Baker Street Charterers

Nora looked up at the clock on the wall, then got out of the sofa, stood up straight, straightened her slightly messy long hair, and said lazily, "Okay, gentlemen, I'm going to work, if I'll probably have dinner here in time."

Holmes glanced at Watson very nonchalantly. The latter touched his chill neck inexplicably, and saw his friend holding his coat and saying, "I'll take you out."

Standing in the empty room, Watson began to have an extremely serious tendency to doubt himself, "...Did I just interrupt their... first-kiss?"

When Holmes returned to the house, Watson couldn't wait to prove his conjecture, "Hey, Sherlock, just now..."

"You have done a very good job, doctor." Holmes sat down with a calm posture. "You have just done something that can be recorded in the annals of history."

"..." Watson was depressed, "Believe me, I really didn't mean to spoil your atmosphere."

Holmes raised his hand to signal a stop. "Is there anything important you are here for? It would be better to call it 'important.'"

Watson coughed a few times, "Well... Actually, this matter has something to do with Mary."

"Oh." Holmes nodded. "As for Mary, perhaps next time I should pick a good time to pay you a visit."

"..." Watson looked like weeping, "I apologize, really, I sincerely apologize to you... I should not have come so recklessly and disturbed your and Nora's life." First-kiss - oh no, an unprecedented emotional and physical foray..."

Holmes took a light breath, "Let's talk about Mary."

"As you know, Mary used to be a governess, which is the same occupation as Nora's now." Watson replied honestly, "But a few days ago, Mary's old employer, Mrs. Rochester, came to her door. She knew that Mary knew a Detective, she wants your help."

Holmes picked up the paper without interest.

"Mrs. Rochester's son is missing. That child was also Mary's student." Watson frowned worriedly, and said in a heavy tone, "She has a very good relationship with that child. As you know, Mary is pregnant... I I don't want her to worry so much every day, let alone—"

"I checked the newspapers in the past few weeks and found a strange thing-several children of this age have disappeared in a row. This must not be a coincidence."

Holmes seemed to ponder for a moment. "You mean... governess?"

Watson was taken aback, "Yes."

"Nora seems to like her student very much... She must be interested in this case..." Holmes pondered, then nodded, "Tell that Mrs. Rochester that I am willing to take this case."

"..." Watson, "don't tell me that if it didn't happen that Nora is also a governess, you wouldn't be interested in this kind of missing persons case at all."

Holmes raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"This is really rare." Watson's eyes sparkled. "If someone told me half a year ago that Sherlock Holmes would make an exception to take a case that was not difficult for him because of a lady, he would make an exception because of a lady." Trying to kiss that lady and blaming his best friend for failing...I'm definitely going to beat the rumour-mongers all over the place!"

"But look now!" Watson couldn't restrain his gloating mood at all, and laughed, "You are like a saint with a weakness, who was pulled from the altar by your loved one and turned into a I am a mortal, have the emotions, joys, anger, sorrows and joys... But I am happy for you, really, I am happy for you."

"You are exaggerating." Holmes said unhurriedly. "I never thought that I was a saint. I grew up on the altar. I still have all kinds of emotions and six desires."

"Yes, but that was before meeting her." Watson smiled, "On the contrary, she turned the weakest and most fearful thing in your heart into the strongest and most determined...you Looking livelier, Sherlock."

"I thought 'lively' was a word for women."

"Real? Bright? Kind?—call it what you like." Watson shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I quite agree with that Miss Pace—you're all welcome together."

"Instead of talking about this, let's talk about how to persuade that lady to return to Baker Street. This is the most important thing right now." Holmes finally had a distressed expression on his face, and he sighed softly, "I probably I can never understand the thoughts of this kind of woman...Obviously we got along so well in the same room with Jane before...Why did this situation change after she moved out?"

Watson thought for a moment, then opened his eyes wide, "...Oh Sherlock, please tell me honestly...how far have you guys come?"

Holmes glanced at him disapprovingly.

"Oh!" Watson laughed. "Don't tell me, the one I interrupted just now...is really yours...well, the first kiss?"

Holmes again picked up the paper nonchalantly and intently.

Watson was about to applaud, "You can be called the model lovers of the era, Sherlock. I think I understand the reason why Nora has been reluctant to come back."

Holmes looked disinterested, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that his body was tense and his ears were pricking up.

"I suppose...as a good lady with a bold and strong mind, if her lover is so rigid and devoted to finding out the truth for the people of London...it's strange that she should accept your affections."

"Solving cases is not just my interest, Watson." Holmes spoke calmly, paused for a moment, and looked over with puzzled eyes. "But what does that have to do with this matter?"

Watson smiled so that his eyes narrowed, "Oh my dear friend, no lover would want to be close to the person she loves. If you live under the same roof and have no wedding vows, I think it is just seeing each other every day." He, is a sweet and painful thing."

Holmes seemed to have grasped the key point, "Do you think I should be more...active?"

"No," Watson said with a persuasive look, "I think you have known each other's habits and characters well enough in the past four years, and there is no need for more understanding..."

Holmes thought about it.

"I mean," Watson smiled, ". . . If you want her to return to Baker Street, there may be one way which will be the most effective."

"Oh?"

"You're 30 and Nora is 23."

"I think it's time to propose to her, Sherlock."

……

"...Miss Sharp, the world has so many controversies about Miss Austin, what about you, do you like her?"

The immature male voice interrupted her contemplation. Nora came back to her senses. Facing the doubts in Little William's clear blue eyes, she smiled, stroked his soft short hair, and said in a low voice, "William , What do you think, every time you see those noble ladies who come to the house for tea party dinner, how do you feel?"

Little William thought about it. He was only nine years old, but what he said was the most intuitive feeling, "...they are so fragrant, chirping like birds."

Children's expressions are usually not smooth, but Nora easily understood what he meant, she smiled slightly, "Not only are they very fragrant, they usually marry a rich husband and live a wealthy and leisurely life...every day When you get up in the morning, the first thing you do is ring the bell to call the maid, wait for her to dress and wash them, have a breakfast that you can't finish, invite your friends to ride horses, watch the scenery, and discuss other people in the afternoon tea Life gossip, the most popular cosmetics, and expensive jewelry."

Little William nodded sympathetically.

Nora lowered her voice, "But let me tell you, little William, these beautiful women looked into the mirror of fate, and guess what they saw?...not their clean and pale faces, but A rouged skull."

He was confused, "Why?"

"Because their life trajectory can be seen at a glance, little William." Nora smiled slightly. "You ask me what I think of Miss Jane Austen? Oh, maybe she is not like those ladies, rich and married to a good husband , can wear precious jewelry every day, who is more noble than whose horse blood... But she is a real lady, she is very courageous, she changed her life by herself, and all her fame is earned by herself Come... I admire her, admiring her is like admiring those brave and intelligent ladies in her writing."

"But my mother doesn't like her." Little William propped his cheeks, his big wet eyes, his curly and soft hair, and he looked very cute. "She thinks she's a poor man who can't get married."

"Maybe you don't understand what I said now, but you will understand later." Nora couldn't help but patted his head again, as cute as a little squirrel, "She did have an unfortunate past, But it's not a disgrace, it's just a memory - for Miss Austen, she admires beautiful love, but that's not all she is. Her fortitude and noble soul are more worthy of praise than her published books. "

Little William smacked his lips and blinked, "What about you, teacher, do you have a beautiful love story?"

Nora smiled, "It's so clever!" She nodded his nose, and he laughed like a piglet, "Itch... Teacher, please don't say I said it...Mr. Ask your mother about you."

"Mr. Claire who taught you the piano?"

Little William showed an innocent smile, "I didn't say anything, Miss Sharp, you guessed it yourself."

He held on to her sleeve and groaned coquettishly, "Just tell me...Which gentleman will be loved by you?"

Nora also blinked, "It's okay to tell you, but you have to do me a favor... Make sure you don't inadvertently reveal the news that I have a fiance... I'm not interested in that sentimental Mr. Claire."

Little William nodded resolutely, "No problem!"

Nora patted his head again, "I love someone... Maybe I have admired him for a long time, but I just discovered it recently. To be honest, he doesn't look like a gentleman worth entrusting for life. He loves him My career is even better than liking me, but that doesn't matter, when you really care about a person, care about a person, then his hobby will become yours..."

"Is he handsome?" Little William's eyes sparkled. "Is he bald like Mr. Clare?"

"No, he has thick hair." Nora smiled. "Handsome? Well... In my eyes, he is indeed very handsome. At least he has never been mentioned because of his appearance."

"Does he love you too, teacher?"

"I think so." Her voice was very gentle, "This is the happiest thing in the world, little William... When you meet such a lady in the future that you can't take your eyes off, she will be you The shining point of the world, the person who is as bright as a rainbow...you will understand what I am telling you now."

……

Nora rushed from her employer's house to Baker Street, knocked on the door, and Mrs. Hudson's face appeared behind the door. She warmly hugged her, "Good evening, little Nora, how are you doing today?"

"well, got paid for this week and had a touching and meaningful conversation with my lovely little mr william...overall, a good time."

She took off her coat and scanned the room, "Where are Xiali and the doctor?"

"They have been out for an hour, and they are mysteriously unwilling to tell me." Mrs. Hudson complained, with a joyful smile on her face again, "I forgot to tell you, congratulations, and Sherlock, Watson is right, and that is what everyone expects."

Nora coughed lowly, "Well... To be honest, at that time I thought that my love and my career were coming to an end... I didn't expect that Sherlock would also..."

Mrs. Hudson patted her head, "As I said earlier, little Nora, Xiali has never been so tolerant to a lady...you are the only one."

"...hopefully the last one too," Nora muttered.

Mrs. Hudson was about to say something when Watson rushed in suddenly. They looked at him in surprise. Before they could say anything, they stopped because of his next sentence——

"That m... Moriarty! He took Sherlock away!"