I know it's maybe a little slow going but I hope you don't mind me setting the scene and investing in the characters. The action will start to pick up I promise. This time we do start to get a bit of an insight into Sherlock's thoughts with regards to Molly. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Sherlock was soon ready for bed, although he was a bit put out about not having an en-suite bathroom. On the plus side though it didn't look as though he was sharing the main bathroom with anyone else.

He lay on his bed in the dark looking up at the patterns of light on the ceiling coming in from outside. His thoughts turning back to the flirtatious conversation he'd cut short with Molly. He needed to make a decision about something, something he had been putting off for a while now but was really starting to become a distraction; namely sex.

Abstaining had never really bothered him, not for years, but recently it had started too and it was getting worse. It started a couple of years ago with Irene; he'd been tempted, he really had. For the first time a woman had got the better of him, she was intelligent and attractive and he'd actually found himself considering it. Then only last year with Janine, she'd been fun and also attractive, very willing to put out, it had been a struggle to find reasons to keep saying no.

For months since then he'd frequently found himself dreaming and fantasising about sex; lurid, technicolour, rolling images of fucking someone. And more recently those nameless, faceless encounters had morphed into Molly and now she was in his head, now he'd shagged her a hundred different ways in his fantasies and he couldn't help wondering how the reality would compare. His biggest concern was sentiment though. Yes, he knew he could easily get her to sleep with him but she would expect emotions; feelings and those were things he felt he couldn't offer her. Was it fair to embark on something with her that he could only partly fulfil? That was his dilemma. She was his friend and she deserved more from him than a shag every few days.

But equally, not having her was driving him mad. When he had leant towards her that evening and commented about being able to have her he'd heard her breath hitch, saw the pulse in her neck speed up. When she'd looked at him her eyes had been fully dilated and her cheeks had had a delightful blush across them. Even just thinking about her was making him hard. Maybe if he were honest with her about how he felt or didn't feel they could make it work. She'd said herself, tonight, that she was lonely, that at least was something he could offer; companionship. Maybe it would be enough, but maybe not. He knew he'd probably end up doing nothing for fear of losing her as a friend but this dilemma was driving him to despair.

He was also concerned about this case. Cults and religious fervour, albeit subverted here, were one of the hardest to crack. It always amazed him the lengths people would go to for a belief system. Even just a cursory examinations of the village and its inhabitants had convinced Sherlock further that this young girl was caught up in something very evil and most definitely life threatening. The village was remote, effectively cut off from the rest of the world and civilisation. How easy it would be to corrupt those charged with moral leadership; the village priest, the doctor, the Lord of the manor, the pub landlord or landlady in this case.

He needed to try to find out who the ring leader was and based on that where Lily might be being held. They only had a few days before Walpurgis night and any potential sacrifice took place. He just hoped that that was enough time to get someone in the village talking, the trouble was who could they actually trust.

Molly meanwhile for all her concerns fell asleep with no thoughts at all. Sleep taking her before she was even aware of it.

MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMH

When she got up the next morning she felt refreshed and excited for the day ahead. She'd spoken to Adrian later on in the evening and they were going for a wander round the village at about eleven, apparently he was not one of life's early risers.

By the time she got downstairs Sherlock was already there drinking a coffee and glancing through one of the morning papers. All she got from him was a curt, 'Molly'. Not a morning person then!

She made the most of someone else cooking to have a full English breakfast with lots of tea and toast before glancing through her own paper. She found herself feeling relaxed and comfortable with Sherlock and she even managed to engage him in some chit chat about a recent scientific discovery that was being reported on.

After a second coffee he informed her he was heading out and they agreed to meet back up over dinner to catch up and what they'd each found out.

She had a couple of hours to kill before she met Adrian so she made the most of her down time to go back to her room and read a book she'd downloaded on her kindle. Given this situation she was reading up about witchcraft and the occult and none of it was making her feel optimistic about this case. The more she read the more she worried about Lily and what might happen to her. It was hard to believe in this day and age with all of society's technology that there were people who believed in Devils and demons.

Whilst she was reading though she became aware of a strange sensation washing over her. It felt almost as though she were being watched. She kept putting the book down and examining the room as though looking for eyes following her, her eyes being drawn back each time to the demon inspired picture on her wall; it kept making her shudder. She tried to ignore it, telling herself it was just the contents of her book, the picture on the wall and her imagination, but in the end she felt so self-conscious and uncomfortable she ended up taking the book downstairs and reading it there.

Adrian, true to his word, came down just before eleven, looking tired and a bit dishevelled. He used his hands to sort his hair out and after he'd stolen some drinks and sandwiches for their lunch from the kitchens they set off.

The first stop wasn't far at all, the well in the centre of the pub. Adrian told her that the pub got its name in the early 1700's when witch hunting was at its worst. The village had had a couple of bad harvests and had been flooded and they turned to the local church for help. They in turn called in a witch hunter who had come to the village and identified half a dozen old or single women as witches.

Their fate had been the well. They had been thrown down, if they survived the fall they were witches and would be burnt at the stake and if they didn't...well everyone was very sorry and they would receive a Christian burial. But in the end the bodies were rumoured to have been left down there. 'It's said the pub is haunted. The women have been known to walk through the bar and wail at the edge of the well. The hauntings were said to have caused one landlord to go mad and throw himself down the well in 1933. His room was the one you're in upstairs...hope you're not gonna be too scared.'

He made a 'woo' sound whilst wiggling his fingers and laughed at her as she rolled her eyes at him, 'I think I'll be fine thank you. So what else is there?'

They made their way out of the pub into the crisp spring air, once again the clouds looked ominously like rain. It was just warm enough that Molly didn't need a coat, although she did have her favourite cardi on and a raincoat in her bag just in case. She had noticed Sherlock scrunch his nose up slightly when he'd seen the cherry covered cardigan but she didn't care, it wasn't like it was that that was putting him off being with her.

They turned left and walked towards the village green and the duck pond. Adrian had brought some food for them to throw down to the ducks and Molly felt like she was five years old again watching them all eagerly swimming over and waddling round their feet. At the side of the pond was a single standing stone at least seven feet tall.

Molly wandered around it trailing her hand on the cold stone. Adrian prattled on 'It's said to have magical powers. If you make a wish whilst holding the stone with both hands it's said to come true. Never has for me though but you should give it a try.'

Molly giggled and bit her lip giving it some thought. In the end she placed her hands on the stone and closed her eyes. I wish Sherlock wanted a romantic relationship with me, but as a minimum a one night stand would do.

She felt strangely cold as she opened her eyes and saw that a dark cloud had covered what little sun there was momentarily. It still gave her a bit of a shiver down her spine though. As they walked away Adrian winked and said, 'oh, yes I forgot to mention. Hope your wish didn't involve a guy coz it's a fertility stone as well, you might just end up pregnant.' He laughed and ducked to the side as Molly gave his arm an outraged punch, 'thanks you could have warned me before! Now, what's the story behind the other standing stones? You seem to have quite a lot dotted around.'

'Now that goes back even further than the witches. It is said that back in medieval times the people of the village stopped going to church and became godless. Their argument was that they didn't believe in Satan and without the devil there was nothing in life to be afraid of. Why spend your time restricting yourself if there's no risk of punishment in the life beyond? I know, cool right. Anyway, they spent their down time drinking, having sex and dancing. The local priest was outraged and prayed to God to save them.'

'Except it wasn't God who answered the prayer. The devil, Satan himself, is said to have heard that they didn't believe in him and he came to the village and found them revelling and dancing and he petrified them where they stood to act as a warning to others that he existed.'

'Some of the stones were still used up until about fifty years ago for animal sacrifices to ensure he stayed away. You can still see where the blood soaked into the porous rock in places.'

They walked on for about another twenty minutes with Molly admiring the cottages and the pretty gardens. Adrian was less enamoured, 'you're kidding aren't you! It's so boring here! If I had the money I'd live in London. I'd love your lifestyle, all that nightlife, clubbing, men...so many men.'

Molly didn't say much, thinking about how the dream was different from the reality. Life spent clubbing had got tired for Molly quite quickly and being in unrequited love with a Consulting Detective had somewhat stymied all those men she could be hooking up with. She kept up a bit of a pretence with Adrian though, she didn't want to come across as too sad and pathetic.

At the edge of the village they climbed a small hill and looked round at the neighbouring countryside. Molly noticed a few other hills similar to the one they were stood on, they were so uniform in shape and size that she couldn't help but comment. Adrian looked at her with a sly smile, 'I wondered if you'd notice. Clever you! They're not hills, at least not normal hills they're burial mounds. Each one has a stone room inside, sometimes two rooms, where the dead used to be buried, there's even talk of connecting passageways between the mounds and the village though I've never found any. Some of the mounds are open, archaeologists came and explored them a few years ago. Fancy taking a look?'

Molly obviously wasn't squeamish about the dead but she had a natural distrust of entering some dark, prison like chamber with an almost stranger, that no doubt came from her friendship with Sherlock. In the end he was her excuse, she commented how much he'd like it and asked if they could save that until another day and Adrian was happy to defer.

They ate their makeshift picnic on the top of one of the Tors and talked about their lives and how they'd got to where they had. Adrian was fascinated by her job as a pathologist and how she'd got into it. Molly found herself explaining all about her father's death when she was a Junior doctor and how it had decided her on the road to pathology. She found herself telling him things she never normally would so early into a friendship but he just seemed so open and easy to talk to.

In turn she asked him about the village gossip and soon heard that although Hugh Bennett was married to Lily's mum village rumour had it that he'd long been having an affair with Meredith, the pub owner. 'So why didn't he marry her?' Asked a confused Molly when she heard the affair had been going on for years.

Adrian shrugged, 'dunno. Meredith's fiercely independent, can't see her being anyone's wife. Maybe he married Mel to spite her but then couldn't resist getting drawn back in. He's not the only one having an affair.' He looked sideways at Molly and smiled, 'you'd be amazed how many of the "straight" men of the village have come to me for sex.' He air quoted as he spoke and laughed at the shock on Molly's face.

'They all swear blind they're not gay, just experimenting you know, or they had too much to drink. But they always come back for more. I've had some nice trinkets bought for me along the way.' He held up his wrist to show off the expensive Tag Heuer watch he was wearing and wiggled the finger bedecked with a gold signet ring.

Eventually they made their way back to the pub; Molly asked about the families in the village and whether they were all local or if there were any newcomers. 'Lily's about the newest. Before that it that it was probably the Sladen's they moved into Almsbury Manor about thirty years ago. Current Lord Sladen is proper old school but gay as! And no, before you ask I haven't, he's ancient. Well sixties at least, too old for me. I do have some standards, though not many.' He smirked and Molly laughed. She was enjoying her day out with Adrian; he was a breath of fresh air, all happy and funny, making the most of life.

Sorry not much Sherlock in this one but I'll make up for it soon I promise...but he had a lot on his mind, poor lamb. What do you think, should he or shouldn't he make a move on Molly? Hmm now I wonder what you'll all say?