Chapter 9
Dinner Time
John had tried to join Mrs Hudson in the kitchen to offer his help but she had shooed him into the dining room where he sat alone for almost five minutes. He had nervously counted three sets of knives and forks and five different spoons and just as he was beginning to think this was some sort of joke a young woman had meandered into the room doing something on her phone. She completely ignored him (even after he had cleared his throat to let her know he was there).
"Err hello," he tried,
"… Hello," she replied without looking up,
"I'm John … Doctor John Watson,"
"I know,"
"…" John fumbled unsure of what to say next,
"Err who are you?"
"I work for Lord Holmes,"
"Oh …" John had been expecting another man like Moriarty or older not a young attractive woman and was quite lost for words.
"That must be … nice?"
"Yes it is,"
John was sure the woman wasn't listening to him at all which was quite a change from his old encounters with woman. It was not the first conversation with a woman since he had returned from his last disastrous tour in Afghanistan but it was the first time he had felt a spark of attraction. The retired soldier made a promise with himself then and there to get back to his old confident ladies-man self and put the horrors of that tour behind him.
"Ah John you made it," Lady Holmes brushed past him with barely a glance,
"Of course Lady Holmes," John wondered if perhaps he wasn't really welcome and considered making an excuse to leave,
"Good, good, did everything go ok today with Sherlock?" the rich eccentric lady sat down and waved him to a chair like she was a judge holding court.
'A progress report' John thought,
"Yes, very well actually," John's statement was enough to garner the attention of both women (for a few heartbeats anyway).
"Mrs Hudson said you got him to eat?" piercing eyes seem to stare straight through him,
"Yes Ma'am, just some crisps … and a piece of pie,"
"… Pie . . . really?"
"Err yes,"
"Wonderful, really good to hear," Lady Holmes smiled a genuine smile at John before turning to the other occupant in the room,
"Hello dear … where did Mycroft wonder off to?"
"He is talking to James … I think he wanted to invite him and Miranda to the table," John failed to hide his surprise as Lady Holmes' smile widened,
"Good, good those two … usually too busy to eat,"
"Evening mother," Mycroft glided into the room, followed immediately by Lord Holmes,
"Are James and Miranda joining us?"
"Yes in just a minute,"
"I see," all three wore identical smirks and John cringed. Mycroft's assistant didn't notice; still focused on her phone,
"Is Sherlock sleeping?" Lord Holmes asked John as they arranged themselves around the majestic table; Lord Charles was at the head of the table, Lady Rose was to his right with Mycroft on his left. John sat next to Lady Holmes opposite Mycroft's assistant (who was next to Mycroft).
"Yes sir, for a couple of hours now,"
"Really?" Mycroft looked surprised and glanced at his assistant, who fiddled with her phone and then also nodded,
"Yes … sir," John replied wondering if she could actually see the security feed on her phone. Mycroft laughed at the title,
"Please John call me Mycroft,"
"Yes … Mycroft," neither were said with any respect but everyone ignored it.
"Sir?" Mycroft took his assistants phone as she held it out to him. She was frowning and after looking at whatever she was showing him he was too. John fought the urge to lean over and see what was so engrossing.
"Something wrong son?"
"Possibly, I will need to get back to you on that," as he spoke Mycroft handed the phone back and John was surprised (and a concerned) to see the two examining him. John let out a breath slowly; this job was making him paranoid. When James and Miranda entered he sat next to Mycroft's assistant and she sat next to John. Moriarty noted the tension with interest.
John caught Anthea's eyes and smiled, she really was very attractive, he thought, not realising (or caring) that anyone looking at him would recognise the lust in his eyes. Anthea smiled a bit of a flirtatious smirk (or so it seemed to him) before turning back to Mycroft. Miranda sent a venomous look his way that only James saw; he smiled; sure he could use this somehow.
"Lovely," Lady Holmes said smiling happily in contrast to how everyone else felt. A very awkward silence followed and stretched until Mrs Hudson entered the room almost three minutes later,
The housekeeper was pushing a serving trolley filled with small plates. Some kind of posh paste on crackers John guessed. As she walked carefully round the table placing each plate John had to restrain himself from getting up to help.
"Mycroft I hope you're not working too hard?" Lady Holmes questioned,
"No mother I have people to do all the hard work for me," everyone laughed except for John who thought that was probably true.
"And what do we call you today dear?" Lady Mycroft asked Mycroft's assistant,
John blinked in surprise,
"Hum … oh today Anthea."
"Anthea … good choice … so is my son still treating you alright?" Mrs Hudson finally placed the last plate in front of Miranda and after slowly collecting her trolley she left.
"Always," Anthea finally put down her mobile and glanced around the table.
"Glad to hear it,"
John waited to see what cutlery everyone else used and was pleased when Lord Holmes used his hands. Although there was not the same awkward silence as before talk at the table was limited to; secretive mutterings between Mycroft and Anthea, familiar chatter between the three Holmes' and seductive looks and laughs across the table between James and Miranda.
Exactly two minutes after the last person (Anthea) finished eating Mrs Hudson entered the dining room again this time with an empty trolley to collect the empty plates. Precisely five minutes after that she returned with fourteen plates. On the smaller plate was some kind of side salad with leafy, string greens well-presented around some kind of seed and sauce middle. The main included grilled meats and vegetables on skewers with another sweet-smelling sauce dribbled artistically over it.
"Mrs Hudson has prepared a lovely chocolate cake tonight so leave some space," Lady Holmes said cheerily to everyone.
Mrs Hudson strolled in with the trolley once again as everyone was finishing. John would have been impressed by her timing but he had seen the familiar sight of a camera blinking away. Mycroft had watched him look for it and the two men shared a look until Lady Holmes interrupted with a question for John.
"Doctor Watson, is your accommodation suitable?"
"More than, Lady Holmes,"
"Good, good," and that was the only conversation to involve the doctor for the entire dinner however John found the delicious food more than made up for being ignored. When Mrs Hudson arrived to take the dinner plates away she handed out a glass of water to everyone. There was a pause for chatter: Miranda had moved to an empty seat next to James and they carried on their own hushed conversations and Mycroft changed between guarded murmurings with Anthea and family pleasantries with his parents.
Several times John was caught staring at Anthea by various people and each had a different reaction; Miranda clearly disapproved, Lord Holmes didn't care and Lady Holmes was delighted; Anthea thought it was sweet and Mycroft was amused.
After dessert Lord Holmes (the elder) pulled out two cigars from an elaborately decorated sideboard but before he could sit back down again Lady Holmes cleared her throat;
"Ah yes Doctor Watson, James would you like one?" he said passing one to Mycroft and standing again,
"No thank you sir,"
"Perhaps just this once sir,"
"Come father we should go out onto the roof garden and leave mother in peace," the two Holmes men left with James between them,
Miranda huffed as Anthea went back to her phone.
"I'm sorry my dear I just can't stand the smell," Lady Holmes said to the young woman,
"Oh no ma'am I know I wasn't … I mean I didn't …"
"Calm down Miranda,"
"Yes ma'am," the maid looked meekly into her lap and Lady Holmes turned her attention to her sons' assistant,
"Anthea?"
"Yes ma'am?" John couldn't believe it as the young woman answered with her attention still on her phone,
"If my son can afford five minutes away from whatever the current crisis is, for a smoke, then you can give us your full attention for the same length of time, understand?" Anthea bit her lip, clearly wanting to say something to refute that but merely nodded instead.
"Now Mrs Hudson will be along shortly with a cup of coffee I trust we can have a nice conversation until then?"
"Yes Ma'am,"
"Of course Lady Holmes,"
John said nothing and was beginning to feel a little out of place.
"Perhaps I should go check on Sherlock," John said standing slowly,
"No need to go all that way, Anthea can check the security feeds on her phone," John blinked rapidly, twice and then bit the inside of his cheek to keep from sharing what he thought of that. Lady Holmes was watching his reactions closely. When John noticed he tried (but failed) to not glare at her until she looked away.
"He's still asleep," Anthea said not appearing to notice any tension.
"Astounding," Lady Holmes said with a side-long look at the doctor who caught her gaze and held it with barely a hint of 'told-you-so'.
Anthea seemed to have decided Lady Holmes' request was cause to go back to whatever it was she had been doing on her phone.
"Coffee!" Mrs Hudson called as she entered the room once again with a trolley full of goodies.
Thoroughly fed up with the evening John crossed the room to help her. Each cup of fine china rested on a matching plate coloured in a light pink decorated with deep coloured flowers. A single biscuit lay alongside each and there was a larger plate in the middle of the tray with seven mint chocolates creating a circle. To complete the picture of aristocratic dining a milk jug sat alongside a matching sugar bowl.
John looked over at Anthea and this time Mrs Hudson was the one to see. The old lady smiled and plotted quickly,
"Take that one over to the young lady," she said handing a cup to John. As he walked over to Anthea the old lady called Miranda over and handed her a cup to pass to Lady Holmes,
"Was everything alright with dinner?" she said, drawing the two into a conversation across the room from where John was attempting to gain Anthea's attention,
"I brought you some coffee," he said finally waving it near her nose,
"Thanks," she said but gave no indication she planned to take it from him,
"So … do you come round for dinner a lot?" John asked and finally put the cup on the table near her,
"Yes,"
"Do you get much time off?"
"Oh yes lots," she looked up at him with a smile,
"Would you like to have dinner with me some time … alone I mean?" John tried to sound confident but by the amused look on Anthea's face he feared he had not succeeded,
"Perhaps,"
Throughout the conversation she had spent more time than not looking at her phone, so he asked a little exasperated,
"Would you leave your phone at home?"
"No," she laughed a little as she answered and John was struck by the way her eyes lit up,
"Anthea isn't your real name is it?"
"No,"
"Why . . . "
"Doctor Watson?" Miranda appeared suddenly along side the two of them,
"Yes?"
"Did you want to help me get some food ready for Sherlock since you were so successful in getting him to eat earlier?" there was a bite to the young woman's words that John didn't understand but he mentally shrugged, too happy with his conversation with Anthea.
When James wondered into the kitchen an hour later Mrs Hudson had done all the washing and retired to her comfortable room for the night and Miranda was drying stacks of plates. James sat on top of a counter, watching and waiting. He knew it wouldn't long … Miranda and Mrs Hudson were terrible gossips:
"Do you need any help?" he offered to jump start the conversation,
"No thank you love, Mrs Hudson works as hard as she interferes,"
"What do …"
"Didn't you see her? Pushing that doctor towards … Anthea … not that he needed any help all over her he was!"
"Aren't you over-reacting?" James spoke slowly letting ideas flutter around his brain,
"No! It was grotesque and right with Lord Mycroft there."
"You still think the two of them are a couple then?" James was barely paying attention any more talking with only a fraction of his brain,
"Of course all those late nights, working together in Mister Mycroft's office – you've seen them together,"
"Not like that," the very thought pulled his attention and he shuddered,
"Oh my poor James what a sight that would be,"
"I would have to quit … perhaps our new doctor could take my place," he said slyly the beginning of a plan forming,
"Don't say that! What nonsense! He could never be diplomatic did you see him earlier – glaring at poor Mister Mycroft."
"As if I could leave you!" saying that turned James' stomach but he was rewarded as Miranda crossed the kitchen, stood between his legs and rubbed her body against his,
"You say the sweetest things," she whispered seductively but then crossed back to her pile of drying and continued talking,
"He doesn't understand this place at all – he can't see Mister Holmes does the best he can with that … that … that tyrant Sherlock. He doesn't know what we all put up with … especially you. I told him what Sherlock was like and he just excused it away. No wonder the country is going to pot if kids never get punished for what they do!"
"Spare the rod, spoil the child?"
"Exactly, none of this leftist, wishy-washy stuff – I mean I even told him about … what Sherlock got up too … you know last year … and he just said he didn't think cameras were the answer. I lost my temper at bit. He just couldn't see you and Mycroft always try to do your best with Sherlock."
"Of course we do,"
"Exactly I told him about all the stories that boy makes up about you and his tutors and he just laughed,"
"Doesn't sound like he is the best example for Sherlock," John said managing a concerned tone and hiding his glee,
"That's a point … do you think I should tell Mycroft?"
"No … not yet, it would be a little unfair to judge the doctor so quickly," with a plan in mind James turned his attention to satisfying his body,
"Perhaps but I'm going to keep a close eye on that man,"
"I love that care so much," Moriarty muttered jumping down from the counter and stalking over to the maid. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck,
"James!" she said laughing,
"James I'm trying to work,"
"Come to bed, that lot will dry itself soon enough,"
"Oh you bad man … trying to get me into trouble,"
"Trouble … no, bed … oh yes!" Miranda giggled and allowed herself to be pulled from the room.
John meanwhile had woke Sherlock and got him to drink a broth before the teen drifted back to sleep. The doctor then shut himself in his room. He turned on his computer and stared blankly at his blog. Finally he turned it off without adding anything and went to bed.
WC – 2,705