A Study in Regret by Claire Daines

Author:Claire Daines
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sherlock Holmes, mystery, crime, british crime, sherlock holmes novels, sherlock holmes fiction
ISBN: 9781780924403
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2013
Published: 2013-09-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Turning the Tide

“Do not test me, Mr. Holmes! The three of us have been accommodating as possible, but enough is enough!” Thirty-six hours later, and Holmes still had not moved or spoken, except to rebuff any and all approaches from his fellow houseguests- and now it seemed that Mary’s patience had finally been exhausted. “I am not your thrice-sainted landlady, sir, and you would do well to remember that!” Too true, Mrs. Hudson had never interfered regarding his personal hygiene...Why was Mary suddenly so concerned about him bathing now, anyhow?”Let me put it to you another way: it is summer, you needn’t sleep inside. I have no qualms whatsoever about making you share quarters with the donkey, if you insist on smelling like her!”

That threat got Holmes’ full attention, and he lifted his head from under the blanket to glare at the woman blearily - he had not managed to get much sleep, either.”Absolutely not!”

Mary smiled grimly. “Very well then... Inspector, Mr. Holmes wishes to bathe. If you would be so kind?”She nodded her head towards the couch and its mutinous occupant.

“Right you are.”Lestrade rose from the kitchen table, where he had been conversing with Roland in halting German, grinning.

“Lestrade...”Holmes hissed, glaring venomously.

“Sorry, Mr. Holmes, you heard the lady!”Without further ado, Lestrade whisked the blanket away and gathered the detective roughly into his arms. For several moments, Holmes’ sheer outrage at the man’s audacity held him immobile, until he realised Lestrade was carrying him outside. Deducing where they must be going freed Holmes from his paralysis, but he still did not dare to struggle in case the Inspector lost his grip on him.

“Take me back, Lestrade, at once! This is most undignified!”As if this were not mortifying enough, Roland was following them with a cake of soap and a wool robe, trying in vain to smother a smile.

“Hard not to be, with you shouting like that.” As Holmes had suspected, they rounded the corner and approached a deep wooden trough with a pump at one end lying under the eaves, which currently held at least three feet of water.

“For God’s sake, Lestrade, animals have been drinking from there! How is that sanitary?”

“I’d say they were a lot cleaner than you right now.” The Inspector was entirely unmoved, continuing on inexorably.

Holmes made one last attempt. “This will not be forgiven, Inspector...”

“Oh, well, in that case...” Lestrade dropped Holmes straight into the trough. Flailing for the side, the detective rose spluttering to the surface, having neglected to close his mouth when Lestrade let go. Through the water in his ears, Holmes heard the Inspector say cheerfully, but with a band of iron in his voice, “Something you clearly haven’t deduced yet, sir: I’d far rather have you angry at me than Mary, any day of the year. The water’s clean, here’s the soap...” The fist-sized bar landed in front of Holmes, splashing more water into his face.”And you won’t be needing this.” His sodden hospital gown was stripped off, leaving him with only his bandages and the water for cover.

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