"The Widow" Bertha

The first thing Bertha did when she got home was to go back to her bedroom and change her clothes.

When she returned to the living room, she had already changed into the dark brown dress she usually wore, and Bertha casually pulled up her black hair, which was still hanging on both sides of her cheeks, when the maid Grace Poole was not there. It seemed a lot milder than usual.

However, it is not Bertha tonight who has changed his image the most, but Mr. Mycroft Holmes.

He took off his coat and only wore a white shirt with the cuffs neatly rolled up to the elbows.Most importantly, Mycroft was still wearing an apron, and the tall man stood casually at the door of the kitchen, as if ready to work.

Even seeing Bertha going downstairs, she just said indifferently: "If there is nothing wrong, how about helping me put the tableware on the table?"

This is what it means to cook yourself.

Bertha was surprised: "Is the cook not here?"

Mycroft nodded: "My family members are sick, so I asked for leave in the morning. Before she left, she had already prepared all the ingredients, and she just needs to deal with them simply."

The dignified Mr. Holmes cooks himself!

Not to mention the nineteenth century, even in the 21st century, Bertha must not miss such a good opportunity.She laughed: "Then I can look forward to it, Mike, you won't blow up the pot, will you?"

Unexpectedly, when she landed a teasing sentence, Mycroft got a rather hurt expression.

"Why do you look down on me so much, madam!"

He curled his lips, pretending to be exaggerated: "Then I have to show my hand today."

Bertha smiled and said, "Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

How long does it take to set the plate?It took Bertha a total of less than two minutes, and then she sat down from the table and watched Mycroft busy in the kitchen five or six steps away from her.

The cook had indeed prepared all the ingredients. The minced chicken was cooked and marinated in a basin. Bertha could smell the spices and sauces from such a distance.The raw fish and mashed potatoes had also been processed, and all Mycroft had to do was put the fish in the pot, and then put the mashed potatoes in the pot to heat up.

but……

Judging from the actions of the man frying the fish in the hot oil, Bertha unexpectedly learned a new fact: Mr. Mycroft Holmes really has cooking experience.

He even skillfully chatted with Bertha while frying fish: "You have paid too much for the affairs of the Whitechapel District, madam, even if it is acting, it must not be so far."

Still thinking about it?

Bertha came here through time travel, so she naturally didn't think it was a problem to let down her hair for other men to see.So she just raised her eyebrows: "There are only two ways to make my opponent no longer despise me because of my gender."

"Oh?"

"One is to make him stop treating me as a woman at all, and the other is to make him treat me like the Virgin Mary."

Bertha evidently chose the second course.

She leaned on the chair by the dining table and said lazily, "Obviously, my plan was quite successful."

Mycroft smiled, neither approving nor continuing on the subject—anyone could see that Bertha didn't take it seriously.

Bertha was more interested in the present scene than in the day's events.She tilted her head and said curiously, "You really know how to cook."

"Because of the pride and arrogance of my youth," Mycroft replied cheerfully. "When I first came to London, I also rented flats as a bachelor. At that time, I couldn't afford a servant."

"..."

"how?"

"It's nothing," Bertha said with emotion, "I just didn't expect you to have lived in a bachelor's apartment."

This is equivalent to the Great Demon King telling you that in fact, he was also a brave man when he was young, and he also passed through the rivers and lakes.Although it sounds very reasonable, but... Thinking about the memory of Mycroft sneering and threatening, she really couldn't imagine what the green version of Mycroft would look like.

"Who hasn't been young, madam."

"What's it like living in a bachelor's apartment?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Mycroft said calmly. "Every young man who comes to London has this experience. Isn't Shelly the same now?"

Sherlock Holmes loved to walk about, and it was no wonder he kept Bertha in his place.

"How can it be the same," insisted Bertha, "the other young men who come to London are not you, and I will listen to you."

Having said this, what else can Mycroft say?

The smell of the fish in the pot soon wafts out. The smell of the fish and the smell of olive oil are intertwined, and the smell is very exciting.Mycroft skillfully transferred the fish from the pot to the dinner plate, and then lifted the pot aside, the mashed potatoes were basically heated through.

"I'm short of sauce, wait a moment."

After finishing speaking, the man opened the seasoning cabinet: "When I just graduated from university, like other ordinary young people, I committed the problem of looking at the sky from the bottom of a well. I thought that the bright future belonged to me, so I looked down on the teachings and guidance of my parents, and came to London by myself to swear Show your fists and kicks. But in fact..."

"Actually?"

"During that time, I lived in a tight budget," Mycroft was not ashamed, but smiled proudly, "I have practiced a few special dishes. Until now, I still occasionally cook in the kitchen myself. If there is a chance in the future, maybe I can invite my wife to try it."

"Okay."

Bertha accepted without hindrance: "I'm looking forward to it."

It was disgraceful for a Victorian lady to have been in the kitchen - that was the province of servants and lowlifes.Not to mention men, even workers and poor people will not make a move when they marry a wife.

This was what Bertha liked about Mycroft: he didn't deny past embarrassments, and privately he didn't care too much about what current decorum required of people.

In private with him, Bertha often felt no different from still living in the 21st century.

"What about you, ma'am?"

The dinner was basically finished, and Mycroft brought the plate to the table with his own hands.

A piece of minced chicken is served as a cold appetizer, and the main course is mashed potatoes and fried fish, which are the most common daily meals.

"What's there to tell about a madman's past," Bertha said casually, picking up a knife and fork, "it's nothing more than those things."

"It's your business, of course I want to hear it." Mycroft returned Bertha's words in the same way.

"..."

Ok.

Bertha could understand that Mycroft was curious about her. After all, it was the rarest thing in the world for a person to suddenly regain his senses after being insane for ten years.

But in fact... Bertha doesn't have a complete memory of what happened to her original body.A mental patient cannot be expected to have the same brain circuit as an ordinary person. She thought for a long time, until the living room became silent, and Mycroft waited.

In the end, Bertha still thought about those few past events.

"I remember……"

She said in a hoarse voice: "When I was very young, Richard seemed to say that he would send me to the church with his own hands, but in fact, when I married Edward, he was in England, and he was not even present."

As she spoke, she cut off a piece of fried fish and put it in her mouth.

It tastes as sweet as it smells, the fresh juice is completely locked in the meat, with the unique taste of olive oil and rosemary, the taste is rich and delicious.

"It's very good, Mike," Bertha didn't hesitate to praise herself, "It makes me look forward to your specialty dishes even more."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Mycroft accepted Bertha's compliment very happily, and then turned the topic back to serious matters: "Richard's letter is very simple. He said that he wanted to know you because you look like his dead sister. , Bertha Mason, late wife of Edward Rochester."

Bertha: "..."

It's Richard's style, and it can prove that he has no other meaning for him.

"How are you going to reply?" asked Bertha.

"I think the point is not how I reply," drawled Mycroft, "but how you want me to reply, ma'am. I think you're deferring the matter to me as a 'fiancé ' declined the matter, did you?"

"Of course, but I don't think you'd do that."

"Because I have no right to make decisions for you, ma'am."

Mycroft nodded honestly: "But you are right, now is not a good time to recognize relatives, the best way is not to have any entanglements with Richard Mason. When you think it is appropriate to get in touch with him, I will The reply letter will be sent to him as soon as possible."

There is no more perfect answer than this.

The gentleman's words summed up as follows: I will take care of it for you, but Bertha still has the right to decide.

This thoughtfulness made Bertha sigh from the bottom of her heart: "Thank you, Mike."

Mycroft laughed it off. "It should, ma'am."

"It is true that the problem of the Society of Truth should be resolved as soon as possible," Bertha said, "I already have a clue. It is not meaningless to see Lambert Byrne today. He admitted that he was wary of me because he was provoked." I suspect that it is very likely that people from the Truth Society are looking for trouble for me."

Mycroft thought for a moment, and then confirmed Bertha's thoughts: "Very likely."

This also means that Bertha has lost her horse in front of the Truth Society-at least the part where Mrs. Thames is Miss Marple.

Of course, this part was the least of her concern.

As long as no one thought of her as Bertha Mason, it didn't matter who Bertha was.Now she is "Holmes' lover" on the surface. With this kind of relationship, it is impossible for the Truth Society to threaten Bertha by revealing her identity.

So what if it was revealed that Mrs. Thames and Miss Marple were actually the same person?All Bertha had to do was ask Mycroft to publicly admit this matter, and then say that Bertha would do everything because of helping him.

At that time, it will be made clear that the government is investigating the Truth Society. The opponent will suffer, and Bertha will have nothing to lose.

Bertha: "This is a good opportunity to reach a basic agreement with the White Pigeon Gang."

Mycroft: "But don't do it next time."

Bertha: "..."

At the end of the day, he has reiterated this matter three times!Bertha suddenly couldn't laugh or cry: "Why, because he saw me let down my hair? You have seen it too, Mike, I have a cooperative relationship with you, isn't it with Lambert Byrne?"

The man sitting opposite pursed his lips slightly.

He didn't speak, just raised his eyebrows wordlessly.A seemingly random action, but at this time it seems meaningful.

Bertha pursed her lips and said with a teasing smile, "Could it be that you are jealous, dear?"

"of course."

Mycroft replied quite seriously: "I am your fiancé."

Bertha was slightly taken aback.

Bertha had played this joke with many people since she came to London.She had even flirted with Thomas in this way, but smart people know that it can't be taken seriously, and such a statement, even if it is flirtatious, does not have much ambiguity of real affection.

Smart people don't take it seriously, so how could Mycroft?

But the expression on his face when he responded was too serious, causing Bertha to wonder for a while whether the man in front of her was cooperating with her in acting as usual, or telling the truth from the bottom of her heart.

But Mycroft gave Bertha no time to think carefully.

The next moment, the man had already resumed his businesslike attitude.He picked up the knife and fork, and said kindly: "However, if someone from the Truth Society secretly provokes you, then you have to be careful, madam. If one trick fails, they will definitely make another one, and they will definitely cause trouble for you. "

Mycroft Holmes made a prophecy come true.

Bertha knew that he knew everything well, but she did not expect the trouble to come so quickly.

On the second day, when she came to the office early in the morning, she saw many people gathered outside the door, and not long after, Thomas Thames led a young policeman in a police uniform out. into the office.

"Call Thomas," Bertha said to Ned, frowning. "What's the matter?"

It was not long before Thomas Thames handed over the young constable to Ned, and went upstairs without saying a word, and found Bertha.

He knew that Bertha had been to Scotland Yard as Miss Marple, so he deliberately didn't let the young police officer follow her upstairs, but asked the situation clearly and then relayed it.

"Ma'am," Thomas said with a particularly ugly expression, "it's Madam Raton."

"how?"

"A man died. It was murder," Thomas replied. "It's a little serious."