《The Doctor's Tale》


 Chapter 1

    The loud city noises pulled me from my sleep, prompting me to sit up, and rub my eyes, tired. The walls in my tiny, cramped flat, which was basically just a single room, were entirely too thin, and after having been working in a military camp for the last two years, I hadn''t really grown accustomed to being back in a city just yet.


    Dragging myself from my bed, I fumbled around in the dark to find my matches and a lamp.


    If I ever figured how to make fire with my magic, matches wouldn¡¯t be necessary. But figuring fire out would mean having enough free time on my hands to actually practice it, and a private enough place to do so. And considering the entire apartment building I lived in was constructed entirely of wood, it wasn¡¯t exactly safe for me to practice in my own home, lest I find myself unable to control any fire I did wind up making. Not to mention the fact that, if anyone found out about my abilities, it could mean the death penalty, as the powers that were had been known to execute human magicians because we were somehow ¡®unnatural¡¯.


    My fingers located the matchbox, and I sighed a little, lighting the stove and putting on the kettle for some tea.


    I waited for the water to boil, and fried an egg for breakfast. Money was tight, but eggs were cheap enough, thankfully.


    Hurrying, I ate, getting dressed at the same time, not wanting to be late again, or my boss would have my head.


    Being a maid wasn¡¯t my first choice in career, considering my training and qualifications as a healer and doctor, but jobs could be incredibly hard to come by in Averah, as a woman, and I had to take what I could get.


    Pulling off my threadbare coat, I shivered, slipping into the Jenkins¡¯ back door, arriving in the kitchen right on time.


    ¡°Need help, Mrs. Wills?¡± I asked the cook.


    ¡°No, lass, but I appreciate it. Go ask Jones for your duties for today, I think there¡¯s quite a list.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Are we still set to be paid today?¡± I asked, hanging my coat up.


    ¡°We should be!¡±


    ¡°Good, because my rent for next month is due today, and I need my wages for this month to cover the rest of my payment.¡± I grimaced.


    ¡°Then make sure that you get Mr. Jenkins to pay you.¡± Mrs. Wills advised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly try.¡± I sighed, going through the double kitchen doors, through the dining room, and into the main hall, where I knew Jones, the butler, would be. Another maid was there laughing silently as the butler tried and tried to hang the list of allotted duties on the door of the cabinet beneath the stairs.


    Frowning at her for not helping, I went and helped the elderly gentleman hang the parchment. ¡°There we are, sir.¡±


    ¡°Jolly-ho, lass!¡± Jones nodded appreciatively.


    ¡°Oh good, I¡¯m scrubbing the floors today.¡± I sighed wryly, knowing that my knees would never forgive me. I already had a bit of a limp as it was, from an unfortunate accident during my stint as a military healer.


    ¡°They¡¯ll need help in the kitchens too, carrying in and out food, if you¡¯ll note.¡± The butler pointed out, ¡°So you¡¯ll have a break.¡±


    ¡°Well good¡­but what do they need me doing that for?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re having a seven-course dinner for the lawyer that¡¯s stopping by today, I believe Mr. Jenkins wants his daughter married away to the fellow¡­¡± The butler laughed, and then meandered off.


    I sighed, shaking my head, and then grabbed the stuff I would need for scrubbing the floors all day.


    Starting on the bottom floor, I cringed whenever my employer, Mr. Jenkins, walked by, turning a snobbish nose up at me, as anyone below his rank disgusted him, even though he depended entirely on us to keep his household running. Nobody in his household actually knew anything of running a home, which was kind of sad, actually.


    His horrible son, an obscene man on the wrong side of thirty, came sauntering through, and leered unpleasantly at me a couple of times, making me shiver in discomfort. Trying to ignore him, I threw my attention into my work, scrubbing the tiled floors until my knees and hands were raw, and my back ached from the exertion.


    By dinnertime, I was dead weary, and ravenous, as I hadn¡¯t eaten since my meager breakfast early that morning. That said, I was more than a little dizzy, and extremely envious of all of the food that I was required to carry out to the dining room, where all the fancy, uppity people were now sitting, waiting to be served and doted on by us, the help.


    ¡°Time to serve the soup!¡± Mrs. Wills informed us. ¡°Everyone grab a tureen!¡±


    Milly, a servant who stood next to me, handed me a large bowl full of a bright red tomato soup that smelled absolutely spectacular, making my stomach rumble loudly. ¡°You¡¯ll do well not to let Mr. Jenkins hear your stomach!¡±


    ¡°Like I can help it!¡± I sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to pack a lunch, not that I would have the time to eat anything even if I did have food with me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to manage.¡± Milly shrugged as we walked towards the doors, carefully carrying our tureens.


    ¡°Oh thanks.¡± I replied, feeling sarcastic and so hungry it was distracting.


    As I went through the doors, my foot caught on a fold in the rug, and suddenly, the world tilted before I could steady myself. My life flashed before my eyes as I overbalanced, throwing soup all over the dining room floor, and crashed forward, breaking the tureen. Because the soup was scalding hot, it burned my skin wherever it touched.


    As I stumbled to my feet, trying not to cry from pain and embarrassment, I noted that the dining room had gone deathly quiet. All the dinner guests, and my employer, were staring at me. Mr. Jenkins was the only one that looked as if he might blow one of his pulsing veins straight out of his forehead.


    Milly tried to help me up, but instead, Mr. Jenkins leapt up, his face red with fury, ¡°That¡¯s the last time you¡¯ll break anything in this house!¡± Unfortunately, my track record with china and ceramics was rather less than ideal¡­


    ¡°S-sir, I-I am so sorry!¡± I stammered, trying to ignore the fact that I had painful burns on my hands, arms, face, and middle, and was coated in a layer of tomato soup as well.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be!¡± he hauled me up, ordered the other servants to clean up the mess, and then dragged me, by the hair, to the back courtyard.


    I struggled, trying to get away, knowing that he meant to beat me. ¡°Please, sir, don¡¯t beat me! I am so sorry that I dropped it, it won¡¯t happen again!¡± I begged, frightened.


    The whip cracked, and I screamed, feeling it bite across my back. ¡°It certainly won¡¯t!¡± he roared, ¡°Because you¡¯re fired!¡±


    I sobbed weakly, screaming as the whip cracked again and again, tearing into my back. It seemed like an eternity before it was over, and then even longer before I could gather my wits enough to wonder how I was going to get home. But kind hands answered that question for me.


    ¡°Oh lass.¡± Mrs. Wills sighed, ¡°Jones, help me get her home. It¡¯s the least we can do. He¡¯s whipped and fired her.¡±


    I was vaguely aware of being put into a carriage, and whimpering every time we went over a bump. But the ride was mercifully short, and soon I was in my own miserable little flat again, feeling just that, miserable and little.


    Mrs. Wills cleaned my ruined back gently. ¡°I know it stings, but it really does look better now that it¡¯s all clean.¡± She told me.


    I highly doubted that, but appreciated her attempt to make me feel better. ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Wills.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, dear. Now, will you be able to see to it and make sure it¡¯s mending?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fully qualified healer, if you remember.¡± I told her, smiling weakly.


    ¡°Oh yes, I forget! You¡¯ve passed all those tests to be a doctor¡­and yet still ended up a maid who got a beating.¡± The cook sighed, ¡°Life is unfair sometimes, dearie. We have to make the best of it, though. Do get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°I will, thank you.¡± I winced, rolling over, and propping myself up on my elbows to avoid putting any weight on my injured back.


    ¡°Good form, lass.¡± Mrs. Wills smiled sadly at me. ¡°Good luck, Ms. Watson.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Joan.¡± I corrected, I hated going by Ms. Watson. ¡°Or Dr. Watson.¡± I laughed weakly. ¡°But Joan works.¡±


    ¡°Quite right!¡± the elderly woman nodded. ¡°Now, I must be off. Take care, Joan!¡±


    ¡°You too, Mrs. Wills.¡± I sighed as she shut the door, wondering what on earth I was going to do now. I certainly hadn¡¯t gotten my wages for that month, and probably wasn¡¯t going to now because after that beating, as I would never show my face around the Jenkins¡¯ house again, just out of principle, because I wasn¡¯t going to beg someone who had beaten me senseless for my money, and going to the woefully inadequate police to get the money I was owed would do nothing, and the Jenkins were high enough in society that the law didn¡¯t often persecute them.


    I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


    --


    Things had just gotten worse after being whipped and fired. My landlord had come by the next day, wanting my rent. I tried to explain what happened, and why I didn¡¯t have the money to pay my rent, but he was entirely unsympathetic, and told me that I had a week to come up with the money, or move out.


    So there I was, a week later, standing on a street, wondering what I was going to do. My back hadn¡¯t completely healed yet, although my magic had been working wonders on it, thankfully. And that was all good, but where was I going to sleep? And what was I going to eat?


    There were places of charity and kindness that helped clothe, feed, and house the homeless, in other countries, but Averah was no such place. It was cold and unforgiving. Certainly cold, even in that semi-desert region, as winter quickly approached, something the wind readily reminded me of every time it cut through my threadbare coat.


    Shivering, I went into an employment office, hoping that they might be able to find something for me, even just a temporary position.


    --


    After a full day of looking for a job, and coming up empty time after time, I sat on the sidewalk outside of an unfamiliar part of town, hungry, cold, and tired. And certainly without a place to sleep.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯d had to sleep out on the streets...not that my experience with it comforted me at all.


    Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. I could take care of myself. Maybe I could finally figure out how to make fire, and keep it going with garbage in some alley, if it got too cold. Hopefully it wouldn''t come to that, it would be too easy to be seen.


    Gods, what was I going to do? How long could I survive as it got colder? What if it came down to that I had to learn how to make fire, or risk freezing? What would I do if I couldn¡¯t figure out how to do it? I¡¯d heard dying from hypothermia wasn¡¯t too bad, as you went numb before you actually died...Maybe there would be an old blanket or coat in a garbage container, or something, and I could use that...not that the idea was appealing, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Bless my beard! Is that you, little Joan Watson?¡±


    Jumping in surprise, I whirled about, immediately recognizing the voice. Relief filled me. I had found a friend, and thanked the unseen forces around me for what was surely a saving grace. ¡°Mr. Stemford!¡± I cried, almost moved to tears at seeing my father¡¯s old friend. ¡°How are you, sir?!¡± It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that he still lived in the city. Not that I knew where he lived to be able to go and ask him for help. He was the only one of my father¡¯s friends I ever really knew.


    ¡°Better than you, it seems!¡± he observed, seeing the state of my coat. ¡°But come now, what is a respectable girl such as yourself doing out all by herself on a cold evening? And in such a thin coat! In your last letter, you said you were still working for the King as a healer!¡±


    ¡°I was, for two years, Mr. Stemford, but I was relieved of duty two months or so ago because I got hurt, and didn¡¯t recuperate to one-hundred percent, even after I was healed. So I moved back here, and have been here ever since.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°By yourself?¡±


    ¡°You know that my mom and dad passed away about seven years ago now, you were at their funerals.¡± I told him, sadly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I suppose that¡¯s right.¡± Mr. Stemford said sadly. ¡°I guess I just thought you might have had some other person to look after you. But no, your parents had no extended family, I forget that.¡± The elderly chap shook himself, ¡°But what are we doing chatting in this cold? I live just down the street, dear lass, do come with me for dinner! Michelle would love your company!¡±


    ¡°I would very much like that sir. To be honest, I lost my job recently sir, and wasn¡¯t sure where my next meal was going to come from.¡± I told him, at ease, as he had been like an uncle to me when I was younger.


    ¡°Oh that won¡¯t do!¡± he frowned, starting to lead the way to his home, I limped along beside him. ¡°Maybe we can help you find a job, I might know some people who could use the help of a competent young woman such as yourself!¡± His eyes wandered to my bag. ¡°But come now, what¡¯s all that?¡±


    My face flushed a little, ¡°Oh, my things¡­I¡­I was kicked out of my flat today too because I didn¡¯t have any money to pay for it, after losing my job.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m so glad I came this way tonight! I could have taken a carriage, but I thought the walk in the cold air might help clear my head! You¡¯ll stay with us, my dear Joan! Now do come along!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stemford, I-I really can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± Joy and relief filled me, and some tears came to my eyes. I¡¯d never gone to him for help, as it had been some years since I¡¯d seen him, and I didn¡¯t want to ask for handouts, but since he¡¯d found me, I¡¯d take it as a sign that accepting his help was what I needed to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, your dad would have done the same for my Michelle, if she were in the same situation!¡± he waved it off, and I fell into step next to him as we began to walk.


    ¡°Only until I find a job, and get on my feet sir, not a moment longer than that. I really can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate this, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother, really, Joan. You¡¯re all but my niece anyways!¡± he chortled. ¡°And I¡¯ll have no more of this Mr. Stemford nonsense, you can call me Uncle Mike, like you did when you were little. My Michelle always called your father Uncle as well, so there¡¯s no harm in it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Mike.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°So where is your brother these days? You seem to be all alone, but I recall your older brother, Harry, the rascal that always chased my Michelle with all those worms!¡±


    I sighed, ¡°He demanded his inheritance from my parents before they died, and ran off two or three years before I went off to be a healer. We never heard from him again.¡±


    ¡°Oh my dear girl, I am very sorry to hear that.¡± Mr. Stemford frowned, ¡°It¡¯s a pity to leave such a sweet lass all alone in the world. Harry ought to be ashamed of himself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he ought to be, oughtn¡¯t he?¡± I was a bit bitter about the fact that my brother had abandoned our family, and just ran off with his money.


    ¡°Indeed! Now, you said you were discharged from the military because of an injury? I thought they didn¡¯t let women anywhere near the fighting!¡±


    ¡°No, you misunderstand.¡± I laughed. The way I¡¯d been injured was actually completely absurd. ¡°I was in a medical encampment, which was quite far from where any fighting was taking place, so that the men that were lucky enough to have made it there could recuperate away from any fighting. Although I almost wish that I had been on the front lines, tending to the wounded immediately, if only because then any injury that I would have got probably would have been catching a bullet, or something at least less embarrassing than what happened. It wouldn¡¯t have been pleasant, of course, but it would at least have seemed somewhat heroic instead of cringe-worthy and laughable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only made me more curious, dear! If you weren¡¯t injured by some stray bullet, then pray, what happened?¡±


    Shaking my head, I told him the tale, an amused smile on my face. ¡°Well, you see, I¡¯d been helping a wounded soldier that I¡¯d been tending to for some time by going to the camp¡¯s smithy so that he could sharpen the man¡¯s lucky knife. While I was at the smithy¡¯s, I tripped rather violently over his pet goat, and managed to break my leg. there was an anvil lying close by on a rickety table, you see, and I hit the table as I tripped, and the anvil fell on my leg.¡±


    ¡°Oh that had to have crushed it!¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°I was lucky it didn¡¯t, just a bad break.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°But is a broken leg enough to get a medical discharge? Once you were healed, you could have probably continued with your duties¡­¡±


    ¡°When they saw that I had ended up with a limp from my injury, one that I suspect is permanent, they deemed it enough to give me a discharge, but I think that they had a proper male doctor lined up to take my position, otherwise they would have simply let me heal, and kept me on. They weren¡¯t keen to take me, or any woman into the program that allowed me to get my training, except that the powers that be were desperate for more qualified healers, and finally decided that it would be okay to allow women be trained as doctors, if only so that fewer of their men died from preventable causes brought on by a startling lack of properly trained doctors.¡± I shook my head, feeling frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s hard for a girl to be a doctor, Uncle Mike, people don¡¯t take you seriously. I was the best in my class when I finished my medical training, and yet the person who scored just behind me was a man, and he was the one that was made the head healer of the encampment, and because I was a woman, there was nothing I could do about it. In fact, when I protested, they told me that I was lucky to have been allowed to have a position as a doctor, and not just as a nurse. They even went so far as to suggest that I¡¯d cheated on my exams when I told them that I knew my scores were the highest in my class! It¡¯s infuriating!¡±


    ¡°Life is rarely fair, my dear.¡± Mr. Stemford patted my shoulder gently. After a few moments of walking in comfortable silence, we stopped outside a very respectable looking house. ¡°Well dear, this is it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it looks lovely, Uncle Mike!¡± I smiled at the beautiful, clearly old doors. I forced myself to put my thoughts about how unfairly I had been treated from my mind.


    ¡°You should hold off your judgment until you¡¯re inside!¡± Uncle Mike smiled, going and unlocking the door, his keys jangling happily in the night air, a glad sound to my ears. ¡°But I will say, it is a beautiful little house, not anything particularly special, but it¡¯s home, and full of love. Do come in!¡± he stepped into the house, and aside, letting me enter.


    I walked into the warm light, and smiled in delight, ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Certainly, my dear!¡± He walked through the hall and into the sitting room, saying, ¡°My Michelle should have dinner on¡­Michelle!¡±


    ¡°Is there someone with you?¡± I heard Michelle¡¯s familiar voice ask.


    I walked through the hall, and was greeted with a happy squeal, ¡°Joan!¡± she darted through the sitting room from the dining room, and hugged me, I tried not to wince as my back throbbed, not wanting to let on how I¡¯d been whipped just a week before. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you! How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Joan is going to stay with us for a little while, Michelle, how does that sound?¡± Stemford answered before I had to explain my embarrassing situation.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s wonderful!¡± she laughed, clapping her hands. ¡°Well, come through into the dining room, you two, I can set the table for one more person, there¡¯s plenty for all of us!¡±


    ¡°Let me help!¡±


    ¡°Not a chance, Joan!¡± Michelle shook her head, ¡°Go on and sit down, let us take care of you!¡±


    ¡°Only for a little while! Once I find a job, I won¡¯t be a bother anymore!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re no bother!¡± Uncle Mike assured me.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± I smiled, sitting down at the dining room table as Michelle set a plate and silverware in front of me. ¡°But I¡¯ll only accept that I¡¯m not a bother if you let me help out around here when I can!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Michelle laughed. ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Two weeks passed, but I still had no luck. Frustration grew each day inside of me, I helped out Michelle when I could, but still felt extremely useless.


    Every morning, I was up before the sun, ate a small breakfast, and slipped out to go look for a job. Sometimes I was given a trial day for a job, but every single time, they¡¯d said that I just wasn¡¯t who they were looking for. With each rejection, I¡¯d returned to the Stemford¡¯s house in weaker and weaker spirits.


    How was I ever going to find a job if I kept making a mess of things?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joan, you¡¯ll find something!¡± Uncle Mike told me as I rubbed my feet. It had been a hard day. I¡¯d spent several hours at a trial period in a factory, only to be told that I wasn¡¯t the right kind of person for the job, probably because I kept getting confused and causing the entire assembly line to come to a halt.


    ¡°I hope so, Uncle Mike.¡± I mumbled, trying to hold back the tears. I couldn''t continue to live off the Stemford¡¯s kindness. It was too much of an imposition, and I¡¯d already be hard-pressed to repay their kindness.


    Michelle snapped her fingers, causing me and her father to jump, startled. ¡°Say, father, what about that strange man who consults you every now and again? Last time he needed your knowledge of the migration patterns of birds, remember? I swear that you¡¯d mentioned he was looking for someone to help out around his home, it was a while ago, but still!¡±


    ¡°Oh yes¡­dear me, but surely he¡¯s probably found someone by now¡­but there¡¯s no risk in calling on him to ask.¡± Uncle Mike frowned.


    ¡°What was his name again? I recall you saying that he was an odd chap with an odd name¡­¡± she said, frowning a little.


    ¡°Locke. Sir Locke, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been knighted, or something like that, favors to the King, I think¡­some sort of policeman chap, I think.¡± Mr. Stemford waved his hand nonchalantly, then smiled proudly. ¡°Used what I was able to tell him about birds to stop a dangerous criminal.¡±


    ¡°Knighted?¡± I was impressed, ¡°But surely he doesn¡¯t want someone that¡¯s a mediocre maid, at best, working for him¡­¡± While I was a good doctor, let¡¯s be honest, given my track record, I wasn¡¯t very good at being a maid. ¡°Surely he will only want the best, I think, and I¡¯m certainly not that.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Well, all we can do is ask!¡± Uncle Mike said cheerfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± I nodded, sighing a little. ¡°The worst he can say is no.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Michelle take you by his house tomorrow. I believe it¡¯s on¡­oh, oh dear¡­it was an odd name, spelled similarly to his, with the ¡®e¡¯ on the end where it usually isn¡¯t¡­Oh yes, Cooke street! 221 Cooke Street, that¡¯s it! You ought to pop around tomorrow. His housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, is a kind woman, and will let you have a trial, I should think!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can handle another trial that ends in disappointment.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find something, I promise!¡± Michelle said firmly, smiling cheerfully at me.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± I yawned, rubbing my eyes.


    ¡°No supper?¡± Uncle Mike asked, sounding surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, but thank you all the same.¡± I took their leave, and went to the little guest room. There, to my own shame, I cried myself to sleep. I was angry, tired, frustrated, and scared. This couldn''t go on much longer. I had to find a job, living on the kindness of my friends was unacceptable.


    --


    The next day, Michelle woke me up at nine o¡®clock, which was much later than I¡¯d been waking up lately.


    ¡°Oh my! I meant to get up, and get out there earlier than this!¡± I leapt from my bed, and threw on my dress.


    ¡°Calm down, Joan, you needed a good lie-in! You¡¯ve been working yourself ragged, looking for a job. We¡¯re going to pop around Sir Locke¡¯s house, and see about having an interview this afternoon. My father has already sent ahead a letter saying that we¡¯ll call then. Until then, take some time to relax, you¡¯ve been a ball of nerves and tears these past two weeks! Take a break, or your potential new employer will think you¡¯re too exhausted to be a good maid!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a good point.¡± I sighed, sitting back down on my bed. I couldn''t do my best work if I was exhausted.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a nice morning, just you and me! How about after breakfast, we go and take a walk by the river? That¡¯s always fun!¡± Michelle suggested.


    ¡°That sounds lovely, Michelle.¡± I nodded, knowing that she was right, and that I needed a break from the ceaseless job-hunting, as well as a little relaxation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about meeting Mrs. Hudson, father says that she¡¯s perfectly lovely!¡±


    ¡°And what about Sir Locke himself?¡±


    ¡°He says that he¡¯s a bit odd, but not a bad person, or anything¡­just odd.¡±


    ¡°Odd how?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t go into details, and I¡¯ve only met him very briefly.¡± Michelle shrugged, then headed for the door, ¡°Anyways, breakfast has been ready for some time, so come on downstairs before it gets cold!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± I hopped up from my the bed and followed her.


    We ate, talking and laughing together as we did. Then I helped her clean the house until it was lunch time, and then we ate again, changed into our nicest dresses, and went out for a promenade along the river. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and that did a lot to raise my spirits.


    Finally, we made our way to 221 Cooke street. It would have been a leisurely walk, out there in the sunshine, but the anxiety in my stomach grew stronger and stronger as we grew closer. When we arrived, my hand shook as I knocked on the door.


    A kindly looking elderly woman answered. She reminded me just a bit of Mrs. Wills, the cook from my last job, but on the thinner side, and hopefully less inclined to whacking someone with a wooden spoon when they made an honest mistake.


    ¡°Mrs. Hudson?¡± Michelle asked when I didn¡¯t say anything, and could only give an apprehensive little squeak.


    She nodded, smiling warmly. ¡°Yes? Are you perhaps Ms. Watson and Ms. Stemford?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Michelle Stemford, and this is Joan Watson.¡± Michelle introduced us.


    Finally, I was able to regain my senses, and speak intelligently once more. I curtsied, remembering my manners,  ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hudson.¡±


    ¡°Do come in, girls!¡± The kind old maid stepped to the side to allow us entry.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am!¡± Michelle said cheerfully, ¡°But I only came to show Joan the way here. I¡¯ll just go on home! See you later, Joan!¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡± I said, surprised that she was going to leave me there.


    My friend mouthed ¡®good luck¡¯ to me as she turned and headed off again, smiling.


    ¡°Well, do come in!¡± Mrs. Hudson motioned for me to enter.


    I cringed, not wanting to seem like I couldn¡¯t follow directions, and finally hurried into the house. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± I stammered, a little nervous.


    I walked through a small front hall area. There was a door to the left, which opened into what appeared to be a proper-looking parlor. Directly in front of me, there was a set of stairs, which led to the upper levels of the house. Alongside the stairwell, there was a hallway that I guessed probably led to the servants¡¯ quarters, and directly to my right, there was a door to the kitchen. That¡¯s where Mrs. Hudson led me.


    Altogether, it appeared to be a very nice home, perhaps a little dim, but certainly very nice. I nervously looked around at the cozy kitchen I¡¯d stepped into. ¡°W-will I be s-seeing Sir Locke for an interview?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, dear, he¡¯s far too busy to deal with the likes of you and me, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Mrs. Hudson laughed, ¡°I love the dear boy, but he is dreadfully busy sometimes, so I¡¯ll be the one conducting your interview.¡± The housekeeper smiled kindly at me.


    ¡°Oh, alright!¡± I immediately relaxed, glad that I wouldn¡¯t have to be questioned by someone knighted by the King. That would have been extremely intimidating. I¡¯d probably have melted into a puddle on the floor, much less been able to speak in coherent sentences.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Much to my surprise, Mrs. Hudson made me comfortable at the small, round table in the corner of the room, just behind where the door to the front hall opened, and treated me to a very splendid tea.


    ¡°So, how do you know Mr. Stemford?¡± she asked me, once we were settled.


    ¡°I grew up knowing him as Uncle Mike, actually. He was in the military with my father, and I¡¯ve known him all my life. He¡¯s been helping me out until I can get back on my feet.¡±


    ¡°Back on your feet?¡±


    ¡°As you know, I¡¯m in between jobs, the last one was as a maid right after I was discharged from my posting in the royal military.¡±


    ¡°A woman in the military?¡± she sounded shocked.


    ¡°Not fighting, thank goodness,¡± I clarified, ¡°I don¡¯t have the stomach for that, mostly because I¡¯m a fully trained healer.¡± I paused, then amended, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a doctor. I did earn the title. I¡­I ought to use it. I¡¯m entitled to it.¡± It was perhaps the thing I was most proud of about myself. The privilege to be called doctor was something I¡¯d fought hard for.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a doctor?! How splendid! I should be calling you Dr. Watson!¡± She seemed delighted.


    ¡°While I do like the sound of that, Joan is perfectly suitable, Mrs. Hudson.¡± I laughed, deciding that I liked her, and suddenly feeling very much at ease. ¡°So, what questions do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think that such a qualified young lady as yourself doesn¡¯t even need any questions asked! I think the only one I really have is how an educated woman such as yourself came to be jobless?¡±


    I grimaced, looking away as I admitted, ¡°They fired me because I dropped a soup tureen.¡± I hesitated, then decided being totally honest was the best course of action, and added, ¡°I mean, I¡¯d done some other clumsy things like that, on accident¡­but that was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, I fear.¡± I shifted a little uncomfortably, and absentmindedly scratched at my back, thinking about how it had been my back that had been hurt, rather than any camel¡¯s.


    ¡°They whip you, lass?¡± Mrs. Hudson asked in a quiet voice.


    I looked down at the cup of tea in my hands, ¡°Yes.¡± I murmured, feeling my face heat.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of on your part, dear.¡± She said in a kind, grandmotherly voice. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was my employer who did it, not the housekeeper, so I shall just steer clear of Sir Locke, and won¡¯t have any trouble like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Gabriel, that is, Sir Locke, would never beat you, lass. He may seem like he has a heart of stone, but he¡¯s a very fair employer, I promise.¡± She sighed, shaking her head.


    I was taken aback that she¡¯d called him by his first name, as if he might be her own son. ¡°Well, that does take a bit of pressure off of me.¡± Despite my surprise at how the housekeeper had such familiarity with her employer, it did comfort me to hear that he was fair, and wouldn''t beat me for mistakes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does!¡± Mrs. Hudson smiled at me. It was quiet for a little while as we sipped our tea, and I was a little nervous, as she seemed to be studying me thoughtfully. After a few moments, she spoke in a cheerful voice, ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯ll do well, Dr. Watson, my dear girl. I think that you should start here as soon as you possibly can move your things here.¡±


    My mouth popped open, and I quickly set down my teacup, lest I drop it and break it, like I had the tureen, as my hands were now shaking a little. ¡°Oh! Oh thank you!¡± I jumped to my feet, and shook her hand, pumping it up and down for probably too long, thanking her profusely before I finally thought to let go. ¡°If I leave now, I can be back here in time to help you with dinner, Mrs. Hudson, if that would suit you?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s fine, dear, but surely it¡¯ll take you longer than that to get all of your things here?¡± she sounded truly concerned.


    ¡°No ma¡¯am, I have very few things to bring with me, I¡¯m afraid. I don¡¯t take up much room, they didn¡¯t allow us to have many belongings in the military encampment, as there simply wasn¡¯t enough space.¡± I also had very few belongings because, before I¡¯d started in the government-sponsored medical program, I¡¯d been forced to sell a good many of my belongings in order to have money for food and to have a place to live. Anything worth any amount of value had been sold. The medical program I had joined was government-sponsored, my room and board had been provided for me, which had been a big draw for me, given it meant I wouldn''t have to worry about where I¡¯d live and what I would eat. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll be off! Thank you so much! Do tell Sir Locke thank you from me as well!¡±


    ¡°I reckon that I won¡¯t see him for some time, and I don¡¯t know if he will even remember that I¡¯ve still been looking for some extra help, on his behalf of course, because my knees and back have gotten worse, and I¡¯m planning on taking a very long holiday sometime in the next year or so¡­but not before you¡¯ve gotten used to our peculiar little schedule around here, of course. Not that it¡¯ll take you very long, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Will it be alright that you¡¯ve hired me?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Oh the dear boy will do anything I tell him, as far as taking care of the house goes. I¡¯m all he¡¯s got, aside from his brother, really, and his brother isn¡¯t a very good one, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then.¡± I smiled, heading for the door.


    ¡°Just pop back with your things, and I¡¯ll help you get situated, and give you a tour of the house, and a run through of what sort of things you¡¯ll do, it¡¯s all pretty basic stuff!¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± I nodded, bade her farewell, then left in very high spirits.


    --


    Mr. Stemford and Michelle were overjoyed when I went to collect my things. We had a small glass of celebratory wine, and a quick bite of cake. I hugged them many times, and promised to repay them for their kindness as soon as I could. Of course, they told me countless times that it was no bother, but I really was indebted to them.


    ¡°Well, I must be off, I told Mrs. Hudson that I would be back in time to help her with dinner, so I really must be going!¡±


    ¡°Do behave yourself, Joan!¡± Michelle laughed, hugging me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly try!¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Take care, Joan, dear lass, and if you need anything don¡¯t hesitate to stop by, we¡¯re always here for you, and you¡¯re always welcome in our home! And do come visit occasionally, we¡¯ll be terribly lonely without you now, I should think!¡± Uncle Mike told me, hugging me as well.


    ¡°Bye!¡± I left, and took a deep breath as I rather jumped down the stairs, filled with a new sense of opportunity, excited about getting the chance to start anew.


    I walked quickly, clutching my small bag of things, happy.


    Unfortunately, I had to pass through a rather unsavory part of town before I could get to the other respectable section of town, where Cooke Street was located.


    A rather sullen group of men leered dangerously at me from an alley. I quickened my pace as best as I could, my happy feeling suddenly fading. This excitement would be pointless if I died before I even got back to Mrs. Hudson.


    One of them catcalled at me, as they exited the alley in a group, congregating behind me as I hurried by.


    Given my leg, running wasn¡¯t exactly my best option. And I didn¡¯t want to have to use my magic to protect myself, but I would if I had to¡­but only if it was absolutely, positively necessary, and there was no other way out of the situation.


    Suddenly, a stooping, wizened priest appeared by my side, as if from nowhere. ¡°Oh dear lass, I was just wondering when you would be stopping by!¡± The elderly man linked his arm through my own, as if we were old friends.


    I was about to protest to this stranger that he ought to let me go, the group of frightening men following behind me hanging heavily in my mind, when I saw the flash of intelligent eyes. They didn¡¯t quite fit the picture of senility that the priest presented, and realized that the old man wasn¡¯t quite so dottering as I¡¯d assumed. In fact, he was probably saving me a lot of trouble, and perhaps even my life. ¡°Do come inside!¡± he pulled me into some random building, and I realized that it was the smallest, most unkempt temple that I¡¯d ever seen.


    The old priest paused, glanced out the door, and then shut it behind us, saying,  ¡°Now, I believe the present danger has passed. The streets are not as safe as they used to be, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, sir¡­But pray, how did you know that I was in trouble?¡±


    ¡°It took no great genius to see the situation.¡± the old man told me, ¡°Now be off, and be sure to hurry, it¡¯s getting late!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded, ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright.¡± He nodded, and shooed me from the temple.


    I glanced around outside as I left, and then basically ran, ignoring the pain in my leg, all the way to Cooke Street, arriving there rather out of breath.


    ¡°Oh dear, why are you so aflutter?¡± Mrs. Hudson asked when she answered the door and admitted me.


    ¡°I¡­it was getting late, later than I intended. The streets aren¡¯t always so safe.¡± I told her. This was the truth, but I didn¡¯t get into details. ¡°I¡¯m later than I meant to be, please forgive me!¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s no matter, we didn¡¯t agree on a specific time! Dinner won¡¯t be for another two hours or so, I should think, as we¡¯re used to eating fairly late, so there¡¯s plenty of time for me to show you everything I wanted to show you! Follow me, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Where are we headed, Mrs. Hudson?¡± I was incredibly comfortable around her, I found, which was a nice realization.


    ¡°Your room, dear.¡± She led me up the stairs, and stopped on the second floor, outside a door to what was undoubtedly a bedroom. She opened it, and walked in, motioning around, ¡°Here we are.¡±


    ¡°Oh this is lovely!¡± I gasped, surprised that such a room would be mine. ¡°This surely isn¡¯t any servants¡¯ quarters, Mrs. Hudson, are you¡­are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to stay here?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly alright! Normally this would be the master bedroom, I daresay, but Sir Locke converted the upstairs room into a rather nice combination of a bedroom and study. That¡¯s where he prefers to stay¡­Anyways, this can be yours, I can¡¯t do the stairs too much anymore, and I¡¯m comfortable in the quarters that I have downstairs. Dear Gabriel had them converted from a very basic set of servants quarters to quite a comfortable little apartment for myself, connected right to the kitchen¡­He¡¯s a strange character, no doubt, but he¡¯s fond of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, ma¡¯am.¡± I smiled. That was encouraging, that he had done so much to make sure his housekeeper was comfortable.


    She laughed, and then we went back downstairs, with a little help from me on Mrs. Hudson¡¯s part, as her knees were indeed bad. Once back in the kitchen, the kind old housekeeper then outlined my duties and pay. My duties consisted entirely of things that I¡¯d already done before, save for taking meals to my employer at set times, and my pay was a very fair wage for a housemaid, especially since I would have room and board provided. Given that I¡¯d live on-site, I¡¯d be able to save a good deal of my pay, which would be a very nice change of pace!


    Finally, I helped the kindly housekeeper prepare the evening meal.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one but you and me for dinner tonight, I¡¯m afraid. Sir Locke is out doing work all day, and won¡¯t be back until the early morning hours, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright. Dinner for two, that¡¯s cozy enough.¡± I smiled.


    It didn¡¯t take much work to do dinner, but it was good food, and Mrs. Hudson told me some of Sir Locke¡¯s favorite recipes, all of which sounded entirely exotic, oddly enough.


    ¡°Is Sir Locke not from Averah?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, no, but he¡¯s not a very talkative person.¡± Mrs. Hudson laughs.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That night, I retired to my new room, marveling at the fact that I even had my own lovely little washroom. I bathed in the enormous bathtub, and then tried out the bed, which was also enormous, and incredibly soft. It was a four-poster bed made of dark wood, and the covers were a creamy, unblemished white. Sighing contentedly, I slipped under the covers, and fell asleep almost immediately.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Does Sir Locke mind that we eat before him?¡± I asked as I readied a tray of breakfast food to take up to our employer. We¡¯d already eaten, which had been strange to me. At my last posting, we weren¡¯t permitted to eat until after the family was finished with their meal, and we¡¯d cleared it all away.


    ¡°No, of course not! The poor man wouldn¡¯t remember to eat if we didn¡¯t bring it up to him, so I doubt that he even notices that we eat before him, not that he would care.¡± Mrs. Hudson told me, shaking her head. ¡°Sometimes I worry for him¡­but it¡¯s no matter. Take his food on up, dear, it¡¯s ten o¡¯clock, and he¡¯s accustomed to getting breakfast around that time! And remember, knock three times, wait five minutes, and if he doesn¡¯t answer or come to the door, come back down because he¡¯s not going to answer if he hasn¡¯t after five minutes. You don¡¯t want to distract him, that would annoy him greatly, I think. Anyways, off you go!¡±


    The tray was a little heavy, but I managed to get all the way up to the third floor easily enough. Then I ran into the problem of how I was going to knock on the door, as the tray took both hands to carry. I started to panic, and made the swift, perhaps a little rash, decision that magic was necessary. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable¡­so surely it was okay.


    Pulling for my magic, I levitated the tray, and lifted one hand from it, keeping hold of it with the other, and knocked on the door three times, and then took hold of the tray with both hands once more, ceasing my magic use immediately.


    After a minute or so, the door opened.


    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± Sir Locke asked, blinking, clearly confused.


    My first impression of him was of a man of average height. He had a thin build that made him seem taller than he was. My employer¡¯s nose was thin, and slightly aquiline. Unkempt black hair paired well with a pair of sharp, dark eyes that betrayed a deep intelligence, though they were momentarily filled with slightly annoyed confusion. Something about his eyes seemed oddly familiar, although I couldn¡¯t place where I¡¯d seen them before.


    ¡°J-Joan Watson, s-sir, I¡¯m your new maid. Mrs. Hudson hired me to help out around the house.¡± I stammered, curtseying, a little intimidated by my new employer. That wasn¡¯t a surprise, though, I¡¯d expected to be intimidated.


    Sir Locke blinked, and then seemed to remember, ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. She did say something about possibly hiring someone new.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I nodded, trying to stop stammering, and held out the tray to him. ¡°Your breakfast, sir.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He said, looking down at it, but didn¡¯t take the proffered tray. Instead, he studied me thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°So, you were a healer in the king¡¯s army then, yes? The desert, specifically, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± I blinked, not sure how he knew that about me.


    ¡°You were a doctor, am I correct? A military doctor just returned from the desert a few months ago, two at most¡­lost the job you were able to get right out of your posting, which was as a maid as well¡­very interesting¡­But should I call you Dr. Watson then, eh?¡± A flash of amusement passed across his face.


    ¡°I-if you wish, sir.¡± I stammered, no clue how he knew all that.


    ¡°But am I right?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Your experience as a military doctor, and your last job?¡± he asked, clearly a little annoyed that he had to explain.


    ¡°What? Oh, yes sir¡­¡± I was thoroughly confused, and more than a little uncomfortable that he knew so much about me without having been told, as Mrs. Hudson had said, just that morning, she hadn¡¯t actually spoken to him in a few days. ¡°H-how do you know all that? I-I didn¡¯t think Mrs. Hudson had spoken to you recently¡­¡±


    ¡°The remnant of your tan couldn¡¯t be from anything else, no one goes to the desert for anything but military purposes, the government is very strict about that.¡± He explained, seeming pleased that I¡¯d asked. ¡°And your hands have the calluses of a doctor, as well as those of a maid. As to the knowledge of your recently lost job, I¡¯m familiar with how a whip-mark looks when scarred and healing, and I see just the tip of one creeping from beneath your collar on the back of your neck there. But how did you come to be whipped? There¡¯s no more slavery in Averah, at least, not by that actual name anymore, so you weren¡¯t technically a slave. That leaves the next best thing, which is a servant with a cruel master. Judging by your age, looks, size, and that you¡¯re working as a maid here now, I¡¯d say you were a maid in a well-to-do house in your last posting. I suspect from the limp that I discern in your bearing, that you¡¯re somewhat clumsy on your feet. A particularly hard-hearted master would grow almost immediately enraged if your lack of coordination caused accidents, which I¡¯m certain it did. There was finally one accident too many, and you were whipped and fired for it.¡±


    I shifted the tray uncomfortably, as it was getting very heavy. ¡°Er, yes sir¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± A surprised look had fluttered across his face as I shifted the tray. ¡°And¡­capable of magic too? Very interesting indeed¡­¡± He observed mildly.


    I felt the blood drain from my face, and my hands started to tremble. ¡°Wh-what, s-sir?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage, aren''t you?¡± Sir Locke said, setting the tray inside his room, out of sight.


    ¡°W-well, yes sir.¡± I stammered, not wanting to lie to him, as he had clearly figured my secret out somehow. ¡°How¡­how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my business to know things. But you¡¯re still young, I think.¡± He said, not answering my question and studying me with his piercing, thoughtful eyes. ¡°Still haven¡¯t quite stopped aging yet, and though you¡¯re around the age that human magic-users typically do, you look younger than you are, so you¡¯ll probably stop aging in a couple more years or so.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all of this about me?! I didn¡¯t tell Mrs. Hudson a-about my magic!¡± I asked, my voice trembling. What would happen now that he knew about me being able to use magic?!


    The man¡¯s voice took a somewhat calming tone, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid, after all, it takes one to know one. And I¡¯ve no doubt that Mrs. Hudson will welcome your magic. She welcomed mine, and I am her employer.¡±


    ¡°You can use magic too?¡± I asked, completely flabbergasted.


    ¡°Certainly, but I hide it well, better than you, I might add.¡± He tilted his head back and to the side a little, studying me.


    ¡°No one has ever figured that out about me before, especially not with just one look, sir.¡± I shook my head, not sure what to think anymore.


    Sir Locke shook his head, seeming amused. ¡°As I said, it takes one to know one, Dr. Watson. The tray you were carrying, you were fatigued from holding it for just a short while, among other things. Magicians are often used to levitating things instead of carrying them. And it would play into your skills as a doctor, able to use healing magic.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­I guess.¡± I said faintly, surprised that he¡¯d deduced my magic from such a subtle thing. Though it was true, I did try to levitate things when I could because why carry it if I could levitate it? I wondered what the other things were that he mentioned. And he¡¯d been right about the fact that I could use healing magic. I was a good doctor without it, but I was fantastic with it, since I could take away pain when no one else could.


    ¡°Now run along, I¡¯m busy.¡± He said briskly, disappearing into his study again.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I muttered before the door shut in front of me.


    Walking slowly back to the kitchen, I wondered how on earth I got so lucky as to land a job where my employer was a magic user himself as well, and so therefore was accepting of mine. Of course, he still seemed entirely odd, and entirely too intelligent, perhaps, but if that was the worst problem I encountered while working for Sir Locke, then I was very lucky. Too much intelligence was welcome to me after having lived amongst such ignorance for so long, although I suspected that it could be difficult to live with someone who could know almost anything about you from just a glance.


    Curious as to how Mrs. Hudson would take the information that I could use magic, I went back into the kitchen, making my mind up to tell her about it.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But Mrs. Hudson spoke first, with a little chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re as white as a sheet, Dr. Watson!¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, I¡¯m afraid so. But you can call me Joan, Mrs. Hudson.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! I¡¯m sure that the state of your nerves can be attributed to meeting Sir Locke. What did he learn of you in one glance?¡±


    ¡°That I was a doctor in the army in a camp that was in the desert¡­and¡­and that I can use magic.¡±


    Mrs. Hudson gasped, clapping her hands in delight. ¡°Oh, another mage? How unusual! How wonderful!¡± She pretended to lock her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear, your secret is safe with me! And indeed Sir Locke, he did tell you that he can use it as well, right?¡±


    ¡°H-he did.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m rather shocked, I must say.¡±


    ¡°I will admit, it¡¯s such a wondrous coincidence, and perhaps a little strange, to have two human magicians in such close proximity!¡± Mrs. Hudson said thoughtfully, then shook her head, ¡°But it¡¯s no matter! It just makes life easier on all of us, I should think. I know that Gabriel does tend to use his magic in his cases.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, Mr. Stemford did say that Sir Locke was some sort of policeman.¡± I said, curious about what my employer actually did.


    Mrs. Hudson laughed, ¡°He¡¯s a might bit more than that! He¡¯s the finest private detective I have ever seen in my entire life!¡±


    ¡°Private detective?¡± I was taken aback, but then things fell into place a little better in my mind. ¡°I suppose that explains his deductions about me, then¡­he was very accurate, after all.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The boy doesn¡¯t miss a thing!¡± she said fondly, but then sighed and shook her head, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t see much of him to further test his abilities, aside from showing clients up to him, and taking him meals¡­¡±


    ¡°Clients?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, and occasionally the Inspector, as he constantly needs dear Sir Locke¡¯s help with cases that are particularly difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°What kinds of clients does Sir Locke have?¡±


    ¡°All kinds, some rich, some poor, some average. They all come with their own little mysteries, and Gabriel decides whether or not he wants to take on their problems or not. Although he has been doing more and more work with the Inspector as of late, apparently there¡¯s been a rise in difficult cases¡­or maybe the Inspector has just realized that it¡¯s better to have a case solved by Sir Locke than to let it sit unsolved by his own police work¡­Gabriel does always call them incompetent, but he shouldn¡¯t be so mean about it, they simply can¡¯t see everything that he does.¡± Mrs. Hudson confided in me.


    ¡°I see.¡± I said.


    The doorbell rang, making me jump up, as it was part of my duties to answer the door. Running to the front hallway, I took a deep breath, and opened the door. The sight of an inspector in a long brown coat met my eyes. ¡°Can I help you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs. Hudson?¡± the inspector asked, looking confused. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Sir Locke hired me to help Mrs. Hudson with the house. I¡¯m Joan Watson, sir. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± the inspector blinked. ¡°I need to see your employer, Ms. Watson, if you¡¯ll let us in.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I stepped aside and let him enter. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Sir Locke that someone needs to see him, whom shall I say is calling?¡±


    ¡°Inspector L¡¯Strade.¡± The inspector said, sounding impatient.


    ¡°Wait here, sir.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Inspector L¡¯Strade said, waving his hand edgily.


    I hurried to the top floor, and knocked on Sir Locke¡¯s door. ¡°Enter.¡± I heard him call. I went in. The study was cozy, but a little cluttered, ¡°What is it?¡± he demanded, sounding annoyed.


    I rather quailed, ¡°S-sorry to bother you, sir, but there¡¯s an Inspector L¡¯Strade to see you.¡±


    ¡°Show him up immediately¡­and next time he comes, doctor, please show him up immediately, he¡¯s rather used to showing up unannounced at peculiar times.¡± he¡¯d called me doctor without a hint of irony, which I appreciated.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I curtsied, and scurried off to show the Inspector up, finding myself back outside his door not a minute later, knocking once more.


    The door immediately popped open. ¡°Inspector, do come in. I see you¡¯ve met Dr. Watson.¡±


    ¡°Doctor?¡± L¡¯Strade looked at me, confused, as he walked into Sir Locke¡¯s study.


    ¡°Yes, doctor.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a doctor? Awfully young¡­¡±


    ¡°One must take what one can get, when it comes to good domestic help.¡± I heard him say as the door to the study swung shut.


    That¡¯s all I was, domestic help. Sure, being a doctor was great, and I was proud of it, but what good was my training if I never got to use it? After slowly descending the stairs, I started sweeping the front hall. This led to me getting rather pushed out of the way, sending my broom crashing to the ground, as Sir Locke and Inspector L¡¯Strade bolted down the stairs, the former looking excited, and the latter determined, and perhaps a little weary. ¡°Don¡¯t get underfoot, Watson!¡± Sir Locke cried as he all but flew out the door.


    L¡¯Strade tipped his hat to me, and then followed behind the detective without another word.


    ¡°S-sorry, sirs!¡± I sighed, but inwardly was feeling rather hassled. After a moment, I retrieved my broom from where it lay, and started over with my sweeping with a little sigh, as their running through had ruined the work I¡¯d done. It was no matter.


    But suddenly, the door opened again, and Sir Locke¡¯s mild voice addressed me. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor.¡±


    I jumped, startled at the reappearance, ¡°What? O-oh, yes sir.¡±


    ¡°You worked the medical tents?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s typically where they had need of me.¡± I told him, somewhat dryly, not sure what he was getting at.


    ¡°Diagnosing injuries and illnesses?¡± he wanted to know.


    I was thoroughly confused, ¡°That¡¯s typically what healers and doctors do, yes. There was even the odd occasion we were actually able to treat our patients.¡± Sarcasm slipped once more into my voice, as I was a little annoyed. He had a case to work on, why was he bothering me?


    ¡°Were you any good?¡±


    ¡°I was the top of my class.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Getting good grades on a test is one thing, fieldwork is another entirely.¡±


    I set aside the broom and crossed my arms, feeling somewhat defensive. ¡°I¡¯m a mage, sir. I could use magic to not only determine what was wrong with my patients, but I could usually get them healed much more quickly than any of the other healers. I was very good at what I did, sir.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention headstrong and fiery, not something exactly befitting of a maid.¡± He said without batting an eye, I felt a little guilty upon him pointing this out, as he was right, proper maids did their work without question, and never talked the way that I did to employers. It was just so difficult to hold my tongue. One moment I was basically running the camp¡¯s medical tent, the next I was scrubbing floors...Then again, my position didn¡¯t define me. Just because I was a maid didn¡¯t mean that I had to completely bow to what society expected of me. I was still a human being with thoughts and emotions too. ¡°Were you made the head healer?¡± he wanted to know.


    I looked down, ¡°No. They would never allow a woman to be the head healer, though not for lack of trying on my part. The man who was the head healer died because of his own stubbornness, he wouldn''t let me help when I could have healed him. I should have had the position after him, but of course not. Then I broke my leg, and they decided that the limp that remained from it was enough to give me a medical discharge. They hadn¡¯t even wanted to let me in as a doctor to begin with, and saw me as a troublemaker, since I had dared to question what they saw as the order of things.¡±


    ¡°And here you are now, working as a maid¡­¡± my employer said, eyes narrowed a little. Then he shook himself, ¡°Leave the broom, Watson, and come along. I need the assistance of a doctor since there is a body to be examined.¡±


    ¡°Go with you, sir?¡± I blinked, completely surprised.


    ¡°Yes, come along.¡± Sir Locke said, motioning for me to follow him out the door. When I didn¡¯t move, he sighed impatiently, ¡°Quickly now, Watson!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir¡­but Mrs. Hudson¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been running this house alone for longer than you¡¯ve been alive, doctor, do come along, you¡¯re holding us up!¡± the detective exclaimed, clearly impatient. Taking off my apron, I grabbed my coat and hat, and went out the door. ¡°L¡¯Strade went on ahead of us.¡± He explained as he flagged down a passing horse-drawn cab. ¡°Climb in.¡± I obeyed without question, suddenly a little excited to be going out and doing something to help with a private detective¡¯s case.


    ¡°Where are we going, sir?¡± I asked, once he was in the carriage.


    ¡°To a crime scene.¡± He said looking out the window as we raced through the streets


    That wasn¡¯t quite what I meant, but something told me that it was the most information I was going to get from him about location. ¡°What kind of crime?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A suspected murder, if you must know.¡±


    ¡°That was my guess.¡± I shrugged, ¡°You did say there was a body to be examined.¡±


    ¡°Quite. I trust that seeing a corpse will not cause you great distress?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, sir. I¡¯ve seen enough death to last a lifetime.¡± I told him, feeling somewhat grim at the admission.


    ¡°And yet here we are, in a carriage, racing to see more.¡± He commented, waving a somewhat languid hand at our surroundings.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say the amount I¡¯d seen was enough to last the lifetime of a human magician. My life will be long, so I can handle more death than the average person.¡± I sighed. ¡°Besides, I''m a doctor, it comes with the territory, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°While I do find your logic impressively faulty, I do not feel compelled to argue with it.¡± was his quiet reply, a ghost of a smile seemed to hang about his otherwise expressionless face.


    ¡°You have my immense gratitude, sir.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Are you always this cynical?¡±


    ¡°I do, occasionally, find myself moved to brilliant cynicism, when the mood strikes.¡± I told him sarcastically. I wasn¡¯t typically such a sarcastic person, actually, but it did sometimes happen.


    My reply was rewarded with a brief smile, though he didn¡¯t speak. It was clear to me that his features were unused to smiling, and were far more accustomed to neutrality.

 Chapter 4

    We arrived at our destination, and Sir Locke got out, and I heard him request for the cabbie to wait with me in the carriage until he returned, promising him double the fare for the job if he did. So I stayed in the carriage, smiling a little as I¡¯d heard him call me his associate, instead of just his maid, and watched out the window as he went into the barracks.


    I sat there, people watching for a while. It was mostly soldiers and other military people and such, but there were a few families that met their sons, and then headed out. Suddenly, I saw someone who appeared to be a soldier, but in normal civilian clothing, walk quickly out of the barracks, and then pace outside, this way and that, acting extremely suspiciously. After not five minutes of him pacing back and forth, I saw him look around, then casually walk away, and hide in the shadows just to the side of the door as Sir Locke exited. Thinking that this behavior was odd, I climbed out of the carriage to meet my employer.


    Sir Locke tipped his hat at me, ¡°Dr. Watson.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know if this is relevant, but that young man, just in the shadows of the door over there, has been behaving awfully suspiciously after you went in.¡± I told him, nodding in the young man¡¯s direction.


    Apparently, the young man had apparently seen the tip of my head in his direction, and bolted. Sir Locke immediately shot off, dashing away more quickly than I could have guessed him capable of. I ran after him as quickly as I could, lifting my skirts so that I could run more easily after him through the streets, though that ended quickly, on my part, as my old injury started acting up. But thankfully, I soon saw Sir Locke carting the young man back, frog marching him back to the carriage.


    Out of breath and limping dreadfully, I trailed along, and we all climbed into the carriage, the young man protesting and squirming all the while, saying, ¡°I ain¡¯t done nothing!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t! And that remains to be seen.¡± Sir Locke said as he forced the young man, who looked maybe two years my junior, into the carriage. I sat across from them, and watched how Sir Locke conducted himself, now that he had someone suspicious in his custody.


    The young man fell into a sulking silence as we made our way back to Cooke Street. Sir Locke all but hauled the young man into his home, but then let go of his arm once the door was shut, and safely locked, behind us. ¡°Now doctor,¡± he said to me, heading towards the stairs, ¡°would you bring tea up for this young man here? And some coffee for me?¡±


    ¡°And perhaps some biscuits or cake?¡± I asked, taking off my hat and coat and hanging them on their respective pegs.


    Sir Locke nodded approvingly, ¡°I think that¡¯s in order.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up right away, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said. The young man, who was now oddly quiet and behaved, simply looked dumbfounded as Sir Locke led him up to his study, apparently not having expected to be treated with such kindness.


    Mrs. Hudson and I quickly got the tea and coffee ready, as well as both biscuits and cakes, and I took the snacks upstairs on a tray, not bothering to knock before I went in. It was pretty messy, but I realized that it was a comfortable sort of messy that came from being a place that was well lived in.


    The desk was littered with various papers and containers, as well as a couple of tables full of scientific equipment, and there was even a skull on the mantelpiece, which I made a mental note to get rid of, lest he scare any clients off.


    There was a door on the far end of the room, which I assumed led to his personal quarters, although a folded blanket and some pillows on a sofa led me to believe that it was often used as a bed as well. The young man was sitting on one of the couches, a low coffee table in front of him, with the other sofa on the opposing side, and one armchair flanking both their sides. ¡°Tea and coffee, as you requested. I wasn¡¯t sure which you preferred, so I brought biscuits and cake for the both of you.¡± Sir Locke was standing in front of one of two large windows that both opened up onto a balcony that overlooked Cooke Street. Indeed, his thin, straight figure cut a rather fine, dashing image against the light that streamed brightly in from the window, but only for a split second, because he quickly turned and was suddenly himself again, the strange private detective who was my employer. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± I said.


    ¡°Stay, Watson, you might be needed.¡± was his quick reply.


    ¡°Oh, yes sir.¡± I blinked, and then sat down in one of the armchairs.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Sir Locke said, coming and sitting on the couch next to the chair I was occupying. The detective motioned at the tea tray that I¡¯d brought up, sighing exasperatedly, ¡°Come, come, have tea or coffee, both of you. If I¡¯m going to try to be cordial, you might as well at least attempt to benefit from it in some way!¡±


    His comment amused me, and I stood, ¡°I¡¯ll pour it, after all, I am your maid, sir. Tea?¡± I asked the young man.


    ¡°Yes, miss.¡± He nodded, now seeming a little befuddled at the situation in which he found himself, though a little more relaxed than he had been previously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with your name.¡± Sir Locke said as I poured the tea and handed it to the young man.


    ¡°Thomas Letter.¡± Thomas replied.


    ¡°Well, Thomas Letter, you have a secret, I can see that much. So out with it.¡± He accepted the cup of coffee that I¡¯d poured for him, and I noticed that his fingers were rough with callous, and the thought occurred to me that he probably hadn¡¯t always been a detective. I poured myself a cup of tea, and sat quietly in my seat, wanting to observe the exchange that was playing out in front of me, and hoping that I wouldn¡¯t somehow make myself a nuisance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a secret.¡± Thomas said stubbornly.


    ¡°Of course you do. Everyone does.¡± Sir Locke said, raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Even you?¡± the young Mr. Letters countered.


    Sir Locke only smiled a little, and replied, ¡°If I did, it would be a sinister one, I can assure you. At any rate, if you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll be forced to figure it out without your help.¡± He sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s see, you have two dogs. Small ones, I should think¡­and that you were stationed in the desert, like the good Doctor here. You have a little sister, who doesn¡¯t approve of the woman that you¡¯re currently seeing, your father died when you were seven from consumption, you¡¯re currently living on Green Street right next to the bakery that you¡¯re working at, though you¡¯re considering going to work in the coal mines because that¡¯s better pay, though your mother doesn¡¯t want you to because it¡¯s dangerous, and-¡°


    Thomas interrupted with a cry, ¡°Fine, fine! I¡¯ll answer your questions!¡±


    ¡°What caused your old squad mate, Alexander Weatherbee, to get himself killed with Sand Tribe poison here in Averah rather than in the desert?¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The young man sighed, his shoulders wilting a little. ¡°I guess since someone died¡­¡±


    ¡°His family deserves to know what happened to him, Thomas.¡± I said quietly.


    Thomas nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡­well, I don¡¯t know how to start. We¡¯re taught loyalty to our country, in the army¡­but after everything that I¡¯ve seen, being loyal to this country seems like the last thing that I should do, or could do.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Sir Locke asked, sounding interested.


    ¡°Well, Weatherbee and I were in the same squad, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and now that he¡¯s died, you no longer are.¡± Sir Locke said in a long-suffering sort of tone.


    ¡°No, I mean, yes, I was there visiting my army friends today, but not because I¡¯m still in the army myself. I was relieved of duty early, not quite a dishonorable discharge, but it was communicated to me that it was as good as one.¡±


    ¡°What did you get kicked out for?¡±


    Thomas was quiet for a little while. ¡°You see, we were holed up in a deserted Sand Tribe camp that we¡¯d raided one very, very dark night out there in the scorching desert.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sir Locke asked quietly.


    ¡°Some Sand Tribe warriors found us and attacked, and we fought back, as is natural.¡± He paused, ¡°We drove ¡®em back, but one of them was wounded, and couldn¡¯t get away, so we took him prisoner.¡± Thomas was quiet again, as if his words were weighing heavily in his mind. ¡°We had lost many of our own men¡­Our commanding officer kind of snapped, and¡­and decided that we were going to¡­to get information from him. And when he didn¡¯t talk when we used the typical interrogation methods, he turned to¡­to¡­¡±


    ¡°Unconventional methods of investigation?¡± Sir Locke asked, his face was grave, and seemingly sent in stone, the lines that had appeared on his forehead aging him a little. The thought that Sir Locke looked too old to be actually a human magician, suddenly fluttered to my mind at a most inconvenient moment, as my employer looked perhaps thirty, which was older than when human magicians typically stopped aging.


    Thomas¡¯ voice drew me away from my completely irrelevant thoughts, ¡°Yes¡­it was torture, sir. I¡­I am ashamed to say that I¡­I did as I was told¡­but Alex, he was the only one who didn¡¯t. He refused to take part. Our officer in command wasn¡¯t too happy about that, put him on latrine duty until the end of his career, basically, for disobeying orders¡­but Alex had the right idea¡­I wish I¡¯d been half the man that he was, and not taken part.¡±


    ¡°So why did Weatherbee have to die?¡± Sir Locke asked.


    Thomas shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I don¡¯t have any proof that it was our CO that killed him, but¡­but he took the poison that our prisoner had, as a bit of a souvenir, after the prisoner died¡­Anyways, just before I was relieved of duty, Alex pulled me aside one night, while everyone else was at the mess hall, and told me that he was no better than the rest of us, and that because he was silent about what we¡¯d done, it made him just as guilty as if he¡¯d taken part in the torture as well¡­because all it takes for evil men to prevail is for a good man to do nothing, which is how he put it¡­Somehow or another, someone else found out that Alex was planning on reporting our entire squad to the military police, to have them brought up on charges of cruelty towards a prisoner or war, and that I was going to act as a witness because I felt so bad about it, and not two weeks later, I get kicked out, and Weatherbee is dead.¡±


    ¡°A conspiracy, how intriguing.¡± Sir Locke said after a few moments of thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit more than that, sir.¡± I said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s conspiracy to murder. How many of your former squad mates were involved?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Thomas shook his head, ¡°But I would reckon that none of them would be able to kill anyone that they knew¡­except for Captain Miller¡­he¡¯s cruel enough. He was in charge of our unit, and was the one that tortured the prisoner to his death. He could have killed Alex on his own¡­and he¡¯s the one that had the poison.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a case solved.¡± Sir Locke said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°It solves nothing, Sir Locke, Alexander Weatherbee¡¯s murderer is still free.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Oh I know that. I¡¯m going to send a message to my brother, he¡¯s in a position that he would be able to interfere where the police can¡¯t, you see, given that it involves the military. In the meantime, Doctor, I want you to send a message to the Inspector, communicating what we¡¯ve discovered, he¡¯ll be glad to hear that there really are no Sand Tribe warriors infiltrating the city.¡±


    ¡°The police?¡± Thomas said, tensing, suddenly afraid.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be in trouble. In fact, you¡¯re free to go.¡± Sir Locke said, standing and opening the door for him.


    ¡°I am?¡± The young man seemed flabbergasted.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost a friend, I think that¡¯s punishment enough.¡± Sir Locke said in a quiet voice. Mrs. Hudson had been right, he did have a heart after all¡­it was refreshing to see.


    Looking considerably relieved, Thomas stood just inside the door, looking back at Sir Locke and myself, ¡°I¡­I think I¡¯m going to go see Mrs. Weatherbee, and tell her what happened, apologize for this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one who killed him.¡± I said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°It feels like it sometimes.¡± The young soldier said in a strangled voice, looking a little haunted as he turned and left.


    Sir Locke stood at the open door for a few more moments. Then he closed it quietly, and took the spot that Thomas had so recently vacated.


    ¡°You do have a heart, sir.¡± I said softly, noting that he seemed almost sad.


    My employer didn¡¯t bat an eye, but retorted with ¡°Well of course, if I hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be alive.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him, but couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°As a doctor, I¡¯m well aware of that, but you know what I meant.¡±


    His face settled in a frown, ¡°Whoever said I hadn¡¯t one?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hudson said that some people would say you didn¡¯t have one, but you do. I think she¡¯s probably right.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You struggle with people, that much I¡¯m certain of, but you wouldn¡¯t help solve crimes if you didn¡¯t at least care a little about people.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s to say I don¡¯t just like the challenge in solving a good mystery?¡± he asked, sounding a little weary. ¡°I live on the excitement. My mind stagnates with boredom¡­¡±


    Something in me was disappointed by his response, that he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to admit that he cared about people. I¡¯d seen his concern for humanity written in his face, but he couldn¡¯t admit it that he did, for whatever reason. Perhaps he saw caring as a weakness


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if caring for people is a bad thing, sir.¡± I told him, shaking my head a little at him.


    ¡°Then we differ on that opinion. Sentiment is a weakness, clouds your judgment¡­impedes logic.¡± The detective¡¯s tone was somewhat cold.


    I was a little taken aback by his response. ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose everyday to have my judgment clouded every day, as well as my logic impeded, as long as it means that I get to care about people.¡±


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t expect you to agree with me on every point and condition, you are a woman, after all.¡± His tone was sarcastic, but a little sharp, and certainly degrading.


    I stood quickly, angered by this comment. I was typically slow to anger, but he had touched a rather raw nerve. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t need me on any more cases, then, since my judgment is clouded and logic impeded because I am a woman. I¡¯ll just go and play maid while dreaming of being allowed to practice as an actual doctor someday, if it suits you, sir.¡± I snapped, and then headed towards the door as a flash of surprise passed over his face.


    Sir Locke jumped to his feet. ¡°Watson-¡± I could almost hear an apology in his voice. Almost.


    I whirled about, facing him, angry. ¡°Oh go on, mock me, everyone else has. I¡¯ve proven myself time and time again, but you all still mock me!¡± I cried, tears coming to my eyes. Then I stormed from the room, still angry, and went to my room, threw myself on the bed and sulked, because I was a grown woman, and doing so was my choice. It was perhaps a childish choice, but I didn¡¯t care at that moment.


    After a while, I ran myself a hot bath, then soaked in it and cried a little more, but only a little because I was so used to such comments¡­I just hadn¡¯t been expecting it from him, as he¡¯d seemed almost forward thinking, calling me Dr. Watson and all of that, but I¡¯d touched a nerve for him, I suppose, though not purposely, and he had lashed out in a way that he knew would touch a nerve for me. That was rather cruel, but people did have the tendency to be cruel to one another for no reason in particular.


    After getting out of the bath, I put on my bathrobe and nightdress, and then lay down in my massive, comfortable bed, and fell fast asleep.

 Chapter 5

    Gabriel had never known a creature quite like her before. The young woman, Joan, was¡­kind of different. She was fiery, and had a sharp mind, but was also kind-hearted and taken to gentleness. It did seem a bit like a paradox, to him, that all of those things could be contained all in one person.


    The small maid turned in her sleep, sighing quietly. Gabriel knew it was probably creepy of him to be standing in her doorway as she slept, just watching, but he couldn''t help himself. He was devilishly curious, and she was irritatingly interesting.


    Most people simply annoyed him, but Joan didn¡¯t seem to. At least, not as much as everyone else did. He got frustrated that she didn¡¯t seem to see things properly, as he did, but that was only normal. Perhaps he didn¡¯t mind her as much because she could use magic as well, and that contributed to a sort of unspoken understanding.


    But would that be true with any human magician other than Joan, and himself? Something deep inside of him said that Joan was a gem, regardless of if she was a mage or not. The way she had grown so quickly comfortable with him, that very first day she¡¯d been in his employment, how her eyes flashed when she was angry, and the fact that she hadn¡¯t hesitated to give him a piece of her mind made him certain of it.


    Besides, Gabriel¡¯s people didn¡¯t typically get along very well with any humans, even the mages among them. He smiled a little, wondering what reaction that his resident doctor would have if she could see through his disguise. Laughing quietly to himself, he closed her door silently, then made his way down to the kitchen.


    ¡°Gabriel, dear boy, you aren¡¯t working?¡± Mrs. Hudson wanted to know as she made dinner.


    Gabriel amended his thoughts about not getting along with most humans, Mrs. Hudson was another exception, as they got along quite well, and he didn¡¯t want to imagine life without his trusted housekeeper.


    ¡°I just finished my case. I¡¯ve already told Myles and L¡¯Strade all of my information, and several arrests are going to be made.¡± he paused, thinking of his small companion who was slumbering peacefully. ¡°Oh, and Joan is having a bit of an early night, so I suspect that she won¡¯t be down for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is she not feeling well?¡± Mrs. Hudson asked, immediately worried.


    ¡°As to that, I cannot say, but perhaps she is just tired from all of today¡¯s activities¡­and I may have upset her with some¡­¡± Gabriel stopped, trying to gather his thoughts, ¡°slightly rash words on my part.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what am I to do with you? You really ought to learn how to properly treat your friends.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my friend. She¡¯s the resident doctor and maid.¡± He retorted.


    ¡°Gabriel Locke, if I hear you say that again, I¡¯ll be resigning on the spot!¡± she said severely, shaking a wooden spoon at him threateningly.


    ¡°Dear Mrs. Hudson, don¡¯t do that! The words will never pass my lips again.¡± He promised apologetically, as a strangely frantic feeling had risen in him at the thought of Mrs. Hudson leaving her job. The housekeeper was a fixture in his life.


    ¡°But that¡¯s exactly the kind of thing I¡¯m talking about! Upsetting poor Joan, indeed! She¡¯s put up with your shenanigans so very well, which is far more than most people do. Now, you must apologize to her as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Contrary to popular belief, the thought had already crossed my mind.¡± Gabriel said mildly, sitting down at the table and leaning back in the chair. ¡°In fact, I went down to apologize, and that¡¯s how I found that she was asleep already.¡±


    Mrs. Hudson smiled a little, ¡°Then you¡¯re already doing far better than when you first hired me.¡±


    ¡°I should hope. I¡¯ve known you for what, thirty years now?¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t aged a day, it¡¯s all that magic in you!¡± Mrs. Hudson laughed. ¡°My husband was still alive when I first started working for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that who that fellow was?¡± Gabriel feigned ignorance, and smiled when he was rewarded with a laugh from his beloved housekeeper.


    ¡°You can be funny, sometimes, dear boy!¡±


    ¡°I do try. Even my limited sense of humor can make jokes, from time to time.¡± He sighed, picking absentmindedly at his fingers, ¡°But you were right, the magic keeps me from aging.¡±


    ¡°Like the elves, I should think.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Joan hasn¡¯t quite stopped aging yet though.¡± he said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Mrs. Hudson said absentmindedly, a dreamy expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve heard wonderful tales about the fair folk¡­¡±


    ¡°Elves are just a myth, Mrs. Hudson, you know that.¡± Gabriel said, perhaps too quickly.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t say that, I can dream, can¡¯t I?¡± she laughed.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± the detective sighed.


    --


    Sir Locke was in the kitchen when I went down to help Mrs. Hudson with breakfast. Ignoring him, as I hadn¡¯t forgotten his rudeness the day before, I immediately started to help the housekeeper prepare the food.


    ¡°Watson.¡± He said, while my back was to him.


    ¡°Sir.¡± I replied, a little coldly.


    ¡°Did you see the paper this morning? My brother made sure that L¡¯Strade was able to arrest all the responsible parties, which included some rather high-ranking military men.¡± he told me.


    ¡°Good.¡± was my terse reply, though I was glad to hear that justice had been done, as I peeled apples to be fried.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± he asked after a moment.


    ¡°I am certainly capable of talking, and it would seem that you are too, so yes, it does appear that the both of us can, indeed, talk.¡± I snapped, my back still turned.


    Mrs. Hudson stifled a chuckle.


    ¡°You know what I meant.¡± I could hear the scowl on his face, but there was perhaps a hint of amusement there as well. ¡°Come to the parlor while Mrs. Hudson finishes breakfast.¡± When I didn¡¯t move to immediately follow him, as he walked to the door, I heard him pause, ¡°Please?¡±


    What little self-restraint I had snapped, and I whirled about, hands planted firmly on my hips, facing him, feeling my face burning with anger. ¡°If you mean to apologize to me for your words last night, then you can do it here, in front of Mrs. Hudson, she¡¯s a woman too, after all.¡±


    Sir Locke¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly, and I immediately knew that my anger had surprised him. He was quiet for a few moments, before speaking again. ¡°I am sorry for my comment. It was callous and¡­¡± he seemed to be thinking for a word.


    ¡°Sexist?¡± I offered, now crossing my arms, shifting my weight to one foot, and raising my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°I was going to go with unkind¡­but yes, that¡¯s a perfectly good word too¡­have any others?¡±


    I blinked, a little surprised. ¡°Rude, pigheaded, typical, insensitive, obtuse, offensive, discourteous, impolite, disrespectful, and ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Any others?¡± he wanted to know.


    I thought a moment longer, ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve gotten for now, but if I start spouting other words for how rude you were later, that¡¯s all I¡¯m doing, continuing my list.¡±


    ¡°Now, will you still come to the parlor?¡± he asked, politely, his hands clasped behind his back, now the very picture of courtesy.


    ¡°Why would I need to?¡± I asked, confused, ¡°You¡¯ve already apologized¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, a client contacted me early in the morning about another potential case.¡±


    ¡°So soon, sir?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Crime doesn¡¯t sleep.¡± He said somewhat wearily.


    ¡°But why do we have to go to the parlor?¡± I was still confused.


    ¡°To wait for the client, Watson.¡± he said in a long-suffering tone.


    ¡°Oh, alright, then.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Breakfast in the parlor while we wait, would be lovely, Mrs. Hudson.¡± The detective said before leaving.


    ¡°Alright, dear!¡± she said cheerfully as the door swung shut behind us.


    We went into the parlor. ¡°Please sit.¡± He motioned at the couch, so I sat. He started to turn away, but then quickly faced me once more. ¡°Are you comfortable?¡± he seemed a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I frowned, ¡°Perfectly fine, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He said, and then sat down in the seat across the coffee table from me. ¡°Out of all the descriptive words you had, I must say that I take issue with only one.¡±


    ¡°Which one was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Typical. I¡¯m not exactly typical in any way.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. From my perspective, men have always belittled me, and other women, wanting us to feel less than them, or as if something is wrong with us, just because we¡¯re women, as if we couldn¡¯t possibly be as good as they are at anything, if not better, simply because we¡¯re not men, which means that we are not to be taken seriously in any matter.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The man was quiet for a few moments, a slight frown on his typically inexpressive face. ¡°I see.¡± The detective shifted in his seat, which didn¡¯t seem very comfortable. I had to agree, since the seat I was occupying wasn¡¯t particularly comfortable at all, either.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather do this in your study?¡± I asked, knowing that the seats in the study were far more comfortable.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said, blinking.


    ¡°Then why on earth are we in here?¡± I asked, laughing a little.


    Gabriel Locke was quiet for a moment, then stood, and headed for the door. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, this room is completely and utterly absurd.¡± He opened the door, and held it for me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I popped my head into the kitchen, ¡°We¡¯re going up to the study, instead, I think, Mrs. Hudson. I¡¯ll come down and get breakfast in a little while, so you don¡¯t have to do the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve just finished it, love, take it with you now.¡± She handed me a tray filled with breakfast for two.


    ¡°Alrighty!¡± I took the tray, but my employer promptly took it from me. ¡°I can carry it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little heavy for you, I think.¡± He said sternly, and then added, in a slightly softer tone, ¡°And not just because you¡¯re a girl.¡±


    ¡°I would say that I could just levitate it, but have decided not to argue with you, just this once.¡± After all, he was right that I wasn¡¯t very strong.


    ¡°You have my deepest thanks.¡± His tone was sarcastic, and made me smile a little.


    We ascended the stairs, I trailed after him. ¡°So who is it that¡¯s calling?¡±


    ¡°I received a note from a rather distressed young woman by the name of Ms. Jessica Dodd.¡±


    We entered the study, and he set the tray on the table.


    My eyes flitted to the skull on the mantelpiece. ¡°You must get rid of that skull, sir. It¡¯s a sore sight. I¡¯m surprised it hasn¡¯t frightened away any potential clients.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, of course it doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Then I shan¡¯t move it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°What if you¡¯re not around for me to bounce cases off of?¡±


    ¡°I take it to mean that I¡¯m filling in for the skull?¡±


    ¡°Take it as you will¡­but you¡¯re doing admirably, if you must know.¡±


    ¡°I''m flattered, sir.¡± I rolled my eyes again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me sir.¡± He said, a slight crease wrinkling his forehead.


    ¡°What else would I call you?¡±


    ¡°My given name is Gabriel.¡± was his quiet reply.


    ¡°I am aware of that. But you¡¯re my employer, and it¡¯s hardly proper for us to call one another our given names.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The detective nodded, ¡°My apologies. But isn¡¯t it permitted for friends to be on a first name basis?¡±


    ¡°Are we friends?¡±


    He was quiet for a moment. ¡°I thought we were.¡±


    I smiled at him, comforted by his reply, and the fact that he seemed a little shaken by my suggestion that we might not actually be friends. ¡°We¡¯re friends, sir.¡± We had become friends rather quickly, all things considered, but it was a good thing that I actually got along with my new employer, now that I¡¯d forgiven him for his rude remarks.


    ¡°Good.¡± He seemed assured by this.


    We were quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°What else do you know about this Ms. Dodd?¡± I asked as we started to eat.


    ¡°That she fears that one of her childhood friends has gone missing.¡±


    ¡°Why not inform the police?¡±


    ¡°She cannot prove that he¡¯s missing, I believe. But we shall know soon enough. She¡¯s to call at ten.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± It was nine-thirty at that moment.


    We continued our breakfast in relative silence.


    ¡°Why were you fired from your last job?¡± Sir Locke asked suddenly.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, setting down my teacup, surprised at the question.


    ¡°I¡­I am trying to make small talk. Forgive me, I¡¯m inexperienced and not well-versed in it.¡±


    ¡°The measure of a person is not found in their ability to make small-talk, sir.¡± I laughed a little.


    ¡°I would certainly hope not, I would not be much of a person if it were.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I would probably fall into that same category. As to your question, you yourself are the one that said it was probably my own clumsiness that caused it.¡± I said, confused about why he¡¯d asked, if he already knew.


    ¡°But as to specifics, I don¡¯t know, and that annoys me, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you want specifics. I dropped a tureen of tomato soup.¡± I shrugged, ¡°It was a huge mess.¡±


    ¡°I would imagine so.¡± He blinked. ¡°I would not whip a person for such an offense, though it¡¯s¡­not really an offense.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t my first accident. So it may have been an offense by the time it happened. I¡¯d broken a couple of teacups, dented a candlestick, knocked a lantern down and nearly caught the kitchen on fire, among other things. The soup tureen was the final straw, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still not enough cause to whip a person.¡± His tone was kinder than I¡¯d heard him use before, and I looked up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was either. Fire me, yes, but a whipping? I thought it was uncalled for.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Is it healed?¡±


    ¡°Mostly. I can do healing magic, and it¡¯s sped up the process, but I find that it¡¯s hard to use healing magic on myself. Really difficult, actually. It still throbs from time to time.¡± I told him. We both jumped as the doorbell rang.


    ¡°I do believe our client is a little early.¡± He noted the time. ¡°Show her up, will you?¡±


    Hurriedly, I set down my tea and scurried out the door as fast as my limp would allow. Mrs. Hudson had let the lady in, and she was standing, somewhat apprehensive, on our front carpet. ¡°Mrs. Dodd?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± she nodded, curtseying.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t curtsey to me, or call me ma¡¯am, I''m just the maid.¡± I smiled at her, ¡°But if you¡¯ll follow me, Sir Locke will see you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh good!¡± She followed me back up the stairs.


    I entered, announcing, ¡°Mrs. Dodd to see you, sir.¡± I started to leave.


    ¡°Please stay, doctor. We may yet need your insight.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± I shrugged, but was glad to have been included in his business once more.


    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± He said in an amiable tone to the potential client. The small woman took a seat, and smoothed out the fabric of her green dress. She had lovely brown skin, and deep, rich brown eyes that would have been warm but for a deep sort of worry. Her hair, also a very dark brown, was pinned up in neat, beautiful curls on the back of her head. ¡°Can we offer you some tea? I''m afraid you¡¯ve caught Dr. Watson and I here in the middle of our breakfast. Or perhaps I should offer something stronger? You look a bit shaken.¡±


    ¡°If you have a glass of sherry or brandy, that would be much appreciated.¡± Mrs. Dodd¡¯s tone was grateful.


    ¡°I have both, which would you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, brandy, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Watson, would you be so kind as to pour the deeply concerned lady here a dash of the brandy? It¡¯s in the drawer, the square tumbler, mind you.¡± he motioned at a drawer on his desk.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I got up, and opened the drawer he¡¯d motioned at on his desk, and was a little surprised, and amused, to see that it was completely full of various tumblers and bottles of alcohol.


    Well then.


    ¡°Do you see it?¡± he asked mildly.


    ¡°I do, I¡¯m merely admiring your rather prodigious alcohol collection, sir.¡±


    ¡°Watson!¡± his tone was somewhat annoyed.


    ¡°Not judging, just admiring.¡± I said, and was rewarded by a quiet laugh from Mrs. Dodd.


    Shutting the drawer, I handed our visitor a small glass of brandy, and took my seat, but noted that she didn¡¯t take a drink.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sir Locke nodded. ¡°Now, you mentioned a potential missing person?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. My childhood friend, Emsworth Godfrey.¡±


    ¡°Hm, Godfrey is a household name. His father is a decorated veteran, a Colonel, I believe. But you say that you have no proof that he¡¯s missing?¡± Sir Locke queried.


    ¡°Yes. Indeed his entire family assures me that he¡¯s on a voyage around the world.¡±


    Sir Locke tilted his head to the side, ¡°So what brings you to me?¡±


    ¡°We have the most regular correspondence, and we each usually send at least one letter a week to one another. But a little more than two weeks ago, his letters suddenly stopped.¡±


    ¡°Could it have been caused by some mistake with the postal service?¡±


    ¡°Initially that was my thought, so I wrote to him, telling him that I¡¯d not received his usual letter. Instead of hearing back from him, I received a letter from his mother telling me that he¡¯d embarked on a trip across the sea, with intent to make a new home for himself there. I found this particularly odd, as he would have mentioned such a thing to me. We have been best friends for many years now! Why would he not tell me such a thing? Or at least leave an address for me that I might write to him still!¡±


    ¡°Is it much like his character to want to move suddenly across the sea?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯d only just got back from a long sea voyage not a week before I missed the first letter. It would be very strange indeed if he simply ran off again like that, without making any mention of it to me!. He likes to plan things out, and is not taken to making hasty decisions, like another sudden trip across the sea, right after he¡¯d only just returned from one.¡± She said, clearly distressed. The woman finally brought the glass of brandy to her lips.


    ¡°I see.¡± Sir Locke said, a gleam in his eye, clearly interested in all that she¡¯d told him. The detective sat in his chair for a moment, fingers steepled, his indexes resting on the bridge of his nose, with the pair of his thumbs touching beneath his chin, elbows resting on the armrests of his seat.


    ¡°Will you look into it, sir? He¡¯s one of my dearest friends! He was even the one who introduced me to my husband!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will look into your case.¡± He told her.


    ¡°Oh thank you! I am forever indebted to you!¡±


    ¡°Make no mention of it, Now, I require only one more thing on your part, Mrs. Dodd.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Write to the Godfreys, and express desire for you, and two friends, those being the good Dr. Watson here, and myself, to spend a night or two there. Make some excuse that we are traveling, and are passing through the area, and find ourselves in need of a place to stay two days from now. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Write to me at once when you receive their reply. If they refuse to house you for a night, for whatever reason, then we will find some other way.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°And leave the rest to us, Mrs. Dodd.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± she clasped his hand gratefully.


    ¡°Would you see her out, doctor?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡± I led the lady back down the stairs, and made sure that she¡¯d gotten on her way.


    Seeing a few cobwebs on the rail of the bannister, I grabbed a feather duster, and started battling the flimsy, clingy threads.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long, Watson?¡± Sir Locke¡¯s voice made me jump.


    ¡°What? Oh, I¡¯m dusting, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He frowned. ¡°Were you ever intending to come back to the study?¡±


    It was my turn to frown in confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that I was supposed to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­More miscommunication.¡± The detective sighed, frowning a little, ¡°Forgive my frustration. I forget that people don¡¯t often think along the same lines that I do. I still wanted to discuss some things with you, would you please grace my study with your presence once more, doctor?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven, and yes, I¡¯ll go with you, but only because you phrased it precisely like that.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He snorted, seeming amused.


    ¡°Now you have to say it like that every time, you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise that I¡¯ll do my best to forget to do so immediately.¡± He assured me sarcastically.


    I laughed. ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°That¡¯s a very large house, it¡¯s also very nice.¡± I said as we stepped out of the cab at our destination. Mrs. Dodd was with us.


    ¡°Yes, his family is quite wealthy now. But before his father¡¯s military career became quite so illustrious, we lived next to one another in much more humble housing. Though that was years ago, when we were children.¡± Mrs. Dodd informed us.


    Thankfully, Mrs. Dodd had been able to make arrangements for us to stay a couple of nights there, and the Godfrey family had gladly offered us rooms in their home, which comforted her a little, knowing that she was still on good terms with the family, and had offered the detective insight into the nature of the problem, that the family was still glad to offer Mrs. Dodd accommodation.


    ¡°Shall we acquaint ourselves with the people of the house, Watson?¡± Sir Locke asked me as soon as he and the cabbie had unloaded our suitcases.


    ¡°That¡¯s the general idea, I¡¯m sure.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He flashed a quick grin at me before knocking on the door. It was good to see him smile, though it didn¡¯t happen often.


    A very old butler showed us in.


    ¡°Hello there, Ralph! It¡¯s good to see you!¡± Mrs. Dodd said warmly, and embraced the old fellow.


    ¡°You too, Ms. Jessica! Your husband is well, I expect?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very well. He¡¯ll be better when I get back home to him, of course!¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± the butler smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the Colonel is out, and Mrs. Godfrey is in bed with a headache, and regrets that she cannot meet you. But she told me to bid you welcome, and show you to your rooms, and to inform you that her husband will dine with you at eight o¡¯clock tonight, if that pleases you!¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely, Ralph. Do send her our many thanks, and give her my love.¡±


    ¡°I will, Ms. Jessica, she¡¯ll appreciate that.¡± The elderly chap bowed politely to us. ¡°Now if you¡¯d follow me.¡± He picked up Mrs. Dodd¡¯s suitcase, and began to walk. I started to pick up mine, perfectly willing to carry it myself, but saw that Sir Locke was stooping to pick mine up, as well as his own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, sir, I can carry it easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Are you quite sure?¡± he asked, seeming hesitant to allow me to carry it for myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not heavy, and I¡¯m not entirely dependent on you, believe it or not.¡± I told him, only half-jokingly. ¡°I¡¯d like to keep it that way, too.¡±


    My employer merely shrugged, but allowed me to do as I wished.


    We walked quickly to catch up with the butler and our client.


    Ralph showed us to our rooms, and bade us to make ourselves comfortable.


    As I was stowing my clothes in a drawer, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± I called.


    ¡°You¡¯re unpacking?¡± Sir Locke asked as he entered, hands in his pockets.


    ¡°I know we won¡¯t be here long, but I don¡¯t like the way suitcases make my clothes smell.¡± I shrugged. ¡°And I hate living out of one. It won¡¯t take me long to repack them again, though, when the need arises.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a criticism.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it as one, I just felt the need to explain.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Did you need something, sir?¡±


    ¡°I thought we might as well take the time to poke about the house, see what there is to find.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I shut the drawer.


    Our search was mostly fruitless, though we looked over the house from top to bottom, we found no sign of the missing man, save the room that he¡¯d once occupied, and had so hurriedly vacated, leaving a few scraps of paper behind. We ran into no staff, but were later informed by Mrs. Dodd that the only two servants left in the house appeared to be Ralph and his wife, the housekeeper.


    ¡°Ralph also was most emphatic, when I asked him, that Emsworth was perfectly fine, and had just fancied a change of scenery for a long while. He also hinted that he suspected that my dear friend might have found himself a lady-friend overseas. But in my letters, I often inquired as to the state of his love life. We were close enough to discuss such matters, and he would always lament that he had no significant other to share his happiness with. In fact, in his last letter, he said that he¡¯d all but given up on looking for a suitable companion! I find it highly unlikely that he has found a woman to court so suddenly.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The detective was thoughtful. ¡°On a completely unrelated note, how big is the estate here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite large. There¡¯s an extended garden, and the old groundskeeper¡¯s house. Then there¡¯s a bit of a forest on the east side of the house, I think.¡± Mrs. Dodd told us.


    ¡°I think a search of the grounds after dinner is in order, Dr. Watson, when we¡¯re supposed to be in bed.¡± My employer suggested, then added, ¡°If you¡¯re up to it.¡±


    ¡°I daresay I can handle a secret nighttime wandering. But what if we¡¯re caught?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely. There is no one that patrols the grounds anymore, not since the groundskeeper retired years and years ago, but this is a fairly secluded place, and they fear no break-ins or such, it is a good neighborhood, Emsworth often told me that he liked living here¡­which all the more makes me think that he did not run across the sea to make a home for himself, with a woman he¡¯d only just met.¡±


    ¡°Indeed the family¡¯s explanation has seemed more and more unlikely to me.¡± Sir Locke agreed with a swift nod. ¡°Meet me in the gardens at eleven, if you please, doctor. Do you wish to come with us, Mrs. Dodd?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave your job to you, good sir.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He nodded.


    --


    Dinner had been a pleasant occasion. Colonel Godfrey had entertained us enthusiastically, full of magnificent tales of his travels, full of much hilarity. The Colonel was in good spirits, though Mrs. Dodd had warned us that he might not be, and that we¡¯d be in for a very tense evening if that were the case, as he had a terrible temper, when roused.


    The Colonel was a large, square man of a clear military background that found it entirely amusing that I¡¯d served as well, and continued to tell me how much he thought of me, as a woman of medicine who¡¯d chosen to put her medical training to use in the military¡¯s hospital tents.


    ¡°It was actually part of the program I was in.¡± I¡¯d told him.


    ¡°Oh really? What program was that?¡±


    ¡°The government set up a training program that was taking almost anyone they could get, and training them to be doctors. It was free, so long as you agreed to enlist as a military doctor after your training was done. I was only sixteen when I enrolled, believe it or not. But with much pleading and even more tests, they turned a blind eye to how young I was, as I¡¯d scored very well on their aptitude tests. I got my training in four years, and then went straight into the military.¡±


    ¡°What a tale!¡¯ the colonel had chortled, extremely amused with my story, which was a little annoying.


    Telling my story had been a little uncomfortable, as I¡¯d been aware that Sir Locke¡¯s penetrating gaze had rested on me as I¡¯d told it. When I¡¯d finally glanced his way, his expression had seemed thoughtful, and I wondered what part of my story had interested him so much.


    Eventually, we had retired to our rooms. I waited until the appointed time, and slipped back into the hallway about a minute before the clock in my room struck the hour.


    Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have told Gabriel that I was alright with going on a nighttime wandering, as the staircase that I was creeping down was a little creepy. Slipping from a side door that we¡¯d discovered in our analysis of the house earlier in the day, I stepped into the garden.


    ¡°Right on time, Watson.¡± My employer¡¯s voice made me jump.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that!¡± I gasped, putting my hand over my heart, startled.


    ¡°What, still afraid of the dark?¡±


    ¡°Not of the dark itself, exactly, more of what lurks in the dark. And most certainly I¡¯m easily startled when it¡¯s dark out.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Forgive me, doctor. Shall we proceed?¡±


    ¡°If you insist.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    We snuck about the garden. Part of me wondered why I was even there, as Sir Locke was the detective, after all. I was superfluous, really.


    Suddenly, Gabriel jerked me to the side, and pressed me, somewhat urgently, back into a towering hedge. I was about to ask what was wrong, when I saw a lantern bobbing about in the dark, heading down the path we¡¯d just been exploring. Ralph walked by with a small, mustached man wearing a pair of spectacles, and carrying what looked like a doctor¡¯s kit.


    ¡°Some quarry to follow.¡± He breathed after the odd pair had hurried by, and motioned for me to follow.


    We crept along, keeping a good way back from the butler and whomever it was that he was escorting. Eventually, they led us to the old groundskeeper¡¯s home, and entered. As soon as the door had latched behind them, Sir Locke darted forward. I tried to catch up, my leg was causing me a particular amount of pain that night, and so I gave up, settling with eventually taking my place next to him at a crack in the shutters that were drawn across the window next to the front door. ¡°What do you see?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Look for yourself.¡± He stepped aside.


    Peering in, I saw a sad scene. A man lay on a bed, tied down with what appeared to be thick leather straps as he writhed madly, eyes roving wildly, nearly foaming at the mouth. The spectacled, mustached man was attempting to take his pulse and temperature, but failed due to the restrained man¡¯s violent thrashing.


    I stepped away from the window. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he sick? It looks as if he might be¡­although it might be a malady of the mind.¡±


    ¡°I will look again, and then give you my answer.¡± The detective stepped back to the crack in the shutter.


    ¡°I say, what are you two doing out here?!¡± Colonel Godfrey¡¯s voice cried, sounding furious.


    I whirled about, panicking, trying to think of some answer, but then quailed at the sight of the enraged Colonel. My employer, however, remained with his eye at the window, and gave a rather cool reply, ¡°Looking into the disappearance of your son, Mr. Emsworth Godfrey, for the very concerned Mrs. Dodd.¡± Finally, he turned to the person who had caught us peeking in the window.


    ¡°A policeman?!¡±


    ¡°A private detective.¡± He corrected, still seeming unruffled. ¡°And I believe that I know what sickness afflicts your son.¡±


    Immediately, the Colonel¡¯s anger faded. ¡°Do you, now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve run into it before, in my travels.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been across the sea as well?¡±


    ¡°If you must know, I¡¯m far more well-traveled than even you, Colonel. But we are wasting time, and we really cannot afford that, your son is in a dangerous place. Will you let me see him? With the good doctor¡¯s help, I may be able to help him.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that!¡± the man exclaimed, he raced forward, unlocked the door, and entered, motioning for us to follow. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the situation has been found out, Ralph, Doctor Kent.¡±


    ¡°Forgive our intrusion.¡± Sir Locke said politely. ¡°And do stay that syringe, doctor. The cure does not work nearly as quickly if he¡¯s tinged with narcotics.¡±


    ¡°How do you know the cure? This is a completely foreign disease!¡± Doctor Kent cried.


    ¡°Foreign to you. I¡¯m familiar with it. But before I prepare the antidote, I must insist that you all leave, it can be dangerous to inhale.¡±


    ¡°What of you and Dr. Watson?¡± the Colonel asked, concerned.


    ¡°We will risk it, for our patient¡¯s sake. Now, if you please!¡±


    The men hesitated, but then left, as Gabriel had asked.


    ¡°You know how to cure this madness?¡± I asked him, surprised.


    ¡°I have a cure for nearly everything.¡± He muttered. ¡°Magic is a wondrous healing tool, and I have seen it cure this precise brand of madness before. I believe it is brought on by some parasite that affects the brain.¡±


    ¡°How is it passed on?¡±


    ¡°There is a delicacy in a far away land, that you¡¯ve likely never heard of, that, if not prepared correctly, can lead to madness such as this, so there¡¯s no risk of us catching it.¡± He told me. ¡°Now Watson, do stand so that you¡¯re blocking the convenient crack that we were peering in through the window.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± I casually adjusted my position so that I was blocking the very window that we¡¯d managed to peek through, so the men outside couldn''t see Gabriel doing magic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you healed, Mr. Godfrey.¡± My employer stood by the bed, and held his hand some distance above the afflicted man¡¯s head.


    I felt a considerable magic well in the room, and was surprised when the detective¡¯s eyes glowed. It startled me how powerful his magic was. I was nowhere near as strong as he. Then again, he was likely much older than I was.


    Slowly, the afflicted man¡¯s thrashings weakened, and he soon lay peacefully on the bed in a quiet slumber. ¡°There.¡± Sir Locke sighed, letting his hand fall. ¡°We found him in time, and all is well. Let the others back in.¡±


    I opened the door, and the three men entered. ¡°How on earth did you do that?!¡± Doctor Kent wanted to know.


    To my great surprise, the detective laughed. I was even more surprised when he spoke again, as I sensed a strange sort of powerful magic laced in his words, directed at the three men that had just re-entered the small house. ¡°Do not ask a magician to reveal his secrets!¡±


    Something about the nature of the magic, the way it felt to me, made me realize that it would keep them from pressing him for more of an explanation about how he¡¯d managed to cure Mr. Emsworth Godfrey. Very impressive¡­also a little frightening, that one was able to lace their words with magic. No wonder people were frightened of human magicians, if it was possible to do such a thing.


    ¡°You must forgive us for keeping him tucked away, here in this old place.¡± The Colonel apologized.


    ¡°I daresay you wanted him to have some privacy, in his sickness, as well as avoid any sense of scandal that might arise.¡± My employer shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s really not me that you ought to apologize to. Mrs. Dodd was terribly worried for her good friend.¡±


    ¡°I will tell her the full truth of the situation in the morning.¡± The Colonel nodded. ¡°I hated telling my wife to write such a silly lie to the girl, when we got her letter to Emsworth here, telling him that she¡¯d somehow not gotten his last letter. But we panicked, and acted a bit rashly. She of all people would have understood, I think, and kept our secret. She¡¯s been like a sister to my son here, and much like the daughter that I never had. But once the lie was told, it seemed even more difficult to un-tell it, so we let it be, especially when she didn¡¯t send any more letters.¡±


    ¡°No, she waited for a couple more weeks, and when she didn¡¯t hear from your son, she came directly to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a smart girl.¡± Colonel Godfrey nodded fondly. ¡°Now, maybe we all ought to get some sleep, are you still able to tend to him tonight, Doctor Kent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to.¡± The doctor nodded.


    We finally left the small house, and headed back to the manor itself, as Ralph and the Colonel had elected to stay a little longer with the other doctor.


    ¡°Did I frighten you?¡± Sir Locke asked suddenly, as we walked back through the gardens.


    ¡°A little, perhaps.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You seemed a bit meek after he¡¯d been healed. It was not my intention to scare you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared of the healing magic, sir. I was impressed, and glad to see an example of such powerful magic. What frightened me was the way you were able to lace your words with magic¡­that¡¯s a frightening gift indeed!¡±


    He was quiet for a moment. ¡°The spell will not affect you.¡±


    ¡°What, the word-magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I could tell that much, it wasn¡¯t directed at me, as you had no cause to fear any of my questions¡­but it¡¯s no wonder that normal humans have learned to hate us, their magical counterparts, if such a thing is possible! One might order anyone to do anything!¡±


    ¡°The way that I use that kind of magic, it¡¯s a bit like hypnotism, it cannot force someone to do something that they really do not want to do, and those men apparently did not feel that they absolutely, positively had to know how Mr. Godfrey was healed. Anyways, I don¡¯t use that particular brand of magic lightly. I knew that I couldn¡¯t come up with any sort of answer that would have satisfied them, particularly with a doctor present, so I did what I could to solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°Still.¡± I said, upset with the idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I frightened you, doctor.¡± He said quietly.


    I didn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°You can call me Joan, sir.¡±


    ¡°Only if you stop calling me sir. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    We stopped outside my room. ¡°Goodnight.¡± He bowed to me.


    ¡°Oh, don''t bow to me!¡± I cried, embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s common to bow to someone that you respect.¡± The detective told me, sounding confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored, but still, don''t bow to me.¡± I shook my head, feeling a slight flush creep across my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so base as to try and flatter you with compliments, but I do think it¡¯s important that you know that I do respect you very much.¡± The man¡¯s expression and tone was uncertain, and his brow was creased a little.


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°You sound surprised.¡± He seemed surprised that I was surprised.


    ¡°I am surprised.¡±


    Sir Locke was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve not done a sufficient job of showing it, then. I¡­I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve led you to believe that I don¡¯t think highly of you. I¡­I¡¯m not accustomed to having friends.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± his eyebrows rose, and a slightly amused expression appeared on his typically stoic features.


    ¡°You don¡¯t make it any secret that you don¡¯t really like normal people that much.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a normal person.¡±


    ¡°I feel normal, very normal.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re special, Joan Watson, don''t let anyone tell you different.¡± was his quiet reply.


    ¡°Am I?¡± I blinked, surprised once more with his words.


    ¡°Very. Not many people whose parents die come out so well.¡± As he¡¯d spoken, his voice had possessed a quality that I hadn¡¯t heard before, and it took me a moment to realize that it had taken the tone of kindness.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s parents die eventually.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°I mean people who were still young when their parents died, like you were.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that I was young?¡±


    ¡°Some things about you are easy for me to read. But you still are young, your early twenties, by my count, though you could pass for younger. Although clearly you were younger when your parents died, but as to how much younger¡­Probably a teen, I think? I¡¯m also guessing it was certainly before you started your doctor¡¯s training at sixteen, but as to how much before, I cannot say.¡±


    ¡°I was fifteen when they died.¡± I looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sounded truly upset, much to my surprise.


    ¡°Like you said, lots of people¡¯s parents die. And when the person is still young, too, I expect.¡± I shrugged.


    We were quiet for a moment.


    ¡°Goodnight, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Gabriel.¡± I said softly, and went into my room.


    This show of his strange brand of kindness was unexpected, and caused me no small amount of surprise.

 Chapter 7

    I hadn¡¯t seen my employer for a while now, and it was beginning to bother me.


    Indeed he¡¯d been out tracking down various leads for some two weeks. It was about two or so months after the Dodd and Godfrey missing person case, and he¡¯d had a few others since then, some of them he¡¯d solved, some of them that were still ongoing. It had surprised me a little, to find that it wasn¡¯t often that he had only one case at a time, but indeed typically had more than one open at any given moment, or even sometimes none at all, when business was slow, for whatever reason.


    Sighing, I continued to wash the dishes. Today was a test to see how I would do when Mrs. Hudson was away, as she was gone on a day trip to visit an old friend of hers, leaving me to mind the house all alone.


    Although I suspected that Gabriel probably returned to his rooms to sleep for a few hours before he¡¯d set out again in the wee hours of the morning, when I¡¯d yet to rise. I liked Cooke Street well enough, but wasn¡¯t fond of being alone anywhere, although I would probably have to get used to it, since Mrs. Hudson talked more and more of taking an extended vacation, citing a need to see to the care of her ailing sister.


    A knock on the door sent me running out of the kitchen, as it always did, hastily wiping my hands on my apron. ¡°Yes?¡± I opened the door. ¡°Oh my!¡± I exclaimed as a man in his mid-thirties tumbled through the door, causing me to step aside. He was wearing a slightly dirt-smudged, grey checked suit, and looked rather worse for the wear.


    ¡°Forgive me!¡± The stranger gasped, weakly pushing himself up with one hand. The other of his appendages was strangely wrapped in what appeared to be his overcoat, and he clutched it close to his chest, as if it were injured. ¡°Is this the home of Sir Locke?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s not home at the moment. Are you injured, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I was told that a doctor lives here too, and I require medical attention!¡± he gasped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you up and seated, sir.¡± I helped pull him to his feet.


    ¡°My name is Heatherly, Victor Heatherly.¡± He moaned as I threw his arm around my shoulders, and showed him, stumbling, through to the kitchen, then got him situated at the table. ¡°Please tell me that the doctor is in, though Sir Locke is out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in luck, Mr. Heatherly, the doctor is indeed home, and is extremely bored with doing dishes, at the moment.¡± I motioned at the sink, and then for him to extend his injured arm, that I might remove his makeshift bandages to see what the damage was.


    ¡°Why would a doctor be doing dishes?¡± Despite his injury, the man still had enough wits about him to be confused with my answer.


    ¡°When the doctor is employed as a maid, it often happens.¡± I muttered, gingerly unwrapping the makeshift bandage from his hand.


    Understanding finally flickered across the man¡¯s face. ¡°Forgive me, doctor, I didn¡¯t realize-¡±


    ¡°No one ever does.¡± I cut him off, but smiled a little, hardly blaming him for not realizing I was a doctor.


    I grimaced upon finally seeing his injury. His thumb was gone, as if it had been just blown away. Indeed, that¡¯s what the injury seemed to indicate. ¡°This looks like¡­some kind of bullet wound, I think?¡± I observed, frowning, pulling out my handkerchief, and wrapping it tightly around the injury until I could get a more permanent solution.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I told the man


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    I hurried as quickly as my limp would allow from the room, and procured some bandages and other supplies that I might need.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I was just about to take a break and make tea, so there¡¯s hot water ready as well.¡± I told him, pouring the steaming liquid into a bowl, that I might clean his hand before anything else. ¡°When did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°It was the early hours of the morning, I¡­don¡¯t know exactly.¡±


    ¡°It must have bled terribly, you¡¯re lucky to be alive!¡± I observed.


    ¡°It did, at first, and I fainted, but I think my coat there managed to stem the flow for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that seems to be the case.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of hydraulics. I¡¯m an engineer, so I¡¯m accustomed to thinking about such things.¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Well, your efforts saved your own life, I think, sir.¡± I said as I quickly bathed the spot where his thumb had once been, covertly pushing a bit of numbing magic into his hand, lest it cause him too much pain while I tended to it.


    ¡°Thankfully.¡±


    ¡°What made you come here?¡±


    ¡°You yourself observed that this was caused by a bullet, so I had cause to consult Sir Locke.¡±


    ¡°Why not go to a hospital first, and then present your case to my employer?¡±


    ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t have the strength to make it to the nearest hospital, but had heard word that Sir Locke kept company with a doctor, and I found myself, rather suddenly, injured in a street nearby to Cooke Street, which I knew was his address. It was pure dumb luck, really.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did well to come here.¡± I sighed as I dabbed the antiseptic onto Mr. Heatherly¡¯s hand, then gave him a shot of a local painkiller, as he would expect me to do. ¡°I¡¯m accustomed to tending to gunshot wounds. But unfortunately, Sir Locke is out, and I¡¯m not entirely sure when he¡¯ll be back.¡± I finally started bandaging his wound. ¡°I can send word to him that he¡¯s needed, but I cannot say how long it will take, will you wait?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll send for him, and then put on some more tea for us while we wait.¡± I tied off the bandage, and then got up.


    Stepping outside the front door, I looked around, and caught the eye of a boy hidden in the shadows of an alley just across the street. He scurried forward, having been waiting there for just that purpose, that I should need to send a message to the detective while he was out for the day. ¡°¡¯Ello, doctor. Need some ¡®elp with sumthin¡¯?¡± the slightly dirt-streaked preteen asked.


    ¡°Yes, Thomas, I need you to find Sir Locke, and tell him that he has a potential client waiting here at the house. If you return within the hour with his reply, I¡¯ll make dinner for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better than that, I¡¯ll bring him back with me in an hour!¡± he exclaimed eagerly.


    ¡°You do that, and I¡¯ll bake a cake as well.¡± I told him.


    ¡°You¡¯re the bes¡¯ cook, Ms. Joan!¡± he grinned excitedly. The boy was one of many, all basically homeless, children that Gabriel employed, throughout the city.


    As children, they were able to go about mostly unnoticed, and were great sources of information, and excellent messengers. The detective, being of a surprisingly kind heart, would often bring a couple home for a snack, or a meal even, and I knew that he paid perfectly acceptable wages to all those who helped him, in an attempt to keep them from starving, as well as to encourage them to continue to supply him with a reliable information, and a message-network that operated far more swiftly than the postal system.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± I laughed as Thomas ran off. Shaking my head, I went back inside to make tea. ¡°Perhaps you would prefer something stronger than tea, Mr. Heatherly?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I think it¡¯d do my spirits good to have a sip of gin.¡± The potential client said, wiping his face with his good hand.


    ¡°I know where Sir Locke hides the hard stuff.¡± I told him, and retrieved him a glass from the study.


    ¡°Thank you, doctor..?¡±


    ¡°Oh, forgive me. I never introduced myself, I¡¯m Joan Watson.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Dr. Watson.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t turn away an injured person, it kind of goes against all those oaths I swore, do no harm and the like.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The man smiled a little, seeming a bit less shaken now, and indeed a bit less pale, as the gin had put a bit of color back in his cheeks.


    As promised, Thomas brought Sir Lock back in less than an hour. They walked into the kitchen. ¡°I guess I owe you dinner and some cake now, huh?¡± I asked Thomas.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°Be here at six, and you¡¯ll have both. You¡¯ll want to bring your brother and sister along too, alright?¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± he cried, and then left.


    ¡°You promised him cake?¡± Gabriel wanted to know, a slight smile hung about his features. It was always good when he smiled, it made the room seem just a little brighter, even if it was only a very slight curve of his typically straight lips.


    ¡°Only if he brought you back in less than an hour, which he did. I know how children¡¯s minds operate, I myself am one.¡± I laughed. ¡°Now, shall we all go to the study?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The detective nodded. When we were situated in the study, and the client was seated on the sofa with another glass of gin, introductions were finally made between the two men. ¡°Now pray, Mr. Heatherly, what brings you to my doorstep, and caused Dr. Watson here to send for me? I think she¡¯s the one who bandaged your hand, yes?¡±


    ¡°My injury was what compelled me to seek a doctor, but it was the situation that caused my wound that made me realize that I should seek you out, rather than just a hospital. Also, I was much closer to your home than any other place that I might get medical assistance.¡±


    ¡°How did you know to come here for assistance?¡±


    ¡°You helped the father of a good friend of mine once by getting back a precious sapphire, and I have heard, many times, the tale of how Sir Locke of Cooke Street, and his doctor friend, helped retrieve it. I merely hoped that your doctor would be home, and willing to help me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, that was an interesting one indeed. And dear Dr. Watson here is always willing to help those in need, I find.¡± Sir Locke nodded knowingly, ¡°Now, please tell your story in full, and include as many details as you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure where to begin. But I guess I ought to tell you a bit about the circumstances that I found myself in just before this whole debacle occurred. I¡¯m an engineer, as I told Dr. Watson earlier, and often take small jobs fixing machinery when I can¡¯t find steady work, as has been my situation for a little while now, I¡¯m sorry to say. It was this tendency to take on small jobs, and a sad lack of funds, which led me to accept a very peculiar job offer from a strange man going by the name of Mr. Stone.¡± He paused, gathering his thoughts, as if not sure how to continue the story.


    ¡°What was the nature of the job?¡± My employer wanted to know.


    ¡°The man called on me at my home, having seen my ad in the newspaper, searching for work, and proposed an odd arrangement. He offered me good money for just one night¡¯s work. There was a stipulation, which was that I had to do the work with no questions asked. That caught me off guard, but he assured me that, as an engineer, I was well-suited for the job. Initially, it seemed a bit suspect, but the man seemed very respectable. So eventually, I accepted, as the sum he offered me was three times what I typically made in my small jobs here and there, and would see me through for a little while. It wasn¡¯t until later that I started to think that my decision to accept the job was¡­well, maybe not the best. Anyways, after I accepted the job offer, Mr. Stone and I made plans for me to meet him at the train station, and that we would depart to the work site from there, in company together.¡±


    ¡°And you fulfilled the appointment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I really did need the money, after all. He wanted me to be at the station by midnight that very night, and so I was standing outside it at exactly that time. You¡¯ll imagine my surprise when Mr. Stone pulled up in a carriage and told me to get in. I¡¯d thought we were going somewhere by train, which is why we¡¯d met there. But I didn¡¯t argue, and did as he asked. It was only upon seeing that the windows of the carriage were covered completely, with thick cloth sewn down over them, that I began to feel slightly suspicious of my employer, and second-guess my acceptance of his job offer. As we started out, I inquired lightly as to why the windows were so blocked. Mr. Stone apologized for the secrecy, but assured me of my safety, and I tried to let my anxiety go. We rode for¡­I think it was about a half-hour. I¡¯m not entirely sure. I even tried to count how many turns we made, in an attempt to try and guess where we were in the city. I marked that we made seven right turns, and five to the left, although I don¡¯t know if that will help much.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Anything might be of use. It was a smart attempt, and I¡¯m glad you were able to keep count.¡±


    ¡°¡¯ve a head for numbers.¡± Mr. Heatherly shrugged. An engineer would, of course. He continued his story, ¡°Anyways, I think we passed the docks once too, after the first three rights, and the second left, as my nose detected a strong smell of fish, coupled with the ringing of ship bells.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Sir Locke nodded. ¡°What happened when you arrived at your destination?¡±


    ¡°Well, sir, when we finally stopped, Mr. Stone permitted me to exit the carriage, but I was immediately grabbed, a bit roughly, by a very large man, and was ushered into a small house. Though I did get a very brief glimpse of the neighborhood that I was in, so I might get my bearings, it wasn¡¯t familiar to me, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me any sort of description of what you saw?¡± Gabriel was leaning forward in his armchair, listening intently. Clearly this part of the story seemed crucial to him, somehow.


    ¡°The buildings were all side-by-side.¡± Mr. Heatherly said thoughtfully, mouth tugging down at the corners in a slight frown as he tried to remember. ¡°And I think they were all three stories¡­they were all of the same style as the one I was taken into, as well. They had white walls, I think, with these dark wooden bars that crossed them, both up and down as well as side-to-side, at wide, regular intervals, and steep roofs. But that¡¯s really all I saw before I was rushed inside.¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡± he nodded approvingly, but still listened with an intense expression in his sharp eyes.


    ¡°By then, I was really getting scared again. But I had no choice but to let Mr. Stone and the other man lead me to the basement of the house. There I found a very strange situation. There was a drill that appeared capable of moving great amounts of earth very quickly, and a hole in the ground large enough for a man to stand upright in. I assume it had been made by the drill..¡± At this moment, a slight smile hovered over Gabriel¡¯s features, and he leaned back in his chair, which made me wonder if he¡¯d somehow already thought of a solution to whatever problem Mr. Heatherly¡¯s case would present us with. ¡°Finally, Mr. Stone told me about my job. I merely had to fix the drill for them. Although that¡¯s simplifying it, because it was no small task. I¡¯d never seen such a contraption before in my life, and it took me several hours to fix, much to the dismay of my employers, who appeared to be business partners of some kind. It¡¯s obvious to me now that they were busy committing some crime, but exactly what that crime was, I couldn''t say. Anyways, they were very irritated when I finally finished. Mr. Stone told his associate to take me back to the carriage at that point. As I was being led away, Mr. Stone told the man that he knew what to do with me. My fears were realized when, in response to this directive, the large man pulled out a gun, and marched me up the stairs, out of the building, and into the cab, which was waiting for us, driven by yet another one of their confederates, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°How did you escape?¡± I cried, the suspense killing me, as I didn¡¯t have the foresight that the detective did, nor was I as familiar with the inner workings of crime, and therefore couldn''t guess where the story was going, or how it would be resolved.


    ¡°It was a bit of luck mixed with stupidity, I think, but it worked, and I¡¯m alive. I noticed after the carriage took off again, that my captor had torn some of the covering off the window, and kept peeking out, probably so that he could tell the driver where to stop. So while he was distracted by that at one point, I leapt forward and tried to take the gun from him. It was reckless, but I was desperate, and didn¡¯t want to die. I managed to tear the gun from his grip, but it slipped from my own grasp, and went flying to the other side of the carriage, where it somehow discharged. That was the bullet that took off my thumb, though I¡¯m glad to trade one of my thumbs for my life, especially since that bullet continued on, past my thumb, and into the other man¡¯s leg. While he howled, momentarily stunned by pain, I leapt for the gun. I probably should have been stunned as well, but my adrenaline was raging. Unfortunately, my would-be murderer regained his senses very quickly, and was just on my heel, but I turned, managed to shoot him in the shoulder, and he slumped back in the seat. After that, I threw myself from the moving carriage, lest the driver simply stop and kill me. After I picked myself up off the street, I saw the carriage starting to turn around just ahead, and I knew the driver was coming back for me. I started to run as quickly as my feet would allow, and wrapped my hand in my coat as I did, using what I knew of the human body to do what I could to stem the bleeding. It helped a little, but not enough, and I eventually fainted. When I woke up, the sun had risen, and I found that, fortunately for me, I¡¯d fainted directly into a bush, which had no doubt hidden me from anyone that had been pursuing me. After I¡¯d stumbled from the bush, I realized that I now recognized the street I was in. I knew that I needed medical attention, as I was very weak, but I also knew that I was a good ways away from any hospital. Then I realized that Cooke Street was close by, and the story of my friend¡¯s father came to my mind, and I knew there might be a doctor here that could help me. So I made my way here. Dr. Watson answered the door, tended my injury, and then sent for you.¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°Very good. I¡¯m glad you sent for me, Watson.¡± Gabriel said, standing, ¡°This is a very interesting case, and I¡¯m glad to take it. I¡¯m afraid I must dash, however, as the inquiries I must make for this one require me to do them before¡± he paused, checking his pocket watch, ¡°before three o¡¯clock today, and it is almost eleven, now. Will you come with me, Watson?¡±


    ¡°I have some work to do around here, today, and then I promised Thomas and his siblings dinner and cake, if you¡¯ll remember, so I need to do that as well.¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°Perhaps next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Sir Locke blinked, ¡°Well, Mr. Heatherly, I must go by the police station, and I think you¡¯d better come with me, to talk to Inspector L¡¯Strade.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡±


    ¡°With any luck, I¡¯ll be back in time for dinner, Joan.¡± He told me as he left with the client.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not, I¡¯ll set aside some food for you.¡± I told him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to!¡± he cried, descending the stairs.


    --


    When Thomas and his siblings arrived at six o¡¯clock for dinner, I was surprised to see that Gabriel was with them. ¡°Oh, come in, all of you! Welcome back, Gabriel.¡± He only smiled at me, but didn¡¯t reply. I sensed that something was bothering him, but didn¡¯t ask about it, figuring that he would tell me when he was ready.


    The kids entered, and I led them to the kitchen, where I¡¯d laid out a large dinner, knowing that they, and indeed Gabriel, would be quite hungry. Though I expected the detective to give an account to me of what had happened, he remained silent on the matter for the duration of the meal, and made sure that the children ate as much as they could. He even helped me fix packets of food for them to take with them when they left, an hour or so later.


    ¡°I worry for them.¡± He told me as he watched the children ambling down the road, from the kitchen window. Ah, so that¡¯s what had been bothering him.


    ¡°Thomas¡¯ family?¡±


    ¡°All of them, running around out there. They¡¯re only kids.¡± his voice was quiet.


    ¡°I know. Did you know that I was one of those kids for a while? Running around without a home or a family?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t sent to a home?¡±


    ¡°They tried to, but I hated it, and ran away. I lived on the streets for a year, until I was sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Then started your medical training.¡± He finished my story on his own. ¡°So you¡¯ve always been stubborn and strong-willed?¡±


    ¡°I like to think so.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°But come now, you¡¯ve said nothing about how your case went. Did it go well?¡±


    ¡°It did. If you¡¯ll make some coffee, I¡¯ll tell you the story over the last two pieces of this cake.¡± We¡¯d refrained from eating any of the dessert until the children had eaten their fill of it, though I suspected Thomas had instructed his siblings to leave two pieces behind, that we might have some as well. ¡°Will you come to the study?¡±


    ¡°Is that even a question?¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll make the coffee, and meet you up there in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, taking the remaining cake up on a tray.


    I soon joined him, as promised, bringing along a pot of strong coffee. Once we were settled in our customary seats, he began. ¡°I left here, and took Mr. Heatherly to the police station with me. He gave a report, and I told the Inspector to keep him there, lest the attempted murderers go to his home and try to silence him once more.¡±


    ¡°Very smart.¡±


    ¡°I am known to have moments of intelligence every now and again.¡± He quipped, a slight grin on his lips, and a warm expression in his eyes. He seemed content.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re so funny.¡± I rolled my eyes fondly at him. ¡°What did you do after that?¡±


    ¡°I had already ascertained, by the description of the houses that he¡¯d seen, where it was that he¡¯d been taken, so it was only a small matter of time, and a little bit of nosing about the particular street, that I was able to guess what situation had occurred.¡±


    ¡°Do you keep a map of the city with you with descriptions of every street?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I keep one in my head.¡± He smiled, tapping his temple. ¡°It¡¯s dreadfully useful.¡±


    ¡°You really never fail to amaze me, Gabriel.¡± I laughed. ¡°Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°On that street, there is a bank that stands, on a bit of an island, in the middle of the street, in a peculiar little fork in the road. I sent for Inspector L¡¯Strade and a couple of constables. We arrived about a half hour before the bank closed, as they close at three on Saturdays, and explained the situation to the bank manager there, a man who I¡¯ve helped once or twice in the past before. We told him that, in order to catch Mr. Heatherly¡¯s would-be killers, that we needed to be locked in the bank cellar, which is right next to the vault, coincidentally.¡±


    ¡°So they were bank robbers?¡± I grinned in realization.


    ¡°Tch, you didn¡¯t let me finish the story!¡± he seemed annoyed that I¡¯d guessed. Although to be fair, that was the conclusion anyone would draw, given that he¡¯d mentioned a bank and a vault.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know the details. What happened?¡± I asked, the story was still interesting, though I was pretty sure that I knew the outcome as well.


    ¡°Well, they locked up the building, as usual, at three o¡¯clock, only instead of the building being empty, L¡¯Strade, the constables, the bank manager, and I were in the basement, waiting for the criminals to enter.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you apprehend them at the house?¡±


    ¡°They were more likely to expect that, whereas they¡¯d be far less prepared for a confrontation within the bank itself, before they had even breached the vault.¡± He explained. ¡°Anyways, we didn¡¯t have to wait long before a great rumbling shook the floor we stood on, like a localized earthquake. Then a great machine surface, cutting through the concrete floor, and sent dust up all over the place. After the dust had cleared a little, three men popped up out of the hole, only to be promptly arrested by the Inspector. One was the business partner, I recognized him from Mr. Heatherly¡¯s description, and because he was bandaged in the places that our client recalled him being shot in, the next man was the one who had driven the carriage, and then Mr. Stone, who was already known to me as a thief. In fact, I suspected him in a house burglary, the owner of which reported stolen a peculiar gadget that he¡¯d created.¡±


    ¡°The drill?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. L¡¯Strade had consulted me on the matter, and I looked into it, but there was no proof. There were no witnesses, the rain had washed away all semblance of footsteps, and the maid had cleaned the house most thoroughly before anyone realized that anything had been taken, and several singular things had occurred, most unfortunately, so that all traces of evidence had been destroyed or cleaned away.¡±


    ¡°At least you never have to worry about that here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯ll have cleaned the house so well that you won¡¯t be able to find evidence if we are ever burgled.¡± I told him somewhat sheepishly.


    To my surprise, he laughed. ¡°I wouldn''t have it any other way, especially if the house isn¡¯t as clean as others because you¡¯ve been helping me on my cases.¡±


    ¡°I like helping on cases.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded. ¡°When is Mrs. Hudson going to be back?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, she sent a message saying that she¡¯d be back tomorrow, she spent more time than she intended at her friend¡¯s home, and missed the last train today, otherwise she¡¯d be home already.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so no Mrs. Hudson tonight.¡±


    ¡°No, and no sleeping tonight, either, it would seem.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°This coffee, I¡¯ll be awake until the sun rises!¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Then, by all means, leave the rest of it for me.¡± he smiled amiably.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours.¡±


    ¡°I am most deeply indebted to you, Joan.¡± The detective, and my friend, grinned.


    ¡°Oh hush.¡± I rolled my eyes at him.


    We sipped our coffee quietly for a little while.


    ¡°Was it hard?¡±


    ¡°Was what hard?¡±


    ¡°Life on the streets?¡± he asked quietly, a frown hovering over his features.


    I shrugged. ¡°I managed. I had to be really careful when I used magic when I lived on the streets, there were eyes everywhere. And you could never be quite sure where your next meal would come from, or if the alley you¡¯d slept in would be safe to sleep in again that night. Although the ideal thing was finding somewhere better than an alley to hole up in.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°At one point, I found a mostly unused shed in someone¡¯s backyard. They had some sweet dogs that stayed there, too, so I was always warm, even in the winter. I was lucky, though. I knew people who lost toes to the cold.¡±


    My friend cocked his head to the side, ¡°You¡¯ve had a remarkably hard life, Joan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, there are others who have had it worse still.¡±


    ¡°You baffle me.¡± The man¡¯s tone was quiet, his brow creased just slightly.


    ¡°Good, the feeling is mutual.¡± I laughed a little, wanting to turn the conversation away from my life. ¡°Anyways, the past is the past.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He said quietly.


    We soon struck up some other conversation, revolving one of his as-yet unsolved cases, and he ended up recounting old cases for me, long into the night, until I was actually tired, despite the coffee I¡¯d drank.


    ¡°Oh dear!¡± I murmured, stifling a yawn, and rubbing my eyes.


    ¡°You are so very young, sometimes, Watson.¡±


    I felt my face flush, and I looked away, rolling my eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that old, you must remember. Twenty-two isn¡¯t very old, though I¡¯ll be twenty-three fairly soon.¡±


    ¡°When is your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s something that you can¡¯t guess from just looking at me?¡± This amused me, as there was so much of me that he could read from just a glance.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a trend that can be marked by birthdates.¡± He shrugged.


    I laughed, ¡°Then maybe I ought to keep it a secret, if only to be able to keep at least one thing from you!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, I don¡¯t like not knowing things!¡± He cried, but his eyes betrayed amusement.


    ¡°It¡¯s in a couple of weeks yet, the twelfth.¡± It didn¡¯t take much convincing.


    ¡°Shall we celebrate?¡± he wanted to know, an uncertain look in his eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, but thank you all the same.¡± I smiled, shaking my head. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a birthday party in many years, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Then we must have one.¡± He told me, his tone now eager, ¡°If only because then Mrs. Hudson will make a cake. She makes the best cake¡­¡±


    ¡°Was mine not good enough?¡±


    ¡°I did not mean to imply-¡± he began hastily.


    I cut him off, laughing, ¡°I was teasing, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He blinked. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head to bed now, I think.¡± I got up.


    The detective stood as well. ¡°Goodnight, Joan.¡± He said softly.


    I looked up at his now familiar face, and noticed that, in that particular light, he did look a curious sort of handsome. I felt my face flush a little once more at the thought, and hoped he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Goodnight, Gabriel.¡±


    It was nice to have sat up and just talked with him, as he¡¯d been so busy of late. Clearly I¡¯d grown very fond of my life on Cooke Street, if I was saddened when I had not seen nor heard from the man in a while, so accustomed had I become to being in his company. And being in his company was far better than anyone else¡¯s. I had realized that I was inexplicably fond of him. Gabriel was strange, no doubt, but he was generous, loyal, kind-hearted, when it came down to it, and genuinely cared for me.

 Chapter 8

    A few months after my birthday, and indeed a handful of cases later, the ringing of the doorbell had me scurrying from the kitchen to the front hall, yet again.


    Let it be said that I answered the door a lot.


    A rather good-looking man, who looked about my age, if not a little older, stood on the doorstep. Suddenly I realized that I was still wearing my apron, and was completely covered in flour.


    My face flushed a little, and I curtsied, ¡°Hello, sir, can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I was told that this was the house of Sir Locke, the detective, have I come to the right place?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Yes sir, this is his residence.¡±


    ¡°Please take him my card, and ask if he¡¯ll see me. I don¡¯t have an appointment¡­¡± He pulled a card from his coat pocket, on which I read his name, Martin Morstan.


    ¡°Come into the front hall, Mr. Morstan. I¡¯ll be back momentarily.¡± I said, curtseying to him, and stepping aside, allowing the man to enter.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said as I hurried up the stairs.


    Just as I was about to knock on the door of Sir Locke¡¯s study, it popped open. ¡°Dear Joan, do show the client up!¡±


    I laughed, handing him Mr. Moriston¡¯s card. ¡°Were you standing at the window, creeping on the street again, sir?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± The detective was examining the card. ¡°Ah, a tutor, I see.¡±


    ¡°A tutor? How could you possibly know that from just his card?¡±


    ¡°Joan¡­¡± My employer rolled his eyes, giving a long-suffering sigh. ¡°It was not a difficult deduction. Surely you could not miss this slight chalk-smudge on the card? And since I know that you don''t have any chalk dust on your hands¡­¡± To prove his point, he caught my hand, and briefly examined my fingertips, which made my face heat, inexplicably.


    ¡°But that could make him a teacher, not necessarily a tutor.¡± I shrugged, hoping he hadn¡¯t noticed that I¡¯d flushed red as he¡¯d examined my fingers so delicately.


    ¡°True. But because, as you did suggest, I was watching, not creeping on, as you refer to it as, but watching the street below, I know that his clothing is not that of a teacher¡¯s. It is a little more expensive than a teacher would venture to buy, I should think, though is too casual to be admitted by most school¡¯s strict rules of dress around here, as they apply to teachers as well as the students. Also, if you will think back to your school days, most schools are still in session at this point in the day, so he is most likely a tutor on retainer with some rich family, kept about so that their children assuredly do well in their studies.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, when you point it out, it seems more obvious.¡± I smiled, shaking my head.


    ¡°It is obvious, Joan, you just don¡¯t see the obvious.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, sir, you do wonders for my self-esteem.¡± I rolled my eyes at him.


    Sir Locke blinked, cocking his head to the side a little. ¡°I did not mean that as an insult.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t¡­but very often the things you say could be interpreted as insults, nonetheless. Thankfully, I know you don¡¯t make it a habit to insult people, stupid though we may be.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t mean to imply that you were stupid. I never do.¡± Gabriel said quickly, blinking, ¡°I just mean that you see, but you simply don¡¯t observe¡­anyways, please show our tutor up.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I went back downstairs, and addressed the potential client. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that took so long,¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Mr. Morstan wanted to know, his voice was tinged with worry.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± I laughed, ¡°Sir Locke has a way of pulling me into discussions that I did not foresee. Please, let me show you up.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The client seemed a little confused.


    I led the supposed tutor up the stairs, and knocked on Sir Locke¡¯s door, then opened it, admitting him into the study.


    ¡°Mr. Morstan, welcome! Please, have a seat.¡± My employer motioned at the couch, and the visitor sat. ¡°Now, what can I do for you?¡± I turned, meaning to leave and get back to helping Mrs. Hudson with the bread, but Gabriel addressed me before Mr. Morstan could speak, ¡°If you would do me the favor of staying, Joan, I would appreciate that. You may be needed.¡±


    I looked down, a bit embarrassed at the state of my clothes. ¡°At least let me change out of my apron, sir. I¡¯m covered in flour¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of no consequence. Please.¡± He requested waving my concern away, his tone earnest.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± I sat down in an armchair. It never failed to surprise me, or please me, when he asked me to sit in on another case, and this was no exception.


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    ¡°Sorry, now please, do tell us your tale.¡± Sir Locke motioned for the client to begin.


    ¡°Quite.¡± The rather attractive man nodded. ¡°I guess I should begin with a little bit about myself. I¡¯m a tutor for a family on the other side of town.¡± The statement made Gabriel shoot me a pointed, slightly smug look. I rolled my eyes at him, pretending to be annoyed, as if I had actually thought that he was wrong. Mr. Morstan continued. ¡°My parents both died in a terrible accident while traveling in foreign lands, when I was quite young, and so I was brought up by my Uncle and Aunt, who secured my job with a friend of theirs, which is my current position.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± my employer nodded. ¡°What brings you to me today?¡±


    ¡°Well, it all really started when I came of age three years ago.¡± Mr. Morstan paused, gathering his thoughts. ¡°On my birthday, I woke up, and found a peculiar little package sitting on my bedside table.¡±


    ¡°I take it that your employers didn¡¯t leave you a birthday gift?¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyebrows were raised, amused, but he seemed otherwise bored.


    ¡°No.¡± Mr. Morstan shook his head. ¡°Because I took it to them and asked if they had put it in my room while I slept, which would have been most unlike them. Especially when I saw the contents of the box.¡±


    ¡°Which were?¡± Gabriel was growing impatient, but I didn¡¯t think that our guest noticed.


    ¡°A very large, very beautiful pearl.¡± Mr. Morstan said, producing a box from his pocket, and opening it, revealing three such pearls. ¡°I was surprised, but not upset, of course, such a pearl would fetch a lovely price, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°There are three there, though.¡± I said, confused.


    ¡°I believe that signifies that this strange little surprise has continued for these three years, am I correct?¡± Gabriel¡¯s words made me feel stupid, as it was fairly obvious, though I knew it wasn¡¯t his intent to make me feel dumb.


    Mr. Morstan nodded. ¡°Yes, the two following years, on my birthday I awoke to small boxes on my bedside table.¡±


    ¡°May I see the pearls?¡± Gabriel asked, finally looking interested.


    ¡°Certainly.¡± The client leaned forward, and passed the lovely things to him.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Gabriel whipped a lens from his pocket, and examined each one very closely in the palm of his hand. Then he set the box of pearls on the low table that sat in front of where we all sat, and darted about his room, rummaging about for something.


    ¡°What are you looking for, Gabriel?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A candle.¡±


    ¡°One in particular? Or just a candle?¡±


    ¡°Actually, a very particular candle that has special identification properties in its flame...It¡¯s purple.¡±


    ¡°That sounds magical indeed!¡± Mr. Morstan spoke up.


    ¡°Perhaps magic is only very advanced science.¡± Gabriel muttered, but something told me that it was just simply a magical candle. ¡°I can¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°Try your second drawer, on the left, sir.¡± I told him.


    ¡°What?¡± he blinked.


    ¡°It¡¯s in your desk¡¯s second drawer that¡¯s on the left side. I believe it¡¯s in the left side of the drawer too.¡± I told him, vaguely remembering putting a purple candle in there while tidying up one day.


    Gabriel blinked, opened the drawer, and pulled out a violet candle. ¡°Quite. Thank you, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded.


    Gabriel did a few more examinations, and then returned the pearls to their owner, one of which involved waving the pearls over the candle¡¯s flame, which he only did after assuring Mr. Morstan that it wouldn¡¯t harm the sparkling white little spheres. ¡°They¡¯re real pearls.¡± He said, shrugging. ¡°I have no doubt of that. I wanted to ascertain that before I began any true investigations.¡±


    ¡°You doubted their authenticity? Why would someone send fake pearls?¡±


    ¡°Why indeed?¡± Gabriel said, sounding thoughtful, but then shook himself. ¡°But they aren¡¯t fake. Of course, that¡¯s not what you came here for, is it? To have them shown to be genuine? You would have gone to an expert in the matter, if you wanted that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right.¡± Martin nodded, ¡°Truth in fact, my birthday is coming up, and I should like to know who has been putting them in my room, so that I might thank them¡­¡±


    ¡°And of course, I¡¯m sure you want to know if the strange deliveries will continue. They will bring you a pretty penny, I¡¯m sure.¡± Gabriel laughed.


    ¡°That too.¡± The tutor nodded. ¡°I also would like to know how they got into my room.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they just crept through the door?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I lock my door every night.¡± Mr. Morstan shook his head.


    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± I asked, surprised. I wouldn¡¯t lock my door, what if I needed to exit in a hurry?


    ¡°There are dogs, I believe, Joan. And I¡¯m guessing they can push the door open, if you do not lock it?¡± Gabriel spoke up.


    Mr. Morstan blinked, ¡°Indeed. How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Dog hairs on your trousers, and some scratches on your shoes that only a dog would make.¡± Gabriel said in an offhand voice. ¡°What about windows?¡±


    ¡°There is one, and it can¡¯t really be unlatched from the outside, and I never open it, for fear of letting in bugs in the summer, or the cold in the winter. Also, my room is on the third floor of my employer''s home, so unless whoever it is has a ladder, they¡¯re not getting in that way.¡± Mr. Morstan said, shrugging.


    Gabriel was quiet for a few moments. ¡°Would it be possible for me to examine your rooms?¡±


    ¡°Of course. My employers won¡¯t mind, in fact, they¡¯re just as curious as I am to know how such a thing is happening. After all, someone is somehow sneaking into their house to place the pearls in my room.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Then I think that we will come down tomorrow, first thing.¡± Gabriel stood.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Mr. Morstan nodded, smiling. ¡°Thank you very much, Sir Locke!¡±


    ¡°He does love a good puzzle.¡± I laughed. ¡°And you¡¯ve given him a locked-room mystery. Those are the best.¡±


    ¡°Are they? I hadn¡¯t any idea that many people were in the habit of creating them.¡± The attractive young man laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t make a habit of it, like you do, though.¡± I smiled.


    Mr. Morstan opened his mouth to reply, but Gabriel interrupted. ¡°Pray, we must get your address, I daresay.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, of course.¡± Mr. Morstan busied himself with writing the address down.


    Gabriel turned to me, ¡°Do go see if Mrs. Hudson needs some help, I think you were making bread when I pulled you away? Give her my apologies.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± I stood. He didn¡¯t usually dismiss me back to my typical duties until after the client had left, and he¡¯d had a good long session of bouncing the case off of me, so the suddenness of him sending me off was a little odd.


    Had I done something wrong? I wracked my brain, and couldn¡¯t come up with anything that would have annoyed or irritated Gabriel.


    Maybe he just¡­wanted to do this case by himself, for some reason? Though he had asked me to stay¡­only to dismiss me very quickly once the story was told. It was very odd.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Another day, another case, Joan.¡± Gabriel said, grabbing his coat and hat, clearly preparing to leave for the day.


    I stopped dusting. ¡°Of course, sir. When will you be back? If you¡¯ll be late, I can tell Mrs. Hudson just to keep some leftovers for you.¡±


    Gabriel stopped, a confused expression crossing his features, ¡°But aren¡¯t you coming?¡±


    It was my turn to be confused. ¡°I¡­I want to.¡±


    He studied me for a moment with his sharp eyes, ¡°Did you think that I wasn¡¯t going to ask you along?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I was confused.¡± I shrugged, setting aside the feather duster. ¡°I got the impression that you¡­maybe wanted to be alone for this case. But never mind. I¡¯m not confused anymore. Let me grab my coat.¡± I did so.


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, opening the door for me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I gave you the wrong impression. You started this case with me, I daresay you wish to see it out.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Good. Come along, Joan.¡± Sir Locke hailed a cab, and soon we were on our way to the home of Martin Morstan¡¯s employers.


    ¡°You do like a good locked room mystery, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked him. It hadn¡¯t been the first he¡¯d come across.


    ¡°Everyone loves a good locked room mystery.¡± Gabriel told me, flashing a bright, brief smile at me. ¡°Even the dull Mr. Morstan can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°You find him dull?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°He seemed animated enough to me.¡± I shrugged. It didn¡¯t hurt that the client was a rather attractive fellow, either.


    Gabriel shrugged, ¡°One can be animated and dull at the same time. Dullness is a state of mind, really.¡±


    ¡°You confused me better than anyone else in the entire world.¡± I rolled my eyes at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°I see that the feeling is mutual.¡± I laughed, he could be extremely amusing sometimes, and something told me that this occasional lack of social aptitude was part of his strange charm. ¡°But I would hate to think that I¡¯m possibly someone with a dull state of mind¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should keep you around if you were.¡± Gabriel told me.


    ¡°Then if you ever fire me, I¡¯ll know it¡¯s because I¡¯ve let my mind grow dull.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry about that, Joan.¡± He chuckled. It was a kind comment. ¡°You¡¯re simple, perhaps, but not dull.¡±


    ¡°And the tactless terror is at it again.¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°You have a way of giving the most insulting compliments.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to insult or compliment. It was just a fact.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe lie to me a little, tell me I¡¯m smart sometimes, would you? I am a doctor, after all. And they don¡¯t just let anyone be a doctor. Only one hundred out of the five hundred people that initially signed up for the government-sponsored doctors¡¯ classes that I was in actually ended up seeing the courses through, as most dropped out and others still failed out. Out of that one hundred people that did succeed, however, I had the highest scores on all of our examinations, practical and written.¡±


    ¡°When I said simple, I didn¡¯t mean that as a comment on your intelligence, Joan.¡± He clarified quietly.


    ¡°Oh good, here I was thinking that you found me stupid.¡±


    ¡°You always seem to be under the impression that I find you stupid, and that¡¯s never the case, I¡¯ve said it many times, Joan. You¡¯re not stupid.¡± Gabriel shook his head. The cab rumbled to a stop, and we clambered out.


    --


    ¡°Forgive my insecurities, Gabriel.¡± Joan sighed, shaking her head. His companion then looked around at their destination, dark, wide eyes drinking in the place. Mr. Morstan¡¯s employers lived in a lovely three-story manor house. ¡°Must be nice.¡± Joan sighed wistfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like our Cooke Street quarters?¡± Gabriel asked, amused.


    ¡°Oh no, I didn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t like Cooke Street.¡± She shook her head quickly.


    ¡°Good. I mean, I could move. It¡¯s not as if I couldn¡¯t afford a house like this¡­¡± After all, he¡¯d been solving crimes for a very, very long time, and his clients often rewarded him handsomely for his work, if they could afford to do so.


    He¡¯d been given fabulous jewels worth small fortunes on their own, as a show of gratitude, and that was on top of the usual amount that he charged for wealthy clients. But his clients of more humble means often found that their fees were forgotten about, or waived from the very beginning, as he didn¡¯t have the heart to take their money, nor did he need it.


    ¡°Really?¡± The doctor looked surprised.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She blinked, apparently not having realized his monetary value.


    ¡°You should see my brother¡¯s home.¡± Sir Locke chuckled.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°It falls a little short from being a full-blown castle.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said he occupied a minor position in the government!¡± Joan cried.


    ¡°Did I?¡± He was amused by his own previous words, as well as the look of astonishment on her face; her dark eyes were wide, and her lips, which were a peculiar shade of pink, were parted in this surprise. ¡°Perhaps I understated his value.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± the small doctor muttered, looking back at the manor house in front of them, and falling silent.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He motioned at the door after a little while.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s stay outside.¡± She told him sarcastically, rolling her eyes, but smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your sarcasm is in working order.¡± He paused as she rewarded him with a giggle, then asked. ¡°Would you do me a favor, once we¡¯re inside?¡±


    ¡°I daresay it¡¯s part of my job to do favors.¡±


    ¡°Would you interview the house staff? See if they know anything?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the common folk.¡± Joan said knowingly, nodding her head, ¡°I won¡¯t intimidate them like you do.¡±


    ¡°I intimidate people?¡±


    ¡°I know that I was pretty scared of you, at first.¡± She told him, shrugging.


    He blinked. Surprised by her response. ¡°Oh. What about now?¡±


    Her expression softened, ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re my best friend, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°I think that makes you mine, then, as well. My best friend, I mean.¡± He winced, not meaning to have said it quite the way he had.


    ¡°I knew what you meant.¡± She laughed, patting his arm comfortingly.


    --


    ¡°Right.¡± Gabriel knocked on the door. A butler opened the door, and told them that they were expected, and gave apologies that the Master and Missus of the house weren¡¯t around. ¡°That¡¯s all the same, I¡¯ve no desperate need to talk to them.¡± He said.


    ¡°Very good, sir.¡± The butler nodded politely.


    ¡°Sir Locke! It¡¯s good of you to come!¡± Mr. Morstan said, appearing from one of the hallways. ¡°I was just having a bit of a late breakfast, would you and your companion care to join me?¡± I was a bit miffed that my name wasn¡¯t remembered, but it really didn¡¯t matter. Or it shouldn¡¯t matter, but it did. Attractive men very rarely remembered my name. Or noticed me, it seemed. I should have been used to it already, but I wasn¡¯t.


    Anyways, it wasn¡¯t as if I warranted any attention, nor did I really want it, in the end, if I was being honest. I didn¡¯t have time for such things, so it was alright, really¡­I¡¯d already accepted that I wasn¡¯t likely to settle down or get married.


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    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯d rather get right to it.¡± Gabriel replied, rubbing his long fingers together eagerly.


    ¡°Your methods are your own, good sir!¡± Mr. Morstan nodded understandingly, ¡°Let me show you to my quarters.¡± The two men disappeared up a staircase.


    The butler had already disappeared, so I took it upon myself to complete the venture that Gabriel had assigned to me, and went in search of some house-staff.


    --


    ¡°Sir Locke?¡± Martin Morstan addressed him.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Gabriel didn¡¯t look up from the lens that he was examining the window ledge with, halfway hanging out of said window as he did so.


    ¡°Is it not a little peculiar for a detective to bring his maid along with him?¡± the man inquired, sounding doubtful.


    The mention of Joan brought Gabriel¡¯s attention fully to the conversation. ¡°Not when one¡¯s maid is also a fully¨Cqualified, completely competent doctor as well.¡±


    ¡°A doctor? I¡¯ve never heard of a woman doctor before! I would think the fair sex weren¡¯t well-suited for it¡­¡± he sounded baffled.


    ¡°She¡¯s a damn good one, and a dear friend as well.¡± Gabriel replied mildly. He felt proud to be allowed to call her such, and found that it was because she was his friend that he felt so compelled to tell everyone how helpful her presence was to him.


    Of course, he¡¯d never been her patient himself, though he¡¯d seen her work first hand.


    On one occasion, while out on a case with him, an innocent bystander had been shot by the suspect that they¡¯d been pursuing. Joan had made Gabriel stop his pursuit, and allow the police to continue without them, so that she could tend to bystander¡¯s injuries, subtly using her magic to ease her patient¡¯s pain as she quickly removed the bullet, cleaned the wound, stemmed the bleeding, and bandaged it neatly. He¡¯d also seen her set and splint a child¡¯s broken leg, the little boy had been thrown by a horse that had been spooked. She¡¯d kept the little one from being frightened while she worked, and had tended to him until the boy¡¯s parents had been able to get him to a proper hospital. And though he hadn¡¯t directly seen her tend to Mr. Heatherly¡¯s wound, he had seen the skill with which the injured hand had been bandaged with, and Mr. Heatherly had told him later, in a letter of thanks, that his hand was recovering far more quickly than his regular doctor had expected. That was a testament to Joan¡¯s particular brand of healing magic.


    ¡°I see.¡± Mr. Morstan¡¯s tone was still confused.


    ¡°Joan was an army doctor.¡± Gabriel told him as he continued his examination. ¡°She was injured, and got a medical discharge. It¡¯s hard for women to get jobs in such a prestigious field, so she was forced to take work where she could. Luck brought her to me.¡±


    ¡°You believe in luck?¡± Mr. Morstan was clearly skeptical.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you? After all, it is quite a thing to have pearls randomly appear on your birthday, like clockwork¡­but perhaps fate is a better word.¡± Or magic. To Gabriel, fate was a kind of magic. It couldn¡¯t be explained, but there did seem to be some sort of design in it. An inexplicable design, but a design, nonetheless, and that¡¯s exactly what magic was, inexplicable, unpredictable, but still with some design behind it.


    ¡°She helps you solve cases?¡±


    ¡°More or less. She¡¯ll tell you less, I¡¯ll tell you more. As an added perk, Watson also cleans my house, as I¡¯m positively incapable at it, and makes excellent scones¡­It¡¯s my firm opinion that everyone should have such a doctor on their retainer.¡± Gabriel sighed, finally pocketing his lens as he straightened back up, and felt the blood rush from his head. ¡°No, they certainly didn¡¯t come through the window¡­¡±


    Martin Morstan laughed, ¡°I should think not! And where might I find such a doctor to keep on my retainer?¡±


    Gabriel blinked, and then smiled politely at his client. ¡°I must apologize. I do appear to have implied that there is more than one doctor quite like Watson, when in fact, she¡¯s the only one of her kind, I believe. And I am not in any mind to let her be stolen away to be someone else¡¯s doctor, so I must beg a thousand pardons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not out to steal your dear doctor, I promise!¡± Mr. Morstan laughed, waving his hands. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m still not convinced that a woman would be a good doctor, anyways, I was more interested in your praise of her scones¡­¡±


    The detective frowned as he looked around the rest of the room, but refrained from commenting. Sometimes people had such closed minds. ¡°If you¡¯ll not be convinced otherwise, then I shan¡¯t try to.¡± Although Gabriel hoped that nothing could tempt her away from his employ. He enjoyed her company.


    Almost as if on cue, Joan entered the room, ¡°Oh good, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still in here. I spoke with the staff, sir.¡±


    Sir Locke noted that Mr. Morstan suddenly seemed uneasy at her reappearance, and shifted on his feet, then excused himself quietly from the room. Joan frowned, clearly confused as to why the client had abandoned them. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just as clueless about it as Mr. Morstan.¡± She shrugged, apparently pushing her confusion away. ¡°But it¡¯s a very much talked about and theorized subject. You should hear some of their ideas!¡±


    ¡°I would rather not.¡± Gabriel shuddered, not wanting to know the theories of simple minds.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine you would.¡± Joan laughed. ¡°I suggested to them that perhaps fairies were doing it. That got a laugh.¡±


    --


    Gabriel looked stunned for a moment, and was silent, blinking rapidly.


    ¡°What?¡± I frowned, slightly afraid that he would announce how ridiculous of a suggestion that had been, though it had been a joke. ¡°I know it was a stupid suggestion, but I was just joking along with the kitchen staff¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gabriel shook his head vigorously, ¡°It¡¯s brilliant, Joan, brilliant.¡±


    I stared at him, feeling rather befuddled. ¡°Are you suggesting that this is the work of fairies?¡±


    ¡°Not fairies, no, but you¡¯re thinking on the right track. Fairies don¡¯t mind to be seen.¡± He said whirling about now, looking around the room quickly and excitedly. ¡°And we do not have fairies here in the city, it¡¯s too far away from their forest realms. But there are certainly other explanations that are in that vein of thought.¡± Sir Locke waved his hand, and I felt his powerful magic surge through the air. His eyes glowed with golden light and he continued to scan the room, clearly in the middle of an epiphany. ¡°Ah!¡± he cried, and gave a knowing smile. The glow faded, revealing his sharp, dark eyes once more, which were bright and satisfied, telling me thathis curiosity had been sated, if he indeed hadn''t already solved the case. ¡°This room has already known magic.¡±


    ¡°What? Surely not!¡± I blinked. Had the man lost his mind? How on earth could magic have ended up here, of all places?


    ¡°Dear Joan, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth¡­¡± Gabriel muttered.


    My eyebrows shot up. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s impossible for someone to have picked the lock?¡±


    ¡°They would have left marks that I would have seen immediately. I am very familiar with the way locks look when they¡¯ve been picked.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no way through the window?¡± I pressed him.


    ¡°No.¡± he shook his head. ¡°You should be happy, Joan. Your guess is very close to being right, and has put me on the right track.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my guess...It was just a joke, really, but thank you all the same. Will you explain?¡± Unfortunately, I was still confused.


    ¡°Forgive me, doctor, I need more evidence before I can say absolutely certainly.¡± Gabriel replied. Going to the door, he called for Mr. Morstan to return.


    ¡°How can I help?¡± Martin asked.


    ¡°You mentioned that your parents died when you were young, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The client blinked, ¡°But I fail to see how that has anything to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Gabriel said, impatiently, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, would you tell me how they died?¡±


    ¡°The caravan that they were riding with was attacked by thieves.¡± Mr. Morstan told him. ¡°They were murdered during the fight.¡±


    ¡°I am guessing that your mother probably had valuables with her?¡±


    ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Mr. Morstan seemed confused, ¡°I was very little, after all. I mean, perhaps she had jewelry¡­Actually, I¡¯m almost certain that she would have had jewelry. You see, once upon a time, my family was quite wealthy, but the money dwindled away after my parents died, since my Uncle wasn¡¯t quite up to running my father¡¯s company, and he was forced to sell it.¡± The poor fellow!


    ¡°Yes. Yes. This is promising.¡± Gabriel nodded, his face content. ¡°Now, when is your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Two days from now.¡±


    ¡°That gives me just enough time to finish my inquiries.¡± Sir Locke said. ¡°Is it alright if we return on the day in question?¡±


    ¡°Certainly!¡±


    ¡°We might have a bit of a sit-up that night. But we shall see.¡± Gabriel fell into a brooding sort of silence, and then shook himself. ¡°Come along, Joan, there¡¯s much to do!¡± he hurried from the room.


    I curtsied hastily to Mr. Morstan, feeling my face flush a little, and then limped after my employer and friend. ¡°Not so fast, Gabriel! I can¡¯t keep up!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I forget about your leg.¡± The detective slowed his pace, allowing me to catch up.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s a sad story about Mr. Morstan¡¯s parents.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people have sad stories.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You have a sad story, if you¡¯ll remember.¡±


    My face flushed a little. ¡°Well, yes. But it¡¯s worse for him, I think. He would have been rich had his parents not died.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Mine didn¡¯t have that kind of money.¡±


    ¡°They were still your parents.¡± He said in a quiet voice, opening the front door for me.


    ¡°Yes, and I couldn¡¯t have asked for better ones. They always supported my dreams of becoming a doctor.¡± I told him. ¡°I only wish that they¡¯d lived to see me actually achieve my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is so supportive of such ambitions. Mr. Morstan, for example.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I was immediately taken aback.


    ¡°He asked why I brought my maid with me, and I said that you were my resident doctor. Then I¡¯ll be dashed if the man didn¡¯t say that he thought women were ill-suited for being doctors.¡±


    My heart felt heavy, though it wasn¡¯t as if the man had shown any particular interest in me, so I really had no cause to be upset, but I was, all the same. ¡°Did he?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although I¡¯ll admit, I know I¡¯ve made calloused comments in the past about your gender¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you were angry, and said them just to be mean. Not that that¡¯s okay, but you didn¡¯t really mean it.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mistake that I won¡¯t make again.¡± He shook his head, frowning a little. ¡°And you¡¯re right in that I didn¡¯t mean it, I was simply being rude because¡­because you had managed to upset me. He wouldn¡¯t be convinced otherwise, though.¡±


    That said to me that Gabriel had tried to convince him that women made good doctors, and my heart lightened a little. Though he had his faults, he was a good friend. ¡°Thank you, Gabriel.¡± I said quietly. Attractiveness wasn¡¯t everything in a man, after all. Sure, Mr. Morstan was a good-looking fellow, but in the end, I had to admit that I¡¯d rather fall in love with someone like, well, Gabriel (perish the thought), simply because he could accept women as capable doctors.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For standing up for me, even when I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I did a good job of it, Joan. He wasn¡¯t convinced.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts.¡± I told him as he hailed a cab. It was almost as if he was fond of me¡­but he was my friend, after all, and so nothing was amiss, indeed it probably would be odd if we were friends and he weren¡¯t fond of me.


    Gabriel shrugged, ¡°If you say so.¡±

 Chapter 10

    The very next day, I was busy sweeping the stairs when Gabriel returned from his inquiries. His eyes were alight, and he tossed his hat deftly, and quite impressively, onto the hat-rack, whistling while he hung up his coat.


    ¡°I daresay it was a success?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Most successful!¡± Gabriel cried, darting forward suddenly, and whisking me off the steps, and then spinning about in a circle, before setting me down again. ¡°Bless you, dear woman, for your odd moments of brilliance!¡±


    I blushed furiously, extremely surprised, but not at all displeased, and stammered, ¡°Glad to be of assistance, this time!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always of assistance, Joan.¡± He assured me. ¡°Not just this time.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Gabriel.¡± He corrected, his mouth tugging down at the corners.


    ¡°Right, sorry.¡± I shrugged. ¡°What did you find out in your inquiries?¡±


    ¡°I determined that his mother had a cache of jewelry in her possession when she died.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± I nodded, ¡°And at the risk of sounding incredibly silly, might it be safe to guess that she had a rather lovely pearl necklace, or some such jewelry piece, with her when she died?¡±


    ¡°And at risk of giving away the case, I¡¯ll tell you that according to all accounts, she was wearing a necklace of that precise description the very day that she died.¡± Gabriel smiled.


    ¡°So the pearls are from his mother¡¯s necklace¡­but how on earth are they being brought to him?¡±


    ¡°No more clues! If you don¡¯t know already, then I don¡¯t want to spoil it. But I can say that I think you¡¯ll enjoy the solution to this particular little puzzle.¡± Gabriel smiled. He really was handsome, I realized, perhaps not by society¡¯s standards, but in an odd sort of way.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at my detective friend. ¡°Now you have me even more curious! This anticipation is terrible! Are you quite sure that you won¡¯t just tell me?¡±


    ¡°I still must prove that my theory is correct, but no, I don¡¯t want to spoil it!¡± He laughed, and then headed up towards his study, whistling happily.


    I rolled my eyes as he ascended the stairs. Gabriel was a mess, a dear mess.


    --


    Gabriel, Mr. Morstan, and I sat, a little uncomfortably, on Mr. Morstan¡¯s somewhat small bed. At least I wasn¡¯t sitting next to Mr. Morstan. That would have been awkward indeed. Instead, I was sandwiched between Gabriel and the headboard of the bed.


    It was pitch black in the room, and the tension was stifling. The worst part was that I wasn¡¯t a particularly patient person. Typically, Gabriel wasn¡¯t either, but when it came to his cases, there was no doubt in my mind that he could wait years, need be, to see his theory proved.


    Suddenly, I felt a swell of strange magic enter the room. Not sure if Gabriel could feel it or not, I clutched his arm, alarmed, as it wasn¡¯t any kind of magic that I recognized. The gentle brush of his fingers pressing over mine, and slipping around them, reassured me that he was aware that something was happening, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    My fear suddenly dissolved into surprise and awe as a small dot of light suddenly popped into existence. My initial thought was that it was a fairy, but then, as my eyes adjusted to its presence, I saw the little creature. It had its four-fingered hand outstretched, and was holding an orb of magic to illuminate the room. According to everything I¡¯d read, I knew that fairies were simply little points of light that floated around like glowing balls of fluff with wings.


    The small creature darted down onto the bedside table, somehow not noticing us. After all, its light wasn¡¯t incredibly bright, and something told me that the rays of light didn¡¯t reach us.


    The little creature snapped the fingers of its free hand, and suddenly, it grasped a small white box, which I guessed contained a pearl from the necklace of the departed Mrs. Morstan.


    ¡°I say!¡± Mr. Morstan cried, completely and utterly blowing our cover.


    The little creature gave a startled squeak, and its large green eyes turned toward the bed, finally seeing the three of us there. The little creature gave another startled cry, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Oh really, Mr. Morstan!¡± Gabriel sighed, I felt his long fingers let go of my hand, and I quickly pulled it away, very much aware that I¡¯d liked it that he¡¯d held my hand, which was terribly confusing, even if he¡¯d only done it to comfort me.


    ¡°What?¡± the client was taken aback.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone and spoiled it!¡± The detective sighed. He got up, and switched on the lights. ¡°But it¡¯s no matter. There¡¯s your birthday pearl, as usual.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What on earth was that creature?!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you noted it¡¯s large green eyes, slightly mottled, brown skin, floppy ears, and four-fingered hands, and compare it to some obscure knowledge to be found in children¡¯s storybooks, you¡¯ll come to the conclusion that it was, in fact, a brownie.¡±


    ¡°A brownie?!¡± Mr. Morstan¡¯s eyebrows shot up as he stood.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I laughed, everything falling into place. I stood, glad to stretch my legs. ¡°I wondered how my mentioning fairies could have possibly gotten you on the right track!¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Gabriel nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are you saying that brownies are real?¡±


    The detective now shook his head, clicking his tongue disapprovingly, ¡°Humans don¡¯t give enough credence to the old tales. There are many magical creatures that live in this world. Humans have just grown so frightened of magic that they refuse to believe that they exist.¡±


    ¡°I mean, my mother always joked about there being some sort of sprite that lived in our house¡­but none of us ever believed it, and thought it quite mad that our housekeeper would leave little dishes of milk out for it¡­¡±


    ¡°Sprites are entirely different creatures.¡± Gabriel shook his head, ¡°But I take your point. Your mother and housekeeper were right. Your family is an old one, and stretches back to a time when humans and magical creatures both occupied the lands of Averah. Back before the wheels of industry drove them away, the smog poisoned their lungs, the iron burned their skin, and the idea that anything different is bad permeated the minds of humans, turning them against the magical creatures that they once lived peacefully with. Your family was around during that time, and, apparently, had a brownie that had pledged itself to them. That was your brownie. They can be extremely helpful. I¡¯m not entirely sure why it only just decided to start being involved in your life once more, but something tells me that it has spent all these years looking for your parents, and then trying to track you down in order to bring you your mother¡¯s pearls as gifts.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mr. Morstan said, blinking. It was quiet for a few moments. ¡°What do I do now?¡±


    ¡°That depends on how you feel about having a brownie in your service. They can be very useful. They¡¯ll find lost socks, fix broken pocket watches, heal minor cuts and bruises¡­but anger one, and it¡¯ll make a proper mess of things.¡±


    ¡°If¡­if I wanted to keep it around, what would I do?¡± Mr. Morstan asked slowly.


    ¡°Do as your old housekeeper did, leave a dish of milk out for it. Maybe some cheese, crackers, or butter, sometimes, just to let it have some variety.¡± Gabriel shrugged. ¡°And don¡¯t anger it.¡±


    ¡°How do I avoid angering it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of it, or magic. Avoid coarse language while in the house, and above all, speak more kindly of women, after all, it does seem to have a special connection with your own mother, if it was her pearls that it has endeavored for so long to bring back to you.¡± Gabriel told him, very seriously, but I could see that his eyes were dancing, amusedly.


    Mr. Morstan shifted, somewhat uncomfortably, on his feet. I turned my head away, to hide my grin. ¡°Right.¡± The client muttered.


    ¡°We will take our leave, then.¡± Gabriel said, ¡°Come along, Watson!¡±


    ¡°Right behind you, sir.¡± I nodded, scurrying after him.


    We left, and hailed a cab, but not a word passed between us until we were situated, and bumping down the street.


    ¡°Was I right in saying that you would like the solution?¡± Gabriel broke the silence.


    ¡°It was such a lovely break from your normal cases!¡± I told him, happy. ¡°Sometimes I get tired of crime and death and your typical sort of puzzles¡­And it was so¡­so magical!...for lack of a better word.¡±


    ¡°I knew it would suit you.¡± He chuckled quietly.


    ¡°I wish more ended like this one did.¡± I sighed, setting my head against the side of the carriage.


    ¡°Magical creatures are very few and far between these days, doctor, so I¡¯m afraid that you probably won¡¯t get your wish.¡±


    ¡°Regrettably.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Not all magical creatures are as relatively harmless as brownies are.¡± Gabriel told me.


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°And some of them can be devilishly difficult to deal with.¡±


    I looked at him, suddenly suspicious. ¡°You speak as if you have experience.¡±


    Gabriel was quiet for a moment. ¡°Well, perhaps I do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that and then not tell me about those experiences!¡± I laughed, ¡°Spill the beans!¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I¡¯d have to kill you if I did tell you?¡± His voice was surprisingly subdued and seemed to be full of guilt, even though his words were some that were typically somewhat playful.


    I blinked, taken aback. ¡°Oh¡­I¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Joan.¡± His voice was apologetic, ¡°I want to tell you, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Honestly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    It was quiet for a little while.


    ¡°One more question.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t begrudge you of your inquisitive mind.¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason in particular that you¡¯d have to have me knocked off if I found out the truth?¡± I asked, half-jokingly.


    He was quiet for a moment, I sensed that he was gathering his words carefully. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I was in the military once too.¡± The detective told me after a few moments.


    I blinked, completely and utterly surprised. ¡°Honestly, Gabriel, you never fail to surprise me. Where were you stationed?¡±


    But Sir Locke shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I sighed. ¡°All this secrecy. I¡¯m beginning to think that I don¡¯t know you at all!¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡± He gave a short, hollow sort of laugh.


    Then we were home, and exited the cab.


    It was late, and I went straight to bed, being rather exhausted from all the excitement of the night.


    My mind kept wandering back to how he¡¯d so readily held my hand in his. I tried not to, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Well, I had been scared, and the decent thing to do, when someone is scared, is to try and comfort them, and Gabriel was a decent fellow, in the end, but hadn¡¯t wanted to talk, and frighten the brownie away, so he¡¯d simply held my hand reassuringly instead. Because he was decent. Yes. That was it. He was just a decent sort of fellow. Although something told me that he would never mention the fact that he had held my hand, even if it had been just to comfort me.

 Chapter 11

    One day, when there had been a particular dry spell in the department of cases for Gabriel to solve, I awoke to the most beautiful music lilting down the staircase from Sir Locke¡¯s study.


    Putting on one of my now rather old dresses, and making a mental note to start saving up for new ones, as well as a new coat, I went downstairs to the kitchen. It was what I did every morning, if not intercepted and diverted by Gabriel on the way there, or once I got there.


    ¡°Morning!¡± I said to Mrs. Hudson, ¡°It does seem that you¡¯re going to have my help around the house again today, since he doesn¡¯t have a case.¡±


    ¡°Oh good! I need the dusting on the upper levels done, love, if you wouldn¡¯t mind!¡± Mrs. Hudson told me.


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind, it¡¯s my job. Although sometimes I think he rather forgets that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, to help you with the housework.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like helping with his little mysteries?¡± she laughed.


    I grinned guiltily, ¡°No, I very much enjoy doing that, but it¡¯s not what he hired me for.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re both happy, I don¡¯t care if I have to walk the stairs every hour. You¡¯re very good for him, Joan.¡± Mrs. Hudson confided.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± I said, feeling my face flush a little. There was a pause in the conversation as some particularly sweet notes floated to our ears. I couldn¡¯t keep from smiling. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he played the violin.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s capable of far more than even we know.¡± The elderly housekeeper replied, shaking her head a little, as if mystified.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true.¡± I had to agree with her, just going by the fact that he could use magic, not that I had ever seen him use much, but that was understandable enough, as it was something that needed to be kept rather secret, which I knew from my own experience.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put breakfast for two on the tray, so that you can stay up there and keep him company, I think he¡¯d like that, although he¡¯d never admit it to anyone. Especially since he doesn¡¯t have a case at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± I said, taking the heavy breakfast tray. But the tray was exactly that, heavy, and I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d made it up the stairs with it all intact. So using my magic, I levitated it, getting a small, approving applause from Mrs. Hudson. Then I headed upstairs. After knocking on the door, I heard a pause in the music, and it opened. ¡°Breakfast!¡± I said, smiling, hoping to cheer him up, as he obviously looked a little morose.


    But he didn¡¯t smile, ¡°She¡¯s made breakfast for two, I see. Well, come in then.¡± He lifted the tray from where it levitated, and stepped aside to let me in.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Gabriel.¡± My friend and employer corrected, his lips forming a tight line. He seemed to be in a prickly sort of mood, as was normal when he was bored.


    ¡°Sorry, force of habit.¡± I cringed, sitting down on the couch. To my surprise, he sat next to me, stretching his legs out on the long couch, and leaning back into the cushions, closing his eyes and sighing quietly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± I asked, noticing that he¡¯d put his violin down on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly hungry.¡± Gabriel replied somewhat lethargically. Sometimes he seemed almost lazy, but then he¡¯d be so full of life the next moment that it was hard to believe that the man darting about, searching for some component of one of his various science projects, was the same person who¡¯d been too lost in his own thoughts and boredom to eat not moments before. Then there would be days exactly opposite of his languid, bored ones, where he didn¡¯t eat because he was so occupied with one of his cases that all else fell from his mind, and it took me and Mrs. Hudson both reminding him, repeatedly, to actually eat something.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. Mrs. Hudson will have my hide if you don¡¯t eat, Gabriel. At least drink some coffee.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I grow weary of this stagnation, not having a case¡­¡± he muttered, but sat up and accepted the coffee that I handed him, his fingers brushing against mine. I felt my face flush the slightest bit at the accidental contact.


    Gabriel Locke could be pig-headed and rude, at times, and he wasn¡¯t handsome in the conventional sense, but there was something about his sharp eyes that betrayed a deep, powerful mind, and there was an air of mystery to him, one that came from more than just solving them on a constant basis, something that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on.


    Unfortunately, that air of mystery was almost devilishly attractive, in the strangest of ways. I didn¡¯t feel that way at first, but now I certainly did, though I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with that fact. We got along very well, I felt, even on his prickly, bored days, when he wasn¡¯t in a particularly good mood, I still found myself happy in his company.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not going to die of boredom, Gabriel.¡± I told him, turning and pouring myself a cup of tea after putting down the coffee pot, pushing all of the ridiculous thoughts from my mind. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week, and I¡¯m dying!¡± he cried rather melodramatically, setting his coffee cup down, and falling back into the couch, closing his eyes.


    ¡°Well, let me see.¡± I set down my teacup and put my hand lightly on his forehead, taking his temperature.


    Gabriel¡¯s eyes flew open, startled, ¡°What on earth?¡±


    I pulled my hand away, ¡°Well, no fever, I can almost completely promise that, since you don¡¯t have a fever, it¡¯s most likely that you¡¯re not dying¡­or so your doctor says.¡± I told him, grinning.


    I expected him to retort with something sarcastic, but instead he broke into a small, bemused sort of smile, and laughed a little. ¡°Alright, alright. Perhaps I¡¯m not dying¡­but I am bored, Joan.¡± he seemed listless.


    ¡°Well, Mrs. Hudson and I do enjoy hearing your violin, even if you are bored. It makes the house feel very high-class.¡±


    ¡°This is certainly a high-class house.¡± He said, closing his eyes again, running his fingers around the edge of his coffee cup. For a moment, he looked young, very young, and almost handsome by even normal conventions.


    ¡°Gabriel?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, doctor?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I imagined it or not, but his voice seemed to have a note of fondness in it.


    ¡°Why do you look older?¡± I had been thinking a lot about how old he looked. ¡°I mean, older than is normal for magicians that are human¡­typically we stop aging by twenty five at the most¡­you¡¯re nearly thirty, or older, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Gabriel was quiet for a few moments, and I wondered if I hadn¡¯t overstepped my bounds, and I was about to apologize when he finally spoke, ¡°Maybe I just look older than I am.¡±


    ¡°For a moment there, you looked almost my age¡­¡±


    ¡°What, seven years younger? I must be doing well then.¡± He chuckled, sitting up again. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m actually more than seven years older than you.¡±


    ¡°I guess I hadn¡¯t thought about that. Just how old are you? I know that human mages supposedly live as long as the fabled elves, supposedly, but I¡¯ve never had another one to talk to about it before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret I won¡¯t divulge, not just yet, anyways.¡± Was his mysterious reply, which was coupled with a somewhat sly sort of grin.


    ¡°Oh, now you¡¯ve only made me more curious! Come on, now you have to tell me!¡± I pulled on his sleeve, laughing a little.


    ¡°Then I will settle with old.¡± He said quietly, a strange look passing across his face, a flicker of emotion that I didn¡¯t recognize, and I let my hand drop, not wanting to annoy him.


    ¡°Old?¡±


    ¡°Very old.¡± His voice was quiet, and he looked away.


    Of course, this only made me curious as to what ¡®very old¡¯ meant, but I also knew that he wouldn¡¯t answer at this point. ¡°I see.¡± was all I said, not pressing the matter, even though I desperately wanted to.


    To my surprise, he handed me a plate, taking his own and curling up on his cushion with it, prompting me to do the same, so that I could face him, our knees almost touching¡­almost. ¡°Thank you. Will you play your violin some more?¡± I asked, taking a bite of my breakfast.


    ¡°Most likely.¡± He replied with a shrug, ¡°I am terribly bored.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so boring, then.¡± I smiled, knowing that it wasn¡¯t what he meant.


    Gabriel blinked, as if surprised. ¡°You always say things like that. You¡¯re not boring, Joan.¡±


    ¡°I was teasing.¡± I laughed. ¡°I usually am when I say stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I¡¯d confused him again, and I could see it written on his face, reflected in his sharp eyes.


    I could only giggle, amused that I¡¯d only succeeded in confusing him. ¡°You¡¯ll understand people better someday, I promise.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°Well, why not?¡±


    ¡°People¡­they are a nuisance.¡± He murmured, tracing the lip of his cup with his fingers again, eyes foggy, and far away from where we were at the moment, but wherever his mind walked, he was far, far away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we¡¯re such a nuisance to you, Gabriel.¡± I told him quietly, but was pretty sure that he wouldn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again! But that statement doesn¡¯t include you, Joan, you should know that when I say those things, they never include you.¡± he frowned. But his eyes were still fixed on something or somewhere far away.


    Suddenly, he shook himself, and finished his coffee, swiftly ate the rest of what was on his plate, and leapt up, grabbing his violin and holding it to his chin. The sweet notes filled the air as he pulled the bow across the strings.


    I smiled, and enjoyed the rest of my breakfast while being serenaded by his music. Closing my eyes, I leaned back into the couch, listening happily for a long while. The music stopped for a little while. ¡°Joan?¡± I heard him ask quietly, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± I asked, opening my eyes.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d fallen asleep.¡± He said, sounding relieved. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d do if you¡¯d fallen asleep.¡±


    ¡°You could have woken me up. I shouldn¡¯t be falling asleep so early in the day.¡± I laughed.


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t wake you up, that wouldn¡¯t be right¡­¡± he paused, tilting his head to the side a little, ¡°I could have easily carried you back to your own bed though, I suppose.¡± He said in a mild voice, dropping his eyes, and fiddling with the knobs on the end of his violin.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s probably true.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not as if you actually weigh much.¡± He added, holding his violin back to his chin.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°How could you possibly know how much I weigh?¡± I teased him, amused by this observation.


    Gabriel blinked, ¡°It¡¯s a simple matter of calculating your height verses-¡± His sentence was cut off by a knock on the door. ¡°Enter!¡± he cried, looking at the door, clearly surprised. I stood to greet whoever was out in the hallway.


    The door opened almost immediately, revealing a man who appeared to be in his forties, perhaps early fifties. He had a very stern gaze, a grim slash of a mouth, and neatly combed, sandy-colored, thinning, hair. He wasn¡¯t as thin as Gabriel, who was a bit of a stick, indeed the man was almost portly, but¡­but there was a certain similarity that hung about their features that I couldn¡¯t ignore as just a coincidence.


    ¡°Myles.¡± Gabriel blinked, seeming surprised.


    ¡°Little brother.¡± Myles Locke said. Gabriel¡¯s voice and tone was most often a mild sort of neutral tone, but Myles¡¯ was outright cold and detached.


    Suddenly, I recalled that Gabriel had said that he was very old, and was thus very confused as to how he could possibly have an older brother, if he was indeed so old, as magic wasn¡¯t usually something that ran in families. But then all thoughts left me, and I quailed as Myles¡¯ intimidating gaze landed on me.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± he asked, sounding vaguely annoyed.


    To my surprise, Gabriel¡¯s hand suddenly rested gently on my shoulder in an approving, reassuring sort of way. ¡°This is Joan, Joan Watson. I hired her as my maid, but she¡¯s a doctor, and has been helping me with some of my cases.¡±


    ¡°Rather.¡± Myles said coldly. ¡°That¡¯s why I had to show myself in.¡±


    That comment irritated me, as I hadn¡¯t even heard anyone knocking on the door, and normally I did, even from all the way up in the study, which meant he either had purposely knocked very softly, or not at all, and had simply let himself in, somehow. Maybe he had a key?


    ¡°Indeed¡­Well, what are you doing here? What can I do for you?¡± Gabriel seemed a little on edge, perhaps startled by his brother¡¯s rather sudden appearance.


    ¡°There is a matter that I want you to look into.¡± Myles said.


    ¡°Myles, you feel the need to constantly remind me that you¡¯re better at what I do than I am. Surely you don¡¯t need my help.¡± Gabriel said, now sounding annoyed.


    ¡°I find that this particular case requires more than one person with our particular¡­abilities.¡± Myles said.


    ¡°What do you need me for?¡± Gabriel asked, clearly now in a rather bad mood. I could see the change in his temper, from a bored, but otherwise good mood, to a rather annoyed one, in how he sat down rather hard, and pinched the bridge of his nose with a little sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of the utmost discretion.¡± Myles said in his cold voice.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not worried about me breathing a word, so you must be concerned with Joan. Allow me to assure that she will not speak a word about whatever it is to anyone other than you and me. Can you keep that promise, Joan?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I trust her. That should be good enough for you.¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    Myles was quiet for a moment, and I felt his cold, calculating gaze on me, scrutinizing. ¡°I cannot allow it.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t help you.¡± Gabriel replied in a cool voice, but he crossed his arms.


    I felt my face heat, realizing that he was refusing to help his brother unless I was included.


    A vein in Myles temple pulsed. ¡°You¡¯re being utterly childish!¡± the elder Locke snapped.


    ¡°Perhaps I am, but I¡¯m afraid that I must insist that Dr. Watson is included in this case. I have found her to be an invaluable asset in my recent plights, and I think that you¡¯ll see that I¡¯m right to want her inclusion in this case, whatever it may be. Please trust me.¡±


    Myles was quiet for a little while. ¡°Fine.¡± He snapped, and then sighed, ¡°You are terribly stubborn! Mother always let you get away with far too much.¡±


    A flash of victory flickered briefly over Gabriel¡¯s face, and he set down his violin, steepling his fingers in front of him. ¡°Thank you, Myles. Have a seat, Joan.¡±


    I sat back down on the couch, having been frozen during their argument, not sure if I was going to be banished, or allowed to stay. ¡°O-of course.¡±


    ¡°Now what is this matter of discretion which is so important that it prompts you to burst into my already busy schedule and thrust the responsibility onto me?¡± he asks. That was a big fat lie, he didn¡¯t have anything to do, and was dying of boredom, as he¡¯d so dramatically put it.


    Myles rolled his eyes at his younger brother. ¡°I don¡¯t know how aware you are of certain¡­issues in the kingdom of Averah at this moment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fairly aware person. I¡¯m assuming, however, that you¡¯re referring to the crime rate of late, which has grown to be nearly unbearable for the police, and has thus made them turn more and more often to my services.¡± Gabriel shrugged.


    Detective L¡¯Strade did often consult my employer. At least twice a week, and that seemed like a lot, now that I thought about it.


    ¡°Quite.¡± The elder Locke nodded. ¡°I have had my people making discreet inquiries, and have spent many hours myself looking into the cause of this. The situation directly affects the safety of the King and his family, as well as the welfare of the kingdom as a whole, and that, in turn, directly involves me.¡±


    Gabriel was quiet for a moment. ¡°You suspect a conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°More or less. I have heard, upon impeccably good authority, that a criminal network has been formed. It is a subtle one, incredibly difficult to detect, but it...shall I say, it has its finger in many pies. There was a bombing of a bank that you no doubt read about in the newsprints last week, with threats of more to come, there has been a series of break-ins taking place among the upper-class, though nothing has been actually stolen, that we are aware of, there was an incident that I believe involved a vampire, and all-in-all, the kingdom, and this city in particular, has become more and more dangerous each day.¡±


    My mind flickered uneasily to the men who¡¯d followed me the day I¡¯d started my position at the Cooke Street house. The streets were certainly far less than safe, it seemed.


    Gabriel is quiet for a moment, then sighed, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡­aware of these things. You forget that I have my own people, and my own information network. I¡¯m sure we utilize some of the same sources of information.¡±


    ¡°You mean the hundreds of little street rats that you keep on retainer? Typically they are an inexhaustible source of information, but even they are not privy to the information that I have sought out. After all, they¡¯re only children.¡±


    ¡°And children are the future of this society, need I remind you.¡± My employer sighed again, shaking his head, ¡°You hint of a conspiracy, but you have given no proof that any of those occurrences are connected.¡±


    ¡°I was getting to that.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me.¡± Gabriel motioned for his brother to continue.


    ¡°You did not investigate these crimes, but I did, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice certain small coincidences and patterns that only you or I would be capable of discerning. At first, they were just that, coincidences, but then there were so many that I could no longer attribute them to mere coincidence. So, through much strenuous work, and much¡­advanced interrogation¡± a cold chill ran through me as I realized that Myles meant torture, ¡°of the perpetrators of the aforementioned crimes, and indeed many that I did not mention, I finally heard whispers of rumors of the name of the person behind various crimes, coordinating them all towards some end that I have not yet been able to imagine, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°A name?¡±


    ¡°Well, part of a name, really, but I did attain the assurance that a conspiracy did, in fact, exist.¡±


    ¡°What was this name? Or part of a name?¡± Gabriel asked. His brow was furrowed, and his tone was very grave. I¡¯d never heard him so grave before now. Where he¡¯d been dismissive of his brother¡¯s suspicions moments earlier, he now seemed utterly serious about the conspiracy that his brother spoke of, which worried me. Was there really some secret organization out there, pulling strings and organizing crimes?


    ¡°All I got was the name M.¡± Myles sighed, apparently annoyed that it was really only a letter.


    ¡°M?¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyebrows skyrocketed, and he looked a bit peeved as well.


    ¡°Just that, just M. But each person that I¡­extracted the information from was terrified to even speak the name, and have each died sudden, suspicious deaths upon admitting their knowledge.¡±


    Gabriel was quiet for a few moments. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°At the moment, I want you to continue on as before, like nothing happened. Keep solving your little cases and helping the police in any way that you can, as they¡¯re out of their league, as always.¡± Myles said.


    ¡°Of course.¡± My employer nodded, frowning a little.


    ¡°But if you ever feel a vague suspicion that something is amiss with the crime, that it was perhaps too clever for the person that committed to have come up with, then send for me immediately.¡±


    ¡°I can get information well enough by myself.¡± Gabriel protested.


    ¡°And I would not have you risk your safety by doing so.¡± Myles¡¯ voice was stern, ¡°This is bigger than the pair of us.¡±


    ¡°The three of us.¡± My employer corrected quietly.


    Myles Locke blinked, ¡°...Indeed.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Joan?¡± Gabriel turned to me, ¡°I think that we¡¯ve possibly already run into one such case, actually. That one with the drill seemed a bit too clever for the perpetrator, Mr. Stone¡­though he is accustomed to thievery.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I won¡¯t deny that it scares me to hear that there¡¯s someone who¡¯s out there pulling strings and making more crimes happen.¡± I shifted, ¡°But I think you¡¯re right. Remember those men who were following me that one day?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, when I was disguised as the priest.¡±


    ¡°Ten years ago, that never would have happened.¡± I shrugged, shuddering a little.


    ¡°You also probably weren¡¯t the woman you are now ten years ago.¡± Gabriel pointed out somewhat delicately.


    ¡°Oh forgive me for not having stopped aging earlier, and retaining a childlike appearance. You can¡¯t blame me for getting older.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    Myles blinked, apparently taken aback by the banter, and I felt my face flush a little.


    But Gabriel grinned a little, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°And they probably would have done that to any woman that was walking by at that time in the evening.¡± I told him. ¡°When I was younger, my mother and I would take evening strolls through the city to take in the cool night air. We were never scared of doing so, but I wouldn''t do it now.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He shrugged, and then turned to his brother once more, sighing. ¡°Alright, Myles, I will let you know if anything is ever amiss during any of my cases.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Myles Locke nodded, then blinked, and said, ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯ve almost forgotten. There is to be a Coronation Ball for the Crown Prince exactly six months from now, and I need you to attend it.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Gabriel cried, now clearly annoyed.


    ¡°During these troubled times, I can use every pair of trustworthy eyes.¡± Myles shrugged. ¡°Besides, you wouldn¡¯t be allowed to live such a happy little existence here if it weren¡¯t for me, so I think you owe me as many favors as I wish.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine!¡± Gabriel sighed. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to dance with anyone or play nice!¡±


    ¡°You shall do both, even if I have to force you to myself!¡± his brother¡¯s eyes flashed.


    ¡°As you wish, my liege.¡± Gabriel muttered sarcastically, waving his hand impatiently. He picked up his violin again, and began to play again, drawing the bow back and forth rapidly across the strings.


    Myles was suddenly in a hurry to leave. ¡°Alright. Well, like I said, it¡¯s in six months, and you¡¯d better be in attendance, little brother, or I shall have your hide! Now I must bid you a good day. I¡¯ll see myself out.¡± He quickly left the study.


    It was quiet for a while, other than Gabriel playing his violin, which had become a melancholy, pensive kind of melody.


    I thought about Myles¡¯ words, and tried not to shudder again, and instead put my focus into listening to the beautiful music that my employer produced so easily.


    Finally, Gabriel put down his violin, and sighed. ¡°I suppose you will need a ball gown, yes?¡±


    I blinked, not quite understanding. ¡°Why would I need a ball gown?¡±


    Gabriel sighed, ¡°To go to the Coronation ball¡­¡± he said it as if it were obvious.


    ¡°He wants you there, not necessarily me.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°And I will not go without you. So go you will.¡± He said, then blinked, and added hastily, ¡°If you want to, I mean. If you have cause not to go, then certainly-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said, perhaps too quickly, feeling my face flush. ¡°I¡¯ll go. Of course I will. I can¡¯t have you looking ridiculous with no one to dance with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that most of the high society women are perfectly willing to dance with me.¡± Gabriel replied, arching an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Somehow, I find that hard to believe. Are you entirely certain of that?¡± I teased him.


    ¡°Completely. Not only am I Myles¡¯ brother, but I¡¯m an excellent dance partner.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose I ought to look forward to this.¡± Now I was thoughtful, and just a little¡­anxious? Perhaps that wasn¡¯t quite the word, but my heart was fluttering rather strangely.


    ¡°You need a dress, first.¡± He said, his voice serious.


    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful thought but I¡­I don¡¯t have the money for a ball gown, Gabriel.¡± I admitted quietly, feeling a little embarrassed.


    ¡°On the other hand, I have plenty of money, and have been meaning to have a new wardrobe made for you for sometime now, but have continued to forget to do so.¡± my friend grimaced slightly.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°I can, and I will, and don¡¯t call me sir!¡± he said in an intense voice, his dark eyes flashing.


    I quailed a little, finding that, for a moment, Gabriel had favored his brother more than I was comfortable with. Where was the man that had held my hand once so comfortingly in the dark? ¡°Alright¡­sorry.¡± I muttered.


    Immediately, he was by my side, apologizing. ¡°No, I am sorry, Joan. I should not have been cross with you¡­Though it is no excuse for me to be short with you, my brother puts me in a bad mood.¡±


    ¡°A downright awful one, I should think.¡± I muttered, looking at my hands, which were folded in front of me, and rested on my lap.


    ¡°Yes, downright awful.¡± He said, sitting next to me. Very much to my surprise, he reached out, and hesitantly took one of my hands. ¡°And I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°I-I forgive you.¡± I stammered. Good heavens, I was far more attached to him than I ever intended to be, or was appropriate. The thought that he might lean forward and kiss me danced tantalizingly through my mind before I banished it, and gently pulled my hand away¡­as much as I wanted to leave it in his grasp.


    Gabriel did not protest, but stood up, and went back to his violin, setting it in its place beneath his chin, ¡°Take the tray from breakfast downstairs, and tell Mrs. Hudson not to bother with lunch, I¡¯ll be out making inquiries today.¡±


    ¡°About this mysterious crime network?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded, and went downstairs.

 Chapter 12

    For a long, rather boring while, perhaps a month or so, I didn¡¯t see much of my friend and employer.


    As I was out doing the shopping one day, I found myself at a grocer¡¯s that was close to where my childhood home had been. We¡¯d lived in the poorer part of town, near the river, just down from where the nice riverfront park was, where I¡¯d walked with Michelle Stemford the day I¡¯d interviewed with Mrs. Hudson.


    How quickly one part of town could morph into another, going from the lovely, well-kept boardwalk and park, to the poor part of town barely two miles down the road. It was strange to me.


    My feet walked until I stood outside my familiar old home, and I stared at it wistfully, feeling an immense sadness as I thought about all the happy times I¡¯d had there with my family.


    ¡°Joan Watson, is that you?¡± An old woman¡¯s voice called.


    ¡°Mrs. Tish?¡± I cried as I turned. ¡°Oh you haven¡¯t aged a day!¡±


    ¡°I may not look any older, but I feel it!¡± she laughed, ¡°How are you, dear?¡±


    ¡°Feeling a bit melancholy, I¡¯m afraid, but I¡¯m alright. Doing well, actually. I have a steady job, a home, food to eat, clothes to wear, everything I might need.¡±


    ¡°But not your parents to share your happiness with?¡± she guessed.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed, feeling tears pricking at my eyes. ¡°I miss them.¡±


    ¡°I imagine you do.¡± She patted my shoulder. ¡°Well, I¡¯d best be off, dear, I¡¯m watching my grandchildren. You must come visit us sometime!¡± The old woman waved, and tottered back into her house.


    I stood there for a little while longer, and then looked around. My eyes noted an elderly chap who looked like an old sailor, perhaps, watching me from the space between two somewhat dilapidated houses. Maybe he knew Mrs. Tish.


    ¡°Hey, pretty lady, are you lost?¡± A man¡¯s voice called from behind me.


    I cringed, and ignored the catcall. Turning, I started off at as brisk a pace as my limp allowed.


    ¡°Aw, your leg hurting you, girly?¡± the same man¡¯s voice spoke, but I noted that it was closer, this time.


    Once more, I ignored it. Suddenly, a rough hand gripped my arm, forcing me to turn around. ¡°Think you¡¯re too good to answer me, do you?¡± The large, ugly man that the catcalls had belonged to snarled.


    ¡°Let go of me.¡± I said in a loud voice, and tried to pull away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡± he growled.


    ¡°I said, let go of me!¡± I shouted.


    Suddenly, he clamped his hand over my mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s not have anymore of that shouting now, huh?¡±


    Fury blazed through me, I bit down hard on his hand. My rage pushed away any concern for being seen using magic, and I pulled it, using the power to force him away from me. As he stumbled back, surprised, the elderly sailor I¡¯d noticed before was suddenly there, knocking his walking stick against my assaulter¡¯s knees, and causing him to crash to the ground. The sailor then gave the man a swift crack to the head with his cane, rendering the man unconscious. ¡°Let¡¯s track down a constable, shall we?¡± his voice croaked.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s an excellent idea, good sir.¡± I told him.


    We quickly located a constable, told him the story of what had happened, and led him back to the still unconscious man. The constable thanked us, took down our details, and sent us on our way.


    ¡°He¡¯ll likely be out of the holding cell they put him in by tomorrow, but at least it¡¯ll be on his record that he assaulted someone.¡± I told the old man as we walked out of the poor part of town, and emerged onto the riverfront.


    ¡°Very true.¡± He coughed.


    I blinked, realizing I¡¯d not caught the elderly man¡¯s name, or thanked him for helping me. ¡°Oh, I never caught your name, sir! And I don¡¯t think I thanked you for helping me. So thank you, Mr.-?¡±


    ¡°You know my name, Joan.¡± Suddenly, the old sailor was gone, and Gabriel was in his place.


    ¡°What?! Goodness, boy, are you everywhere?¡± I exclaimed, mildly annoyed with him.


    ¡°I do try.¡± He assured me with a grin. We walked to a bench that overlooked the river, and sat down. The detective¡¯s smile faltered for a moment, and he hesitantly reached out, gingerly putting his hand over where mine rested on the bench next to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°My arm is a little bruised, but I¡¯m fine otherwise.¡± I told him with a shrug.


    A slightly upset expression passed across his features, and he pulled his hand away from where it rested, over mine. He carefully touched my arm where the man had grabbed it so roughly, examining it, his frown deepening as he let his hand fall. ¡°I think you¡¯ll have a bruise. Forgive me, Joan, I would have intervened sooner-¡±


    I cut him off, ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t. I proved to myself that I¡¯m able to fight off an attacker¡­even if I did have to use some magic.¡±


    ¡°I could feel that you had, though it didn¡¯t look that way, thankfully, it simply looked like you were able to force him away after biting his hand.¡±


    ¡°Surely it wasn¡¯t entirely believable, though, that someone my size should force away such a large man¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what people will believe.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°What brought you to that part of town?¡± he wanted to know.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t just tell at a glance?¡± I teased gently.


    But he looked away, as if upset by this, which wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d intended my words to do. I¡¯d expected him to laugh. ¡°I can choose not to notice things at a glance. I can ignore it. I have tried to, for your sake, so that you have some semblance of privacy.¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡± I was surprised to hear this.


    ¡°Yes. It would rather render our conversations useless if I were to read everything that I could possibly glean from you.¡± he told me.


    ¡°Then I must thank you, Gabriel, if only for the sake that I enjoy our conversations.¡±


    ¡°As do I.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°Now, I do see, quite obviously, that you have a bag of groceries. But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a grocery store in the immediate vicinity. What brought you out here?¡±


    ¡°If you insist! There¡¯s not much to it, really, though. I was shopping in a street not too far away, and realized that I was close to my childhood home. Then I found myself in front of it, staring wistfully¡­what brought you here? A case?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into the criminal network that Myles told us of.¡± He said, his voice now quiet. ¡°More and more I am aware of its movements throughout the city. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that man was even a part of it, however lowly his position, so brash was he in assaulting you in broad daylight, as if he had no worries.¡±


    I shuddered. ¡°This network worries me.¡±


    His face was grim. ¡°As it does I. This M, whoever or whatever they are, is most devious, not to mention basically impossible to track, much less to pin a crime to. I¡¯ve managed to thwart some of the criminal network¡¯s efforts, but I fear my interference has affected but a mere drop in their bucket of evil-doings.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea evil-doings were measured by buckets.¡± I told him, wanting to lighten the mood.


    My words had the desired effect, and Gabriel laughed suddenly. ¡°By the bucketful, dear Joan. And good deeds are measured by the teaspoon, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that they can be measured by veritable waterfalls, if you realize that there¡¯s kindness in the smallest of everyday gestures. Picking up an umbrella that someone has dropped, offering a sympathetic ear to a friend, or making someone laugh, stuff like that, you know? It¡¯s in the small things, Gabriel, that the waterfalls are created.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but does the evil outweigh the good?¡± he studied my face thoughtfully. I couldn¡¯t help but look right back into his dark, intelligent eyes. It was so good to talk to him, after having not seen him for so long. I¡¯d missed him, honestly.


    ¡°If it did, I don¡¯t think anyone could be happy in the world. And as I am happy, I know that the good that exists is a most formidable opponent for all the evil that¡¯s out there.¡±


    ¡°You comfort me.¡± Gabriel told me, a smile on his lips once more. I wondered if he knew that he was the force of good that had risen in my mind.


    ¡°I think that comes with the territory of being a doctor, doesn¡¯t it? Something about a good bedside manner?¡±


    ¡°Well, I certainly am sick, if we¡¯re talking bedside manners. I¡¯m sick of being immersed in the dark underbelly of the city.¡± The detective stood, and offered me his arm, which I gladly placed my hand in the crook of. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and eat lunch. Perhaps I¡¯ll convince you to take me as your patient, that your levity might cure my heavy heart while we eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but that¡¯s a very short time to heal a heavy heart.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°I think that no one in the world is better suited for such a task, Joan.¡± was his soft reply.


    --


    About three months before the Coronation Ball, Gabriel suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Joan! We still have to order you a ball gown, and your new dresses!¡±


    I looked up from my breakfast, blinking in surprise. ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about that. But we still have some time, right?¡±


    We¡¯d taken to eating breakfast in his study each morning. When we had a case on, we would talk over the case, or he would spend the time eating absentmindedly while searching through his various reference books. But when there weren¡¯t cases, we¡¯d often watch the people out on the street as they passed, and he¡¯d tell me what he could figure about them, just by a glance, which was really pretty fun.


    ¡°Yes, but most places have some sort of waiting list when it comes to making fancy ball gowns.¡± He told me.


    ¡°Oh, will there be enough time?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°I certainly hope so.¡± Gabriel sighed. ¡°Tell Mrs. Hudson that we¡¯ll be eating lunch out today.¡±


    ¡°But Gabriel, isn¡¯t Mrs. Hudson going to leave for her holiday sometime today?¡± I asked.


    Mrs. Hudson was going to take a bit of leave, an indefinite amount, actually, as she needed to care for her ailing sister. This would leave the care of the house entirely to me, something that I did not cherish the thought of.


    ¡°Well, then no one will have to worry about it, and dinner can be made when we return.¡± He said, ¡°You must have a ball gown, and if you want it done in time, we need it ordered today¡­we¡¯ll also put in orders for the rest of your dresses too, just to get it over with.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I picked up the tray, and headed towards the door, then turned, ¡°Thank you, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear Watson.¡± His voice was soft.


    ¡°Your dear Watson?¡± I heard my mouth ask as one of my eyebrows rose.


    ¡°My dear Watson.¡± The detective¡¯s dark eyes were intense, though his tone was now mild, ¡°Certainly no one else¡¯s.¡±


    Feeling my face flush, I left, and waited for a moment in the hall, to let my face cool down, lest Mrs. Hudson see my blush and ask me what was wrong. He had never said anything quite like that before¡­not that I really minded¡­


    After we¡¯d told Mrs. Hudson farewell, a bit tearfully on my part, as I wasn¡¯t entirely sure when she¡¯d be back, we went to a dear little restaurant. Gabriel tried to pay for my meal, but I insisted on covering the bill, to his annoyance, citing the fact that I rarely spent my own money, as he provided me with both room and board, and that he was about to order, and pay for, a new wardrobe and ball gown for me as well. He wouldn''t be entirely swayed, however, but we agreed to pay for our own meals, in the end.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Come along, Joan.¡± Gabriel held the door of the seamstress¡¯ shop open for me. I¡¯d never been into such a fancy store in my entire life. If I remembered correctly, this was one of the handful of dress shops where the upper class had their clothing made.


    A stern looking woman greeted us, but her expression turned from intimidating to pleasant as soon as her eyes alit on Gabriel. ¡°The younger Sir Locke, what a delight! I do hope you¡¯re pleased with the coat you had made.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, Mrs. Widley. It has been an excellent coat indeed, I¡¯ve been very happy with it!¡± To my great surprise, I found that he was all smiles, and incredibly charming all of a sudden, something I¡¯d never seen from him before. Then again, I¡¯d learned, in my time with him, that Gabriel was quite the actor, when he needed to be.


    ¡°Then what can I do for you today, a new suit, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s in order, Mrs. Widley.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Then if your maid will wait here, just come through to the fitting rooms¡­¡± Mrs. Widley started to show him away.


    ¡°Actually, this is Joan Watson, and she¡¯s my associate. We need to order a new wardrobe for her, as well as a ball gown. I know you typically have a long waiting list, but Joan here needs it in exactly three months time, if that¡¯s possible, or would that put you in a bit of a pickle?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s not a pickle, Sir Locke, we¡¯ll have your whole order done before then, I assure you! Now a full wardrobe, that would be what, ten, fifteen dresses?¡± she asked, looking to him for confirmation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that many!¡± I said to Gabriel, alarmed.


    But his hand suddenly rested gingerly on the small of my back in an assuring sort of way that caused my face to flush what I had a feeling was an intense shade of scarlet. ¡°As many as you think is proper for an up-and-coming lady in society. Joan is a doctor.¡±


    ¡°A woman of medicine?¡± Mrs. Widley said, her eyebrows shooting up, ¡°Congratulations, dear girl! To be a successful doctor at your age, it took me many long years to get where I am today!¡±


    ¡°Well, he did say up-and-coming, Mrs. Widley, I¡¯m¡­still only his maid, at the moment.¡± I muttered, looking down at my feet, which were shod in my rather worn-out shoes.


    ¡°You¡¯re my associate, Joan.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°And that¡¯s not ¡®only his maid¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°You have my measurements already, so just use them to make a new suit¡­a black one, I think.¡± he directed Mrs. Widley.


    ¡°I beg to differ, Sir Locke, but you¡¯re taller than when you were last here.¡± Mrs. Widley said, her eyes appraising him with a calculating gaze.


    Gabriel blinked, clearly surprised at this news, ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± If he was as old as he had made it seem, then he certainly hadn¡¯t grown anymore, so I understood his confusion.


    ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s true. But we¡¯ll double check, just to be sure.¡± She led us down a hallway towards the fitting rooms. ¡°Sharon will take care of you, Sir Locke, I¡¯ll take care of Ms. Watson.¡±


    ¡°Doctor.¡± Gabriel corrected gently as an elderly woman led him into a separate fitting room.


    ¡°Dr. Watson, quite right.¡± Mrs. Widley corrected herself with a smile. She shut the door securely behind us, and pulled out a measuring tape. ¡°Now, my dear girl, let¡¯s get your measurements.¡± I disrobed down to my chemise, and shivered a little as she worked.


    ¡°I¡¯m so pleased to see that Sir Locke has taken a shine to you! And here I was thinking that he was far too busy with his cases to pay attention to young ladies. It¡¯s really no surprise to me that he¡¯d be attracted to a smart girl, indeed a doctor! Oh and such a lovely little young woman!¡± The seamstress sounded very pleased with the notion.


    My face burned red again.¡°Oh goodness! You must be mistaken! Sir Lock isn¡¯t attracted to me, Mrs. Widley! I¡¯m only his maid, despite what he says.¡± As I very much wished that she were right, it¡­probably just wasn¡¯t true. He said some odd things, and acted oddly, at times, but¡­well, in the end, we were just friends.


    She only laughed. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll talk about your everyday dresses later, but let¡¯s talk fancy first. As far as your ball gown goes, what would you like?¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know the slightest thing about fashion, I¡¯ll admit.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, dear, just let me help, in that case.¡± She said in a kind voice that I wouldn¡¯t have expected from such a severe looking woman. ¡°Very bright colors are the rage this season! Lots of sunny yellows, spring-y greens, and bright magentas!¡±


    Fortunately, I knew enough about what I liked, personally, in fashion to disagree with her. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be very comfortable in bright, shocking colors¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, we certainly won¡¯t put you in anything bright if you don¡¯t want that. What are your favorite colors, dear?¡±


    ¡°I like most blues and subdued greens, and very pale pinks.¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°I like dark red, like cranberry¡­oh, and lilac as well.¡±


    ¡°I can work with those!¡± Mrs. Widley nodded understandingly, but then she looked thoughtful, ¡°But dear, you would look wonderful in gold.¡±


    ¡°Gold?¡± I asked, surprised, but not unhappily so, at the suggestion. I looked in the mirror thoughtfully. ¡°I¡­suppose I might look nice in gold.¡±


    ¡°Be daring, Joan! If he¡¯s not attracted to you, as you say he is, he may very well change his mind about that after seeing you in the perfect dress! And I think¡­yes, I think you would look absolutely darling in the dress I¡¯m picturing.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you think?¡± I asked quietly. I¡­I couldn''t deny it to myself that I did want Gabriel to be attracted to me. That was probably very shallow of me, but I did want that.


    I probably¡­loved him a little. But if he were attracted to me, or happened to find himself in that line of thought, I didn¡¯t only want it to last when I was wearing a specific color or dress¡­I wanted it to be something far more permanent than just a physical attraction¡­not that he necessarily felt anything akin to that for me, anyways. Nor would I ever expect him to.


    ¡°I know so, dear. Sometimes all it takes is the perfect dress to grab that special man¡¯s attention, and make him realize that you¡¯re a woman rather than just a girl.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll ever realize that.¡± I laughed, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure that he¡¯s realized that I¡¯m a girl!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that he¡¯s realized that much, just judging by the way he looks at you.¡± Mrs. Widley laughed a little. ¡°So all gold¡­all gold, and¡­and not a big bustle, that was the last decade¡­I¡¯m thinking gold and sleek, and shimmery, something daring and never done before.¡± Mrs. Widley sounded delighted, and inspired, but by what, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Nothing too showy!¡± I begged, not wanting to be made a fool.


    ¡°No, it will be exquisite and sophisticated, not showy, dear, I promise!¡±


    ¡°A-alright.¡± I gave in. After all, she was the one that knew fashion, not me.


    ¡°Wonderful, darling!¡± she clapped her hands again, seeming pleased.


    After I put my dress back on, we left the fitting room, and she showed me the material she had in mind for the ballgown. It was a light, silky, flowing fabric that caught the light and shimmered gorgeously. Mrs. Widley promised me that the design would be wonderful, but that she¡¯d have to draw it up, as it was to be something entirely new. The thought was ridiculously flattering, to have a dress designed specifically for me by such a prestigious dressmaker. ¡°Now then, we need to pick out your regular dresses. With your body type, dear, you¡¯re lucky enough that you can wear just about any style you want, but are there any you like in particular?¡± she wanted to know.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like low-cut dresses.¡± I told her quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Joan would look nice in anything, I¡¯ll warrant.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice made us jump. ¡°You were right, Mrs. Widley, I¡¯m about an inch taller than last time¡­but I¡¯m baffled as to why¡­I shouldn¡¯t be growing anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m never wrong about that, my dear!¡± Mrs. Widley said, shaking her head in amusement. ¡°But as to your previous observation, the good doctor here would look nice in anything, I agree, but I do need to know what sort of dresses she likes!¡±


    ¡°If you could have any dress in the world, what would you want, Joan?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°Dresses that are simple and comfortable.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, not a woman of high-society or anything like that. I don¡¯t need fancy dresses.¡±


    ¡°So you need comfortable dresses that still have sophistication.¡± Mrs. WIdley said, nodding knowingly.


    ¡°I¡­I guess?¡± I looked at Gabriel for help.


    He shrugged, seeming just as confused as me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Think fitted but not tight, flattering, but still comfortable.¡± Mrs. WIdley clarified a little.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°And you like subdued blues and greens, light pink, cranberry, lilac¡­I can work with that. Maybe a few other colors, similarly subdued or pastels, I think¡­Do you prefer any patterns?¡±


    ¡°I like flower patterns, nothing obnoxious, but the ones where the flowers are very small¡­¡± I told her, certain of that much. ¡°Other than that, I prefer solid colors. And¡­no ostentatious lace or ribbons or anything obnoxious like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright! I think we can make some wonderful dresses for you.¡± She said, smiling.


    The seamstress had me pick out about fifteen different bolts of cloth for the bases of my dresses, and then different fabrics for accents, linings, chemises, and even two more nightdresses. Gabriel insisted that I have two more coats, one for everyday wear, as well as more fancy occasions, as well as a few new hats to go with my dresses, some new scarves, and several pairs of shoes.


    ¡°This is too much, Gabriel.¡± I said when Mrs. Widley was away, fetching something or other. ¡°I¡­We should leave, you can¡¯t buy all this.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re as old as I am, Joan, money has accumulated so that I never have to worry about having funds for anything.¡± His hand rested, for a moment, against my lower back again, making my face flush once more. ¡°It¡¯s no problem, I promise. Besides, Mrs. Widley gives me a special discount as well, since she was once one of my clients.¡±


    ¡°She was?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I helped her with a spot of trouble when an entire shipment of the finest silk went missing. Now, please don¡¯t worry about it, Joan. After all, I don¡¯t really have anyone else to spend my money on.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hudson.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve bought her clothes before, but she really enjoys making her own, so now I only buy her cloth.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± I blinked, realizing that Gabriel was actually an incredibly generous man, at least to the people he cared about¡­but something told me that he cared more for people in general than he liked to admit, even to himself.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Gabriel patted my shoulder gently, smiling a little. ¡°Are we done here?¡± He asked, looking up as Mrs. Widley returned.


    ¡°Unless there¡¯s anything else you¡¯ll be wanting, I think so!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough fabric to last me a lifetime.¡± I sighed, rubbing my eyes, tired.


    My friend and employer chuckled quietly in agreement.


    We bid Mrs. Widley and her fabulous dress-shop farewell, and headed back to Cooke Street.


    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Hudson has gone.¡± I said, remembering it as we walked in, and I hung up my coat and hat. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we bade her farewell before we left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll miss her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we ought to visit her in the countryside sometime.¡±


    ¡°I actually think she¡¯s in a mountainous region, very beautiful. But perhaps a visit is in order.¡± Gabriel nodded.


    It was quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start on supper, then.¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up when it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He said, disappearing up the stairs.


    I hummed as I prepared dinner, cutting and chopping and stirring and tasting.


    ¡°I am terribly bored.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice made me jump.


    ¡°Good heavens, you nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± I said, putting my hand to my heart.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear you come in!¡±


    ¡°I can be rather quiet, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± I returned to my cooking. ¡°You don¡¯t have any cases, do you?¡±


    ¡°None that have panned out so far.¡± he said glumly, sitting down at the table.


    ¡°Well, you can keep me company, if you like.¡±


    ¡°I will, then.¡± He said quietly.


    It was silent for a few minutes, except for the sounds of me cooking. To my surprise, Gabriel suddenly was standing next to me, taking the spoon from my hand, and stirring the pot, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve got this, Joan. Check on the rolls.¡±


    I wiped my hands on my apron, smiling at him. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    We went about cooking for a little longer without much conversation.


    My mind dwelled on the upcoming ball. ¡°Does your big brother often drag you out to parties and such?¡±


    ¡°He tries.¡± Gabriel told me, smirking a little, ¡°But unless he makes it an order, as he did this time, I don¡¯t often go.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Surely they¡¯re fun¡­or at least amusing, to watch all the pompous people¡­not that your brother is pompous.¡± I added hastily, not wanting to offend him.


    Gabriel chuckled a little, to my surprise. ¡°Did you actually meet my brother? He is certainly pompous¡­but yes, I suppose they can be amusing¡­at least they provide insight into the dull little lives of common folk. Well, the common kind of aristocratic folk¡­the people with blank, dull minds being doted on by patient servants who are typically of the same variety¡­You do see social patterns. The women who are considered the most beautiful almost never leave the dance floor, along with the women who are considered the most wealthy¡­so the women who are only of normal looks and or not extremely wealthy only dance a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose I won¡¯t be dancing much.¡± I laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t fall into either of those categories.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won''t be dancing much for other reasons entirely, I¡¯ll need you to help me keep an eye out for anything suspicious.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind attributing the fact that I don¡¯t get to dance much to that. It doesn¡¯t hurt my feelings.¡± I assured him, smiling a little. ¡°What do you notice about how the men are treated at the parties?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they¡¯re the ones doing the asking-of-the-ladies to the dance floor¡­and they¡¯re the ones asking the very beautiful women, very rich women, or both very beautiful and rich women to dance¡­although if the women who they ask do not find the man handsome enough, or rich enough, or proper enough, or with the correct sort of personality that they like, they may be rejected¡­but I¡¯ve noted that it¡¯s more rare for a man to be rejected by a woman that he¡¯s asked to dance than a man to ask an only average beauty or a girl with only moderate wealth to dance with him.¡±


    ¡°Who do you ask to dance?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy dancing, so I don¡¯t usually dance.¡±


    ¡°Do women ever buck the trend and ask you to dance?¡± I asked, grinning at the thought.


    ¡°Since I am Myles¡¯ younger brother, and the fact is well-known, I have been sought out before¡­and I have turned them down graciously, unless I am given no other choice by my brother¡­¡±


    ¡°He makes you dance with people?¡± The thought was entirely amusing, and I had to keep myself from giggling.


    ¡°The women whose ties and influence are important in Averah, yes.¡± Gabriel replied sullenly. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I laughed. A thought struck me, ¡°I¡¯ve just had a thought.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s still a long way off, but I have no idea of how I should go about preparing for this ball when the time comes¡­nor do I have the means.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the means to fix my hair, nor do I have any makeup.¡±


    ¡°Is it necessary?¡±


    ¡°I would stick out fairly badly without having a proper hairdo or elegant makeup¡­¡± I frowned, ¡°Which is preposterous.¡±


    ¡°I believe there¡¯s a salon near the palace that can do all that. I¡¯ll book you in for the day of the ball. That¡¯s where all the other ladies will be having their makeup and hair done, I should think, and that way I can go early and help with the preparations for the ball. I¡¯ll have them send you to the palace when you¡¯re done, via one of their private carriages. Then I¡¯ll meet you as you come in.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me, thank you.¡± I said gratefully. Checking on the chicken, I pulled it out of the oven, ¡°Dinner is ready! Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Time crept by, and the day of the ball grew closer and closer. About two weeks before the day I was so very much looking forward to (and perhaps a little frightened of), our clothing was delivered.


    The packages were so large that Gabriel had to help the two delivery boys bring them in. Thankfully he wasn¡¯t out on his case just yet, and was around to help, unlike the last few weeks, during which he¡¯d been gone quite often. I insisted that I needed to stay behind, as much as he insisted that I out to go with him, because someone needed to mind the house, and Mrs. Hudson was on her extended bit of leave, so it fell to me to get the cleaning and cooking done, neither of which could happen if I was gone as much as Gabriel was. But of course, this left me bored, and I found that I missed him terribly.


    ¡°Can I make them tea for their troubles, Gabriel?¡± I asked the detective once they¡¯d gotten everything inside, and it was waiting to be opened in the parlor.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s in order.¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I made the two young men tea, which they were grateful for. I also put on some coffee for Gabriel. ¡°Here¡¯s coffee for you!¡± I said as I handed a cup to him.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Joan.¡± He blinked, as if he were surprised that I¡¯d thought to make him a cup of his favorite beverage.


    ¡°Certainly.¡± I nodded, and sipped my own cup of tea. Once the delivery boys had left, Gabriel used his magic and levitated the package, full of my dresses, upstairs. ¡°I rarely see you use magic.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know the risks of using it¡­but I can risk it in my own home, it¡¯s safe enough.¡± Gabriel smiled. I was glad to see his smile, I¡¯d missed it of late, since he¡¯d been gone so much, as he¡¯d been preoccupied with an apparently difficult case.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded, and then mused aloud, ¡°I would imagine that you know far, far more magic than I do.¡±


    ¡°I should hope so, I am much older.¡± He smiled once more as he let the package down on the low table in my room. ¡°There we are. I¡¯m going to go make sure that everything is in order with my new suit. I suggest you take a good long while and inspect all of your new clothes, and put away your old ones.¡±


    ¡°I certainly will!¡± I was excited and a little anxious, and almost sad to see my old clothes go. I would keep them, in case I ever needed them for some heavy-duty cleaning, or if I needed to be inconspicuous for a case. But a thought occurred to me. ¡°I was just thinking that I¡¯d keep my old clothes, so that if I need to be inconspicuous for a case, I can be, but it¡¯s possible to disguise yourself with magic, isn¡¯t it? I mean, you had to have done it that day you were the old priest, and when you were the old sailor¡­¡±


    Gabriel hesitated, and then answered, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certainly possible to disguise yourself. I was wearing a glamour that day, but there are other, more permanent ways.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to teach me how to do one or the other sometime, in case I need to be disguised with you someday.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s jump that hurdle when we get to it¡­I would rather not put you in a situation that you had to be disguised in.¡± he said, frowning a little. ¡°But it¡¯s no matter. Take your time with the clothes, I know you¡¯ve been eagerly awaiting their arrival for some days now.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Alright!¡± Though I hadn¡¯t spoken of my excitement about getting the new clothes, he¡¯d been able to tell. It was funny sometimes, he could tell that I was excited about getting new clothes without me even having to say anything, but there were far more obvious things that he missed on a daily basis. Gabriel continued to baffle me.


    He left, and I heard his footsteps going up to his study on the third floor.


    Taking my sewing scissors, I cut the string that kept the package tied together, and tore away the paper, then laid out each of the fifteen dresses, as well as the shoes, my new coats, chemises, scarves and hats.


    There was, of course, a sixteenth dress that was packaged separately, and I knew that it was the ball gown, but I was so nervous about the whole thought of the ball by this point that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open it.


    Since all the dresses looked perfectly fine to me, I picked one at random, a pale yellow one with little blue flowers that climbed along the hemline, the sleeves, and across the bodice, and slipped it on. It was comfortable, as Mrs. Widley had promised, but still flattering. I was almost beautiful¡­almost. No one could ever accuse me of being beautiful, but it was nice to know that I could almost be it¡­almost.


    Sighing a little, I left, and went down the kitchen and cleared away the things from the tea and coffee, but left the coffee in the pot, so that if Gabriel wanted more, he could have it whenever, and started on the dishes that were left from our breakfast.


    The door opened, ¡°Come now, turn around and let me see,¡± was his quiet request.


    I laughed, dried my hands, and took off my apron, turning around as he¡¯d asked. ¡°It¡¯s just a dress.¡±


    ¡°A very nice dress.¡± He said in a kind voice that was almost uncharacteristic of him. Coming and standing close to me, Gabriel picked up a dish towel and began to dry the dishes that I was cleaning. I quickly put my apron back on, and started washing again. ¡°Were they up to your expectations?¡±


    ¡°And more, I shouldn¡¯t think.¡± I told him, inwardly surprised that he¡¯d stuck around, and was helping me do the dishes, he¡¯d never done that before, but I suspected that with Mrs. Hudson gone, he felt like I needed the company, and I did, especially his company.


    ¡°How about the ball gown?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the guts to try on¡­I¡¯ll wait until the day of the ball, and let it be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? What if it doesn¡¯t fit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll fit, I trust Mrs. Widley more than that.¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Alright, suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of suits, how was your new one?¡±


    ¡°Up to standards¡­but merely clothing.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t nice?¡±


    ¡°It was perfectly alright, but like I said, just clothing.¡±


    ¡°For that matter, my ball gown is only clothing as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve learned that girls tend to have more of an affinity with clothing, and hold it in higher significance, if I understand you lot correctly.¡± He bumped me playfully with his elbow, letting me know that he was only joking.


    I smiled, ¡°I guess so.¡± I heard him chuckle. It was quiet as we washed the dishes for a little while. After a bit, I heard him gasp a little, and pause from drying, reaching up and rubbing his neck. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­must have slept funny.¡± He muttered, and then shrugged it off, and changed the topic before I could offer to try and use my magic and ease his pain, need be. ¡°You¡¯re nervous about it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°About the ball? Yes.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in proper high society before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not proper high society?¡± I could hear the smile on his face, and looked up to see it, as it was something that I was dreadfully fond of. To my pleasure, he was gazing down at me, his grin in my direction, and a fondness in his eyes that I cherished immensely.


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re anything but proper.¡± I snorted.


    He rolled his eyes, ¡°I do try. Why would I want to be proper when I can be improper? It¡¯s a lot more fun that way, Joan.¡±


    I felt my face flush, ¡°Oh stop it, you¡¯re making me turn red!¡± I protested.


    A knock on the door caused Gabriel to dry his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± He sighed. Perhaps it was my imagination, but his tone seemed very annoyed, like he hadn¡¯t wanted our banter to be interrupted.


    Part of me was glad, as it was most improper that we should be so familiar with each other, and yet, the other part of me was sad we¡¯d been interrupted¡­It had¡­been sort of¡­flirtatious¡­or it had seemed so to me. Maybe I was reading too much into it. I probably was.


    When he returned, much to my surprise, I saw that Myles was with him. ¡°Sir.¡± I curtseyed.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Doctor.¡± Myles nodded at me.


    ¡°Shall I leave you be?¡± I asked Gabriel.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to head up to the study, I was merely coming in here to request that you bring up some coffee and nibbles.¡±


    ¡°Nibbles?¡± I burst into laughter, and then quickly covered my mouth, trying to stifle my giggles upon seeing the annoyed look on Myles¡¯ face, and the crestfallen look on Gabriel¡¯s ¡°Yes, certainly, I can bring up coffee and nibbles¡­Do you want coffee, Sir Locke?¡± I was addressing Myles, in this case, ¡°Or tea? Or perhaps something stronger, I know where Gabriel hides his gin and brandy¡­¡±


    Myles wasn¡¯t nearly as frightening to me as he¡¯d been the first time I¡¯d met him, as he¡¯d come around several times since his first visit, and I¡¯d grown far more used to his solemn, slightly intimidating air. His persona now simply seemed detached and uninterested rather than scary, he was still a little intimidating, but he was Gabriel¡¯s brother still, and that helped to combat the austere feeling he brought to the room, at least for me, anyways.


    ¡°Tea is fine, doctor. Now come, Gabriel, I want to start going over the security, and the schedule for the ball.¡± Myles said, leading the way from the kitchen, and thus missing the long-suffering look that Gabriel shot me.


    I giggled at him, and waved him off, ¡°Go on, I¡¯ll have your coffee and nibbles up there soon enough!¡±


    My friend scowled jokingly at me, and then disappeared out the door, wincing a little and gingerly rubbing his hands together¡­he was probably alright.


    --


    The day of the ball rolled around. My hands were shaking as I tried to pour my tea that morning. ¡°You¡¯re shaking.¡± Gabriel took the teapot from me, poured it, and then handed me the teacup. ¡°There¡­now tell me, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I looked up at him, feeling scared, and saw the deep concern in his voice echoed in his expression.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just a little nervous thinking about the ball.¡± I stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯ll be fine¡­probably a little boring, even.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just never been to one before.¡± I shrugged, sipping my tea, feeling timid.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have a nice lovely day full of relaxing and getting ready at the salon. I¡¯ll take you over right after breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d forgotten about that. Alright¡­is there anything you want me to do around here before I¡¯m gone all day?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    We fell quiet for a little while.


    Gabriel grimaced, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you quite alright?¡±


    ¡°It seems I slept curled up in a ball again, my back always hurts when I do that.¡± He said, but his face remained in a grimace for a little while.


    ¡°Do you want me to have a go at it with magic?¡± I asked, ¡°I¡¯m proficient with soothing pain, after all.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s going away.¡± Gabriel waved away my offer, ¡°But thank you, Joan.¡± I noticed that he remained tense, even after insisting that he was alright.


    But I let the matter drop. ¡°Okay, so long as you¡¯re feeling well.¡±


    ¡°I am perfectly fine, Joan, thank you for worrying.¡± He smiled at me.


    A thought occurred to me as we continued to eat. ¡°Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You said that you¡¯d need me to keep an eye out for trouble, but what kind of trouble did you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve gotten even more specific information, Myles told me when he visited, forgive me for not passing it on to you, my mind was busy, and it slipped from my priorities.¡± Gabriel said apologetically. ¡°When he asked for our help that first day, he mentioned a situation with a vampire.¡±


    ¡°I remember that.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± Gabriel said approvingly, ¡°Because the information that he received, and passed on to me, was that there is a possibility that a vampire, or vampires, could show up at the Coronation Ball.¡±


    ¡°Vampires?¡± I shuddered.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Very nice.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if you can help it.¡± I laughed. ¡°Like you said ages ago, crime doesn¡¯t sleep¡­and I¡¯m certain that it doesn¡¯t bend to our whims.¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve noticed lately it certainly is bending to the mysterious M¡¯s whims¡­¡± He sighed, clearly lost in thought for a moment.


    ¡°Is that where you¡¯ve been going so much lately? Looking into this M person?¡±


    Gabriel nodded, ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t leave Myles to do all the work, despite what he would say. I need to hear things for myself, to make my own discoveries, second-hand information is one thing, and is safe, but I don¡¯t need safe, I need accurate. As accurate as possible, and as current as possible.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re being safe, right?¡± His words made me anxious.


    My friend blinked, ¡°What? Of course. They don¡¯t know that it¡¯s me¡­I didn''t mean to frighten you, Joan, forgive me.¡± His long fingers patted my hand gently, ¡°But don¡¯t be anxious for me, okay? I¡¯m no stranger to peril.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t comfort me.¡± I frowned, ¡°Promise that you¡¯re being careful.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± His voice was assuring, and his dark eyes were unwavering.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I hated to admit it to myself, but the thought of anything happening to him terrified me. It was quiet for a little while. ¡°Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Myles said for you to be on the lookout for vampires, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± He nodded, taking a bite of a scone.


    ¡°If I¡¯m to be of any use, I need to know what they look like, since I¡¯ve never seen one before, thankfully.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Oh, good thought. I didn¡¯t think about that¡­But you will need to know.¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t think of everything all the time.¡± I teased him.


    ¡°I can try.¡± He grinned.


    As much as I hated to break off halfway into what I could foresee turning into a flirtatious banter session with him, I tapped his hand gently, feeling that it was important that I knew what they looked like. ¡°Vampires, Gabriel, vampires.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± My friend and employer shook himself. Getting up, he disappeared for a moment, and then returned carrying a book. After leafing through it for a moment, he handed it to me, open to a specific page, which was full of diagrams and pictures. ¡°They are very pale, and have hypnotic red eyes. They can combat the paleness with makeup, and the red eyes with the special glass lenses that they just invented a few years ago, to fix your vision or make your eyes look another color. Some of them are even ancient enough that they¡¯ve learned black magic, and can disguise themselves with that. They have fangs that only appear when they are about to feed. They¡¯re typically very attractive, it¡¯s how they get their prey to approach them.¡±


    ¡°How am I not to confuse them with elves then?¡± I laughed, very well aware that the fabled elves were also referred to as the fair folk.


    Gabriel blinked, frowning a little, ¡°It¡¯s a different kind of attraction, I would imagine, like¡­more unwholesome.¡±


    But now I was in a whimsical mood, ¡°But don¡¯t elves supposedly have fangs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they supposedly do, but they aren¡¯t retractable¡­for that matter, they also supposedly have wings and claws, if we¡¯re going to talk about elves instead of vampires.¡± He was getting a bit impatient.


    ¡°Sorry, off topic. Please continue.¡± I said, allowing him to continue. I¡¯d never before heard that elves had wings or claws, but he knew all sorts of little tidbits of information.


    ¡°Anyways, a vampire¡¯s gaze is hypnotic, but as a magician, you will be able to resist it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with vampires before?¡±


    He was quiet for a moment, ¡°Once, a very long time ago. I only hope that Myles¡¯ information is wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, I¡¯m sure. They¡¯ll have plenty of guards there.¡±


    ¡°But the guards will be of no use once they look into the eyes of a vampire, they will be under its spell, and will do as told.¡±


    ¡°How do you get rid of the spell?¡±


    ¡°You kill the vampire.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fun.¡± I said, a little alarmed.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I¡¯d rarely seen Gabriel so serious. ¡°Now you understand why my brother wanted my help, and he didn¡¯t know it yet, but your help will be invaluable as well. It would make the number of people able to avoid vampiric hypnosis from one to three¡­although he doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re a mage, I should probably tell him.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Myles is a mage as well?¡± This baffled me, as Myles was clearly older than Gabriel. I¡¯d wondered about how it was possible that Gabriel had an older brother, after saying he himself was pretty old, and given how rare human magic users were. I also hadn¡¯t questioned it, but now I was finding that I had more questions than I had when I¡¯d first met Myles.


    Gabriel shrugged, ¡°You could say it¡­runs in the family.¡±


    ¡°I was the only mage in my family¡­¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t think it ran along family lines?¡± There were some discrepancies in what he was saying, or¡­something off, but I couldn''t put my finger on what it was. He could explain it all better than he currently was¡­but at the moment, something just wasn¡¯t quite adding up.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­hard to explain, Joan. I will try someday, but not today.¡± He assured me, patting my hand, hesitantly, then saying, ¡°Now, please eat, it¡¯s going to be a long day and night.¡±


    I put aside my confusion and misgivings about his family and magic, and sighed,¡°I¡¯ve no doubt!¡± I was feeling even more nervous than I had before about the ball.


    We finished our breakfast, and I was soon headed to the salon with him in a carriage, my ball gown, still in its wrappings, tucked beneath my arm. Gabriel got out, and escorted me into the salon, making sure that I got checked in. ¡°Alright, dear Joan, I will see you tonight, then, I suppose.¡± He said, almost sounding mournful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so happy, sir, I might think you won¡¯t miss me at all.¡± I laughed, trying not to let my nerves show.


    ¡°But I will.¡± He smiled, taking my hand, and to my very great surprise, brushing his somewhat lips lightly against it. ¡°You will hurry back to me, Watson, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°O-of course.¡± I whispered, feeling breathless, my fears momentarily forgotten.


    ¡°Good.¡± He smiled brightly, and then almost immediately grimaced, shuddering a little. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The sudden show of pain alarmed me a little.


    He shook his head, waving away my concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine, my neck just popped.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    ¡°Farewell, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± I called as one of the attendants led me into the salon.

 Chapter 14

    Gabriel went back to Cooke Street. He immediately decided that, without Joan around, the place was boring, cold, and unhappy. Or perhaps that was just him without her. Maybe his attitude was reflected in the state of the house.


    Gabriel shook himself, and went to his study, knowing he was being ridiculous. He had the whole day ahead of him, until about four o¡¯clock, which was when he needed to head over to Myles¡¯ enormous manor house, where the ball was being held, upon the King¡¯s insistence, as Myles could better protect his son in the place he knew best, his own home, which just as beautiful, if not more modern, than the royal palace itself. It was also far easier to navigate than the cold, winding hallways in the palace, which were maddeningly identical.


    This got Gabriel thinking about the King, of course. Thankfully, the current monarch had been accepting of Myles and Gabriel¡¯s presence there as keepers of the peace between their two peoples, though few knew of the Locke brothers¡¯ true identity.


    Myles thought of himself and his brother as defenders of justice, but Gabriel really just liked solving problems. Although perhaps Joan was right, maybe solving crimes was his way of caring for people¡­Gabriel decided that he¡¯d gone soft, but that it didn¡¯t matter to him anymore.


    Perhaps being soft wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    Joan wouldn¡¯t want him if he was anything but kind, and he¡¯d slowly come to realize that what Joan wanted mattered more to him than anything else. But¡­if he was so attached to her, surely she ought to be one of the few people that knew who he truly was.


    Of course, it would be a proper shock to her, finding out that the man she had grown accustomed to wasn¡¯t actually Gabriel¡¯s proper physical form¡­But she was an intelligent woman, and would eventually accept his deceit as something that had been necessary, he hoped, as it allowed him to pass rather unnoticed amongst human society, whereas his true appearance would had caused a ruckus no matter where he went. Both he and Myles would have been in that situation, in fact¡­Myles just chose to hide himself differently, and used glamours every day, since he liked being able to sleep in his own form, and typically had far more privacy than Gabriel did.


    Gabriel, on the other hand, had opted for a far more permanent disguise, and had chosen to use a spell, which Myles himself had cast, to bind himself to this form for long periods of time so that he didn¡¯t have to deal with the nuisance of putting on glamours everyday. There was also always the chance, when you used glamours instead of a long-term disguise spell, that you might forget to put the glamour on one day before letting someone else see you.


    A sharp pain shot up Gabriel¡¯s spine, and he fell to the floor, knees slamming against the ground. Gritting his teeth, he waited out the pain, which was mercifully short. It appeared that the spell was slowly coming undone. It probably was about time, too, this one had already lasted longer than Gabriel had expected it to. The pain subsided, and he stood once more, then went over to his wardrobe to retrieve his new suit, which needed ironing.


    Myles would soon have to touch up the disguise spell so that it could last another couple decades or so¡­Of course, they would have to move homes and change their names. Gabriel would also have to have Myles alter the way the spell made him look, so that they could stay in the country.


    They¡¯d moved around Averah many times in the five hundred years they¡¯d been here. King after king had come and gone, and as each one took the throne, Myles and Gabriel had been there, each time with a new guise, an introduction from the previous human king, as well as their own king, telling of their presence in Averah, and how it was beneficial for the king and his country, if the brothers were allowed to stay, and they¡¯d never been turned away once¡­Myles was a little frightening, after all, which probably had something to do with it.


    That thought caused Gabriel to chuckle aloud to himself.


    They¡¯d have to move on soon, though. He¡¯d been in the house on Cooke Street for ten years now, had been in this specific body for something close to thirty, and had been Mrs. Hudson¡¯s employer for close to thirty as well.


    It saddened him to know that he would have to leave Mrs. Hudson behind during his next move, she¡¯d been a good friend for those thirty years, and had kept the three houses that he¡¯d been in, the Cooke Street one included, in excellent condition. She¡¯d kept him well-fed and looked after as well. But his dear housekeeper didn¡¯t know of his true nature, and wouldn¡¯t understand if he came back one day and wasn¡¯t the man that she knew as Sir Gabriel Locke. This was why he would send her a letter, extending her holiday leave to actual retirement, and send her a large sum of money regularly until she died. She was a dear friend now, so he aimed to see to it that she was comfortable for the rest of her life.


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    A frown stretched across Gabriel¡¯s face as he ironed his suit pants.


    Then there was the problem of Joan. He would not, no, he could not just leave her behind, as a memory that he was entirely too fond of.


    She would have to come with him, and that required her to know the truth, the full truth, so that she wouldn¡¯t be confused when he suddenly looked different. Maybe this time Myles would agree to make him look younger. Sure, looking younger made it more difficult for people to take him seriously, but he didn¡¯t like looking ten years older than Joan, as it made them seem a bit mismatched, as a pair, as a couple¡­


    Not that they were a couple. And¡­and maybe Myles would allow him a face that looked more like his own proper face, which was far more attractive than the visage he currently wore. After all, their people were known for their beauty¡­Yes, he would beg his older brother for those things on both knees, need be.


    Joan deserved someone who looked closer to her age, and whose looks pleased her. Although she didn¡¯t seem to mind the way he looked now, but he wanted to be more for her. She deserved only the best of everything. Gabriel was very aware that he wasn¡¯t perfect, much less a particularly good man, given that he¡¯d been lying to her about who he was for the whole time that they¡¯d known one another¡­But at least he knew that he could be far more physically attractive, and if that was the only way he could make himself better for her, then he would definitely do what he could to facilitate that.


    The detective finished ironing his suit, and inspected it. When he was certain that he¡¯d done a satisfactory job, he laid the clothing out on his bed, lest it wrinkle.


    His bones ached momentarily, drawing a gasp of pain before magic swelled in his body, and quieted his nerve endings. Yes, he would have to speak to Myles soon about fixing the spell.


    Though it was causing him considerable discomfort every time it wavered, Gabriel estimated that he had a few weeks left before the spell started to come off completely, but that would give him plenty of time to get his affairs in order, purchase a new house, send a letter to Mrs. Hudson.


    Joan also needed to be told the truth, the full truth, and convince her to come with him to his next home and identity. Once she knew everything, he would ask Myles to let her see his proper form before the next disguise spell was in place. Indeed, that meant Myles wouldn''t have to wear his glamour around her anymore, if she knew the truth.


    Gabriel hated that he could never stay in one place for very long, but any longer than ten years in one place, and his neighbors would definitely begin to notice that he didn¡¯t age any. Of course, Myles was able to combat that just by making his glamours age appropriately, and then just eventually faking the departure, or death, of the person that he was pretending to be. Once he¡¯d done that, he¡¯d just reappear with a different glamour, as a new advisor to the King, literally his own replacement.


    That¡¯s how he was able to stay in the same place, with the same people. His brother was quite the actor. Although, admittedly, his most recent personality was the closest to his own actual one, cold and calculating. Gabriel preferred it when Myles acted as a man who actually cared about others, and was warm and kind. Even though they both knew it was a lie, it was somewhat comforting to Gabriel to see that side of his older brother, a side that may or may not actually exist.


    A slight ache throbbed across his shoulders as he walked through his study, and left his quarters, meaning to find some lunch. It wasn¡¯t an intense pain, so he was able to ignore it until it faded, as he¡¯d been doing since the pains started, maybe about a month before, though the pain had slowly grown in intensity over time.


    Gritting his teeth, Gabriel sipped his tea.


    Joan wasn¡¯t there, and it was lonely. The house was far, far happier with her in it.


    The detective looked around the kitchen, feeling melancholic. He¡¯d have to leave this place soon. He prayed Joan would accept the truth, and be willing to come with him.


    Gabriel idly spoke aloud his worries, in his own language. Somehow, hearing the concerns voiced was comforting, like by telling the universe, he somehow wasn¡¯t alone in his plight anymore.


    Joan would have to learn his native tongue. The thought of her little voice speaking the words so dear to him warmed his soul, and caused him to grin stupidly.


    Before he¡¯d met her, this clear effect of sentiment would have infuriated him, that he¡¯d allowed himself to become weak, but where she was concerned, he found that it was entirely acceptable to have sentiment, and that it felt like sentiment made him stronger, more resolute because he had to be strong for her.


    Though she was a strong young woman, he could see it in her face, in her wide, dark eyes, that she wasn¡¯t self-sufficient, she wanted someone¡¯s support. He was wanted to be the person who offered her support so much that it caused almost an aching sensation in his chest¡­or maybe that was just more pain from the spell slowly coming off¡­Regardless, he was resolute in his decision that she must know the truth about who he was, and sooner rather than later.

 Chapter 15

    Gabriel went back to Cooke Street. He immediately decided that, without Joan around, the place was boring, cold, and unhappy. Or perhaps that was just him without her. Maybe his attitude was reflected in the state of the house.


    Gabriel shook himself, and went to his study, knowing he was being ridiculous. He had the whole day ahead of him, until about four o¡¯clock, which was when he needed to head over to Myles¡¯ enormous manor house, where the ball was being held, upon the King¡¯s insistence, as Myles could better protect his son in the place he knew best, his own home, which just as beautiful, if not more modern, than the royal palace itself. It was also far easier to navigate than the cold, winding hallways in the palace, which were maddeningly identical.


    This got Gabriel thinking about the King, of course. Thankfully, the current monarch had been accepting of Myles and Gabriel¡¯s presence there as keepers of the peace between their two peoples, though few knew of the Locke brothers¡¯ true identity.


    Myles thought of himself and his brother as defenders of justice, but Gabriel really just liked solving problems. Although perhaps Joan was right, maybe solving crimes was his way of caring for people¡­Gabriel decided that he¡¯d gone soft, but that it didn¡¯t matter to him anymore.


    Perhaps being soft wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    Joan wouldn¡¯t want him if he was anything but kind, and he¡¯d slowly come to realize that what Joan wanted mattered more to him than anything else. But¡­if he was so attached to her, surely she ought to be one of the few people that knew who he truly was.


    Of course, it would be a proper shock to her, finding out that the man she had grown accustomed to wasn¡¯t actually Gabriel¡¯s proper physical form¡­But she was an intelligent woman, and would eventually accept his deceit as something that had been necessary, he hoped, as it allowed him to pass rather unnoticed amongst human society, whereas his true appearance would had caused a ruckus no matter where he went. Both he and Myles would have been in that situation, in fact¡­Myles just chose to hide himself differently, and used glamours every day, since he liked being able to sleep in his own form, and typically had far more privacy than Gabriel did.


    Gabriel, on the other hand, had opted for a far more permanent disguise, and had chosen to use a spell, which Myles himself had cast, to bind himself to this form for long periods of time so that he didn¡¯t have to deal with the nuisance of putting on glamours everyday. There was also always the chance, when you used glamours instead of a long-term disguise spell, that you might forget to put the glamour on one day before letting someone else see you.


    A sharp pain shot up Gabriel¡¯s spine, and he fell to the floor, knees slamming against the ground. Gritting his teeth, he waited out the pain, which was mercifully short. It appeared that the spell was slowly coming undone. It probably was about time, too, this one had already lasted longer than Gabriel had expected it to. The pain subsided, and he stood once more, then went over to his wardrobe to retrieve his new suit, which needed ironing.


    Myles would soon have to touch up the disguise spell so that it could last another couple decades or so¡­Of course, they would have to move homes and change their names. Gabriel would also have to have Myles alter the way the spell made him look, so that they could stay in the country.


    They¡¯d moved around Averah many times in the five hundred years they¡¯d been here. King after king had come and gone, and as each one took the throne, Myles and Gabriel had been there, each time with a new guise, an introduction from the previous human king, as well as their own king, telling of their presence in Averah, and how it was beneficial for the king and his country, if the brothers were allowed to stay, and they¡¯d never been turned away once¡­Myles was a little frightening, after all, which probably had something to do with it.


    That thought caused Gabriel to chuckle aloud to himself.


    They¡¯d have to move on soon, though. He¡¯d been in the house on Cooke Street for ten years now, had been in this specific body for something close to thirty, and had been Mrs. Hudson¡¯s employer for close to thirty as well.


    It saddened him to know that he would have to leave Mrs. Hudson behind during his next move, she¡¯d been a good friend for those thirty years, and had kept the three houses that he¡¯d been in, the Cooke Street one included, in excellent condition. She¡¯d kept him well-fed and looked after as well. But his dear housekeeper didn¡¯t know of his true nature, and wouldn¡¯t understand if he came back one day and wasn¡¯t the man that she knew as Sir Gabriel Locke. This was why he would send her a letter, extending her holiday leave to actual retirement, and send her a large sum of money regularly until she died. She was a dear friend now, so he aimed to see to it that she was comfortable for the rest of her life.


    A frown stretched across Gabriel¡¯s face as he ironed his suit pants.


    Then there was the problem of Joan. He would not, no, he could not just leave her behind, as a memory that he was entirely too fond of.


    She would have to come with him, and that required her to know the truth, the full truth, so that she wouldn¡¯t be confused when he suddenly looked different. Maybe this time Myles would agree to make him look younger. Sure, looking younger made it more difficult for people to take him seriously, but he didn¡¯t like looking ten years older than Joan, as it made them seem a bit mismatched, as a pair, as a couple¡­


    Not that they were a couple. And¡­and maybe Myles would allow him a face that looked more like his own proper face, which was far more attractive than the visage he currently wore. After all, their people were known for their beauty¡­Yes, he would beg his older brother for those things on both knees, need be.


    Joan deserved someone who looked closer to her age, and whose looks pleased her. Although she didn¡¯t seem to mind the way he looked now, but he wanted to be more for her. She deserved only the best of everything. Gabriel was very aware that he wasn¡¯t perfect, much less a particularly good man, given that he¡¯d been lying to her about who he was for the whole time that they¡¯d known one another¡­But at least he knew that he could be far more physically attractive, and if that was the only way he could make himself better for her, then he would definitely do what he could to facilitate that.


    The detective finished ironing his suit, and inspected it. When he was certain that he¡¯d done a satisfactory job, he laid the clothing out on his bed, lest it wrinkle.


    His bones ached momentarily, drawing a gasp of pain before magic swelled in his body, and quieted his nerve endings. Yes, he would have to speak to Myles soon about fixing the spell.


    Though it was causing him considerable discomfort every time it wavered, Gabriel estimated that he had a few weeks left before the spell started to come off completely, but that would give him plenty of time to get his affairs in order, purchase a new house, send a letter to Mrs. Hudson.


    Joan also needed to be told the truth, the full truth, and convince her to come with him to his next home and identity. Once she knew everything, he would ask Myles to let her see his proper form before the next disguise spell was in place. Indeed, that meant Myles wouldn''t have to wear his glamour around her anymore, if she knew the truth.


    Gabriel hated that he could never stay in one place for very long, but any longer than ten years in one place, and his neighbors would definitely begin to notice that he didn¡¯t age any. Of course, Myles was able to combat that just by making his glamours age appropriately, and then just eventually faking the departure, or death, of the person that he was pretending to be. Once he¡¯d done that, he¡¯d just reappear with a different glamour, as a new advisor to the King, literally his own replacement.


    That¡¯s how he was able to stay in the same place, with the same people. His brother was quite the actor. Although, admittedly, his most recent personality was the closest to his own actual one, cold and calculating. Gabriel preferred it when Myles acted as a man who actually cared about others, and was warm and kind. Even though they both knew it was a lie, it was somewhat comforting to Gabriel to see that side of his older brother, a side that may or may not actually exist.


    A slight ache throbbed across his shoulders as he walked through his study, and left his quarters, meaning to find some lunch. It wasn¡¯t an intense pain, so he was able to ignore it until it faded, as he¡¯d been doing since the pains started, maybe about a month before, though the pain had slowly grown in intensity over time.


    Gritting his teeth, Gabriel sipped his tea.


    Joan wasn¡¯t there, and it was lonely. The house was far, far happier with her in it.


    The detective looked around the kitchen, feeling melancholic. He¡¯d have to leave this place soon. He prayed Joan would accept the truth, and be willing to come with him.


    Gabriel idly spoke aloud his worries, in his own language. Somehow, hearing the concerns voiced was comforting, like by telling the universe, he somehow wasn¡¯t alone in his plight anymore.


    Joan would have to learn his native tongue. The thought of her little voice speaking the words so dear to him warmed his soul, and caused him to grin stupidly.


    Before he¡¯d met her, this clear effect of sentiment would have infuriated him, that he¡¯d allowed himself to become weak, but where she was concerned, he found that it was entirely acceptable to have sentiment, and that it felt like sentiment made him stronger, more resolute because he had to be strong for her.


    Though she was a strong young woman, he could see it in her face, in her wide, dark eyes, that she wasn¡¯t self-sufficient, she wanted someone¡¯s support. He was wanted to be the person who offered her support so much that it caused almost an aching sensation in his chest¡­or maybe that was just more pain from the spell slowly coming off¡­Regardless, he was resolute in his decision that she must know the truth about who he was, and sooner rather than later.


    --


    I had never had a rose-petal-filled bubble bath, or a massage, or been waited on hand-and-foot before going to a salon. A girl could get used to that kind of treatment.


    ¡°Ms. Watson?¡± the maid, an older woman named Tina, who was attending me, asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to put on your dress? It¡¯s getting to be that time.¡± She told me, smiling.


    ¡°Oh, I guess so. It¡¯s in the parcel over there¡­I never had the bravery to open it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that. You stay right there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I liked the huge, impossibly soft seat that I was in, swathed in a cloud-like bathrobe, in front of a gorgeous vanity mirror, which was covered with various hair-styling tools and makeup.


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± I heard Tina gasp. ¡°This dress is one of Mrs. Widley¡¯s new ones, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°She designed it for me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased by this.


    ¡°Oh you must have some sway in the dressmaking community for her to have designed a dress just for you!¡± Tina said admirably.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s Gabriel who knows her, not me.¡± I told her truthfully.


    ¡°Your husband is a special man, Ms. Watson.¡±


    I felt my face flush a deep red, ¡°H-he¡¯s not my husband.¡± I stammered, ¡°He¡¯s my colleague.¡± That was the easiest way to explain it, and I didn¡¯t want to say that I was just his maid, it always made things weird when I said it to anyone.


    ¡°Well, he must be very fond of you indeed.¡± Tina said approvingly.


    ¡°I guess.¡± I laughed a little weakly.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you in this, and then I¡¯ll do your hair and makeup, and you¡¯ll be on your way by six!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just let you get changed, call for me if you need anything!¡± the attendant said, stepping outside the room.


    The dress was laid out on a dressing table, and its golden material shimmered romantically in the light. I sighed in awe. It was a positively gorgeous dress¡­too bad it was going to be put to waste, being worn by someone as plain as me.


    I took the dress, marveling at how light and silky it was, and slipped it on, and then went to the mirror.


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    Almost beautiful. I was almost beautiful. No amount of fancy dresses or makeup or anything would ever change that. ¡°Alright, Tina, I¡¯ve put it on!¡± I called.


    Tina came in, ¡°Oh that is lovely¡­¡± she breathed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely dress.¡± I sighed, managing a small smile, and feeling silly that I was feeling sorry for myself. I shouldn¡¯t, I had a gorgeous dress, and I was going to a ball¡­Confidence was needed, so confidence I would have.


    ¡°Go ahead and put your shoes on as well.¡± Tina directed, ¡°That way you don¡¯t have to do it as you¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I slipped the heels on, which were a matching shade of gold, and sat down at the vanity.


    ¡°Now, I think that we¡¯ll go for an understated look with your makeup. You don¡¯t need a lot, not with that dress. If the dress were less gorgeous, I would go with a more bold makeup look. But we¡¯ll settle for only a little foundation, your complexion doesn¡¯t need much, dark red lips, shimmery golden eyes, dark lashes, and only a light blush¡­¡±


    ¡°That literally means nothing to me, I¡¯m afraid, Tina.¡± I told her.


    She laughed, ¡°Just hold still. Then we¡¯ll do your hair.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I did as she said, puckered my lips when she said, blinked my eyes when she said, and all the other things that were necessary for her to do my makeup.


    ¡°Now for your hair. I think simple, but elegant is best. Would you like it in an up-do, or down and curly, but pushed over one shoulder?¡±


    ¡°What do you think would look best?¡±


    Tina thought for a moment, scrutinizing me, ¡°If you had some jewelry, like a necklace, to show off, I would say put it up, but since you don¡¯t. We¡¯ll go with down, besides, it will mimic the waterfall effect that your dress has.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me! I¡¯m in your capable hands!¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t smear your lipstick!¡± Tina warned, but smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some of all of the makeup, compliments of our lovely salon, to take with you so that you can touch up your look once you get there, need be, and so that you can replicate the look for later occasions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our policy!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good policy.¡± I told her.


    ¡°So do we.¡± She laughed, and started to brush my hair. Tina was a magician when it came to doing hair, and managed to get my unruly hair, which I typically kept up in a tight bun because it was so untidy, to stay in the loveliest curls. She then pushed said curls over my right shoulder, and secured them with the ornate comb that had been tucked into the package with the dress, apparently an added accessory from Mrs. Widley. ¡°There we are, dear! And just in time! We need to get you on your way!¡±


    I stood, and followed her to the entrance. There was a carriage waiting for me, ¡°Thank you, Tina.¡± I said, feeling grateful, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have gotten ready without you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we do best!¡± she smiled, ¡°Do come again!¡±


    I climbed into the carriage, and we set off to the ball, which, if I understood correctly, was being held not far from the salon, thankfully, so I didn¡¯t have to sit alone with my nerves for too terribly long.


    The carriage stopped and the driver opened the door, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, miss!¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± I climbed out, with the driver¡¯s help.


    ¡°Have a good night, miss!¡± the driver said, and then drove off.


    Suddenly, I realized that I had no idea what to do, or where to go, and stared nervously at the large, beautiful, but very imposing manor house in front of me.


    I stood there, frozen for a few moments, then took a deep breath, and made up my mind to follow the other guests who¡¯d arrived. They walked right up to the front door, which I realized was open to receive visitors, and went in.


    Following a little ways behind a couple dressed in their finery, I stepped into a lovely, high-ceilinged antechamber, which led to an equally tall front hall, with doors going in every direction. Not wanting to get lost, I followed the other guests down to the very end of the hall to a large set of tall, double doors that had been propped open. Passing through, I came out at the top of an ornate staircase that swooped directly down to what appeared to be the ballroom, which was full of people.


    A group of musicians played in one corner, filing the air with music alongside the crowd¡¯s chatter.


    Scared to go down into the throng by myself, I peered about, hoping to see Gabriel somewhere. But I didn¡¯t see him, and suddenly realized that I must look incredibly out of place, a girl of average looks in such a fancy gown. It felt like everyone was staring at me, picking apart my dress, hair, and makeup, able to tell that I really was just a servant by my bearing alone.


    Panicking a little, I went back into the front hall to calm my nerves, hoping that no vampires showed up because that was the last thing that I wanted to deal with, especially when I was alone. I was having trouble just going into a crowded room, how was I supposed to keep an eye out for such an evil creature, much less possibly have to help fight one?


    I stood just to the side of the double doors, and took deep breaths, ignoring the steady stream of people who were going in, shooting curious looks at me. Finally, I steeled myself. I didn''t feel particularly confident, but I knew that sometimes, you could fake it until you really did feel confident.


    Putting my shoulders back, I lifted my chin, took one last deep breath, and went back into the ballroom by myself. I immediately felt like I was being stared at and scrutinized. I did my best to ignore the feeling. Honestly, people were probably curious about the dress. It was a new style, after all.


    I descended the stairs slowly for two purposes, the first was so that I didn¡¯t trip and fall, and the second was so that I could scan the crowds for Gabriel again. Also, everyone else seemed to be taking the stairs slowly as well, which suited me just fine.


    When I¡¯d reached the bottom, and still hadn¡¯t seen Gabriel, I made the split-second decision to search for Myles instead, since he was the only other person there I knew. Taking another deep breath, I was about to head out into the crowd to search when a hand caught my elbow.


    ¡°Doctor Watson.¡± It was Myles.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly felt much better. The elder Locke brother looked very dapper in his suit, and I was very much calmed upon seeing a familiar face, even though it was Myles.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I was about to go in search of you because I don¡¯t see Gabriel, and wasn¡¯t sure what to do because I don¡¯t know anyone else.¡± I told him honestly.


    ¡°Quite.¡± He seemed in surprisingly good spirits, and smiled a little. ¡°Come this way. I haven¡¯t seen my brother at all tonight, but I was made aware when he arrived, and I know that he hasn¡¯t left.¡±


    ¡°Oh good, for a moment I was afraid that he¡¯d ditched me.¡± I laughed.


    ¡°I would say that I thought better of him than that, but that would be very much like him.¡± Myles sighed, but remained in a seemingly bright mood. ¡°Would you care to dance, to pass the time until he gets here? It¡¯ll save you from dancing with people you don¡¯t know. Judging by the looks I see, you¡¯ll receive plenty of requests, but perhaps Gabriel will show before the others can get the courage to ask you.¡±


    ¡°I would much rather dance with you than a stranger, Myles.¡± I told him honestly. Sure, I didn¡¯t know him very well, nor did I like him all that much, but he was at least a familiar face, and I knew I¡¯d be safe with him. ¡°But I doubt I¡¯ll get many requests to dance, this dress is just different than what everyone is used to, so I should think that¡¯s rather why anyone is staring in my direction.¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly.¡± Myles nodded curtly. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± We moved out to the dance floor, where things were moving at a brisk pace, as it was a quick dance.


    One of the strangest classes in my time in medical school had been an etiquette class, where I¡¯d learned how to act at high society functions, and had included a section on dancing. Since I was the only girl in the entire medical program, some of the nurses had been allowed to attend those sessions as well, so that there were enough partners for everyone.


    When we¡¯d inquired as to why we had to have such a class, we¡¯d been told that, as doctors, we would someday be mixing with the higher echelons of society, and would need to know how to dance properly so we wouldn''t embarrass ourselves. Indeed, we¡¯d had to put those skills to the test at our own military graduation gala, which many higher-ups, officers, nobles, and high-society folks in attendance. I hadn¡¯t enjoyed the dance classes, but at least it had kept me from making a fool of myself at the military gale, and again now.


    ¡°Is Gabriel even going to come out to the ballroom? I know that he doesn¡¯t like to dance.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to stay hidden away from the main party, but I do not think his sense of chivalry would allow that.¡± Myles told me.


    I snorted at this, ¡°Chivalry? If you say so¡­I hope he does come out, because I certainly won¡¯t make myself a burden to yourself and follow you around the whole night.¡±


    ¡°I should hope not!¡± Myles seemed earnestly alarmed at the thought.


    I laughed, ¡°Like I said, I would not do that. But I would stand, uncomfortably, in a corner, for the remainder of the night, if Gabriel didn¡¯t appear.¡±


    ¡°I do not think you¡¯ll need to worry about that.¡± Myles assured me.


    ¡°Good.¡± I sighed.


    Myles, unlike his brother, was good at making small talk, and inquired of Mrs. Hudson, Gabriel¡¯s cases, and all sorts of other things that I was able to keep up with in a conversation. But the dance eventually ended, and we parted ways, ¡°I¡¯ll come check on you later, and if my little brother hasn¡¯t appeared by then, I¡¯ll find him for you, Doctor.¡± Myles told me.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir Locke.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Myles nodded, then disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone once more.


    I looked around, trying to find somewhere close to the wall to go and stand, when a man¡¯s voice addressed me. ¡°Excuse me, miss, but you look entirely lonely.¡± I blinked, whirled around, and was met by a stranger¡¯s face. ¡°Would you allow me to remedy that?¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± I asked, not sure how to proceed.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s common that, when a man sees a beautiful woman all alone at a ball, that he ease her pain and ask her to accompany him to the dance floor.¡± The man smiled, ¡°I¡¯m Prince Edmund, would you care to dance with me?¡± I recognized the name of the King¡¯s second oldest son, and was finally able to put a face to the name.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness,¡± I curtseyed to him, ¡°But I¡¯m looking for someone at the moment, I¡¯m terribly sorry to turn you down, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least allow me to help you find who you¡¯re looking for.¡± the Prince said amiably, not growing angry that I¡¯d turned him down, thankfully.


    ¡°Do you know Sir Locke?¡± I asked, fighting the feeling of shyness that was fighting to keep me from speaking in full sentences. I was speaking to a member of the royal family, and he was treating me as an equal¡­and I was on the verge of losing my mind because I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°This is his manor house, of course I know him. After all, he¡¯s my father¡¯s closest advisor.¡± Prince Edmund laughed.


    I reprimanded myself for not being more specific. ¡°Certainly, in fact, I was just speaking to Myles but-¡±


    He cut me off, an incredulous look passing over his face. ¡°You are a mystery! You¡¯re on first-name terms with Myles Locke, when so few people are, and easily refuse to dance with a Prince¡­who are you, miss?¡±


    I felt my face heat. Maybe I¡¯d never before realized the power of the Locke family. It did suddenly seem that Myles was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom¡­and I was indeed on first-name terms with him. ¡°My name is Joan, sir, Joan Watson.¡± I curtseyed. ¡°But that¡¯s of little consequence. In fact, when I asked if you had seen Sir Locke, I should have been more specific, I meant the younger Sir Locke, not Myles, but Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the detective.¡± Understanding passed over the Prince¡¯s face. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him tonight, but I had assumed that he was here somewhere. Am I to take it that he is your escort tonight?¡±


    ¡°My absent escort.¡± I laughed a little, ¡°He¡¯s not doing a very good job, is he?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you would allow me to steal his escort status?¡± the Prince asked, grinning mischievously.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that to him.¡± I replied, smiling a little.


    ¡°Well, he must be dear to you, if a Prince can¡¯t steal you away.¡± Prince Edmund said, proving to be surprisingly full of insight. ¡°Let¡¯s strike a deal, Ms. Watson, I¡¯ll help you look for him if you¡¯ll give me the next dance.¡±


    Trying not to laugh because he didn¡¯t realize that he was asking a maid to dance, I smiled, ¡°I would be honored, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Please call me Ed.¡± He laughed, offering me his hand, ¡°I hate all these formalities.¡±


    ¡°But of all the names you could go by, you choose Ed?¡± I asked, raising an amused eyebrow at him as I took his hand, he led me to the dance floor, and his free hand alighted gently at my waist, and we began to dance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t knock it! With all the extravagance around me, it¡¯s nice to be known by a simple name!¡± he replied, grinning at me.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s understandable.¡±


    Ed laughed, ¡°Of course. Perhaps if we do not find the younger Locke brother, I will introduce you to my own brother.¡±


    I was completely surprised by this, ¡°The Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°I know him as Stephen, my nuisance of a big brother.¡± Ed winked at me.


    ¡°Only if we can¡¯t find him. Honestly, I¡¯m not used to meeting members of the royal family¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I am incredibly disappointed in the Locke brothers! Where have they been keeping you locked away? A woman of your considerable beauty and charm should be known in all of the highest circles.¡±


    ¡°Oh you flatter me, sir. But perhaps I¡¯m not the kind of person you¡¯re imagining me to be.¡± I replied, shaking my head.


    ¡°Ah, the mystery deepens. Perhaps I do need Gabriel Locke to come and solve the mystery for me, it seems like something suited for a detective.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a detective to solve mysteries, I promise.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Indeed? Am I to take it that you have solved some?¡± Ed asked, sounding earnestly intrigued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped Gabriel solve some.¡± I admitted honestly. ¡°But he¡¯s the real genius.¡±


    ¡°So you have helped the most incredible detective of our time solve his cases¡­Who are you, mystery lady?¡±


    ¡°No one of consequence.¡± All the questions were getting old. Prince Edmund seemed like a very nice fellow, and he was fairly handsome, not to mention royalty, but he could never know who I truly was, as a mage and as a humble maid¡­albeit a maid with full medical training¡­but still. No, Gabriel and Myles were really the only people who could ever know me as I truly was, and Myles, though he was in a good mood at the moment, was far too cold a man, and I was fairly certain that he didn¡¯t do friendship on any level. Anyways, with Prince Ed, though we did appear to be getting along just fine, I had to pretend to be someone that I wasn¡¯t, and that wouldn¡¯t do. Besides, seeing someone so socially capable made me miss Gabriel¡¯s lack of social skills, as well as his lack of concern for society¡¯s stupid demands, which was part of his odd charm.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡± Ed said seriously. Gabriel would have told me that everyone was of consequence, then would have finished the sentence with something mildly offensive about how even the most empty-headed of people existed to serve some purpose in life. The thought almost made me laugh aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯m only being honest.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Well, then have it your way, Ms. Joan.¡± He smiled, apparently enjoying himself. I wasn¡¯t playing hard to get, I just wanted to find Gabriel as soon as possible.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Gabriel!¡± I was immensely relieved to finally set eyes on my friend. ¡°I was beginning to think that you¡¯d forgotten that I was even coming!¡±


    ¡°I was beginning to think that you¡¯d forgotten to come.¡± He replied, ¡°But we¡¯ve already agreed that forgetfulness isn¡¯t a hanging offense, so we both would have been fine.¡±


    ¡°I disagree, Sir Locke.¡± Prince Ed shook hands with Gabriel, which I thought was odd because Gabriel never shook hands with anyone, if he could help it. ¡°I must say that it would have been a crime for you to have forgotten that you were escorting this beautiful woman tonight.¡±


    I felt my face flush red at this. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Gabriel said, taking his place at my side. I felt the slight pressure of his hand gently alighting on my waist, pulling me a little closer,  ¡°You look lovely, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Widley¡¯s dress is wonderful.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I should think it¡¯s a might bit more than just the dress!¡± Prince Ed laughed.


    I saw a vein pulsing in Gabriel¡¯s temple, and realized that he was struggling to curb his annoyance. If I didn¡¯t get him away from the Prince soon, we''d be in trouble very quickly with the royal family for Gabriel¡¯s smart-mouthed comments.


    ¡°You¡¯ll dance with me, won¡¯t you?¡± I asked Gabriel quickly, putting my hand on his arm, distracting him, and steering the conversation away from my appearance. I wasn¡¯t comfortable with the topic anyways, though it seemed like that was all Ed was capable of talking about¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to ask you.¡± he said, his shoulders wilting a little.


    ¡°When have you ever cared for societal norms, Gabriel?¡± I laughed, shaking my head.


    My date shrugged, and smiled once more. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Come along then, Joan.¡± He pulled me towards the dance floor.


    ¡°It was nice to meet you, Ed!¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to promise me another dance, and to meet my elder brother!¡± Ed exclaimed.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± I laughed, but was glad to be back with Gabriel.


    Pulling me closer than I had been to the Prince, Gabriel ¡®s hand settled on my waist. The man¡¯s familiar scent washed over me, immediately putting me at ease. ¡°You seem to do fine without me¡­¡± He said quietly.


    ¡°I wish that I hadn¡¯t been without you¡­what kept you?¡± I asked, frowning.


    ¡°I was seeing to the various entrances, making sure that they were secure¡­then I was in the kitchens, solving a minor problem¡­and then amongst the servants, listening to the idle talk¡­then looking for you for a good while, but there are so many people here that I couldn¡¯t find you. Then Myles found me, and told me that he¡¯d seen you, and what area he¡¯d left you in, and so I went searching for you, and well, here we are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re here now. I don¡¯t like dancing with strangers.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Well, you were doing a fine job for yourself, I must say, if the second person you danced with was a prince, the first being my brother¡­And now, this the point that I must mention that I would follow up my previous recounting of events with the observation that you look lovely tonight, but not only would I only be repeating what Prince Edmund has probably said for the entire duration of your conversation, but I think that you would grow cross with me for reasons I can¡¯t understand, probably because saying something like that would rather imply that you¡¯re not typically lovely, which would then lead me to insist that you are, and try to eat my words, and only dig myself a deeper grave¡­am I correct?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at this rather complicated, long-winded bit of speech, and try to ignore the fact that I had turned bright red. ¡°Maybe. But I rather think you forgot the part I insist that I am only of average looks, and above average intelligence.¡±


    ¡°I disagree with the first, and agree with the second, but would request that you alter the statement to far higher than average intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s agree to disagree, shall we?¡± I rolled my eyes at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡±  He said quietly.


    My face couldn¡¯t blush a darker shade of red, I was certain of it, but he didn¡¯t seem to care, since his sharp eyes didn¡¯t move from mine for the remainder of the dance, which was almost a little distracting from the rest of our conversation.


    When the dance was over, he was about to pull me into another dance, but something distracted me.  ¡°Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Joan?¡± His voice was soft.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be on the lookout for¡­possible vampiric villains?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you see something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I know you said that they could cover their pale skin with makeup, but makeup can only do so much.¡± I told him. ¡°And don¡¯t look just yet, glance over towards the pillar on the left side of the room the next time we spin, but there is a particularly attractive woman who is pale, maybe not pale enough, but she may have darkened her complexion with makeup¡­it could be a false alarm, but I just noticed and¡­¡± As we spun again, and he glanced in the direction of the column, I felt him pull me closer than I¡¯d been before, his grip on me tightening, alerting me to his worry. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Something worth looking into.¡± He said, and then with a grimace, spun me around again, pulling me entirely against his chest, which made my breath catch a little.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I exclaimed quietly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I heard him gasp, clearly not fine, so I pushed away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Gabriel?¡±


    But he only shook his head, gritting his teeth, and tilting his head to the side, I heard his neck crack menacingly. ¡°I¡­It¡¯s nothing. But I do need to look into what you saw.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not alright!¡± I said, seeing pain written on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be perfectly alright in about two minutes. Now, this dance is about over,¡± he said as the last few notes floated through my ears, ¡°and when it¡¯s done, go stand by the edge of the dance floor. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°What if it is a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Myles is monitoring my movements from a higher vantage point, and if something is amiss, he¡¯ll be here in thirty seconds, tops. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I said, but had no intentions of actually leaving his side for even a moment.


    The song ended, and he let his hands drop from my waist. As we walked off the dance floor, I noticed, from my place about five paces behind him, that he was limping a little, which bothered me, especially when I saw him start to clench and unclench his hands, rub his fingers together repeatedly, as if they were bothering him as well.


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    We reached the woman as the next song started. I hung back to make it seem like I wasn¡¯t necessarily with him as he went to attract the woman¡¯s attention.


    To my surprise, Myles materialized almost immediately as Gabriel walked away. ¡°Joan.¡± He said in his usual, cool tone.


    ¡°Myles.¡± I replied, with a nod.


    The elder Locke brother didn¡¯t say anything else, and I realized that he was watching Gabriel, as I was, which bothered me, perhaps I really had seen a vampire.


    But as Gabriel talked to the woman, slowly getting her to migrate away from the rest of the ball attendees, I saw him rub his neck with an increasing intensity, and I saw him shudder just the slightest bit a couple of times. Suddenly, he had to put his hand out, placing his palm against the wall, for balance. The woman he was speaking to looked confused for a moment, and I saw Gabriel waving his hand, probably trying to explain away the lapse in his balance.


    ¡°What is he doing?! He should not have come tonight! Especially not in this state!¡± Myles hissed upon seeing his little brother nearly fall over.


    He quickly strode over to Gabriel, and put his hand on his shoulder, interrupting Gabriel¡¯s conversation with the woman, whose eyes widened in a pleased sort of way as the second, elder Sir Locke appeared.


    I crept closer, wanting to hear the conversation, and now a little concerned.


    The woman pouted, ¡°Oh, both of the Locke boys in one ballroom¡­very, very fun indeed!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us for a drink?¡± Myles suggested, suddenly the picture of amiability. Apparently he was an excellent actor as well. Perhaps that¡¯s where Gabriel had learned it¡­


    ¡°In a more private setting, perhaps?¡± The woman said, fluttering her eyes seductively. ¡°I would love to get to know you both more. I¡¯ve heard stories about the pair of you, and I am extremely interested.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s quite in order.¡± Myles said in an uncharacteristically jovial tone.


    Gabriel nodded in quiet agreement, but was very pale, and I sensed the smile he wore was forced, though an excellent reproduction of a real one, otherwise.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± The woman smiled, flashing a pearly white smile, and I saw what were most certainly fangs. My blood chilled, I had been right. And what was scarier was that I remembered Gabriel¡¯s voice telling me that vampires¡¯ fangs only appeared when they were getting ready to feed.


    Though I didn¡¯t doubt that the vampire woman thought that she had the Locke brothers in control with her supposedly hypnotic gaze, I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, given their own magical capabilities. But I wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on, or what their plan of attack was, if there was one.


    The three of them paid me no heed as they headed towards a nearby hallway. I tagged along, walking quietly and staying far enough behind not to be noticed.


    Just as the ballroom was out of sight, Gabriel gave a quiet cry, and collapsed to the ground. Much to my surprise, I could feel magic welling, uncontrollably, in him.


    My desire to remain anonymous evaporated, and I hurried to his side, crying ¡°Gabriel!¡±


    But my surprise was quickly replaced with alarm, as the vampire had suddenly leapt into action, literally.


    The bloodthirsty creature jumped at Myles, who waved his hand almost lazily, and blasted her back with a surge of magic, causing her to screech in surprise, thankfully, the music in the ballroom was a rather loud, fast-paced dance number, and masked the sound of her scream.


    The elder Locke brother then produced a wooden stake from some deep pocket in his suit, and leapt forward, easily pinning the vampire down with his free arm.


    I stared, shocked at seeing such energy and force from a man of Myles¡¯ age. Of course, he was a magician, so perhaps that explained it¡­although it didn¡¯t explain why he looked as old as he did.


    My thoughts about Myles¡¯ age were driven from my mind as Gabriel¡¯s older brother plunged the stake into the vampire¡¯s heart without a second¡¯s hesitation.


    Much to my horror, the dying vampire gave a weak, cackling laugh, ¡°M wishes you well.¡±


    ¡°Who is M?!¡± I saw the elder Locke brother twist the stake in the vampire¡¯s heart. For a split second, Myles seemed to somehow flicker, which I found entirely odd. But when it didn¡¯t happen again, I shook myself, people didn''t just flicker, it had to be my eyes tricking me.


    The horrible creature gave a croaking cry, but then went still, the life now gone from its body. Myles stood, and the body burst into flames, dissolving almost instantly. He looked disgusted. ¡°M¡­¡± he said, sounding thoughtful.


    Gabriel cried out, struggling in pain, alarm etched on his features. ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Myles!¡± I shouted, when Gabriel¡¯s cries didn¡¯t catch his brother¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The elder Locke brother shook himself, and then sprang forward, ordering, ¡°Come with me, Joan.¡±


    I hurried forward as Myles hauled Gabriel to his feet. ¡°Let me help¡­¡± I put one of Gabriel¡¯s arms across my shoulders. The younger Locke brother gave a quiet moan as we started down the hallway again.


    ¡°Hang in there, little brother.¡± Myles muttered. ¡°You¡¯re in for a painful night.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± I asked as Gabriel whimpered in pain, and I heard a slight cracking noise from his back, and could still feel magic welling in him. My friend groaned, shifting around and shuddering violently as we pulled him along. ¡°Is he sick?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not sick.¡± Was all Myles said.


    We entered a bedroom, and I helped put Gabriel on the bed in the middle, pulling the blankets up over him as he shivered in pain, while Myles went to the door, locked it, and used some sort of magic on it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you were a magician as well until just recently.¡± I told Myles quietly. ¡°It¡¯s odd to have three human magicians in such close proximity to one another¡­¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± For a moment, Myles looked surprised, and then realization dawned on him. Apparently Gabriel hadn¡¯t told him yet, nor had he deduced it from his observations, which was surprising, as Gabriel had once confided in me that Myles¡¯ observational skills were more advanced than his own prodigious abilities. I guess he really hadn¡¯t paid much attention to me at all, not that it surprised me. ¡°That¡¯s why he trusts you so much. How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Not older than I look yet.¡± I shrugged, trying to keep my mind occupied from the strangeness that was going on.


    Gabriel shifted, sitting up, putting one of his hands to his head. ¡°I¡­I thought I had weeks left¡­¡± He moaned, grimacing in pain.


    What was going on?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! You felt the signs, you should have come to me immediately!¡± Myles said, shaking his head vehemently, dropping our conversation.


    ¡°I had other more important things to think about! A-and I didn¡¯t think that things would happen this quickly!¡± Gabriel cried angrily, I heard his back crack again, this time more loudly. Gabriel whimpered, covering his face with his hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, little brother, you didn¡¯t think!¡± Myles was angry, but also seemed genuinely worried, much to my own surprise. ¡°And you risked blowing our cover to everyone here!¡±


    ¡°Blowing your cover?¡± I asked. ¡°Myles, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I-I feel horrible.¡± Gabriel shuddered, pulling off his suit jacket, and tossing it aside, tugging weakly at his shirt. Suddenly, I could see his muscles and bones shifting slowly about in a way that wasn¡¯t consistent with how he was moving. ¡°Th-the spell is coming off so quickly!¡± he gasped, and then screamed as his shoulders snapped loudly. My friend curled into himself, shivering violently.


    ¡°Spell? Please, just tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± I cried, now scared and confused.


    ¡°Sh-show her, Myles!¡± Gabriel coughed, his voice hoarse. Much to my own terror, I watched, horrified, as his eyes rapidly clouded over, seemingly blinded. His hair faded from its usual black to grey, and his shirt somehow seemed oddly tight. The poor man plucked weakly at the buttons, and appeared to be struggling to breathe.


    Myles started talking. ¡°The spell that keeps him in human form is wearing off¡­I did tell him that glamours, though a little inconvenient, would be the better choice, but he insisted on a more permanent spell¡­¡± His annoyance was eclipsed by his worry, thankfully, or I would have slapped him for not caring more about his little brother.


    ¡°H-human form?¡± I blinked, utterly confused and taken aback. ¡°He¡¯s not human?!¡±


    ¡°Neither am I.¡± Myles shook his head, rubbing his neck, clearly stressed and worried for Gabriel.


    ¡°Wh-what are you, then, if not human?¡± I asked as Gabriel sobbed in pain, shifting about on the bed, apparently uncomfortable in his skin, and moving very oddly.


    ¡°Elvish, if you must know.¡± Myles sighed, rubbing his forehead, seeming distressed. ¡°Here.¡± His image flickered, and then disappeared.


    An impossible being stood in Myles¡¯ place.


    This person was tall and pale. He had long, dark hair, pitch black, catlike eyes, gracefully pointed ears, and was far better looking than the Myles that I knew. Nor did he look any older than twenty-five.


    What surprised me the most was that he had fangs that were visible when he spoke. ¡°See?¡±


    I sat down on the couch, hugging myself tightly, not sure what to think anymore, but certainly very confused and frightened. ¡°I-I¡­I¡­¡±


    A piercing scream from Gabriel drew my attention away from my own shock. Every orifice in his head appeared to be hemorrhaging, and blood dripped down onto his now disfigured hands as he clutched weakly at his head, choking and coughing pitifully, the crimson liquid stained the sheets around him.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you helping him?!¡± I cried, leaping to my feet again.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Please, brother!¡± Gabriel¡¯s scream was thick with blood.


    This was the most pain he¡¯d felt in his entire life. Retching, he was almost sick as his insides shifted, changed, becoming elvish once more. His eyes rolled back into his head as he tried to breathe while his lungs shifted and expanded.


    After a little while, he was vaguely aware that the bleeding from his head had stopped. The poor elf could now feel his proper form manifesting completely, pulled forward by his own powerful magic, which he wasn¡¯t able to control at the moment. Gabriel gasped for breath as he felt his ribcage shifting outward. Then the bones in his back grated together, sliding apart as his body stretched so far that it felt as if he might come apart. He ground his teeth together, which now had gaps in them as his fangs slowly forced themselves into his jaw, making it ache.


    A moan dragged itself from his lips. The elf¡¯s body contorted, his arms and legs jerking horribly as his bones and muscles changed. His shoulders shifted apart inch by agonizing inch.


    Gabriel¡¯s bones were molten metal beneath his skin as they stretched. His cheekbones shifted upwards as his face rearranged, which felt like they were slicing his face apart as they slowly slid their way back into their proper places.


    Suddenly, Gabriel was aware that his wings were trapped beneath his skin, unable to escape. ¡°M-my wings!¡± he was barely able to gasp. ¡°M-my¡­wings!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes of course.¡± He vaguely heard Myles say.


    His brother¡¯s claws tore the back of his shirt open as his shoulders dislocated simultaneously, drawing another scream from his tortured lips. Then Myles¡¯ claws sliced down the two knobs of burning bone and muscle that he could feel protruding from his back. This drew more screams from him as his back was split open.


    The force of his enormous wings bursting from his back propelled the elf forward, down onto his chest, and his shoulders snapped suddenly back into their sockets.


    --


    I watched, horrified, as Gabriel weakly tried to push himself up once more on the bloodied sheets. ¡°Don¡¯t watch, doctor.¡± Myles advised. The dark-haired elf went into the bathroom, and I heard running water as he cleaned his claws before appearing again, but I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away as the changes to Gabriel¡¯s wretched body now sped up.


    He writhed as spasms wracked his tormented, somewhat mangled form, causing his claws, which had slowly been pulling themselves from the tips of his fingers, slicing them open as they did, to tear the rest of his skin to ribbons as he clutched wildly at himself, as if trying to keep his body from falling to pieces.


    The poor man¡¯s bones cracked, and then stretched far too quickly, drawing screams of agony from him. The muscles in his body swelled, and caused him to claw frantically at the afflicted areas, only managing to slice his skin to pieces. His hair, grey up until this point, faded to a stark white, only to get flecked with blood.


    The cloudiness covering his eyes eventually faded to reveal a pair of golden eyes that had catlike pupils. In his terrified, agonized gasps, I could see that a pair of sharp fangs now filled the gaps that had appeared in his teeth. He clutched weakly at his face, plucking at it almost nervously, no doubt due to his claws, as his features rearranged themselves even more, so that I no longer could recognize him as the man I¡¯d known as Gabriel Locke.


    That¡¯s when I started to cry. The man that I¡¯d fallen in love with was gone. He¡¯d been replaced by a stranger, who laid there in the remnants of what had been Gabriel¡¯s new suit, writhing in excruciating pain written on his entire form.


    Magic sparked across the strange man¡¯s skin.


    Though it seemed like my senses were somewhat numbed, I could feel the surge of power from where I sat on the couch, and vaguely realized that his magic felt as it always had, as if he still were the dark-haired human detective that I¡¯d known, however at odds that thought was with the new reality I now observed.


    ¡°I-It hurts!¡± I heard him gasp after a few moments of utter silence. The elf had slowly pushed himself up, and was now sitting on the bed, hugging himself as he shivered violently, clearly in shock. It was pitiful to see the incredibly attractive man in such a state of agony. Myles ventured forward, pulled a blanket off a chair, and cast it over his little brother¡¯s still shuddering, now mostly bare, shoulders.


    I stood slowly, my intentions something along the lines of leaving, running away and never looking back. But the white-haired elf suddenly looked up at me, piercing me with his unfamiliar, golden gaze.


    A lump rose in my throat, and my eyes prickled hotly with tears, as it struck me that there was nothing familiar about his face. His golden eyes were large, and perfectly situated between his high cheekbones, not too far apart, nor to close. The elf¡¯s nose was no longer long and aquiline, as it had previously been, but was straight and perfectly proportioned, fitting impeccably with the rest of his flawless, and sharply featured face.


    As I stared, incredulous and horrified, at the inhuman stranger who sat in front of me, the edges of my vision suddenly caved in, and I knew no more.


    --


    ¡°Joan!¡± Gabriel gasped, ignoring his pain, now frightened for her.


    Myles easily darted forward, and caught the young woman before she hit the ground. The older elf gently placed her on the couch, saying quietly, ¡°Must be in shock¡­can¡¯t say that I blame her, though.¡± Gabriel noted that his brother was using elvish.


    ¡°What¡­what do I do now?¡± Gabriel asked, lapsing into their native language as well.


    ¡°Now I sneak you and Joan here out the back door, and hope that no one notices as I cart you back to Cooke Street¡­Is Mrs. Hudson going to be back any time soon?


    ¡°No¡­no, she¡¯s on a long holiday.¡± He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Then, he looked at his hands, and around slowly in the bed, getting a feel for his elvish form again. ¡°I-I don¡¯t remember being this tall.¡± The younger elf muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown.¡± Myles nodded, casting an analytical eye over his little brother. ¡°I do believe you¡¯re taller than me¡­wingspan is probably bigger than mine too.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I guess.¡± Gabriel said weakly, the last of his strength was quickly failing him. He was already shivering violently, and knew he wouldn''t be able to walk.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you both home.¡± Myles sighed, and went to the door. He removed the soundproofing spell that he¡¯d had thought to put up around the room. ¡°It does seem that I¡¯m always having to take care of you, little brother¡­but I guess that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The younger elf had no energy left to mount an argument.


    Myles left, locking the door behind him.


    --


    I woke up with a gasp, and sat up, looking around, wondering if that had been a terrible nightmare? Because I was now in my own room, and couldn¡¯t remember how I¡¯d gotten there.


    Getting up, I put on my robe, and timidly left my room. It was mostly quiet in the house, but I could hear voices coming from upstairs, from Gabriel¡¯s quarters.


    Almost as if I was in a daze, I went up the stairs, hoping that when I opened the door to his study, that I might find him there, with a client, as a human, a proper human, not an...an elf in disguise, or anything, but human.


    Opening the door to his study, I saw that it was empty, and that the voices were coming from his room, the door to which was open. Cautiously, I went to it, and entered without knocking.


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    Immediately, Gabriel and Myles stopped talking, and looked over at me, still very much elvish. This made me freeze in fear, not sure of what to do. It hadn¡¯t been a nightmare, it had been reality¡­and the reality was that he was elvish. They both were elvish.


    I burst into tears and ran from the room, ignoring Gabriel¡¯s calls for me.


    --


    ¡°Joan!¡± Gabriel cried, struggling, trying to get up, and ending up sprawled on the floor, gasping, ¡°Ah¡­¡± The pain, which still raced through his veins, increased sharply for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and get up yet.¡± Myles warned in their native tongue, ¡°You¡¯ll only hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Please go after her!¡± Gabriel requested as Myles helped him back into his bed.


    ¡°She would not come, especially not with me, now that she knows the truth.¡± The elder Locke said in his typical, mild tone.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Gabriel pleaded, rubbing his eyes with his fists.


    ¡°Sentiment, brother, sentiment.¡± Myles sighed. ¡°But I do see that you are a little hopelessly attached to her.¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Gabriel moaned, asking himself more than his brother.


    But Myles answered anyway. ¡°I will not pretend to know. I will not pretend to understand all the little nuances of sentiment¡­I can see that you wish that she had stayed, though.¡±


    ¡°I do wish she¡¯d stayed.¡± He sighed, staring down at his now clawed hands. ¡°I could have explained myself. Now I am left hoping that she doesn¡¯t pack her things and leave.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, where would she go?¡±


    ¡°A friend of her father¡¯s lives on the other side of the city, she¡¯d go there.¡± The younger elf sighed.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t stay to hear you out, to allow you to explain yourself, and she moves out of this house, then you need to let her go. But if she stays, and listens, then¡­well, wait and see what she does.¡± Myles said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Then I can only hope that she stays.¡± He said quietly.


    ¡°I imagine.¡± Myles stood. ¡°All I can say now is that perhaps you¡¯ll heed my advice, and use glamours from here on out instead of more permanent spells, if only to save yourself from such a traumatic change again.¡±


    ¡°I-I will.¡± Gabriel mumbled, rubbing his face tiredly.


    ¡°Good.¡± Myles nodded approvingly, ¡°Well, I must go now, I¡¯ll be missed if I¡¯m gone for too long, farewell.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Gabriel sighed, putting his head in his hands, still trying to cope with the throbbing pain that still permeated his form.


    It was as if his nerves were on fire. Something told him that his body had been damaged permanently by the violent change of the spell coming undone. Typically, Myles had never removed the spell fully, but had affected changes on it with his magic, while boosting the basic foundation of the spell itself, making it as good as new, albeit different, each time. Or on the few occasions he¡¯d taken it off, it had been all at once, rather than slowly, and that had spared Gabriel the painful transition, as the spell was meant to be taken off that way, all at once. But if left to its own devices, the disguise spell would slowly unravel over the course of many years, and eventually wear off, as was only natural, but it would also cause the person under it to be in immense pain until their original form was restored, as Gabriel had so unfortunately experienced.


    He eased himself back, lying down, and tried to sleep, but his slumber was fitful, and he awoke often.


    --


    I was standing at the door, my bag packed¡­but only the things that I¡¯d come to Cooke Street with; none of the beautiful dresses would go with me. If I was going to go away, I needed to leave all reminders of my time at Cooke Street behind. It would hurt too much to see them, to be reminded of Gabriel and how I¡¯d been deceived.


    But I couldn¡¯t step across the threshold. My broken, confused heart both insisting that I leave, but also ordering me to go upstairs, slap him, and demand that he give me a satisfactory explanation and apology. I stood there for far too long, trying to make a decision.


    As I stood there, an elderly couple meandered down the street, holding hands, looking like the happiest people in the world. Bursting into tears, I suddenly knew that I would never be able to leave Gabriel¡¯s side, even though my heart felt like it had been shattered. Maybe I was weak¡­maybe he¡¯d been right about sentiment being a weakness.


    I slowly carried my things back to my room, and put them away, then went downstairs and made myself some food. The thought occurred to me that Gabriel would probably be getting hungry as well, but I was terrified of going up there again, and facing him alone, as I¡¯d noticed that Myles¡¯ personal carriage was no longer parked in front of the house. Not that facing him with Myles would have been any better, really.


    --


    Gabriel awoke to the morning sunlight on his face, and realized that his pain had lessened. It was still there, but it was more manageable.


    He sat up, and rubbed his eyes, looking around the room. Much to his surprise, he saw that a tray of breakfast food, coffee included, had been set on his bedside table. Warmth swelled in his chest.


    Mercy had stayed, for now, at least¡­but something told him that if she hadn¡¯t left the day or night before, then she wasn¡¯t going to leave.


    Feeling altogether too fond of Joan, as well as incredibly guilty, he took the tray, and quickly ate its contents, as he was famished.


    Then, upon testing his legs, and finding that he was now strong enough to stand, he took the tray, and went downstairs, glad that Myles had made sure that his little brother had some clothes of the appropriate size before returning to his manor.


    --


    I was doing the dishes as I felt Gabriel enter the kitchen. I say felt rather than saw because his magic was so strong that it spilled uncontrollably out of him, and I could feel it as he entered the room. I stiffened, and hoped that he didn¡¯t notice that my hands were shaking as I continued to wash the dishes I¡¯d used to make breakfast with.


    ¡°I brought the tray.¡± His now-unfamiliar voice said quietly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I could only nod in response, not trusting myself to speak to the strange elf just yet.


    --


    Gabriel watched her clean the dishes for a little while, clearly terrified of him, her small hands shaking so hard that she kept dropping the silverware, causing it to clatter back into the sink. It hurt that she was terrified of him now.


    The elf sighed quietly, and left, pausing upon hearing her burst into tears as soon as the door shut behind him. Now he realized what it felt like to be heartbroken. Gabriel leaned against the wall just beside the kitchen door, feeling something akin to being stabbed. After a little while, he slowly retreated up the stairs, lest she find him standing there miserably, almost in tears himself.


    Tired from his trip downstairs, as he was not back to his full strength just yet, he lay down, trying to fall asleep again.


    --


    Slipping into his room, I quietly set the tray-full of lunch food down on his bedside table, as I had earlier that day. Gabriel murmured quietly in his sleep, and I noticed that he was broken out in a cold sweat, and was sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning, his breathing labored and heavy.


    Feeling a pity that I thought that I was still too angry with him to feel, I sighed, and reached out, putting a light hand on his shoulder, pushing magic into him to ease his pain, which was still probably considerable. After all, the poor man had changed species¡­and grown a foot or so¡­and gone up at least two clothing sizes¡­not that he¡¯d put on any weight, or rather, the weight that he had gained was clearly mainly muscle, from the looks of him. The elf shifted in his sleep, his eyes fluttering a little as his breathing slowed.


    Tearing my eyes away from his now impossibly handsome face that looked not a day older than twenty-five, at most, I darted from the room, reprimanding myself for being enraptured by his features, that would get me nowhere. Just because I found him attractive didn¡¯t mean that he was at all attracted to me¡­had he even been attracted to me in the first place? Probably not, I should have known better than to allow myself to think otherwise¡­why would a man like Gabriel find himself pulled to a simple girl like myself? Even when he was still human, and only halfway handsome, I should have known better than to think that he had at all liked me as more than just his maid or associate.


    --


    The next day, Gabriel decided to try and get some semblance of normality back into his life.


    He  stood, and stretched, marveling at his own height and the power he felt pounding in his veins. It¡­kind of hurt?


    Being this tall, this big, it hurt. The elf¡¯s veins burned. It was an uncomfortable, prickling feeling that wouldn¡¯t go away, even when he had flushed his body with magic, and found, to his surprise, that he was far, far stronger than he¡¯d ever been before.


    Going to his mirror, he stared into it, his mind having trouble accepting what his eyes were seeing. He¡¯d been human for so long that he¡¯d almost forgotten what he actually looked like. Stripping off his shirt, he extended his wings, rolling his shoulders, and wincing as they cracked loudly.


    After a few more moments of trying to get used to himself again, the elf shook himself, and mentally prepared himself to go about his usual tasks, as Joan had left a note with his dinner the night before, that Inspector L¡¯Strade had dropped by, requesting that the detective come by his office the next day, if he was feeling up to it. Gabriel guessed that Joan, his dear Joan, had told the Inspector that he was sick, or something of that sort. She was, after all, an intelligent woman.


    After a few more moments of staring, still a little in disbelief, into the mirror, Gabriel used a glamour to make himself appear as the Sir Locke that everyone would recognize. Immediately, he was comforted by his human form¡¯s appearance. Then he quietly slipped from the house, pausing momentarily at the kitchen door upon hearing Joan doing the dishes once more. For a split second, the idea of telling her that he was going out bounced around in his head, but then Gabriel sighed, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t speak to him even if he did say something to her. He left without a word.

 Chapter 18

    I heard it as the door shut behind Gabriel when he left, and again, a couple of hours later, when he returned, only this time I was making lunch instead of washing the dishes. To my surprise, the door opened, and he poked his elvish head in. I noted how his stark white hair cascaded perfectly down, framing his flawless face and golden eyes.


    I looked away quickly, banishing such thoughts.


    ¡°Joan,¡± His voice was quiet, ¡°I just wanted to let you know that there might be some clients dropping by today, and that I¡¯d like you to show them up to the study, if you¡¯d be so kind as to do so.¡±


    Still unable to form coherent words to direct at him, I nodded, perhaps a little shakily, in reply, glancing at him with wary eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said, and left. I felt his magic moving as he retreated up the stairs.


    About an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Turning down the soup that I was making for lunch, I answered the door, and showed the rather mousy woman that I met at the door, up to Gabriel¡¯s study. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door, and then entered, saying, ¡°A client to see you-¡° but I stopped short, and gave a little squeak of surprise as the woman walked passed me, and into the room. Instead of the elf, as I expected to see, it was the human Gabriel that met my eyes. The woman looked at me, a little confused as to why I seemed so surprised, and Gabriel blinked, looking equally confused.


    I felt my face flush, and I backed out of the room, muttering, ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± I quickly closed the door, and stood in the hallway with my back against the wall, hugging myself tightly, confused and feeling a little stricken, as I had never expected to see the human Gabriel¡¯s face ever again, and his sudden appearance made my chest hurt pitifully.


    A brief moment later, the door to his study opened, and I quickly tried to pull myself together, so that I didn¡¯t look crazy, in case it was the woman leaving already. But I heard Gabriel¡¯s voice speak, ¡°Are you alright, Joan?¡± his tone was sad as he gently put his hands on my shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my glamour startled you.¡± He said, the glamour of the human Gabriel still up. But his image flickered, and I could see the much taller, concerned elf for a few split seconds, and wondered if it was his concern that caused his glamour to malfunction.


    Shaking my head vehemently, tears filling my eyes, ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± I stammered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, his glamour now dissolving completely, apparently disregarding the fact that the potential client only had to poke her head from the study, and his cover as a human detective would be blown.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t!¡± I sobbed, not able to hold back my tears anymore.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright. Whatever it is, it¡¯s okay. Take your time. Go and have a cup of tea or coffee, and some of those biscuits that you like, alright? When I¡¯m done up here, I¡¯ll come check on you.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± I said, and saw him wince, but he didn¡¯t correct me.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ticket.¡± He said encouragingly, and squeezed my shoulders gently. I pushed his hands away, feeling a little uncomfortable, and a flicker of pain shot across his face, ¡°You must try to get used to me again.¡±


    When I looked away, and didn¡¯t reply, he sighed quietly, walked over to the door to his study, replaced his glamour, forced a smile, and went back in.


    Doing as he said, I made myself a pot of tea, and made sure that there was some coffee for him, just out of habit. Then I curled up at the table with the tin of biscuits and drank my tea in the quiet, comfortable kitchen.


    In that moment, I missed Mrs. Hudson terribly. At least I wouldn''t have to be alone in the house with the strange elvish man, if she were there.


    A little while later, I heard the client leave the house, and Gabriel came into the kitchen, his glamour removed once more. He stood near the door for a little while, and I could feel him watching me silently. But somehow I wasn¡¯t concerned about it anymore. I felt like a wreck, and it didn¡¯t matter what he thought of me anymore. After all, I was just his maid, what he thought about how I looked was really of no consequence, or shouldn¡¯t have been, anyways.


    Finally, I spoke, but didn¡¯t look up, ¡°There¡¯s coffee for you, sir.¡±


    Gabriel inhaled deeply, ¡°I can smell it, thank you.¡± The elf went to the counter, and poured himself a cup of the aromatic liquid, filling the kitchen with its smell. Then he came and sat across the table from me, and I could feel his gaze on me once more.


    ¡°Did you need something, sir?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°I only came to check on you. But then there was coffee¡­and I can¡¯t avoid drinking it when it¡¯s sitting there ready for me.¡± Gabriel smiled. I recognized his attempt at getting me to smile. When I didn¡¯t say anything, he sighed softly, and put his cup down, tracing the rim of the cup with a long finger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joan. I am so sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry that I lied to you, and that I am different than I let you believe.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I whispered, pulling my knees to my chin and hugging them tightly, carefully setting my teacup on the table.


    In my peripheral vision, I saw his broad shoulders wilt. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m still me, Joan¡­my name isn¡¯t¡­actually Gabriel, but I¡¯ve been using it for so long now that it feels like my own¡­You¡­should still call me that. I¡­I promise I''m still the same.¡± He told me, reaching up and running his supple fingers through his long white hair. I looked up in time to see this action, which was terribly, terribly attractive. The elf glanced up at me, catching my gaze, which rather rendered me unable to look away. It was the first time since the night of the ball, the night that he had changed so drastically, that I had looked him in the eye.


    ¡°But how can you say that you¡¯re the same? You¡¯re so different!¡± I whimpered, upset, and on the verge of tears again. His name wasn¡¯t even Gabriel? Somehow, that didn¡¯t surprise me.


    He closed his eyes, looking away, pain written across his fair face, breaking the spell, and allowing me to look away. ¡°And for that I am sorry. I wish that I was truly human, that everything I let you believe about me was true¡­but they were lies, and I would take them back, if I could¡­tell you the truth from the start¡­but I cannot change the past¡­No magician is that good.¡± He laughed weakly, rubbing his flawless face tiredly, clearly still upset. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joan. I can do nothing more than apologize, and beg for you to at least try to forgive me¡­can you do that much? Can you at least come to terms with the idea that I lied, that I am sorry that I lied, and at least consider forgiving me?¡±


    I was quiet for a little while. ¡°I¡­I can try.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± He murmured, and reached out, as if to touch my hand, but I pulled it off the table, averting my gaze. Another flicker of pain flashed across his face, and suddenly I felt bad for moving my hand, doing something that I knew would cause him pain¡­but I was so angry with him, and confused. That didn¡¯t justify it, but it certainly made me feel a little better. ¡°We can work on it.¡± The elf sighed softly.


    I stood, and started to clear away the things that I¡¯d used to make tea, once again wishing that Mrs. Hudson were there.


    ¡°What¡­what is your name, if it¡¯s not Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an elvish name, you¡­probably couldn''t pronounce it.¡± His tone was apologetic.


    ¡°I see.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Gabriel is just fine. I prefer it, actually.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± I shrugged.


    It was quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­let you have some space¡­¡± Gabriel said quietly, then left the kitchen.


    --


    ¡°Gabriel!¡± I called up the stairs, annoyed, but not at him, for once.


    We¡¯d been on speaking terms the last few weeks or so, but not as close as we had been.


    Not nearly as close, and I doubted very much that I¡¯d ever be that close to him again, though the thought upset me. But honestly, I didn¡¯t know how I could possibly be close with him again, given everything that had happened.


    Right now we were cautious friends, always afraid of stepping on one another¡¯s toes. I could tolerate that, even though I wished for the companionship that we¡¯d previously shared¡­I longed for the feeling that I used to have when I looked at him, the sense, however ill-advised, that my attraction to him was mutual, even if it weren¡¯t true. Because I had sort of thought that, towards the end, despite my protests to anyone who¡¯d said as much.


    But  I didn¡¯t feel that anymore, because now, whenever I looked at him, every bit of common sense in my mind screamed that no man, or elf, or whatever he was, as perfectly attractive as him would ever feel attracted to someone as plain as I was. It just wasn¡¯t natural, and didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Yes, Joan?¡± he came down the stairs, struggling with his bowtie, which he occasionally wore when going to visit important clients. ¡°Just give me a moment¡­my fingers¡­¡± he held out his hands, retracted his claws, and then gave it another try, but had to give up. The elf looked up at me, seeming a little hopeless. ¡°Can you?¡±


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    ¡°Fine. Come on.¡± I said, going into the kitchen, he followed me. ¡°Sit.¡± I said, and he obeyed, which was good because he was so tall now that I never could have reached his bowtie otherwise. I stood in front of him, and started to work on his bowtie, even though I wasn¡¯t very good at it.


    ¡°Did you need something, Joan?¡± he asked, his large golden eyes trained on my face, something that made it very difficult to focus on tying his bowtie, and made my hands shake a little.


    ¡°The sink is broken.¡± I told him, hoping that my voice wasn¡¯t shaking as well.


    ¡°Again?¡± he sounded confused.


    ¡°No, you never fixed it, and I¡¯m not a magic plumber, I¡¯m a magic doctor, and I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s wrong with it.¡±


    He cringed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Please just send for the plumber soon.¡± I said to him, finally getting his bowtie tied just right, then taking a few moments adjusting it.


    ¡°How¡¯s it look?¡± he asked hopefully, standing up, still very close to me.


    I took a step back to admire my handiwork, and then sighed, ¡°You¡¯d look better without it, or a normal tie, honestly.¡±


    He pulled off the bowtie. ¡°Normal ties aren¡¯t as fun.¡±


    ¡°Am I to take that to mean that you pick your ties based on their ¡®fun¡¯ factor?¡± I blinked, unable to keep from being amused by his comment.


    Gabriel grinned, flashing his bright, be-fanged grin at me, ¡°What other factor does one judge a tie by?¡± I rolled my eyes at him as he put on his glamour, and left, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be back around dinnertime, Joan.¡±


    --


    That night, I went to bed, still a little annoyed. No one had come to fix the sink, and I continuously had to go outside to fetch water from the garden spigot, which really wasn¡¯t horrible, but it was a nuisance. If I wanted to do the dishes, or needed warm water at all for anything, I was having to heat it myself too.


    The whole week, it had remained broken, and I didn¡¯t see Gabriel enough to remind him to get it fixed, so I got used to going to the garden to fetch water.


    One day, when I was out in the garden fetching the water, I heard a voice call my name. ¡°Joan? Joan Watson?¡±


    I straightened, and turned, wiping my wet hands on my apron. I saw a man striding towards me who seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t place who he was for the life of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but can I help you? You do seem to know me¡­¡±


    He laughed in a way that was annoyingly familiar. ¡°I came here to see if Sir Locke could tell you where I might find you, since I couldn¡¯t keep you from my mind. It¡¯s me, Joan!¡±


    I blinked, still unable to remember him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve a bad memory when it comes to names and faces, I¡¯m afraid.¡± I lifted the bucketful of water. ¡°And I¡¯m a little busy¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Ed.¡± The man laughed, looking down at the bucket, curiously, and then at my apron. ¡°I fancied a walk without my guards, so I¡¯m  in disguise!¡± He took off his hat, and away came the wig he was wearing with it, revealing his real hair.


    My eyes widened as I recognized him, and I dropped the bucket of water, covering my mouth in surprise as the container hit the ground, and splashed water all over me. It seemed that I was discovered. ¡°O-oh my goodness! Clearly it¡¯s a good disguise!¡± I stammered, feeling my face flush, I looked down at my apron, and smoothed it out, wishing that it wasn¡¯t so stained.


    ¡°Come now, what are you doing? A high-society lady such as yourself fetching water?¡± he sounded confused.


    I sighed, frustrated with life, and embarrassed about my position. ¡°I told you that I wasn¡¯t anyone of any concern. Sir Locke is my employer. I¡¯m his maid, if you must know. Now since I need to go die of embarrassment, sir, you really ought to be on your way to find another lady, who really is of high society.¡± I turned to go.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± Prince Edmund said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt, sir.¡± I muttered, filling the bucket again, then lifting it.


    ¡°Here, that looks heavy, let me help you.¡± He stepped forward to take it.


    I blinked in surprise, not expecting this. ¡°Okay.¡± I let him relieve me of the bucket. ¡°Um, I guess follow me, sir.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Ed.¡± He said cheerfully.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I led him into the kitchen through the side door of the house. ¡°This is the kitchen, clearly. Would you like to see the rest of the house? It¡¯s not big, and Sir Locke is out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re calling him Sir Locke again instead of Gabriel¡­Is something wrong?¡± he teased.


    But of course, this rather touched a raw spot, and I looked down, ¡°I¡­We had a bit of a falling-out.¡±


    Ed looked down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joan, I didn¡¯t mean to pry¡­and I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve embarrassed you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you didn¡¯t believe me when I told you I was no one of consequence. I know the younger Sir Locke because I work for him, and the elder because they¡¯re brothers, and he¡¯s here often.¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡± Ed laughed, ¡°But I can¡¯t blame you for mixing business matters and personal matters.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that.¡± I smiled a little.


    ¡°Now I think I really am interested in seeing the house of Sir Locke, the famous detective!¡± the Prince said in a jovial sort of way, changing the subject.


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t give you any insights into his psyche, I¡¯m afraid.¡± I laughed, and took off my apron, then went towards the door, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Certainly!¡± he stepped forward and opened the door before I could, and held it for me, to my surprise. Men didn¡¯t often hold doors for me¡­not that I couldn¡¯t hold the door for myself, after all.


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± I went through. Then I took him on a quick tour of the house. We spent the longest in Sir Locke¡¯s study, as the prince was particularly interested in that room, for whatever reason.


    ¡°So this is where the magic happens?¡± Ed asked, looking around the room thoughtfully. I was amused by the fact that he mentioned magic, considering that both Gabriel and I could use it.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it magic, but it does seem like that sometimes. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think that Sir Locke is an odd man.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the skull?¡± I laughed, ¡°I keep getting after him to get rid of it, but he insists that he needs it to bounce ideas off of.¡±


    Ed grimaced, ¡°I see¡­you know, this wasn¡¯t what I expected.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought it would look more like a police holding cell, all dark and frightening.¡± He said, looking around again, ¡°But these rooms are quite comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I think that Sir Locke finds it easier to get people to talk when they¡¯re comfortable, and in what¡¯s clearly a safe environment¡­minus the skull. But he has his oddities.¡± I smiled, knowing that it was his oddities that had me a little in love with him, though I hated the fact.


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡± Prince Edmund shrugged. ¡°Although I wonder, why not leave the crimes to the police?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s his way of caring, I think.¡± I replied. Gabriel was a difficult man¡­well, elf, I suppose¡­although maybe that was why he was so difficult to understand, sometimes. He was literally not human.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange way of caring.¡± Ed laughed.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Now I thought about it, it was actually a very brave way of caring for others.


    Anyone could give someone a hug, words of encouragement and love, or a present, but to solve their murder, or prevent it, not just anyone could do that, and it took nerves of steel to hunt out dangerous thieves, gangsters, and murderers, like Gabriel chose to.


    I shook myself from my ponderings. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the palace, but it¡¯s nice enough.¡± Ed said as I led him back downstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s up to your standards.¡± I said, unable to keep from being sarcastic.


    He laughed, ¡°I would think that it wasn¡¯t to your standards, dear lady.¡±


    I was quiet for a moment, ¡°I grew up pretty poor, honestly, so it goes above and beyond my standards. And Sir Locke is a very fair employer¡­after all, he does let me help him with his cases.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen anyone die?¡± Ed wanted to know, interested because I was talking about Gabriel¡¯s cases. ¡°I should think not, you wouldn¡¯t continue to go on cases with him, surely, if you did. I¡¯m sure it would be a great upset to the ¨Cah- more delicate nature of your constitution.¡±


    I almost snorted aloud in amusement at his words, which betrayed that he really didn¡¯t know me very well at all. ¡°I¡¯ve seen dead bodies before, actually, and I¡¯ve seen people die. But most of the death I¡¯ve seen didn¡¯t have much to do with the cases I¡¯ve assisted Sir Locke with.¡±


    ¡°When have you seen people die that weren¡¯t related to crimes the detective was looking into?¡± The prince seemed taken aback.


    It was so much easier talking to Gabriel, and now I realized what he meant by ordinary people being a little dull¡­but Ed was kind, and seemed to like me, so I at least had to be patient, and give him a chance...after all, he was royalty, and hadn¡¯t been judgmental towards my position as just a maid.


    ¡°I was in the military for two years, not fighting, mind you, but I was a healer in the medical wards in the desert. I have my medical training and everything¡­but that provided me with plenty of deaths to fill a lifetime with.¡±


    Ed blinked, ¡°I see.¡±


    It was awkwardly quiet for a moment, and I could tell that he didn¡¯t know what to say to that. ¡°I was just getting water to make some tea when you saw me outside, you¡¯re welcome to join me for a cup, there are some fresh biscuits as well.¡± I motioned towards the kitchen, not sure what else to do, and offering someone a cup of tea was always the best thing to do when at a loss of what to say next.


    Ed looked at his watch, and frowned, ¡°As much as I want to take you up on that generous offer, I¡¯m not one to usually turn down biscuits, I must ask for a rain-check, I¡¯m afraid, Joan. If I¡¯m not back at the palace soon, I¡¯ll be missed, and that won¡¯t go over too well¡­¡±


    I smiled, ¡°That¡¯s perfectly understandable. It was a pleasure to see you again, your highness.¡± That was a bit of a stretch, but the company hadn¡¯t been all that bad.


    ¡°Honestly, you can call me Ed.¡± He insisted, laughing.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I followed him to the door.


    He opened it, and then hesitated, ¡°I wonder, if I dropped by the same time tomorrow, might you be around again?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes, if I haven¡¯t gone to fetch a plumber because our sink is still broken because Sir Locke keeps forgetting to have someone fix it¡­¡± I grumbled.


    Ed laughed. ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll bring the royal plumber around, that way you don¡¯t have to worry about finding a plumber on your own. Then, while he fixes the sink, we could go on a walk and take in the fresh air by the river.¡±


    I thought about it, ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡±


    His face lit up, ¡°Excellent!¡± he beamed, ¡°It¡¯s a date, then!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I shrugged, but wasn¡¯t so certain that I was glad that I had a date. What would Gabriel think? Reprimanding myself, I forced myself to remember that he was only my employer, it didn¡¯t matter what he thought...even though it rather made me feel guilty for some reason. After all, it wasn¡¯t like I was cheating on him, or anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Joan!¡± He said, then set off, whistling cheerfully, hands in his pockets.


    I closed the door, wondering what I¡¯d just gotten myself into.

 Chapter 19

    The next day, just as he¡¯d promised, Edmund stopped by at approximately the same time he had the day before. And, as promised, there was a plumber with him. ¡°I do rather think it¡¯s Ed to the rescue!¡± The prince said cheerfully as I let them in.


    I had to laugh. ¡°Indeed!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the issue at, ma¡¯am?¡± the plumber asked.


    I showed him to the kitchen, saying, ¡°The kitchen sink won¡¯t work, and I have no clue how to fix it, usually I¡¯m rather handy at mending things myself¡­but this is a bit beyond me, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then, miss. I¡¯ll have a look at it. Now, you and Prince Ed can pop out for a bit, and when you come back, I should be done, or at least have an idea of how to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Ed said, eager to get a move on. ¡°Now I have about two hours before they might potentially notice that I¡¯m gone, so let¡¯s get a move on!¡± he said, offering me his arm.


    ¡°Okay then.¡± I took off my apron, linked my arm through his, and let him lead me from the house.


    We walked to the promenade by the river, which was only a short amble away from Cooke Street. It was a lovely place, with trees on either side of the walkway, providing ample shade for us as we walked and talked about nothing in particular.


    It was nice to have someone to talk to, as it had been pretty quiet around the house, since Gabriel had been gone most of the time since the ball, having thrown himself completely into his work. It was probably partially my fault that he was gone all the time, since I hadn¡¯t really adjusted to him as an elf yet¡­and was still angry at him, honestly, and struggled to forgive him.


    But to be fair, talking with Ed was¡­very dissimilar to talking with Gabriel, as I¡¯d already noted. And I found myself wishing that it was Gabriel instead of the prince.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Joan?¡± Ed asked after a moment of silence. I¡¯d come to realize that he didn¡¯t really like silence.


    ¡°I was actually thinking about what to make for dinner.¡± I told him, which was a lie, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings with the truth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you sound like a housewife!¡± he laughed, ¡°I think you¡¯d make an excellent housewife.¡±


    To my surprise, I felt my heart rebelling at the idea of ever being just a housewife, having to cook, clean, and run after children every minute of the day. I mean, I could handle the first two, and had to tolerate it for the sake of my job, but I really wasn¡¯t sure if I really wanted children at all.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯d do very well with children as well as the housework and cooking¡­¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re a woman.¡± He insensitively waved off my statement as if I knew nothing of what I was capable of.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I blinked, feeling anger stirring in my chest.


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯ll settle down, and find that it¡¯s really what you want, it¡¯s only natural, since you¡¯re a girl. It¡¯s what women exist to do, you know?¡±


    I bristled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but not every woman or girl is the same, and lumping all of us together like that is just wrong.¡± That was one thing that I wasn¡¯t going to have. Gabriel had once offended me with a sexist comment, but he had said it in frustration, lashing out when I¡¯d upset him, not that that was acceptable. But Ed said it in full belief and earnestness. I stopped walking, and let go of his arm, causing him to stop, and turn towards me, confused. But I continued speaking before he could cut me off. ¡°In fact, I think that women were made for more than just keeping the house, cooking, and having children. I myself am ill-suited for having children. I¡¯m not the kind of woman that is alright with wasting my life away as a housewife.¡± Now that I was going, I couldn''t stop, and continued hotly. ¡°When my parents died, I was sent to an orphanage to stay at until I was eighteen. I ran away, got my medical training through the government because they were absolutely desperate for healers, used that medical training as a military doctor, and now I help the most intelligent man in all of Averah to solve crimes that baffle the police. I¡¯ve made a life for myself that¡¯s more than just marrying myself off to the first man that flattered me. Sure, I work as a maid, so I do the cooking and cleaning, but I don¡¯t intend to do that for the rest of my life! In fact, some day I aim to have a medical practice of my own, and to hell with getting married!¡± I could feel that my face was hot, but I was fairly angry.


    Ed just stood there, blinking rather stupidly. ¡°I, er¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to go home, and I suggest you do the same. Go back to your palace and find someone more suited to your miniscule thoughts about what a woman exists for, alright?¡± I told him, and then stormed off, ignoring his calls for me to return, and hoping that the royal guard didn¡¯t show up at Cooke Street that night to throw me in jail for angering a member of royalty.


    I¡¯d had time to cool down by the time I reached Cooke Street again. When I went into the house, the plumber informed me that he¡¯d fixed the problem with the sink. Thanking him profusely, I went into Gabriel¡¯s study, and found the money that he had hidden up there for instances such as these, times when I needed to pay someone for working on the house and he wasn¡¯t around to pay them himself. So I paid him, and off he went, probably back to his work at the palace.


    Thinking about the palace reminded me of Ed again, and I felt a little guilty. The Prince probably hadn¡¯t deserved the lecture I¡¯d given him, nor my anger, but he¡¯d touched a sore nerve, for me, and that had caused my considerable temper to flare¡­not that it was any excuse. Knowing that I should probably apologize somehow, I sighed, and started washing the dishes.


    --


    As soon as Gabriel shut the door to the house, locking it securely, he let his glamour dissipate, and stretched, exhausted from his day of trawling for information.


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    But something was off about the front room. His sharp eyes traveled over everything. Someone had been there while he was out. Yes, his eyes could pick out the footprints of a man, no, two men, in the carpet of the front hall. Going immediately into the kitchen, he saw that Joan was there, sipping on a cup of cocoa, looking very small and dear, all wrapped up in a fluffy robe.


    ¡°Did someone come here while I was gone, Joan?¡± he asked.


    Joan blinked, and put down her cup. ¡°Yes, if you must know, Prince Edmund stopped by, with a plumber.¡±


    ¡°Ed? A plumber?¡± It was Gabriel¡¯s turn to blink, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows at him, and asked in a slightly chilly tone, ¡°The sink, Gabriel?¡±


    He got a sudden sinking feeling, realizing that he¡¯d forgotten to fix it every time that she¡¯d asked him to. ¡°Oh¡­of course¡­I¡¯m sorry. I really did mean to fix it. Or to ask someone else to¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks to Ed, it¡¯s fixed now, he brought the plumber with him.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Good then, I suppose¡­But how did he know that our sink was broken?¡± Gabriel asked, frowning.


    ¡°If you¡¯d been around yesterday, or even come home last night, you would know that he came to see you.¡± She said quietly, her voice carrying perhaps a little bit of a reprimand that he was gone so much that he didn¡¯t know the comings and goings in his own house.


    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t tell me this, Joan?¡± Gabriel asked, taken aback, if the Prince had needed his services, Joan should have let him know, which frustrated him. ¡°You can always send a message to me through my street network.¡±


    To his surprise, her face flushed a little, ¡°It didn¡¯t seem relevant, honestly. He came to your house so that you could help him find me¡­But of course instead of finding you, he found me, getting water from the spigot because the sink was broken, and so he didn¡¯t need your help anymore.¡±


    ¡°And he came back today with a plumber because you told him that the sink was broken when he asked why you were getting water from the spigot.¡± Gabriel nodded, completing the story on his own. ¡°I see. That was kind of him.¡±


    ¡°It was.¡± Joan nodded, and picked up her mug again. ¡°I was on the verge of going and finding a plumber myself.¡±


    But Gabriel sensed there was a little more to the story than that. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re not one to sit around and let other people do things for you, typically.¡±


    ¡°Well, he did promise to come by again and bring the plumber, and take me on a walk while the plumber worked¡­so I thought, why not have someone to talk to for a little while? I got most of my work done before he came the second time.¡±


    This caused Gabriel to frown, not liking the fact that Joan was spending time with another man¡­not that he had any say over who she spent time with. ¡°Oh¡­I see¡­did you have a good time?¡±


    --


    ¡°It was alright.¡± I shrugged, choosing to leave out the part that I¡¯d gotten angry with the prince, and had stormed off.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then, I suppose.¡± He said in a calm voice. I couldn¡¯t read him, so I honestly couldn¡¯t tell how he felt about me having gone on a date with Ed, if it could be called that.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I shrugged. It was quiet for a few moments. ¡°There¡¯s some leftovers from dinner, if you want them.¡± I told him.


    But he seemed distracted, and shook himself. ¡°Hm? Oh, no thank you, Joan, I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked him as I finished my cocoa, and put my mug in the sink.


    ¡°Yes, yes I have.¡± He sounded tired.


    ¡°Would you like some cocoa?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m quite alright, Joan, thank you.¡± The tall elf smiled a little. ¡°I just want to go to sleep now, I think.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re certain about that.¡± I teased a little, smiling back at him, perhaps a little tiredly, but feeling more comfortable with him than I had in a very long time. Perhaps, after spending time with someone else, I was able to remember why I¡¯d grown so fond of him to begin with.


    He headed for the door, then paused, ¡°Goodnight, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Gabriel.¡± I said as he left, finding it nice to use his first name again, and wishing that I had some sort of a chance with him. Sure, we were sort of friends again, and that was alright, but before he¡¯d become elvish again, we had seemed¡­I don¡¯t know, almost more than friends. Maybe I had just misinterpreted everything because now he seemed to have very little time for me.


    --


    The thought of Joan with another man, particularly one that was able to offer her the kind of happiness that she deserved, made Gabriel¡¯s blood boil. Ed was human, first of all, he hadn¡¯t lied to Joan about who he was, and then changed drastically on her, he was amiable and good with people, and was a prince, for goodness sake! It didn¡¯t seem fair. Sure, Gabriel knew that he was far more attractive, would be forever young, and understood the burden that being a magician involved¡­but he found that humans were typically attracted to the people that understood them the best, and that usually meant other humans.


    The elf kicked his chair angrily, sending it flying across the room like it was paper, where it slammed into the wall, and shattered. Sighing, he used his magic to fix the chair, realizing that he¡¯d forgotten his own natural strength. Throwing himself on the couch, he brooded moodily, annoyed with life.


    Gabriel was entirely in love with her, there was no doubt in his mind about that now, and he would wait as long as it took to make her aware of it. He just had to gain her trust back, first¡­and that, apparently, wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do. Of course, he completely understood why, though. He had lied for so long about who he was, and she had trusted him completely, and then the truth had came out, and he was afraid that he¡¯d pushed her so far away that she would never come back to him¡­not that she¡¯d ever been his to begin with. Nor would she ever be his, per say. Joan had a fiery spirit that wouldn¡¯t be subdued, and he liked that about her. The small woman¡¯s kindness knew no bounds, and ran rampant, and had indeed reined Gabriel himself in, rather than Gabriel¡¯s cool intellect taming her, as he¡¯d initially expected, but he found that this was entirely acceptable.


    The problem was, at the moment, that he missed her, and everything about her. There was a wall between them that hadn¡¯t been there before, and he hated it. He loved her, and missed her, and was miserable without her. The thought occurred to him suddenly that he should just tell her that¡­it could fix the problem¡­but it also could make it worse, and could make her run away from him, and then it would take him forever to find her again.


    Gabriel sighed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling miserable. Myles had been right about one thing, sentiment was a nuisance¡­but not a weakness, no, not a weakness.


    What he felt for her was certainly not a weakness. He¡¯d never imagined that he would fall in love. Women had always baffled him, even elfin women. And Joan continued to baffle him. She was a mystery to him, a good mystery, though, not a mystery in the way that the sinister M was, whoever, or whatever, the criminal actually was.


    The elf shuddered, pushing the unpleasant thought about the criminal mastermind out of his mind, and choosing to think more about Joan.

 Chapter 20

    A few days later, I was in the kitchen, busy making breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Since I was busy, I couldn¡¯t get it just at that moment. ¡°Gabriel!¡± I called, hoping that his elvish ears would hear me.


    ¡°I can get it, Joan!¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice replied from the staircase. ¡°I¡¯m already almost there anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I flipped the pancake that I was cooking.


    The front door opened, there was a pause, and then it closed. Then Gabriel came into the kitchen, looking rather confused, and holding a huge bouquet of flowers. ¡°This was on the front doorstep¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± I stared at the enormous bunch of flowers. I turned off the burner after sliding the last pancake from the frying pan, and onto the platter that held the rest of them. Catching a glimpse of a piece of paper amongst the many blooms, I asked, ¡°What does the card say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t read it.¡± He said, setting it on the table, and looking at it, looking just as surprised and confused as I was.


    ¡°Hm.¡± I leaned forward, plucked the card from the petals, and immediately sneezed.


    ¡°Bless you. What does it say?¡± the elf asked.


    I felt my face heat as I read the card, partly out of embarrassment, partly in anger, and I sighed. It was an apology for making me angry, and saying that he wanted to see me again, but would wait until he heard from me again before just stopping by, lest he offend me again. ¡°It¡¯s from Ed.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Gabriel said, his expression and voice neutral.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say one thing, this is a first. No one has ever given me flowers before.¡± I laughed a little, still a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Really?¡± The elf seemed surprised by this. He went to a cabinet and pulled out a vase for the flowers to go in. ¡°I would say that I don¡¯t believe that for a second, but something tells me that would upset you.¡± He smiled slightly, filling the vase with water, then handing it to me.


    And there he was, the Gabriel that I had missed, not the one that had been holding me at arm¡¯s length lately. But to be fair, that was my own fault, I knew. The Gabriel I was used to could only return when the Joan that he was used to was there as well¡­the Joan that trusted him, and wasn¡¯t angry at him¡­the Joan that loved him.


    ¡°Probably.¡± I laughed. ¡°I would also insist that it was true, and you¡¯d still pretend not to believe me, just to get on my nerves.¡± Taking the vase, I put the enormous bunch of flowers in it, and immediately sneezed again.


    ¡°You¡¯re allergic to them.¡± Gabriel muttered. Stepping forward, he relieved me of the vase, and set the flowers by the farthest window. Then he said, in a thoughtful voice, ¡°Elvish flowers would have been better, no one is allergic to them, I think it¡¯s rather impossible to be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen elvish flowers before.¡± I was intrigued by the thought, ¡°But then again, I hadn¡¯t seen an elf, much less thought elves were more than just a fairytale until¡­¡±


    ¡°Until the ball.¡± Gabriel finished my sentence quietly, shifting on his feet. I could see that he was uncomfortable.


    ¡°You have to admit, it¡¯s understandable. They teach us in school that elves are just stuff of legends¡­¡±


    ¡°Because humans are frightened of anything and everything that they don¡¯t understand¡­anything that¡¯s different.¡± The elf went and stood at the sink, leaning on it, and looking outside. ¡°It makes it difficult for my people to be here because of that¡­not without disguising ourselves so that we fit in.¡±


    I looked down, ¡°I can understand that, I think.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± his voice was quiet.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve never been in that situation, but I do understand what it¡¯s like for someone to hide who they really are¡­I have to do it everyday, since I can¡¯t use my magic, which is just as much a part of me as your wings are of you.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­then you understand¡­you understand why I did it then? Why I had to lie about myself?¡± he looked down at the sink, down at his clawed hands, and then closed his eyes, head hung a little, and I realized that he was ashamed. He looked positively forlorn.


    ¡°I do.¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He whispered. ¡°Will you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­already have.¡± I muttered. Of course, it had only just been the day before, after storming angrily away from Ed, that I¡¯d finally forgiven Gabriel, but he didn¡¯t need to know that.


    ¡°Good.¡± was all he said.


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    It was quiet for a little while. ¡°Care for some breakfast?¡± I asked him, motioning at the pile of pancakes that I¡¯d made.


    The elf shook himself, ¡°I¡¯m starving, thanks.¡± He carried the plate to the table, and we sat down to eat together for the first time since the disaster at the ball. ¡°Can I make a request?¡± he asked after a little while.


    ¡°It depends on the request.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­I can¡¯t say this in a way that sounds reasonable.¡± He said, frowning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I blinked, frowning.


    Gabriel appeared to steel himself, and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see him again.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I was still confused.


    ¡°Ed.¡±


    My eyebrows shot up as I was taken aback.


    He¡¯d never once seemed to disapprove of me spending time with Ed, not that I ever intended to spend any more time with the prince, but Gabriel didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Excuse me! You don¡¯t have the right to forbid me from seeing anyone!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I forbade you, just that I don¡¯t want you to¡­I would never force you to do, or not do anything, nor will I ever¡­but¡­but all the same, I do not wish you to see him again.¡± Gabriel answered, jaw clenched a little.


    Did he think that just because I¡¯d forgiven him for lying that this sort of thing was acceptable? If he did, he had another thing coming. ¡°What does it matter if I choose to see him again?¡± Perhaps I was still a little sensitive about the fact that he had rather broken my heart even though it wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d ever said he¡¯d loved me. Who was he to think that he could trample my heart like that, and as soon as another man entered the picture?


    The nerve of him! Telling me that he didn¡¯t approve?! I was my own woman, and wasn¡¯t just going to do something because he wanted me to¡­I mean, I did sometimes, but I wasn¡¯t going to this time, not without a fight, since the whole idea was something I rebelled against, any man telling a woman that he didn¡¯t approve of her seeing someone, whether male or female. If he¡¯d been my father, yes, I would have obeyed, simply out of respect, but he was not, so I would not.


    ¡°I have the right to my own life, Gabriel!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I know.¡± He sighed, getting up and putting his plate in the sink. ¡°But¡­but he sent you flowers¡­and, well, the thought of you spending your time with him¡­It¡­it makes me angry. I know that I have no right to ask it of you, but I really don¡¯t want you to spend time with him like that¡­in a way that means that he would send you flowers¡­¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter if I see him? Why on earth would it make you angry? It¡¯s none of your business!¡± I cried, upset. ¡°Am I not allowed to have my own life? To see who I want?¡±


    Gabriel stood at the sink for a few moments, then took a deep breath and said, ¡°You can choose to do whatever you wish, and if you wish to see him again, if you are intent on it, then I will not stop you. But I¡­I could not sit by and allow you to think that I was alright with it, not in good conscience.¡±


    ¡°Why are you not alright with it?¡± I pressed. If he cared for me, I wanted him to admit it. Because if it was just some strange idea that he¡¯d gotten into his head that, because we were close or had once been close, he could dictate who I spent my time with, I would be quitting on the spot. Because that was unacceptable.


    Gabriel paced back and forth, running his long fingers through his beautiful white hair, the first show of agitation that he¡¯d shown since he¡¯d initially told me that he didn¡¯t approve of me seeing Ed. When he spoke again, there was now frustration in his voice. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m jealous. All I know is that the thought that Ed takes you on walks by the river, and sends you flowers makes my blood boil!¡±


    Emboldened by this, but still angry, I shouted, ¡°Well, if the thought makes you so angry, then maybe you should take me on walks and bring me flowers instead!¡±


    Gabriel whirled about, his golden eyes flashing angrily. ¡°Maybe I will then!¡±


    In the back of my head, where my common sense was being held captive by my anger and annoyance, I knew that this was far from typical shouting-match material, and that, in all honesty, I should be at least a little happy to hear what he was saying. But I was still angry with him, and since my temper was in control, I paid little heed to rational thought and common sense. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell him not to come back!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°I wish you would!¡± Gabriel stomped from the room, still clearly furious.


    ¡°Fine, I will!¡± I shouted as the kitchen door swung shut, and he left the house, slamming the front door behind him.


    I sat down at the table and cried, upset that we¡¯d argued.


    But to be fair, it had been a ridiculous argument¡­He¡¯d admitted that he was jealous that Ed had taken me out on a date, and that the prince had sent me flowers¡­Of course, he hadn¡¯t known that I¡¯d already decided that I didn¡¯t want to see Ed again in that capacity.


    The thought that he was jealous that another man had taken a romantic interest in me was, I¡¯m ashamed to say, oddly pleasing to me.


    --


    It wasn¡¯t until later on that night that Gabriel realized how absolutely stupid their argument had been. He was a little embarrassed at having told her that her spending time with another man, in a romantic capacity, made him jealous¡­and while it had been an argument, her response hadn¡¯t been entirely bad. She¡¯d said that she wouldn¡¯t see Ed again, and Gabriel was pleased with that outcome. Now he guessed that he was supposed to take her on walks by the river, and bring her flowers.


    Gabriel decided that the first was entirely dull, but the second would be acceptable, so long as he could get his hands on some elvish flowers, so she wouldn¡¯t sneeze. But what would he do instead of taking her on a walk by the river? She always seemed to enjoy coming on cases with him¡­and he did enjoy his work more when she was with him but¡­but solving a murder, or any sort of crime, didn¡¯t really seem like a romantic enough thing to do for a date.


    Yet he didn¡¯t know what else to do, since all a date was, from what he knew, was two people who liked one another spending time together doing something that they both enjoyed¡­if that was indeed the case, then every time that Joan had worked with him to solve a crime had been a date, and somehow, staring at a dead body, or staking out a suspect¡¯s home, or even attending a fancy ball together so that they could keep an eye out for vampires didn¡¯t quite seem like the proper kind of date material, even though they had both enjoyed doing such things¡­perhaps his definition of what a date was wasn¡¯t correct.


    Gabriel sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands, feeling like an idiot. He had no idea how to court her properly, and he had no one to ask. Perhaps he could write to Mrs. Hudson and ask her what kind of dates her husband had taken her on when they were still only courting¡­he would think of something.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Joan?¡± Gabriel sounded a little timid as he came into the kitchen.


    ¡°There¡¯s coffee for you.¡± I said coolly, still a little peeved with him, just on principle, given that we¡¯d had an argument.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He poured himself a cup, and sat down at the table, but remained quiet.


    After a couple of minutes, I got the muffins that I¡¯d been baking out of the oven, and put them on the table. ¡°There.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The elf said quietly, and began to eat. I poured myself some tea, and sat down at the table across from him, sipping it quietly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡±


    ¡°I will when you¡¯re done.¡± I replied, tracing the rim of my teacup with my finger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me to finish¡­¡± he frowned.


    ¡°I know.¡± I shrugged.


    It was quiet for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I shouted at you.¡± He said quietly, breaking the silence, looking down at his clawed hands, and proceeding to retract them, and then push them out in a nervous sort of way.


    Looking away from him, I sighed, my annoyance with him starting to slip quickly away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I yelled too.¡±


    ¡°I had it coming.¡± He laughed a little weakly.


    ¡°You did.¡± I agreed.


    ¡°At least we can agree on something.¡± He said as he stood.


    My anger at him had waned enough that I wanted him to stay. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    Gabriel paused, ¡°Crime doesn¡¯t wait for us to eat breakfast, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡± I sighed, feeling a little lonely already. ¡°I would ask to come with you, but I need to dust the whole house today¡­I¡¯ve been avoiding it all week.¡±


    ¡°I forgive you, then, if that¡¯s the reason that you can¡¯t come along¡­but I¡¯ll be back before teatime. I¡¯ll be bringing a suspect back with me to interview, if you want to sit in.¡± The elf¡¯s bright, fanged smile brightened the room.


    ¡°Okay.¡± It was my turn to smile, even if it was just a small one. I was glad that he wasn¡¯t going to be absent when I went to sleep that night, as was often these days. I got up to see him to the front door, and made sure that he remembered to put on his overcoat, since it was a cool day, and he could be absent-minded sometimes. ¡°Be safe.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He assured me, adjusting his collar, and then teased, ¡°Don¡¯t let any strangers in.¡±


    Gabriel hesitated as he started to reach for the door handle, then turned back towards me. Reaching out, he took my hand, and kissed it gently, then quickly put on his glamour, opened the door, and took off down the street, not waiting to see the look of surprise on my face as I held the hand that he¡¯d kissed to my chest.


    It wasn¡¯t until I started to shiver from the cold that I had the sense to close the door again, and go about my day. But he occupied my thoughts the entire time that I dusted the house.


    --


    True to his word, Gabriel was back by teatime. The door slammed suddenly as he entered, making me jump, and the detective stumbled into the kitchen, his glamour dissolving as he did. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, blinking, seeing that he was in a rather disheveled state, his clothes were covered in splotches of mud, and he had some minor scrapes and bruises on his hands and face.


    ¡°I-I told you that I would be bringing back a suspect to interview, right?¡± the tall elf said, sitting shakily down at the table, clearly affected by whatever had happened.


    ¡°Yes, you did. Where¡¯s the suspect?¡± I asked, confused


    ¡°Dead.¡± Gabriel replied, shaking his head, and putting a hand to his forehead, I saw that his knuckles were a little bloodied, as if he¡¯d scraped them on something.


    ¡°Dead?¡± I exclaimed, reaching out and taking his hands in mine. I pushed healing magic into him, to take care of his minor injuries. ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°He¡­received a bullet that was meant for me, I think.¡± He said softly, looking around the room and shuddering.


    ¡°What?!¡± The fact that we¡¯d argued the day before was suddenly gone from my mind as I realized that I was every bit in love with him as I¡¯d ever been, and was now terrified for his safety.


    ¡°We were walking towards a carriage, meaning to return here for our interview when it happened. He was a tall, thin fellow, and we both had dark hair, or rather my glamour and he had similar hair, and our coats were the same color, navy is a common coat color, after all¡­¡± he paused, taking a breath, then continued. ¡°Anyways, there was a shot, and the man crumpled to the ground. I didn¡¯t see anything, I¡¯m ashamed to say, but I was still standing in the middle of the street, and was nearly run down by a passing carriage, then pushed down by people running away from the scene of the shooting.¡± His face was pale, and his eyes alert, flickering this way and that. ¡°It has to be connected with this M, I just know it¡­this man was supposedly a lowly member of M¡¯s crime organization, or had some knowledge of it, and I had convinced him to speak with me.¡±


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    ¡°M again?¡± I cried, squeezing his hands tightly, even though I¡¯d ceased to use magic some moments earlier. ¡°It¡¯ll be the death of you, Gabriel! You promised you¡¯d be careful!¡±


    ¡°I was careful! No one knew of our meeting, we were discreet in everything that we did!¡± he sighed, his fingers shifted, now curling around mine.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked, my voice a little choked. I was suddenly able to be at ease with him. Or would have been at ease, if I hadn¡¯t been so frightened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already done it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I sent for Myles. Our safety here is my immediate concern. As soon as I had some words with the police, I sent word, through my street-network, to my brother about what happened. Unless I''m mistaken, he will turn up here at some point, and probably sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± I asked him, scared.


    Gabriel tilted his head to the side, studying my face for a moment. He kept hold of my hands with one of his, but reached out carefully with the other, and stroked my face. ¡°We are not going to worry. We are going to stay here, in the house, where it¡¯s safe, and wait for my brother to come. And like I said, we¡¯re not going to worry. Not just yet. The time for worrying will come. But it¡¯s not now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­feel like the time to worry is now¡­¡± I protested, feeling frightened as I leaned into his gentle touch.


    ¡°I am not grievously wounded, and am really no worse for the wear, and you are safe, and whole. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± His voice was firm and reassuring. ¡°And my brother is undoubtedly on his way here as we speak. Now, how about we have some coffee and tea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes of course.¡± I stood, wiping my hands on my apron, ¡°I-I think that¡¯s in order.¡±


    ¡°Let me help.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I can do it by myself.¡± I muttered, busying myself with lighting the kettle, but my hands were shaking so badly that I dropped the matches. They clattered to the floor, and I stood there for a moment, staring at them, then I burst into tears, upset and frightened, regardless of what Gabriel had said.


    ¡°Joan, sweetheart,¡± his voice was quiet. I felt his hand alight gently on my back, as he stood next to me, ¡°it¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°H-how can you be sure?! Someone just tried to kill you!¡± I sobbed, hiding my face with my hands, embarrassed that I was crying.


    ¡°You forget that not only am I elvish, and thus fairly hard to kill, I can use magic as well. You¡¯re a mage too, for that matter.¡± He snapped his fingers, and a little flame alit upon his thumb, and he used that to light the stove.


    ¡°O-oh¡­I hadn¡¯t thought about that.¡± I blinked, feeling stupid.


    ¡°I can do better than that, too.¡± The handsome elf waved his hand over the matches that were scattered across the floor. Much to my astonishment, they flew into the air, and back into the box, which settled neatly back into its spot on the shelf above the stove.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m an idiot.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice was soft as his hand came to rest on my shoulder. The elf bent, sending his pristine hair cascading a little into my face, and planted a kiss on my forehead. He was warm, and very gentle. ¡°You¡¯re not an idiot.¡± Reaching out instinctively, I caught his shirt, and pulled myself against him, which caused a quiet, surprised, ¡°Oh.¡± to escape him, but his arms came up around me, pulling me closer, holding me tightly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Joan. We¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°But what if we¡¯re not?!¡± I whimpered, feeling rather pitiful and frightened, and unable to help it. ¡°I don¡¯t even know enough magic to keep myself safe!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you more magic.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± I asked, feeling hopeful.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t the time now, I¡¯m afraid, I can hear the telltale squeak of my brother¡¯s personal buggy from down the lane. He''ll be here in moments, but as soon as we have the time, I promise that I will teach you more magic.¡± He murmured.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I started to pull away.


    But he held me a moment longer. ¡°No¡­not just yet.¡± His voice was soft. After another brief moment, he sighed, ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Gabriel took a step away, and I turned, resuming making coffee and tea.


    I heard the front door open, and then close. ¡°I came as soon as I received your message. What happened?¡± Myles¡¯ voice inquired.


    Gabriel relayed the story to his elder brother as I finished up, and brought the tea and coffee to where they sat at the table. Myles had allowed his glamour to drop, letting his true elvish nature show. ¡°And then you returned here and frightened poor Joan to tears, I see.¡± Myles observed.


    I sniffed, ¡°He did, sir.¡± I wasn¡¯t ashamed of my tears, not anymore. I loved him, and it had upset me that his life had been threatened.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Myles was quiet for a moment as he poured himself a cup of tea.


    ¡°Wh-what are we going to do?¡± I asked him, still feeling a little timid of his elvish self. I¡¯d gotten used to Gabriel¡¯s, but Myles still intimidated me.


    They were opposites. Gabriel had light eyes and hair, whereas Myles¡¯ had the darkest shade I¡¯d ever seen of both. And though they were both pale, Myles'' hair and eyes made him seem paler in comparison to his little brother.


    ¡°You are going to do nothing.¡± Myles said in a mild tone, but his eyes were troubled, and his mouth was a grim slash. ¡°I, on the other hand, have arranged for you to travel out of the city, where you¡¯ll hopefully be safe until this has blown over, or M and the crime syndicate have been brought down.¡±


    ¡°But I can help you!¡± Gabriel protested.


    ¡°You¡¯ve helped plenty already.¡± Myles¡¯ tone was earnest. ¡°You need to go and be safe. While you remain in the city, your lives are in danger.¡±


    ¡°Joan¡¯s as well?¡± Gabriel was clearly upset by this.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt that they¡¯ve been watching you, now.¡±


    ¡°I would have noticed if we were being watched!¡±


    ¡°These people are very good at what they do. This M is no one to be trifled with.¡± Myles¡¯ voice was now stern. ¡°No, you and Joan must leave the city as soon as possible.¡± The elder Locke brother stood, and put an envelope on the table. ¡°These are tickets for a train that will take you two into the country. Where you go from there is your own decision. I suggest you either travel all the way home, to elvish lands, or you go visit Mrs. Hudson and her sister, they would welcome the company.¡±


    Gabriel nodded slowly, and stood. ¡°Joan, go pack your things.¡±


    ¡°Gabriel?¡± I was even more scared now, having heard that my own life was in danger.


    ¡°Go pack, love.¡± His voice was soft.


    ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± I dashed from the room.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Love?¡± Myles raised a critical eyebrow at his little brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t criticize me for something that you cannot understand.¡± Gabriel shot back, frowning.


    ¡°I understand love, just not the brand that¡¯s romantic in nature.¡± Myles shrugged, waving it away. ¡°But it¡¯s your life, after all¡­and Joan isn¡¯t so bad, for a human, and a woman at that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d have your head if she heard you say that.¡± Gabriel gave a quiet laugh, shaking his head, then sighed. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re in danger?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± Myles nodded, ¡°The fact that they¡¯ve come after you proves it. I¡¯ve no doubt they¡¯ve been watching you, and Joan, for some time now.¡±


    The younger elf rubbed his forehead, ¡°Why must there be such horrible people in the world?¡±


    ¡°Without the horrible people, there wouldn¡¯t be good ones.¡±


    ¡°I guess not¡­and the good ones are every bit worth dealing with the bad ones for.¡± Gabriel said, looking up, hearing Joan¡¯s footsteps above them, pattering around quickly as she packed her things.


    ¡°You really do love her?¡± Myles¡¯ voice was quiet, and somewhat curious.


    ¡°I do.¡± Gabriel found that it was easy to admit.


    ¡°Does she know?¡±


    ¡°I have never said as much but¡­but I think she knows.¡± He said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Again, I won¡¯t pretend to understand romantic notions,¡± his elder brother shook his head. ¡°but I can¡¯t understand how she could know if you didn¡¯t tell her.¡±


    But Gabriel heard a slightly strange note in his brother¡¯s voice, and cocked his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re curious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a crime.¡± was the quick, clipped reply.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly reasonable that you would be curious. You and I are both naturally curious people.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Myles nodded.


    There was a knock on the front door, which made Gabriel and Myles jump, their glamours immediately back in place. The younger Locke brother answered the door, the elder following just behind.


    A timid-looking woman with dark hair and eyes stood on the front steps. ¡°Oh dear, please excuse me for calling unannounced, but is this the residence of Mr. Locke?¡±


    ¡°I am Gabriel Locke, if that¡¯s who you are looking for.¡± Gabriel said, taken aback that he should have a potential client at this time.


    ¡°I was told that if I had a problem that I needed to take care of, I ought to bring it to him.¡±


    Gabriel bowed, knowing that this is no time for him to be taking on any new clients. ¡°A thousand apologies, madam, but I regret to inform you that I¡¯m currently unable to take on any new clients at this moment. I¡¯m deeply sorry.¡±


    --


    As I descended the stairs, I noticed that Gabriel was at the door, and that both Locke boys had their glamours back on. The detective was busy chatting with whoever I¡¯d heard knock a few moments before.


    Something was wrong.


    I could feel it in the air. It was more than just the general sense that our lives were in danger, but there was an immediate danger lurking in the air suddenly.


    Myles looked at me, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to communicate that something was wrong without speaking, so I quickly walked over to him, and spoke as quietly as I could, ¡°Something is wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°I can feel it. Something is wrong. There was danger before, but now there is immediate danger.¡± I told him.


    Just as Myles opened his mouth to speak, I heard a woman¡¯s voice say, ¡°Believe me, sir, you will want to hear about this little problem of mine.¡±


    A strange look passed over Myles¡¯ face, and he spoke to his brother, ¡°Let her in, perhaps another case is what you need to take your mind off things.¡±


    I blinked, confused as to why he¡¯d told Gabriel to let her in when she needed to go away, if only for her own safety.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Gabriel stepped aside, and let the woman in, not questioning his brother¡¯s judgment. I didn¡¯t get a good look at her face as Gabriel led her to the stairs, but I could see that she was wearing a crimson dress, and had luxurious dark hair.


    ¡°Oh, you must be Myles Locke!¡± I heard her exclaim as they went up the stairs, Myles following Gabriel and the woman.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I am.¡± He said in a curt tone.


    Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. This woman was the problem. I couldn¡¯t say why, but her presence in our home was bad news. Could she possibly be an agent of M¡¯s?!


    I followed them up the stairs, frightened and confused. I stood outside the door to the study, which Myles had conveniently left open, likely so I could listen in.


    ¡°Alright, boys. My name is Gem Moriarty, and I have a problem.¡±


    My blood chilled.


    M.


    M stood for Moriarty, apparently.


    ¡°Well, as you said earlier, this is a place where problems are solved. Perhaps we can be of assistance.¡± I heard Gabriel say.


    --


    Gem Moriarty was perched on the edge of the sofa, her timid demeanor suddenly gone, replaced by an almost playful persona. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that could be possible, since you two are my problem! Always meddling in places that you ought not to! Can¡¯t you just leave a girl to her business?¡±


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    ¡°Not when people are being killed.¡± Myles said in a cold voice.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s no fun! You kill plenty of people!¡± She laughed, but her eyes flashed dangerously.


    Gabriel frowned, realizing that she was probably telling the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t kill innocent people.¡± Was his brother¡¯s reply.


    ¡°No one is innocent. Everyone is guilty of something. Who are you to decide who deserves life and death when it is an assured fact that no one is completely innocent?¡± Gem Moriarty snapped.


    ¡°I do believe you came here to solve a problem?¡± Gabriel spoke up.


    ¡°And as I said, you two are my problem.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°But what am I to do with you?¡± Reaching into her purse, she pulled out what appeared to be a black oblong rock.


    Myles started, and went very pale. ¡°How did you come by that?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. I know how to get what I want.¡± The woman¡¯s slow smile was positively villainous.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Gabriel asked, annoyed that he wasn¡¯t in the loop.


    ¡°Now don¡¯t answer, Myles, dear, I can do that.¡± Gem cut in, playing with the black oblong piece of obsidian that she held. ¡°If I understand correctly, this is a top-secret military device that was developed to control the minds of enemy soldiers. The king¡¯s people only ever got it to work for a little while, but I¡¯ve had my people look at it, and they¡¯ve been able to get it to work for whole days. Now, what kind of trouble could you two boys get up to for days?¡± she asked. ¡°It would certainly solve my little problem. Because I must say, you two remarkable boys are the last obstacle, the final problem, if you will, that keeps me from controlling the streets of this city. So what a miraculous thing it will be when you kill each other for me! I won¡¯t have to worry about either of you anymore!¡± Before either elf could act, she twisted her hands on either end of the rock, as if she were opening a bottle. A previously invisible crack appeared in the very center of the stone, rotating each side as she twisted, before they snapped into place. Immediately, runes illuminated the surface of the rock in a golden glow.


    Gabriel and Myles suddenly found themselves unable to move, their wills stripped from them.


    --


    Before she could speak again, and force them to kill one another, I bolted into the room, my fear of her overcome by my anger and terror. I pulled for my magic, screaming, ¡°NO!¡±


    A look of surprise passed over her face, but she didn¡¯t have time to react as I pulled for my magic, and lashed out, sending her sprawling across the room, where she crashed into a bookcase.


    The oblong device rolled from her hand, and stopped at my feet. Stooping, I picked it up. The glowing light on it faded, and Gabriel and Myles shook themselves.


    ¡°Oh blessed Joan!¡± Gabriel leapt to his feet, and I suddenly found myself in his embrace.


    ¡°We have to leave.¡± Myles said, pulling on Gabriel¡¯s arms, ¡°Now. She has people all around this area, I¡¯m sure of it. You must get out of here, now! Go!¡±


    ¡°Right. Gabriel grabbed my hand and all but dragged me down the stairs.


    ¡°My bag!¡± I reminded him.


    The elf bent, easily scooped it up as he ran, and grabbed the train tickets that his brother had brought for us, stuffing them in his inner jacket pocket. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Mrs. Hudson, for now. What will you do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry for me. Just get yourselves away from here.¡± Myles pushed us out the door, following us out and hailing a cab.


    ¡°Thank you, Myles.¡± I whispered, and caught his hand, squeezing it for a moment. I was briefly amused as the disguised elf looked extremely surprised, and blinked, clearly not having expected this reaction.


    ¡°Quickly, Joan!¡± Gabriel said impatiently, and I let him pull me into the cab.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I heard Myles say, his tone clearly surprised as Gabriel ordered the cabbie to take us to the station as quickly as possible, promising double the usual fare if we made good time.


    As we dashed away, I saw Myles get into his own cab, and set off in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re safe now?¡± I asked my companion, who was wearing his glamour again once more.


    ¡°Well, that blast didn¡¯t kill her, and I¡¯ve no doubt that her lackeys will soon come after her when she doesn¡¯t reappear, as planned.¡± Gabriel sighed, looking out the window, then reclining back in his seat. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll be safe until she¡¯s dead.¡±


    I shuddered. ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    His arm slipped around me, and the elf pulled me against him. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Joan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I know.¡± Gabriel sighed softly, and it was quiet for a few moments. He spoke again. ¡°You made a most opportune entrance back there, and for that, Myles and I owe you our lives.¡± I felt him plant a kiss in my hair.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let her make you two kill each other.¡± I shuddered again, and was pleased when he pulled me even closer.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± His fingers brushed through my hair. ¡°But you didn¡¯t let it happen, and we are alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Alive, at least, I¡¯m not so sure if you can classify our situation as particularly well, exactly.¡± I muttered.


    One of his long fingers trailed down my cheek. ¡°We¡¯re still a lot better off than many people out there, Joan.¡± He murmured. I looked up into his face, and saw that he¡¯d let his glamour drop once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure of that.¡± I heard myself say.


    ¡°Perhaps you still need convincing of that, but as long as I have you with me, all is right in my world.¡± The elf¡¯s voice was soft, and his golden eyes searched my face.


    ¡°O-oh.¡± I stammered, feeling my face flush.


    Gabriel seemed to lean closer, but then the carriage jolted suddenly, and sent me scrambling about, trying to keep my balance as my elvish companion, his glamour immediately replaced, sat erect suddenly, his head cocked to the side, as if having heard something. His eyes widened, and he cried, ¡°Brace yourself!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I blinked, confused as I situated myself back in my seat, sad that the intimate moment had suddenly passed.


    But then my world tipped sideways as Gabriel¡¯s arms suddenly came up around me, and enveloped us, protectively, in his enormous wings.


    There was a deafening roaring noise, a rush of smoke, and then the world went black for a moment.


    --


    Agony burst across Gabriel¡¯s wings as his feathers burned in the explosion.


    He screamed. The pain was excruciating, but he curled more tightly around Joan¡¯s small, now unconscious form, as she¡¯d blacked out when the bomb, which had been thrown onto the carriage while it was moving, had exploded. Apparently, Gem¡¯s minions had marked their escape.


    The world went black for a little while.


    Eventually, the elf moaned, coming to. He looked around.


    The sky was above him, and thick, black tendrils of smoke drifted lazily into the sky. His body ached.


    Finally, he somehow managed to sit up, still holding Joan, and trying to ignore the oddly numbed, burning sensation that shot across his wings and back. Gabriel was aware that the pain should be more than he was feeling.


    Maybe it was just his adrenaline. He¡¯d thrown them out the door of the carriage just as the bomb had exploded, and they¡¯d been propelled from the blast, but had survived, which was more than could be said for the poor, innocent cabbie.


    There was a crater some twenty feet away. Realizing that there were bystanders, he immediately put up a glamour, which took very little energy. He also retracted his wings, biting his lip as he did, trying not to scream again, since the action had caused unbearable pain. His feathers had been the most exposed to the blast, and he knew that his wings had been badly burned.


    Yes, the adrenaline was most certainly numbing his pain, for the moment, but it wouldn¡¯t last.


    Gabriel staggered to his feet, still carrying Joan. She shifted, moaning weakly. ¡°Gabriel?¡± she clutched her head.


    ¡°Hang on, Joan. We have to get to the train station.¡± He muttered, shaking his head, feeling dizzy.


    ¡°Put me down, I can walk.¡± The object of his affection insisted.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he took a few more staggering steps.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage better than you are.¡± She nodded.


    Gabriel put her down, and was glad when she slipped her slim arms around him, offering him some support. ¡°Thank you.¡± He gasped.


    ¡°Come on. I can see the station just ahead.¡± She motioned, her mind surprisingly clear for having just regained consciousness. The elf thanked the universe that she was a magician.


    The elf¡¯s vision had gone blurry. ¡°Good, because I can¡¯t see much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡± She informed him. ¡°Can you put up a different glamour? One that looks like you¡¯re not hurt?¡±


    Gabriel blinked, and changed his glamour.


    I nodded, ¡°Perfect. Now come on, there are people around, but I think it¡¯s a big enough crowd that we¡¯re safe¡­for now.¡±

 Chapter 23

    We staggered to the train station.


    Miraculously, no one had seen us being propelled from the crash, and as soon as Gabriel had changed our appearance with a glamour, we weren¡¯t even recognizable as the people that had been in the explosion.


    I got us on the train, pretending that Gabriel and I were newlyweds, and so couldn¡¯t bear to let go of him, which meant I could help keep him upright. He played along, but I could see that his strength was failing.


    Thankfully, I was able to find an empty compartment, and locked the door behind us as Gabriel¡¯s glamour dropped, and he collapsed into a seat.


    ¡°Oh dear.¡± I sat next to him, and used my magic to stem his bleeding as best as I could. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Aside from where I was bleeding, m-my wings hurt¡­Only ¡®hurt¡¯ doesn¡¯t do the pain justice.¡± he gasped, shifting uncomfortably, rolling over onto his chest, and allowing me to get at his back. He extended his wings, or rather, what was left of them. As he did, he gasped in pain from the movement.


    Gabriel¡¯s wings were¡­destroyed.


    ¡°Oh sweetheart.¡± I tried not to burst into tears, knowing that I needed to focus on getting him on the road towards healing.


    Thankfully, it was now warm enough to go without my coat, so I shrugged out of it, planning on cutting it up to use as bandages until I could get better ones.


    ¡°This is going to sting, I have to clean it with magic.¡±


    When Gabriel didn''t answer, I realized he¡¯d likely passed out from exhaustion and pain, which would actually make my work a little easier.


    I cleaned the burns, and then, after quickly searching his jacket pockets for his pocket knife, I cut my coat into strips, and used them to bandage the burned parts of his wings as best as I could. It was a difficult task, as some places had been burned through entirely, and my coat wasn¡¯t the easiest thing to use as bandages¡­But it would have to do.


    Thankfully, we had a long train ride before us, so he could rest, and I was able to work on his injuries every so often, as my strength and endurance allowed.


    -


    After some time, the elvish man moaned in pain, slowly returning to consciousness.


    ¡°Shh, Gabriel, it¡¯s alright.¡± I said, reaching out and pushing magic into him, hoping that it would lessen the pain, if not numb it entirely.


    The elf shifted, grimacing as he rolled onto his back, ¡°I-I can¡¯t feel my wings¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve numbed them, they were badly burned.¡± I said, not sure if I should tell him the extent of his injuries, which were positively horrible in some areas, and had seemingly ruined his once beautiful, perfect wings.


    ¡°Ah.¡± was all he said, and closed his eyes, setting his head back down on the cushion.


    We were quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°You saved my life.¡± I told him softly, fully aware that if he hadn¡¯t grabbed me and thrown us both out of the carriage, I would have probably been killed by the blast.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re even.¡± He murmured, but opened his eyes, and even managed a smile. The handsome, wounded elf pushed himself up, sitting, then held out his hand, beckoning me.


    Getting up, I slipped my hand into his, and sat next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I didn¡¯t get hurt when I intervened. You did.¡±


    ¡°It was every bit worth it.¡± Gabriel reached up with his other hand, and stroked my face for a moment before letting it fall. ¡°How long have we been on this train?¡±


    ¡°Five long, stressful hours. Every moment that I wasn¡¯t checking on you, I worried that every single person who walked by our compartment was coming to finish the job¡­¡± I told him, shuddering.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not an impossible thing to imagine. Although I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone on this train that belongs to the enemy, otherwise they would have attacked us when I was still incapacitated. That said, I¡¯m sure that we¡¯re being pursued at this moment.¡±


    ¡°What will we do?¡±


    ¡°Our tickets say that that station is our destination.¡± He motioned at the name of the town on the ticket, it was a bit of a jumble of letters that I couldn''t pronounce.


    ¡°I noticed that earlier.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the place that Mrs. Hudson¡¯s sister lives in. It¡¯s a lovely mountainous place, and full of waterfalls, according to her letters. We¡¯ll get off there, and make our way to her sister¡¯s home, we¡¯ll be welcome there. And I do not see how they could possibly know what stop we¡¯ll get off at, or even what train we were on, for that matter, as I¡¯m sure that Myles bought the tickets under some pseudonym.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Gabriel nods. ¡°At any rate, once I am healed, we will make for the elvish Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be safe there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be safe there.¡± The elf told me, his voice was reassuring and his eyes were warm.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Good.¡± I squeezed his hand, and was pleased to feel his fingers tighten around mine.


    ¡°We still have some time before we¡¯ll need to get off. Try and get some sleep, love, you look exhausted.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You need it more than I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯m completely numbed, and on the way to being healed. You need sleep too.¡± He opened his embrace, beckoning for me to lean against him, like a pillow.


    ¡°O-okay.¡± I let him pull me into his arms, and rested my head against his chest. ¡°But don¡¯t hesitate to wake me if you need anything, anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Sleep, Joan.¡± He murmured, and I felt him plant a kiss in my hair.


    Closing my eyes, the rocking of the train and the beat of his heart lulled me quickly to sleep.


    --


    Gabriel lay there, holding her, and felt surprisingly blissful. It was ironic, really.


    He was injured, and she had very nearly been hurt as well. They were on the run, and had no supplies with them to speak of, save his pocket knife, some money, and the effect that the name Locke had on people.


    But he was still inexplicably happy just to have Joan in his arms. Sure, his wings were beginning to hurt, and he¡¯d been able to tell, through her expressions, that his wounds were more severe than she wanted to let on, but he was just glad that she was alive and curled up in his arms.


    Love was a curious thing. As long as he had Joan, few other things mattered.


    Of course, he worried for his brother, but if Myles said that he was safe, then he was safe, and there was no sense wondering or worrying. But again, love kept Gabriel concerned for his brother still.


    The elf took a deep, calming breath, and banished his frightened thoughts, seeking solace in Joan¡¯s small form in his arms. He planted a kiss in her hair, and was pleased when she snuggled closer to him, her fingers curling into his shirt as she slumbered peacefully.


    --


    Gabriel had gently woken me a half-hour before we were to disembark the train. I¡¯d numbed his hurts once more, and we¡¯d readied ourselves to leave.


    Now we stood on the train platform, both jumpy and exhausted, our eyes skittering about, terrified that we¡¯d see Gem Moriarty appear, or even one of her lackeys.


    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have doubted that Gabriel could have protected us, but in his injured state, he was moving pretty slowly, and I knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to put up much of a fight if we were attacked.


    I picked up a mass-printed pamphlet-map of the area, and examined it.


    Gabriel motioned at a spot on the map. ¡°That¡¯s the area where Mrs. Hudson¡¯s sister lives. I know the address, thankfully, from her mail every month.¡±


    ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s hire a hansom to take us there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± He nodded.


    I supported him as we hired a cab, gave our destination, and then climbed in. Gabriel relaxed into the cushion, sighing a little, saying, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too long of a ride.¡±


    We bumped along in silence, the country roads far rougher than their city counterparts. It felt like an eternity before we came to a stop, and the cabbie announced that we¡¯d arrived.


    Gabriel settled our bill upon exiting, and the hansom drove off. Looking around, I saw that we¡¯d been dropped off in a wooded area. I would have found the place extremely beautiful, if the light hadn¡¯t been quickly dying, and I hadn¡¯t been so frightened and tired.


    ¡°If I understood everything that Mrs. Hudson said in her letters, the house is just up that path.¡± Gabriel nodded wearily. ¡°Help me just a little farther, Joan.¡±


    ¡°As if I would be unwilling to help you now.¡± I told him, smiling tiredly. ¡°Come on.¡±


    When we finally reached the door, I knocked.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Mrs. Hudson¡¯s familiar voice called, and she was there a moment later. ¡°Oh my! What are you two doing here?!¡± she cried, no doubt noticing our disheveled states, and that Gabriel was leaning on me for support.


    We all but fell through the doorway as she stepped aside, the little bit of strength that Gabriel had regained on the train and cab ride was finally spent. His glamour dissolved, revealing his elvish nature, and Mrs. Hudson exclaimed in surprise at the sudden appearance of his currently bandaged wings.


    ¡°Oh Mrs. Hudson, it is so good to see you!¡± I cried, my heart filled with relief. ¡°And I can explain everything, but Gabriel is badly hurt, and I need to tend to him more thoroughly before I can explain the situation in its entirety!¡±


    Her face settled into a grim expression that I¡¯d never seen before, and she nodded, gravely, ¡°Bring him this way, Joan.¡± She helped me get the injured elvish man into a room upstairs, and I situated him in the bed.


    ¡°Some proper, clean bandages would be wonderful, if you have them? And my magical energy is spent, so a basin of hot water, a rag, and some soap would be a blessing as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The wonderful old lady nodded, and disappeared, then returned, with the supplies that I¡¯d asked for.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded. Pulling away the strips of what was once my coat, I cleaned the wounds, and then bound them with better bandages, made from clean sheets that Mrs. Hudson had so willingly sacrificed. When I was done, I washed my hands in the basin of water. ¡°Now I can explain. Gabriel, and indeed his brother-¡±


    But Mrs. Hudson held up her hands, ¡°Let me save you some breath, dear Joan. I lived with Gabriel for ten years, about three of that with my husband, and the remainder after my dear husband died. That said, I know a good deal more about him and his brother than they realize. One day, I happened upon some letters that the dear boy had left out. He can be rather absentminded sometimes, and these letters made it clear that he was elvish. I didn¡¯t fully understand the letters, though, until Myles visited one day, and I saw him without his glamour up, quite by accident, as I was walking by the study door, which they hadn¡¯t closed properly.¡±


    ¡°Of course you knew.¡± I laughed, feeling relieved. There had always been the chance that she wouldn''t believe me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not just a hat-rack.¡± She winked, and then motioned for me to continue. ¡°But please, what on earth happened to you two?¡±


    ¡°He got into the bad graces of an extremely powerful crime-lord¡­or lady, shall I say. Her name is Gem Moriarty.¡± I shuddered at her name, ¡°She tried to kill Gabriel a few times now. The last attempt of which was a bomb in a carriage that her cronies no doubt saw us entering as we fled to the train station to come here.¡±


    ¡°Do they know where you are?¡± Her tone was deeply concerned.


    ¡°Gabriel doesn¡¯t think they could have figured out what train we boarded, nor where we got off at.¡±


    Mrs. Hudson sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You two were right to come here. My dear sister, Emily, has grown a bit senile in her old age, and doesn¡¯t notice most things, like elves, for example. But rest easy now, all is safe, for the moment at least. Now, you come downstairs and get a bite to eat. Gabriel can rest easily enough by himself, and we¡¯ll hear him if he wakes and calls for us.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m famished, and I¡¯ve no doubt he is as well, but he can eat when he wakes up, he needs sleep more than anything right now.¡±


    The food was homemade, hot, familiar, and positively wonderful.


    ¡°After you get done eating, you can have a nice hot bath too. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a saint, Mrs. Hudson!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Well, I do try.¡± She smiled kindly at me.

 Chapter 24

    Gabriel came back to painful consciousness. He was alone in a dark room.


    Where was Joan?!


    Panic flooded him.


    The wounded elf pushed his pain away, and stumbled from the bed, wrenched the door open, and indeed off its hinges, and then lurched down a small hallway. Then he all but toppled down a flight of stairs, his balance thrown off by the bandages that weighed down his wings.


    ¡°Gabriel!¡± He heard Joan cry.


    ¡°Ah.¡± He blinked, clutching his head, and trying to stand, as he was sprawled out on the flagstone floor.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Mrs. Hudson cried. Immediately, both women were there, helping him up. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be resting!¡±


    ¡°Joan wasn¡¯t there.¡± The elf gasped, his head throbbing as he felt pain returned to his wings. ¡°A-and my wings hurt.¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡± Mrs. Hudson ordered, and they deposited him into a chair. Joan knelt by him, and pushed magic into his body, numbing the pain in his back. ¡°You have to learn to let Joan be for a little while! All she was doing was eating, and looking forward to a hot bath, and then you came tumbling down the stairs, and gave her a good shock!¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Gabriel said quietly. ¡°I was frightened.¡±


    ¡°Your dear Joan is fine, I promise!¡± Mrs. Hudson patted his shoulder. ¡°I know how to take care of young people. I¡¯ve been taking care of you for these past ten years, haven¡¯t I? And you never even realized that I knew you were an elf either.¡± She clicked her tongue at him.


    Gabriel blinked, ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no fool, Gabriel Locke!¡± Mrs. Hudson laughed, ¡°And I¡¯ll admit, I was surprised to see your real face, and those great big wings of yours, hurt as they are, as you two stumbled through the door, but I did know. Now, are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± The elf admitted, reaching out and catching Joan¡¯s hand, and pulling urgently on it.


    She stood, ¡°What?¡±


    Gabriel answered by pulling her down into his lap, embracing her. ¡°I¡­I thought you had¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what I thought.¡± He muttered, burying his face into her shoulder.


    --


    Gabriel was trembling. ¡°Shh. It¡¯s alright.¡± I murmured, patting his back carefully, lest I happen to touch one of his injuries. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I frightened you both.¡± He said in a slightly embarrassed sort of tone as he pulled away, and I saw that his high cheekbones were tinged just the slightest shade of pink.


    I laughed, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I forgive you. After a day like today, it¡¯s no wonder that you were scared!¡± Hugging him one last time, I stood, and returned to my own seat, so that I could finish eating.


    Gabriel accepted the bowl of stew from Mrs. Hudson. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Hudson. I don¡¯t know what we would do without you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± The kind old housekeeper assured him. ¡°You just focus on getting better. Now eat, and don¡¯t speak for at least a minute.¡±


    It fell silent as we ate.


    Gabriel finished his food quickly, and asked for more, which of course he was given. The elf seemed famished, and ate three more bowls of soup before pushing his bowl away. I¡¯d watched as he¡¯d eaten, feeling somewhat fascinated. ¡°Where does it all go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How on earth can you possibly eat that much?!¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°I was hungry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it could have gone! ¡°


    Gabriel shrugged again. ¡°Elves have fast metabolisms.¡±


    ¡°Apparently! Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be so fit!¡± I¡¯d be the first to admit that I¡¯d gotten an eyeful of his powerful form as I¡¯d been tending to his wounds.


    To my surprise, the elf grinned at me, and winked. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡±


    He still was able to make me blush like a little schoolgirl, and proved it right there and then. Mrs. Hudson was busy in the other room, and so didn¡¯t hear the flirtatious exchange. ¡°Gabriel!¡± I covered my face, embarrassed.


    It baffled me how this was the same man who had been trembling in relief that I was alright not an hour earlier. But his tone was mild when he spoke again, ¡°Someday I¡¯ll show you what I mean, Joan. Someday. Although I¡¯m sure you saw enough when you were tending to this.¡± He motioned back at his wings.


    I could only blush furiously in response, and saved myself from having to reply by taking a drink of my tea. Choking, I coughed a little.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± his voice was concerned, and his expression now very gentle.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I gasped, waving away his concern, still coughing and sputtering a little. ¡°It went down the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°So long as you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Good.¡± He smiled tentatively, and then looked around the small kitchen that we were in. ¡°This is a cozy little cottage.¡±


    Mrs. Hudson bustled back into the room just at that moment. ¡°It certainly is!¡±


    ¡°I can see why you wanted to live here, away from it all, the woods around you, and no one to bother you.¡± He sighed wistfully.


    ¡°You should move out into the country.¡± Mrs. Hudson told him.


    ¡°Only if Joan would come with me.¡± was his mild reply as he continued to look around, forever curious.


    I felt my face flush a little, but was honored. ¡°I would go where you asked me.¡±


    ¡°Would you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been happier in your company than I have ever been before.¡± I told him.


    ¡°And I yours.¡± Gabriel¡¯s reply was soft.


    ¡°Even if you two don¡¯t decide to move out here, you¡¯re welcome to visit whenever you like.¡± Mrs. Hudson told us. ¡°And while you¡¯re here now, I suggest going hiking in the woods, if you¡¯re ever feeling up to it. There are some lovely waterfalls around here, and there¡¯s a particularly famous one just to the east of here. Rumor has it, if you go on the night of the full moon, you can see a moonbow!¡±


    ¡°A moonbow?¡±


    ¡°Like a rainbow, but with the moon¡¯s light instead of the sun.¡± She explained.


    ¡°That sounds marvelously magical!¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Hardly.¡± Gabriel snorted, ¡°Such a thing is caused by-¡±


    I cut him off, giggling, ¡°I¡¯m glad to know that you¡¯re feeling more like yourself.¡± He was still the Gabriel that I¡¯d fallen in love with, after all.


    The elf blinked, ¡°Oh¡­sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± I smiled, shaking my head, then yawning.


    ¡°I think you should head to bed, dear doctor. Take a nice hot bath, and then head to bed.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s in order.¡± I rubbed my eyes, and stood. Gabriel pushed himself up, standing as well, but his balance wavered. I went and steadied him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you upstairs first, though.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, love.¡± He said quietly.


    After my bath, Mrs. Hudson took me to a room right across the hall from Gabriel¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s lucky we enjoy having company, or we wouldn¡¯t have the room!¡± She smiled. ¡°Goodnight, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mrs. Hudson, it¡¯s so, so good to see you again.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I lay down, and sleep immediately overtook me, but my dreams were full of Gabriel.


    --


    The next day, Gabriel was impatient, and quickly getting bored in the confines of the small cottage. I watched as he paced the living room, his long legs carrying him quickly, though he was still injured. Because of this, he had to stop, rest for a little while before going right back to pacing.


    ¡°Gabriel, pacing isn¡¯t going to make Myles answer your message any sooner.¡± I finally told him, putting down the book that I¡¯d been pretending to read. I¡¯d actually been watching him, feeling concerned that he¡¯d exhaust himself with all the walking he was doing.


    The elf had surprised me that morning by writing a message, then going outside, putting his long fingers to his lips, and giving a piercing whistle.


    A falcon had suddenly streaked down from the sky, and Gabriel had spoken to it in a quiet voice, carefully tying the message to its leg. Then the bird darted off. Upon my surprised questioning, he¡¯d turned to me and explained that if he asked politely, that animals would do his bidding.


    Apparently it was part of being elvish¡­probably something about the wings.


    ¡°I know I just....¡± he didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but ran his lithe, powerful fingers through his long, beautiful hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re bored?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he moaned, throwing himself into a seat, but was still mindful of his injuries. ¡°I¡¯m bored! And anxious! I know that it is ridiculous of me to wish that I had a case¡­a nice murder at least, just to give me something to think about¡­but I do wish it.¡±


    Getting up, I curled up next to him on the couch, then hesitantly reached out and played with a lock of his pristine white hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m boring, is there anything I can do?¡±


    The elf¡¯s lips parted a little in surprise at the intimate contact, but he didn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that you were boring, Joan. You are the least boring person on the entire planet, and I think that I would have already died of boredom were it not for you. So please don¡¯t think-¡±


    ¡°I get it, Gabriel, I¡¯m not boring.¡± I smiled a little.


    He blinked. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help alleviate your boredom?¡± I asked again, wanting to be helpful.


    Gabriel was thoughtful for a few moments, and then asked suddenly, ¡°Would you like to learn some more magic?¡±


    Suddenly, I was excited. ¡°Oh yes, please! I would very much like that!¡±


    He broke into a beautiful smile. ¡°Excellent. I can teach you a lot, I think.¡±


    We sat there for some time. Much to my surprise, he was an excellent teacher. I had expected him to be impatient, and difficult to understand, but it wasn¡¯t so. Or maybe he was just patient with me because I understood the way that his mind worked a little better than most people.


    Under his careful, gentle eye, he taught me how to make fire jump up from my thumb, as I¡¯d seen him do countless times, and then how to focus my energy, and make fire jump up from the log in the fireplace without even touching it. I learned how to make things that had spilled go back into their proper place, which was just a tweak on levitating, something I already knew how to do. Then he taught me how to make my own glamours, but I wasn¡¯t able to keep them up for a long period of time, as he was/ But to be fair, Gabriel was much more powerful than me, after all.


    I yawned, exhausted from using so much magic, I noticed that it was dark outside, he¡¯d been teaching me all day!


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time that we stop.¡± Gabriel smiled.


    ¡°I agree. I¡¯m tired!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You learned a lot today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so tired!¡± I laughed.


    Mrs. Hudson came in, she¡¯d been in and out all day, tending to her all but bed-bound sister. ¡°Do you two want dinner?¡±


    ¡°Dinner would be lovely, Mrs. Hudson.¡± Gabriel nodded.


    --


    Thunder pulled me from my sleep, and I cried out, sitting up, startled.


    The door to my room opened barely a moment later, and I heard Gabriel¡¯s quiet voice. ¡°Joan? Are you alright?¡±


    As I rubbed my eyes with my fists, I felt his weight on the end of my bed, and saw his white hair flashing in the dim light that came in through the window. His eyes reflected the light as well, like a cat¡¯s.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. The thunder scared me awake.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°I see.¡± was his soft reply. The elf reached out, brushing my hair out of my eyes. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± His head bobbed in a nod. It was quiet for a few moments. ¡°While I¡¯m in here, would you mind seeing to my wings?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I should have done that before we went to sleep.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt then.¡± Gabriel told me. ¡°Let¡¯s have a little light.¡± He clicked his fingers, and the lamps sparked to life, illuminating the room with their yellow light.


    ¡°I need to get some bandages and stuff to clean them with. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I struggled from beneath my blankets, and left, retrieved freshly laundered bandages, a bowl of hot water, some soap, a washrag, and then I returned to my room. As I entered, I saw that he was gingerly shrugging out of his shirt.


    Mrs. Hudson had gotten out some of her brother¡¯s old clothes that they hadn¡¯t had the heart to part with for Gabriel to wear, which he had then altered with magic because they hadn¡¯t quite fit across his broad shoulders. She had some old dresses that she let me borrow as well. This was particularly kind of her, as the pair of us had had basically nothing with us when we¡¯d arrived on her doorstep.


    ¡°Careful.¡± I murmured as I saw him struggling to extract his wings. Going to his side, I sat the things down, and helped him get the shirt all the way off so that I could get at all of his bandaged wounds. Mrs. Hudson had seen to them the night before, as I¡¯d been exhausted. Then I ever-so gently pulled away the old bandages, and inspected his injuries. ¡°They¡¯re looking much better.¡± I told him, trying to sound positive.


    He was quiet for a moment as I started to clean the burns. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­never be able to fly again.¡± The elf said softly, his voice subdued.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t say that! You don¡¯t know that you won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I saw them yesterday, in the mirror when Mrs. Hudson was tending to them. Elves can heal miraculously, but¡­but they¡¯re¡­too badly damaged.¡± He frowned, but I could see that he was far more upset than he was letting on.


    I stopped cleaning his wings, and sat down in front of him, shaking my head a little. ¡°No one will think any less of you, Gabriel.¡± I said softly, knowing this was true. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t. You got hurt because of me, and I couldn¡¯t ever think anything but the best of you¡­I wouldn¡¯t have been able to anyways.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss flying.¡± He said, then finally burst into tears, covering his face with his hands, his broad shoulders shaking as he cried. ¡°I¡­I-I¡¯m¡­not¡­whole anymore¡­¡±


    Knowing that I couldn¡¯t do anything more than I was already doing was a horrible feeling. I literally couldn¡¯t help him any more than I was already helping him. ¡°The measure of a man, or in your case, an elf, is not in his stature, or wingspan, Gabriel. You¡¯re more than just that. I¡¯m sorry that you will miss flying¡­I wish there was more I could do to help¡­but I¡¯m doing all I can and-¡±


    He interrupted, suddenly sounding a little frantic, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to imply that I was unhappy with your care. You¡¯re doing a wonderful job.¡±


    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t saying that.¡± I smiled a little, shaking my head.


    ¡°Good¡­I just¡­I¡¯ll miss flying.¡± The elf took a deep breath, and wiped his eyes.


    ¡°I would imagine so!¡± I said, returning to cleaning his wings.


    ¡°But¡­I¡¯ll survive. Other elves have lost their wings before me.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t exactly lost them¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re as good as lost¡­maybe I¡¯ll look into having them amputated.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I cried. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Joan, wings with holes aren¡¯t good for anything.¡± He explained, his tone gentle, ¡°And many of the feathers won¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡± I frowned, unable to imagine him without wings, and found that the idea was unsettling to me. Now it felt like it was my turn to cry. ¡°I-I¡¯ll miss them¡­you had such beautiful wings.¡±


    Gabriel looked back at me, ¡°Oh don¡¯t you cry too!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I shook my head, holding back my tears. ¡°It would be stupid for me to cry. They¡¯re not my wings, after all.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re as good as.¡± He whispered.


    Having finished cleaning his wounds, I started bandaging them, and focused on that, since I wasn¡¯t sure of how to reply. We were quiet until I finished working.


    ¡°Done.¡± I said, stepping back, and washing my hands in the basin.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°As if I wouldn¡¯t see to your injuries.¡± I smiled, glancing back at him as he slipped carefully back into his shirt, but was able to manage it himself this time. I tore my eyes away quickly, hoping that he didn¡¯t notice that I was blushing from having seen his perfect elvish physique.


    ¡°Will you numb me?¡± His voice was hopeful.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded, drying my hands and then reaching out and touching his shoulder, numbing his pain, and then letting them drop.


    He stood. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I smiled up at the towering elf.


    To my surprise, his hands slipped around me, and pulled me against his chest in a strong, comfortable embrace. ¡°When this is over, would you want to move into the country with me? Stay around and make sure that I eat? I wouldn¡¯t have you be my maid, but maybe you could be a country doctor, with your own little practice, and I could solve the mystery of who stole Farmer Brown¡¯s pigs. We¡­could be happy¡­¡± his voice was soft.


    ¡°I will go wherever you ask me to.¡± I whispered, curling into him.


    His fingers mingled in my hair. ¡°Then as soon as this has blown over, I¡¯ll start looking for a little cottage for us.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely.¡± I smiled into his chest. We stood there for a little while, but I knew that I needed to sleep, as much as I wanted to stay there, in his arms, forever. ¡°We should sleep.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Should I¡­find a house with two bedrooms, or one?¡± His voice was soft.


    I blinked, and felt my face flush. ¡°I¡­.I-I think that¡¯s up to you. B-but if we only had one room, and Mrs. Hudson or Myles came to visit, where would they stay?¡±


    Gabriel studied my face for a moment, ¡°Of course. Stupid question.¡± The tall elf leaned down and our lips brushed for the briefest moment as he kissed me. ¡°Goodnight, Joan.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± I whispered, half hoping that he¡¯d pull me to his room with him.


    Then he was gone.


    --


    The elf leaned against the door to his room. It took every bit of willpower that he possessed to not turn and dart back to her room, slip beneath the covers of her bed, pull her small form into his arms, and¡­


    Gabriel closed his eyes, banishing the thought from his mind, knowing that if he thought about it, then it would be even harder for him to resist.


    Throwing himself on the bed, he buried his face in the pillow, trying to block out all thoughts of her.


    He¡¯d kissed her. It had lasted for barely a second, but he had done it. It had taken all of his courage to. The thought that she would lean away, disgusted with him for attempting to do so, had kept him from kissing her far sooner. But she hadn¡¯t stopped him. Indeed his probably inappropriate question about the room situation had garnered a response that made him incredibly hopeful. Of course, he hadn¡¯t said that he intended to ask her to marry him before he ever actually spirited her away to the countryside.


    He wanted nothing more than to marry her, and live a peaceful life¡­and by peaceful he meant constantly pulling her away from her medical practice to solve the local town¡¯s darkest crimes, which would most likely consist of pig thieves, cow-tippers, and maybe the occasional juicy murder.


    As long as he had a case to solve, and Joan by his side, he could be content anywhere.

 Chapter 25

    Gabriel descended the stairs the next morning, looking around. ¡°Is Joan up, Mrs. Hudson? I saw she wasn¡¯t in her room.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been up for an hour or so.¡± Mrs. Hudson told him. ¡°She ate a quick breakfast, and then went out for a hike. Although I noticed she seemed a little lost in thought¡­¡±


    ¡°She went out by herself?¡± Gabriel frowned.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m very clearly not with her, and neither are you.¡± the housekeeper laughed a little.


    ¡°She oughtn¡¯t have gone out by herself.¡± The elf shook his head, but sat at the table, not immediately worried. ¡°It may not be safe out. I would give it another day or so before I would deem it safe to venture out, even into the woods around here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine.¡± Mrs. Hudson said, ¡°But have some breakfast, and if you¡¯re still worried, then go look for her, by all means! She hasn¡¯t been gone very long. Besides, I¡¯m sure she would enjoy your company.¡±


    ¡°I certainly enjoy hers.¡± Gabriel said softly.


    ¡°Have you ever considered marrying her?¡± The dear old housekeeper asked him, smiling kindly.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know that the thought had crossed my mind?¡± Gabriel smiled as he accepted the plate of biscuits, bacon, and scrambled eggs that she handed him. ¡°There is a ring that¡¯s an heirloom in my family. I¡­wrote to my father, and asked him to send it a few weeks ago. It¡¯s at Cooke Street, right now¡­I hope no one takes it. But I do intend to propose to her with it, someday. I¡­would very much like to be married to her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡°And¡­and I hinted at a similar situation last night, as she tended to my wings...perhaps that¡¯s why she was so thoughtful this morning. I hope I didn¡¯t upset her, somehow.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t seem upset, just pensive.¡± Mrs. Hudson assured him.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Gabriel sighed, and began to devour his breakfast.


    --


    The woods around the little cottage were indeed beautiful. As I hiked, I saw many little streams and waterfalls, and a few larger ones.


    Up ahead, there was one towering one that had drawn my attention, and that was where I was trying to get to, wanting to see it from much more up close.


    Walking out in nature helped me to clear my head. Gabriel had all but asked if we would share a bedroom when we moved to the country. And I¡¯d basically agreed to. But I guess it would really depend on if we were married first. I didn¡¯t want to share a bed with anyone that I wasn¡¯t married to. The flipside is that I also knew that he wouldn¡¯t ever push me to do something that I wasn¡¯t comfortable with. He would never force me to do anything, and I always greatly appreciated that.


    A twig snapped, and I looked around, hoping to catch sight of a deer, or another furry creature, maybe even a rabbit! When I didn¡¯t see anything, I resumed walking, meandering really, along, towards the towering waterfall.


    As I walked, a little purple flower caught my attention, and made me smile. Stooping down, I plucked it, and straightened again. But as I stood back up, something cold and tube-shaped pressed against the back of my head, and I was momentarily puzzled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a move, or I¡¯ll end you far more swiftly than I want to.¡± Gem Moriarty¡¯s voice made my blood run cold, and I realized that it was the barrel of a gun that was pressed against my head. ¡°Running away from the city could only keep you safe for so long. I can track a falcon on a cloudy day, given enough time.¡± She gloated.


    ¡°H-how did you find us?!¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Joan, Joan, Joan.¡± I could tell that she was shaking her head, and her tone was demeaning, ¡°I have people everywhere, even in the train station. And then it was just a matter of finding out where you disembarked, which clearly only took me a few days.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want you dead, quite honestly. But we¡¯re going to take a little walk, first, and see that lovely waterfall up close.¡± She gave a cold, harsh laugh. ¡°Now start walking. And if you even start to turn around, your brains will be gone before you can even think to use your magic.¡±


    I had no choice, the gun was right against my skull. Sure, magic was an option, but there was no way that I could properly defend myself against her without turning around. I wasn¡¯t skilled enough at it. Even to shoot flames, I had to be able to see the object, unfortunately, and there was no doubt in my mind that if I tried to do something, there would be a bullet in my head immediately.


    We walked at a fast pace, and were silent for a while as the waterfall grew closer and closer.


    ¡°When I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯m going to deal with your precious detective. But I thought that us girls should talk first. After all, it was you who kept me from ending them so very nicely back on Cooke Street. I should have known better than to discount the maid, that was my mistake. I won¡¯t make that mistake again, because of course the Locke brothers rub elbows with mages. But I can¡¯t have you around to ruin their deaths this time. Thankfully, I know that the dear old ladies who are in that house can¡¯t use magic because anyone who can use magic doesn''t age.¡± Gem Moriarty clearly knew far less about magic than she realized, after all, Mrs. Hudson could be young, and simply wearing the glamour of an old woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, actually. A doctor and a mage. I¡¯m not just a maid.¡± I bristled, but wasn¡¯t sure why I felt the need to tell her so.


    We were now at the base of the waterfall, and started to ascend.


    ¡°Oh? A woman of intelligence and ambition!¡± she sounded a little impressed, ¡°Then I don¡¯t feel so badly about my plans being disrupted by you. You have intelligence, and it¡¯s far less demeaning to be beaten by a woman of intelligence as well as magic than just a simple little maid. Maybe you¡¯re not so different from me. It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m going to kill you, maybe we could have gotten along. I would die for my own personal source of magic.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that we would never have gotten along.¡± I snapped, angered that she would suggest such a thing. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, I heal people. You¡¯re nothing but a common criminal who just so happens to have some smarts.¡±


    ¡°And yet here we are, and I¡¯m winning.¡± Gem laughed, her tone forever cruel and cold. ¡°As that waterfall gets closer and closer, so does your death. So say what you will, little Joan, but you won¡¯t hurt my feelings. After all, I¡¯ll be the one having the last laugh.¡±


    I swallowed hard, noting that the highest point of the waterfall was not far away, now. Gun still pointed to my head, I was forced to march on.


    Upon reaching the waterfall, I noticed that there was an overhang of rock that created a sort of cave just behind the cascade of roaring water. The water was a curtain that separated the cave area from the rest of the world, thundering to the ground hundreds of feet below with a gap of about a foot between it and where the rock floor ended.


    ¡°In.¡± Moriarty ordered.


    Entering the area behind the waterfall, she prodded me closer to the edge.


    Soon, I found myself looking down into the gap between the rock and the curtain of water. It was a dizzying sight.


    I felt numb inside.


    There was nothing I could do, so there was really no point in being scared.


    I was going to die.


    --


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    Gabriel finished his breakfast, and took the plate to where Mrs. Hudson was washing dishes. The tall elf pulled on his shoes, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Joan and make sure that she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright dear!¡± Mrs. Hudson said cheerfully.


    The elf put on his glamour, then left. He paused, looking around for her footprints. Gabriel had always been proficient at tracking people¡¯s movements, especially their footprints. It was a skill that had helped him solve countless cases, and he¡¯d gotten even better at it over the years, so it didn¡¯t take him long at all to find her small, familiar footprints.


    Gabriel walked for a little while, caught up in watching her little pace as depicted in the dirt in front of him, finding it ridiculously entertaining, for some reason, his sharp eyes scanning the soil.


    Then he wasn¡¯t alone. He could feel another person there, in the woods with him.


    The elf whirled around, defensive as he realized that it wasn¡¯t Joan, but then suddenly recognized the person who¡¯d crept up on him.


    ¡°Myles.¡± He sighed, relieved.


    But instead of a greeting, his brother strode quickly to his side, dropping his glamour, his expression determined and concerned. ¡°You and Joan are in danger, what are you doing out here by yourself?!¡±


    ¡°Joan took a walk, and I went to look for her, I¡¯m following her footsteps.¡± Gabriel blinked, dropping his glamour as well, feeling surprised at his brother.


    Cold and calculating though he was, Myles did typically at least try to greet people properly.


    ¡°She should not be alone! Lead the way, I¡¯ll explain as we walk.¡± Myles said, when Gabriel didn¡¯t move, still confused, he gestured frantically, agitation on his face, ¡°Gem Moriarty has found your location! Get moving!¡±


    Gabriel¡¯s blood froze, and he darted down the trail that Joan had left, Myles following closely behind, as he wasn¡¯t as good a tracker as his little brother.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Gabriel asked as they ran.


    ¡°She has people everywhere. It was only a matter of time before she figured out that you had fled the city, and only a couple of days more before she found out where it was that you had gone. I tried and tried to send you messages, after getting yours by hawk, but time and time again, I realized that she had somehow intercepted it. I finally found a leak. One of my own staff that was on her payroll! It¡¯s a grievous error that has since been remedied.¡± Gabriel tried not to imagine just how his brother had remedied the problem, and focused on reading the soil in front of him. ¡°But then my own people sent word that she had located you and was already on her way to find you. Had they gotten word to me more quickly, I would have reached here first.¡±


    Gabriel stopped, looking down at the trail of footsteps and frowning, ¡°Someone joined her just here...and judging by the look of it, it was another woman.¡±


    ¡°Moriarty.¡± Myles¡¯ voice was grave. ¡°I feared as much.¡±


    ¡°Then she is most likely already dead!¡± Gabriel cried, he now bolted down the trail, hardly needing to read the footprints anymore, as he realized that the footprints of the two women led towards the waterfall that dominated the immediate landscape, towering high above them


    Myles was right on his brother¡¯s heels as they darted up the incline, now falling completely silent, as surprise was always a good friend to have on your side.


    Gabriel reached the precipice of the waterfall, and looked around. There was no one there. Where were they?! They could have gone nowhere else but there, as there were no footsteps leading away from the waterfall.


    Something caught his sharp ears. The elf paused from his frantic looking, and listened for a moment. The echo of voices floated through the air. His sharp eyes darted around in the direction that the voices were coming from, and saw an opening in the rock, where the overhang of the waterfall created a gap that was big enough to walk into.


    The elves crept to the entrance of the little waterfall cave.


    --


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the decent thing and ask for your last words.¡± Gem laughed, ¡°That way I can tell your precious detective how you begged for mercy before I killed you, right before I kill him.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise that you¡¯ll tell him what I say?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be the only decent thing that I¡¯ll do in my entire life. I promise.¡± Her voice was surprisingly even.


    Even though I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed her or not, I took a deep breath, knowing that the next sentence I said would be my last.


    ¡°Tell him I would have wanted to marry him before we shared that little cottage in the country, and that I¡¯ll be waiting for him on the other side, no matter how long it takes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sickeningly sweet.¡± I heard the gun cock.


    --


    As they entered the cave, the sight of Gem holding a gun directly to the back of Joan¡¯s head met their eyes.


    Gabriel heard, as if in a dream, Joan¡¯s voice saying, ¡°¡­and that I¡¯ll be waiting for him for him on the other side, no matter how long I have to wait.¡±


    He vaguely heard Gem¡¯s retort, and the chilling snap of her revolver being cocked.


    The elf didn¡¯t think, he simply reacted, throwing himself forward, closing the distance between himself and the criminal mastermind in an instant.


    Moriarty cried out as Gabriel hit her with every bit of strength that he had in his body, and that was no small amount.


    The gun went off in the criminal mastermind¡¯s hand, but her reaction was too slow, and the gun was already pointed away from Joan¡¯s head.


    Relief flooded him as the bullet buried itself in a stone wall far away from Joan, and the gun slipped from Moriarty¡¯s grasp as she struggled.


    Then, carried by his own momentum, Gabriel felt himself overbalancing.


    Horror filled him as he realized that there was no way he could keep himself from tumbling over the edge of the cliff with Moriarty.


    In that moment, Gabriel realized that, given how badly his wings were damaged, he had traded Joan¡¯s death for his.


    It was an acceptable substitution.


    Gem Moriarty would be torn from the world as well, and Joan would be safe.


    That¡¯s all that really mattered, in the end, that Joan was safe, and that thought gave him a sense of peace.


    Craning his neck, he glimpsed the small woman that he loved so deeply. It hurt his heart.


    Surprised horror was written on the young mage¡¯s heart-shaped face as she realized that he was going to go over the edge. Those lovely, dark eyes of hers were wide, and her long, raven curls trailed lazily in the slight breeze from the waterfall that he was about to plunge into.


    Joan had taken a step towards him, her small, pale hands outstretched, reaching for him, their hands just inches away, each wanting the other¡¯s company.


    Her sweet lips parted with a shrill cry, but Myles¡¯ arms restrained the small woman as she tried to catch hold of Gabriel.


    Both elves knew that Joan would go over the edge as well if she caught hold of Gabriel, and so Myles held her tightly.


    Myles¡¯ jaw was clenched, and his eyes, so typically restrained and icy, burned with pain.


    This comforted Gabriel some as cold water slapped his face, clouding his vision. At least he had proof that his brother did actually have emotions, despite his best attempts to prove otherwise.


    The thought then passed through his mind that Myles would probably see to it that Joan was taken care of, which made him feel content as the wind and water rushed by him.


    As long as she was safe.


    --


    Myles held onto Joan¡¯s small form. She struggled against him for a moment, but was unable to free herself.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± she screamed, now hitting his arms and clawing at his hands, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Let me go, Myles Locke! Or go after him! Don¡¯t you care?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother, Joan. Think what you will of me, but I did love him.¡± Myles¡¯ heard his voice reply quietly.


    ¡°Then go after him! Your wings aren¡¯t hurt!¡± Joan shouted, still pulling against him and hitting his arms and hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, Joan.¡± Myles said softly.


    ¡°No! You go after him, and bring him back!¡± She sobbed, but stopped struggling.


    The elf felt her knees give out, and he easily caught her slight weight, supporting her. He pulled the young woman away from the edge of the cliff that his little brother had just fallen over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Joan. But I¡¯ll¡­make a search party and¡­and find their bodies. But right now, you¡¯re in shock, I have to deal with that first.¡± He suddenly wished that he had some sort of blanket for her as a voice in the back of his head told him that it was proper protocol to put a blanket around a person in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in shock!¡± the small doctor sobbed, but let him carry her out of the cave.


    Stepping out into the sunny day, a cool breeze caressed his face.


    Myles sat Joan down, and she sank to her knees, having suddenly grown quiet.


    He swallowed hard, and realized that he was upset. No, that¡­wasn¡¯t the word. To say he was upset was a gross understatement of the pain, anger, and deep despair that filled him.


    The mountainside was probably crawling with Moriarty¡¯s men, and they needed to get to safety, but at that moment, Myles couldn¡¯t bring himself to take another step.


    For so long, the elf had locked everything away. For so long he¡¯d believed that he¡¯d shut his emotions off because they were a weakness. And now he remembered that he¡¯d actually blocked them out because they hurt.


    Oh how badly they hurt.


    His little brother had just died, and it hurt.


    Agony welled in his soul.


    There was a soft sniffle, and he looked down at Joan, having momentarily forgotten that she was there. Myles saw that the small woman was hugging herself, trembling violently, tears still pouring down her face.


    It struck him that she understood. She understood the pain. But unlike him, she didn¡¯t feel the need to lock it away. Something in that thought comforted him a little, but not enough.


    ¡°Come, Joan.¡± The elf frowned.


    She merely shook her head, but was crying too much to speak.


    Myles shrugged, then bent, lifting the small doctor from the ground, and began to descend the way he¡¯d come.