Enola POV, Summer 1889
Eventually, she must have nodded off because when Enola next opened her eyes the sun had gone down behind the cramped London streets, and Tewkey was chuckling lightly while holding a familiar light blue-canvas bound book.
"Oh, I am sorry, my sweet," He smiled down at her groggy eyes, "Your choice of reading material is quite amusing."
Enola squeezed her eyes shut again, hoping it might change the embarrassing picture. That stupid book.
"I was looking for information." She asserted grumpily.
"On how to marry me?" Tewkesbury teased, "Or another Marquess that I will have to challenge to swords at dawn."
"I was looking for information on marital relations, since you wouldn't tell me," she sat up and poked her finger at him, "This was the best thing I could find."
Tewkesbury's eyes went big with shock, which he tried to cover with a cough before going back to teasing her. "Was it insightful?" he smiled rakishly.
"No, it's just a novel about a guidebook that probably wouldn't be that helpful anyway," Enola grumbled, "I gave up after chapter five."
"I wouldn't be so quick to put it down," Tewkey suggested, flicking through the pages, "I've heard of books like these, and they certainly are the sort that Julia would hide from you."
She quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to understand what he wasn't saying. Julia was fully in support of her bookworm tendencies, why would she hide it from her?
"It may have the information you're looking for," Tewkey explained, blushing slightly, "I could read it and find out."
"It would be easier if you would just tell me." Enola huffed.
Tewkey softly stroked her face, "Miss Enola Holmes, Lady Detective, Future Marchioness of Basilweather," he teased, "Is afraid of a puzzle?"
Enola shoved him by the shoulder, knocking him off the bed with a pleasant thud. She moved to the side of the bed to look down at him, smiling.
"I told you I would practice on you if you teased me." She laughed.
Of course, she then apologised by kissing Tewkey's head and pulling him back onto his feet.
"I'm no expert," he shook his head as if to right it after the short fall, "But I wouldn't call that jiu-jistu as much as schoolyard bullying."
"Maybe we should remedy that," Enola thought aloud, "Or at least bring you up to novice level."
"At jiu-jitsu?" Tewkesbury almost gasped.
"No, at flower arranging." Enola looked at him as sarcastically as she could while he looked so sweetly startled.
"I am very good at flower arranging." He smirked.
"Of course, you are." She rolled her eyes.
Eventually after teasing each other for a few more minutes, and a quick sweet kiss, Tewkesbury left Enola's rooms stating that if he were much later his tutor would surely write to the Dowager Marchioness. Later, when Enola was readying herself for bed for the second time, she noticed he had taken the silly blue book, and with it, any chances of getting answers that night. She drifted off wondering whether Tewkey was reading as he readied himself for sleep, and what he would think of it.