Next Chapter in Meet the Millers. Please leave reviews :)
Sherlock and Evie pulled up outside the house, if you could call it a house. The building was a Georgian manor house set in 30 acres of gardens and land. Sherlock raised his eyebrows as they got out the car and Evie looked apologetically back.
"Evie, this is your house?" asked Sherlock unbelievingly.
"No, this is my parent's house, I cut myself of from all of this when I moved into central London, I don't want to money and control that it brings with it" said Evie, Sherlock respected her for this. Sherlock and Evie walked up the steps to the double doors and Evie let herself in. They were earlier than the other guests as the final touches were still being made to decorations.
The entrance hall was light and spacious. Evie's heels clicked on the marble floor as they walked towards the staircase. "Mum?" shouted Evie, she didn't know where she mother was and wanted her to know they were there.
"Evie!" called the voice from upstairs. Footsteps began to eco down the stairs making Evie take Sherlock's hand. She wanted her mother to be very clear on who he was and how she felt. Petunia Miller appeared from the right sided staircase and paused, "Evie darling! You're here!" she walked down the stairs towards them. She leant in to Evie a kiss who didn't return the affection and then turned to Sherlock.
"So you're Sherlock Holmes?" Said Petunia in a stiff manner, she wasn't sure of Sherlock yet and doubted whether he was any good for her daughter.
"Yes I am" Said Sherlock, Evie thought that he was being very polite for his character and she was very grateful for it.
"Hmm" Her mother's reply was awkward and she could see Sherlock beginning to scan her. Evie squeezed his hand, trying to signal to him to stop.
"Well Evie you look wonderful and Sherlock you look very…handsome" she said, she was still unsure of this strange man standing in front of her, he certainly looked like he did in the papers and well, a picture is worth a thousand words.
"Where's dad?" Asked Evie, trying to move to conversation on.
"Oh your Father's in the dining room" Petunia answered, walking over to tweak a flower arrangement. Evie decided to leave her mother's company now, walking off into the next room and taking Sherlock with her. Once they were alone Evie began to explain.
"Sherlock sorry, she can be such a bitch sometimes; I think she believes everything in the papers about me and now, about us"
"no problem, people with a very limited intellect and brain power often swallow whatever gossip they are offered" Evie laughed at this, he had just summed up her mother in a sentence. As they walked into the dining room, Evie's father spotted them and walked over.
"Sweetheart!" he called at her. Evie walked happily over to the man and hugged him. She loved her father and liked him a lot as a person as well as a father. He was honest, to the point, never took any nonsense but yet was a very considerate person.
"Hello Dad!" said Evie, "Dad, this is Sherlock" said Evie, introducing Sherlock.
"Hello Mr Miller" said Sherlock, shaking his hand.
"Please Sherlock, call me James" he said smiling. As they walked along the room, he spoke again, "I've heard a lot about you, some from the papers and some from friends… Well of course these publishers are full of Bull and I don't believe a word of it, some people can't speak higher of you, love the website by the way" he finished, he loved to ramble and Evie just smiled.
"Um thank you" said Sherlock slightly baffled by all the comments at once. Normally he would be totally focused on evidence, conclusions and pure knowledge but in this situation he was a complete novice and chose the opinion that, if I doubt, say nothing.
Mr Miller led them into the room acting as a ball room; it was very grand with a large wooden floor for dancing and conversation.
"Evie you look beautiful by the way, I hope your mother didn't give you or Sherlock much of a grilling?" he said to Evie.
"No she was okay, In fact, she barely said anything to Sherlock, she was quite rude" said Evie.
"Well I'm sure it was just the shock of actually meeting him, it is a rather uncomfortable situation, meeting your daughter's boyfriend" he said, Evie blushed at this remark. She found it awkward when her father talked about her adult relationships, especially with someone as well-known as Sherlock.
"Darling, why don't you and Sherlock wait here while I fetch your mother? The guests are meant to be arriving soon and I was us all to talk properly before it begins" Evie nodded and he walked off.
"Do you like him?" asked Evie, she didn't care what Sherlock thought of her mother, but her father was a different matter.
"He's very tolerable, pleasant, I could get on with him very well" said Sherlock smiling, Evie was thrilled.
"Yeah he's great, he was the person that supported me in moving to London, he wanted me to go and live, so I did" said Evie smiling again, she was just teasing Sherlock, seeing whether he would pick up the subtle hints at him, but there wasn't time as Mr Miller returned with his wife.
The four of them were now standing in the ball room waiting for the other guests,
"So Sherlock, what is it you do exactly?" Petunia asked.
"I'm a consulting detective, when the police are out of their depth with a murder, suicide or any unusual cases, they consult me" replied Sherlock in a cool voice.
"Oh how…interesting" Said Petunia, she was taken aback by his bluntness and also the actual nature of the work.
"Yes it is very interesting" continued Sherlock, clearly not understanding her. "only last week did I have a very unusual case, 2 deaths, suspected murders, but the very unusual thing was that both bodies were completely-" Evie discretely poked Sherlock in the ribs to bring him back to the present moment, he had got carried away. The look on petunias face was one of surprise and disgust. This was not a great start.