An Enola Holmes Mystery

Chapter 2

I woke up on a comfortable sofa in a well furnished room that I did not recognize. I sat up slowly, my head pounding as I remembered what had happened to me in the alley. Bloodstains were on my new light blue dress, and I felt a bandage wrapped around my head under my hair. I wasn't at my own home, and I clearly wasn't in a hospital. I remembered recognizing a voice before I blacked out, but I couldn't recall the name. Where was I?

A door opened at the opposite end of the room, and a man that appeared to be a house doctor appeared. 

"You should not be sitting up, young lady." He scolded me as he came beside me. "You have just been beaten very severely, and you need time to let things heal. Please lay back down."

I knew I should obey the doctor, but I had more pressing matters to attend to, like who had attacked me and why. "Where is my bag?" I asked the man, remembering that I had felt a tugging on it by one of the men who had ambushed me.

"It's here. Please lay down now by your own accord. I'd rather not force myself on a woman." The doctor said as he placated me slightly.

Knowing I wouldn't get answers out of him otherwise, I did as he asked. "Who are you? Where am I?" I asked now that I had fulfilled his wishes.

"I am Doctor Hurthin, the house doctor here. You are at Basilwether Manor, Miss..." He trailed off, not knowing my name.

"Enola Holmes." I informed him as I sat up in realization. It had been Tewkesbury's voice I had recognized. Why was I in his home being attended to by the doctor for his family instead of at a nearby hospital? I was relieved I wasn't in one of the 'Houses of Death', as they were deemed by the public, but this was unnecessary.

"Please lay back down, Miss Holmes. These first few hours could be crucial in your recovery." Doctor Hurthin said, giving me a long suffering look.

I returned his look, but laid back down. "May I please have my bag, Doctor?" I asked, still reeling slightly at being tended to in Tewkesbury's home.

"Yes. I will inform the family that you are awake." He said after checking my bandages once more for any sign of infection and handed me my bag. 

"There's no need, Doctor." A voice answered from behind him. I knew instinctively that it was Tewkesbury. Despite the doctor's numerous warnings, I sat up on the sofa to get a better view of him. 

He wasn't all that different physically from how I last knew him, but there was a difference about him nonetheless. He'd kept his hair the same short length as when I'd cut it for him after we'd jumped off the train together. He was a little taller, but not by much. I realized I was staring at him and dropped my eyes from him as he turned to me.

"You are dismissed now, Doctor Hurthin. I would like to speak to Miss Holmes." Tewkesbury said, never taking his eyes from me.

"Very well, sir." The doctor picked up his bag and left, closing the door behind him.

For a few seconds, neither one of us knew what to do. The silence became unbearable, so I decided to break it. 

"Thank you, Viscount Tewkesbury, for your kindness to me." I said, knowing that although I knew him two years ago, that had changed, and I would be obligated to show him some form of respect, especially now that he had saved me again in a way.

"'Lord Tewkesbury'? Really, Enola, you could at least pretend to know me." Tewkesbury said, a small smile touching his lips. 

"And how would I know you? I haven't seen you in over two years." I said regretfully. I had missed him a great deal, but I had no idea as to whether or not he had missed me.