knew my dresses weren't in the bedroom?!"

"Well, I consider myself an observant person, and since I hadn't seen them in the bedroom, I assumed they weren't there. But they are out here on top of my trunk near the lounge."

"Why didn't you think to bring them to me?"

"Well, you didn't ask."

Mollie could practically hear the smirk on his face as he uttered his last retort. She breathed in and out through her nose, willing herself to calm down before she said something she'd regret. "Will you please bring me my yellow cotton dress and apron? And a set of fresh undergarments?"

Lord Holmes responded with, "Well, when you ask with such lovely manners, I can't deny you."

Mollie huffed out a breath with frustration, and walked away from the door, trying to readjust her chemise so it wasn't below her chest anymore. However, when the door creaked open behind her without a knock first, she was so shocked that she spun around on her heel…only realizing afterwards that she hadn't pulled up her chemise to cover her breasts. Lord Holmes's eyebrows shot sky-high, and Mollie let out a squeal of mortification as she frantically crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to shield her breasts from his sight. She felt a large quantity of blood rush up to her face. She backed towards the wall with her arms still tightly crossed as Lord Holmes walked towards the bed.

"I'll just leave the dress here for you."

Mollie nodded, still unable to speak. She felt even more humiliated when the smug bastard turned back around and very obviously looked her up and down. As he walked towards the door, he commented, "It's a good thing that dress is very thick- you do seem to be rather cold today." Mollie let out a little shout of rage and threw a bar of soap at the door that he swiftly shut. She quickly dressed, and after readjusting her hair once more, left the bedroom.

Breakfast was an awkward affair that morning. Lord Holmes was reading something, and barely touched the breakfast hash that Mollie had created with the previous night's leftovers. As Mollie picked up the bowls and washed them once again, she tried very hard to avoid looking at Lord Holmes, or interacting with him in any way other than a few cursory questions and comments about breakfast.

Shortly after they had finished breakfast, Sherlock went out to the carriage and told the driver to pack up his and Mollie's things in the cottage. While the driver packed all the luggage, Sherlock went back to the innkeeper's house and returned the key to the cottage. When he returned to his and Mollie's cottage, he found her outside shivering in the early morning air. He realized then that the one thing he had neglected to have fitted for her was a proper winter coat.

"Mollie, come to the carriage. I can't have you catching your death in this cold."

He told the driver to open up the trunk with his outerwear in it. The driver pulled out the trunk, and Sherlock swung it open, revealing a number of wool coats and scarves. He picked out one of the coats that only came to his knee, knowing it would reach well down to Mollie's mid-calf. He wrapped the coat around her shoulders, and wrapped the scarf tightly around her neck. She looked up at him gratefully (those pupils were dilated again), and it appeared that she was about to thank him. Sherlock waved his hand, and said, "It's nothing. Don't thank me."

After they were comfortably settled into the carriage and off on their journey again, Mollie felt it important to change the tone of the morning from awkward to at least somewhat congenial.

"Lord Holmes, I have to ask. Primo genitor is the usual policy for inheritance. How did you become lord of the manor and estate when you are the younger son?"

Lord Holmes looked back at her like he was sizing her up for a moment. Finally, it looked like something shifted, and he opened his mouth to answer her. Slowly, he began, "I became Lord of the estate when I was 18. Before, Mycroft had been in charge of the estate. Previously, I had been involved in things that weren't exactly…proper. I had been involved with a woman in London, and frequently consumed substances meant to numb my senses and mind. My mother…well, she doesn't really matter. But Mrs. Hudson was out of her mind with worry, and Mycroft was concerned, too. I've never been able to suss out if it was concern for the family reputation or concern for my well-being. Regardless, Mycroft made a bargain with me. If I would return home to the manor and stop using the substances that I had been using, then he would let me take control of the estate and manor, and give me a significant portion of the family's wealth. My mind was somewhat dulled at the time, but it was still clear what the more logical choice was. I have yet to regret the choice I made."

Mollie was surprised at how candid Lord Holmes was with her about his troubled past; it spoke greatly to his level of trust in her. She resolved then to never break that trust, no matter what the cost to her. She wanted to ask him about the woman he had been involved with, but thought better of it. There were some things best left unsaid, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know about a woman in Lord Holmes's past. She felt herself drawn to him against her will and her better judgment. The way he had looked at her body in the bedroom at the cottage had scandalized her at the time; now, it sent a thrill down her spine, and triggered a fluttering in her stomach. Thinking about his experiences with other women was akin to squeezing lemon juice on a wound; it hurt, and resolved nothing. Instead, she closed her eyes, and let herself drift off to sleep.

Sherlock watched Mollie as she peacefully slept. He had felt incredibly attracted to her that morning in the bedroom. He had only felt deeply attracted to one other woman in his life (the woman), but his attraction to Mollie that morning was of a different nature. When she had turned towards him with her chest bared, the innocent blush that crossed her cheeks had made him want to gently lay her down on the bed and touch her until she moaned and sighed. With The Woman, he had never felt such tender feelings. It was always rushed and selfish for him, and the feeling was quite mutual. Sherlock could feel himself growing hard as he thought about Mollie's bare breasts and long, slender legs. He was thankful that the warm cloak he wore shielded his crotch from plain sight.

He was also surprised at how open he had been with Mollie about his past. He and The Woman had spoken on terms of attraction, never emotional intimacy. It was an unspoken condition of their relationship- little emotional commitment, and a plethora of sexual benefits. He had seen in Mollie's eyes how strongly she desired to question him further, and he appreciated that she didn't press for more information. Mollie enjoyed chattering away about nonsensical things to him, but she rarely probed him for information to the point of discomfort. He found so many things that he could appreciate about Mollie Hooper's new presence in his life, and he felt himself eagerly anticipating the next few months they would spend together.

Mollie was awoken by the carriage jerking to a halt. Lord Holmes looked up at her and said, "Good, you're awake. We're at the inn in Leicester."

Mollie nodded sleepily, still not quite ready to speak. She had drifted in and out of napping since she and Lord Holmes had conversed that morning; while she was sure Lord Holmes could tell when she was awake, neither of them had felt much like conversing after the serious note their last conversation ended on. Lord Holmes stepped out of the carriage and offered his arm to Mollie. He told the driver to unpack the same items he had the previous day, and then led Mollie inside.

When they arrived inside the inn, a stout, red-faced man approached Sherlock and Mollie, and enthusiastically greeted Sherlock with a slap on the back.

"Sherlock! How are you, m'boy? Will you be needing lodgings for tonight? If so, I can assure you that Ellie and I will give you the finest room in the inn…no charge to you, of course! And your brother, Mycroft, has had a letter sent here for you."

Mollie watched as Lord Holmes waited (surprisingly) patiently for the older man to finish his stream of chatter. When there was a moment's pause, Lord Holmes calmly said, "Rupert, I am quite well, thank you. I will be needing a single room for tonight. And I would like you to meet my wife, Mollie."

At the mention of her name, Lord Holmes wrapped his arm tightly around Mollie's waist and squeezed her close to him. He smiled down at her in a fashion so convincing, Mollie would have sworn he was madly in love with her if she didn't know better. She looked up at Lord Holmes and smiled back at him, taking his free hand and squeezing it tightly for a moment. As she released his hand, their moment of bliss was interrupted by Rupert the innkeeper loudly exclaiming, "Sherlock! You sly dog! You didn't tell us you'd been lately married!"

"Yes, well, it's a bit of a story. However, I have to admit that my dear wife is a bit tired from our journey. I'm sure that she would love the chance to freshen up. Perhaps we could catch up on the story over some dinner?"

"Of course! I'll call one of the maids to bring up some hot water for Mollie to bathe in. We've just had a large tub installed into the suite where you'll be staying, so she'll have a relaxing bath. I'll get Ellie's maid to help Mollie with her hair and bathing as well."

"Thank you. If you could show us up to our bedroom?"

Rupert nodded, and while he went to the back to retrieve a key for the suite, Sherlock went out to the carriage to tell the driver to come in with the luggage. Rupert led Mollie and Sherlock up to their suite, and opened the door to let them enter. Mollie bit her lip to keep herself from gasping at the luxury of the room they were staying in. There was a huge plush chaise lounge in the center of the room as they walked in. Off to the left was a spacious bedroom with a huge, soft-looking bed with a white comforter on top of it. Off of the bedroom Mollie could see the bathroom with a large tub and wash basin. Sherlock nodded his approval at their quarters; Rupert quietly took his leave, telling them that dinner would be served in two hours before he shut the door behind him.

After Rupert's footsteps had faded down the hallway, Sherlock looked at Mollie and quietly said, "Wear one of your nice dresses down to supper tonight. It will make our marriage appear more convincing."

Mollie nodded, then went over to the wrapped packages and picked out the lovely blue "sitting dress" that she had been fitted in. She went to answer a knock at the door a few moments later- a girl of 15 or 16 greeted Mollie at the door with a bucket of hot water.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm here to help you with your bath."

Mollie nodded and followed the girl to the bathroom, silently in awe of the fact that the girl was no more than a year or so younger than her. The girl made a few more trips up and down the stairs with hot water in a bucket, and finally filled the tub to a decent level. Mollie closed the bathroom door behind her, and undressed herself. Once she had submerged herself in the tub, she called for the maid to come into the bathroom. The maid scurried in with her arms full of soaps and oils. For the next 30 minutes, Mollie relaxed in the tub as the maid scrubbed her down thoroughly from head to toe and cleaned and combed her hair. After her bath was over, Mollie dried herself with a towel the maid gave her, then sat down on a bench near the washbasin. The maid came into the bathroom with the blue dress Mollie had laid out and helped Mollie adjust her undergarments to an appropriate tightness. After helping Mollie dress, she fixed Mollie's hair into a lovely arrangement- half of Mollie's hair was braided into a wreath around her head, and the other half was left down. Mollie thanked the maid, and the maid took her leave. When Mollie emerged from the bathroom, she was surprised to find Lord Holmes fully dressed in his finery. She had never seen him in his "nobleman's" clothing before, and was left in awe of the impressive figure he struck. She found herself at a loss for words, and strangely enough, he seemed to be in a similar predicament. He looked her up and down a few times, before finally saying, "You look quite lovely, Mollie. We should probably go downstairs for dinner now."

When they arrived in the dining room, Mollie was stunned by how much food was laid out on top of the table. There was a roast, gravy, potatoes, and a number of other platters of food. Mollie had never seen so much food in one place in her whole life. She quickly blinked, reminding herself that she was now a nobleman's wife- things like this should come as no surprise to her. An older woman whom Mollie assumed was the innkeeper's wife was already seated at the table next to the innkeeper. Rupert gestured for Mollie and Sherlock to take the seats across from himself and his wife.

The innkeeper's wife, Ellie, murmured to Sherlock, "Your wife is absolutely lovely, Sherlock."

Sherlock smiled down at Mollie and squeezed her hand. Mollie smiled back at him, this time feeling genuine joy burst forth from her heart at such a flattering compliment. Mollie had always been called "mousy", "quiet", and "bookish". Never had someone called her lovely or beautiful before today.

Lord Holmes gave her a very intent look, then quietly said, "Yes, I believe I have married the loveliest woman in England."

Mollie felt her stomach flutter at this comment; did he really mean it? She smiled again, and felt her cheeks flush a tiny bit. Her romantic reveries were broken by the sound of Rupert's mug of ale slamming onto the table.

He cheerily exclaimed, "Well, it is only fitting that the cleverest man in England would catch the most beautiful bride in England!" Mollie thought to herself that Rupert was deserving of a superlative for being the most jovial man in England.

"So, let's hear it then. I want to know how you won this young lady over." Rupert took a long swig of his ale after his sentence. Mollie saw his quiet wife, Ellie, smile fondly at him from the corner of her eye.

Sherlock cleared his throat. "Well, Mollie's father is the apothecary on my estate. I went down to his shop one morning to pick up a garlic tincture for a sore throat I had. When I opened the door, it was not Anselm Hooper there at the front of the shop, but a woman who I swore then and there was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I was so captivated by her beauty, I knew I had to have her as my bride. Then and there, I went to her and asked her to be my wife. She was a bit shocked at first,"- with this admittance he smiled at Mollie, who smiled and nodded her head-"but after a few more visits from me, I managed to win her heart. We're on our honeymoon now- my brother has arranged for a cottage for us to honeymoon at in Oxford."

Rupert looked between them, and grinned. "Damn fine story. But we have to hear the lady's perspective. Mollie, what about Sherlock won you over?"

Mollie panicked for a moment, not sure what to say. She quickly pulled her nerves together and took a deep breath, managing to feign an expression of pensiveness.

"Well, when Sherlock came into the shop, I will admit that I was captivated by his eyes. I thought I had never seen a man with a more handsome set of eyes. However, his mind is what really won me over. I could never have married a fool, and I was amazed at his brilliance."

Ellie and Rupert appeared satisfied with the answer, and smiled at the two of them. Sherlock, meanwhile, could not stop looking at her. As they ate their meal and chattered with jocund ease, Lord Holmes kept looking down at her, a searching expression in his eyes.

After they had excused themselves from dinner and retired to their room for the evening, they silently went through the same routine of changing for bed. That evening, Mollie was not as nervous about Lord Holmes sleeping with her. However, she felt a queer sense of anticipation, one that made her stomach flutter and heart do flips. When Lord Holmes laid down next to her, she whispered, "Good night, my Lord."

She heard Lord Holmes's quiet intake of breath at this. "Please don't call me Lord Holmes anymore. Call me Sherlock. Lord Holmes is stuffy and makes me feel like I am Mycroft. If we are to live together for the next few months, I won't be able to bear such a stuffy title. And Sherlock sounds so much better."

It was quiet for a few moments, then Mollie said, "Sherlock?"

He hummed in response.

"Did you mean what you said downstairs? About me being lovely?"

"Mollie, you usually are not one to ask silly questions. But I do find you lovely. You are a strange creature, and I'm not sure if I've met one like you before, but you are lovely."

Mollie sucked in a puff of air at that statement. She rolled over to face him, and quietly said, "Why?"

"Why does anyone find anyone beautiful? I don't know. I think you have lovely brown eyes, and your hair is beautiful. You smell like heaven whenever you're near me, and you have a light in your eyes that makes you so keen and intelligent compared to all these ridiculous society women. And I rather like how thin you are- it's so much more attractive than these women who bloat themselves on wine, food, and poisonous face paints to create a larger figure."

As he said these words, he reached out and stroked a lock of hair from Mollie's face. He leaned towards her. "Mollie Hooper, you look quite ethereal in this light." He leaned a little closer, and Mollie unconsciously tilted her face upwards. He tipped his face forward to meet her lips, and gently pressed them to hers for just a second. He pulled away then, without a word. Mollie blinked with shock. That was her first kiss, without fanfare or glory. But despite the lack of fanfare, she would not have traded the hushed touching of lips in a dark bedroom for the world. She felt herself shiver as a draft of cold air slipped into the bedroom. And she smiled to herself as a strong arm pulled her to him, keeping her warm through the night.

Just a quick disclaimer, I have NOTHING against curvy women or women of a heavier weight. I am a curvy farm girl myself, and I think that all body types are beautiful. But it just seemed like a very Sherlock thing to find a woman who was different from a societal beauty standard attractive. But please don't take any offense- I promise none was intended. Hugs and kisses- I'll have another chapter posted either this weekend or next week. Get excited! Until next time. :)