Status: Another one that's been on the back burner.....

Dazed and Confused

Situation

There was a lot to be said and the first was why my grandfather had committed himself to finding a way to travel through time. As I had thought it was because of a death, the death of my grandmother. It really shouldn’t be a surprise that he would go to the ends of time just for the possibility of getting the love of his life back. Romantic as it was, it wasn’t logical. He didn’t have anyone to tell him that he needed to grieve properly not become engrossed in the task of bringing back what was lost to him. What he was doing had horrible consequences and getting that through his thick skull was beyond difficult. He made a living in the current century on inventions and smart business transactions that would keep him comfortable while also paying for his obsession.

Under his pseudonym Gregory Francis he gained a certain presence in the city of London. He had been stuck in the city for roughly three years and he successfully built up a reputation as well. Not a bad reputation but one that many admired, he was a prominent business man with enough savvy to get him through the ages. It could be assumed that within the next two days, I had kept my distance from Sherlock Holmes because I had to keep up with my grandfather’s wishes. Within those days I found myself getting the rest I needed in order to properly function. My grandfather had started to ask questions about how I was taken by Moriarty and just how I got him to release him. To my grandfather it all seemed strange and he still couldn’t believe all that had occurred because in his eyes I was just his little Queeny. He only called me by the pet name on account of my middle name Reyna meaning queen in Spanish. Eventually he had decided it best to keep up with appearances being that it didn’t seem we were going back to our own time anytime soon.

We sat at a table for dinner and I remained quiet without reacting to the crowd we were currently in. The restaurant was the same as the one I had gone to with Sherlock, John and his lovely wife Mary. Imagine my surprise when I caught sight of the trio on the other side of the room. It was obviously a small world even in this time. Sherlock Holmes sat in his spot at the dinner table staring at everything around him as he was so prone to be doing. I kept them within sight while I sat at a separate table with my grandfather. The entire time I remained quiet and polite to the worldly gentlemen that seemed to know him. I hadn’t been paying much attention since I was busy keeping an eye on Holmes. Most of the voices were droned out and I tried to remain polite.

“Mister Price are you eating alone tonight?”

“Looks that way Sir.”

“Why don’t you join my granddaughter and I? We have plenty of room.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” the man says. My grandfather nudged me gently and smiled at the man standing before him.

“You don’t mind if he joins us do you?”

“Of course not, I don’t mind,” I murmur still not looking at the man. My ears had singled out Mary questioning John about who I really was and from my peripheral vision I saw her leaving looking rather upset. Quickly I placed the cloth napkin from my lap onto the table. “Excuse me I will be right back.”

I didn’t bother to wait for a response and I followed Mary towards the exit. My lies had caused a rift in their marriage and I was going to do damage control over the situation. Mary looked upset and while she stood outside waiting I approached her.

“Mary I‘m sorry about all this but I must tell you the truth. I lied to you and Watson I am in no way related. I was in a bit of trouble and needed to find my grandfather. Please know that I feel terrible about this, Watson had nothing to do with it.”

“Holmes wouldn’t help you unless it was interesting. I suppose I could understand your dilemma.”

“You mean the world to him Mary, I can see it in his eyes whenever he looks at you. It is the same look my father used to give my mother,” I state with a soft smile. Mary looked down a small smile slipping onto her once serious face.

“Thank you for that Amber.”

“I thought you should know, sometimes we are blind to what lies in front of us. Would you like to walk back into the restaurant together?”

“That would be lovely,” Mary smiles. We walked back into the restaurant only to be greeted by John Watson near the front entrance. His eyes were only on Mary.

“Mary I thought you had left.”

“Amber had convinced me to stay,” she answers causing John to acknowledge my presence.

“Thank you for that,” Watson says in a sincere manner.

“It was nothing. I must get back to my grandfather. Have a lovely night or as lovely as it can be with Holmes in your company,” I tease lightly with a smile. John gave a chuckle and Mary a smile.

“You have a lovely night as well.”

I smiled before walking back to the table. The two men stood up when I reached the area and I finally took notice of how handsome Mr. Price was. He held out the chair for me and I sat down giving him an appreciative smile as he gently pushed in the chair for me.

“Thank you Mr. Price.”

“You are very welcome,” the man says revealing a big toothy smile. He had eyes that were a lovely shade of blue and a splendidly structured jaw line. As I placed the napkin back on my lap the waiter came by to refill the wineglasses. My grandfather smiled at me and gestured to Mr. Price.

“I was just telling David that you enjoy reading books.”

“Well what else would I be reading and actually enjoy? The newspaper?” I counter in a humorous tone. David Price chuckled lightly at my reply and then took a sip of his wine, his eyes glancing at me in an engaging manner.

“I fancy myself a good book as well, I daresay you must be a fan of Jane Austen,” David comments.

“Actually I am not a fan, I’d rather read the likes of Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley.”

“Ah a lady who appreciates the allure of the gothic novel. I can respect a woman with such tastes.”

“I wasn’t aware taste in literature could employ respect from others,” I state with a hint of a smile playing on my lips.

“You certainly are quick witted and humorous.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment Mr. Price.”

The night continued onwards and we ate our meals sprinkling in conversation between courses. I actually thought David Price was a very lovely man, one with charm, good looks and a certain kindness in his eyes. My grandfather and I bid our adieus to him while David found it customary to take my hand to gently kiss it. If the act were done in the present day I would have smacked him for shear audacity to do something so ridiculous but alas I didn’t knowing that it was a common display of good manners in the time I was currently in. Although unnerved by the act the reaction was soothed by the fact he was indeed a lovely man. My eyes then drifted to see Sherlock staring at the gesture I had received from David and his dark eyes seemed to be analyzing my every reaction before he left. In the carriage ride back to my grandfather’s residence I stared out the window thinking that perhaps I should talk to Sherlock the next day.

My mind found it hard to sleep with the sea of thoughts that seemed to only drown any idea of resting. First and foremost was the goal of getting back home to my own time and with my grandfather now in tow it was going to be increasingly harder to do so. According to plan as set by Moriarty I had to remain close to Sherlock Holmes and in more ways than one, play with his emotions. It was a task easier said than done because the man in question needing to be toyed with was incredibly astute with a keen eye for observation. I wanted the best of both worlds, to trick Moriarty while remaining in Sherlock’s good graces so that I can act my way out of the timely situation back to my home. Never one for acting in an official manner such as a play or movie, I had to go on my subtle manipulative disposition that often got people to do what I wanted them to do. Perhaps it was the upside of being the youngest child of the family, never was I stronger or particularly smart so I had to use my charm to get my way.

Come morning I left my grandfather’s residence to head over to 221B Baker Street, the address of Sherlock Holmes. There was a discussion that was required to be had between Sherlock and I; a discussion about a plan. I needed to be apart of any plan regarding Moriarty and I would not allow Sherlock to exclude me from his plans because there was too much at stake. My mind was set on arriving at my destination and although it took longer to go on foot, I finally made it to the steps of his home.

Once I was there however, I did not know whether I should knock or just barge in like I had very much wanted to do. I had to remember my place in this time and acted like a proper woman by knocking calmly on the front door. Mrs. Hudson answered and upon seeing me she gave a bright smile.

“I was not expecting to see you Miss Amber.”

“I wanted to come by to speak with Mr. Holmes, if that’s alright,” I say looking at Mrs. Hudson with a polite smile.

“Of course, come in, would you like me to fetch him?”

“I don’t want him to be unnecessarily rude to you or anything.”

“I have gotten used to his behavior by now. I was just getting ready to bring up some tea to him.”

“I could always bring it up, I don’t mind,” I reply.

“Are you sure?” Mrs. Hudson responds unsure.

“Very sure, Mrs. Hudson, it would be my pleasure.”

“You are just too kind for words.”

“And you are just as kind Mrs. Hudson,” I state with a smile. I walked with her to the silver tray containing the fresh brew of hot tea. Very carefully I took the tray by the handles and proceeded up the stairs to Sherlock’s bedroom. As expected the room was dark and musty so I opted to set the tea on a somewhat clear trunk top so that I could open the window for some light in the mess of a place. It was the sudden stream of light mixed with the fresh air that woke the sleeping Sherlock who lied on the small couch covered with a coat. He clutched the coat against his body as if he were naked and stared at me rather thrown off by my presence sitting at the window sill. A small smile played on my lips and I gestured to the tray of fresh tea that was in front of the couch.

“Brought up some tea, I figured we could have a talk about things.”

“You certainly require some explaining,” he spoke in a gruff voice.

“Well here’s our chance to get our stories straight,” I state as I remained seated looking out the window. I could feel those hired by Moriarty watching from the streets and I moved from my spot to sit next to Holmes on the couch. It was all about the illusion and I began to pour the tea into the small cup for Sherlock. He stared with a dubious expression on his face and I began to pour a glass for myself. This was certainly going to be difficult getting Sherlock to let me in on his plans especially when it seemed he didn’t trust me at all. One thing’s for sure, I didn’t blame him.
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I know it has been far too long and I apologize for that. I'd like to thank all of the people who have commented and subscribed to this story. Hopefully this update was worth the wait and we shall get to some action in due time. Thanks again you lovely people.