An Enola Holmes Mystery

Chapter 5

I woke up in Basilwether Manor and gazed anxiously around me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that those conversations I had were dreams. They hadn't actually happened. Lady Tewkesbury hadn't confronted me, and Tewkesbury wasn't besotted with me.

But it was just the tiniest bit worrying that those thoughts had come to me in my dreams. I shook my head of the thought and sat up. To my surprise, there actually were flowers waiting for me, all of the same ones that were in my dreams. I surmised that my sense of smell had picked up on their scent while I was asleep, thus allowing them to enter my dreams. 

There were fresh clothes waiting for me near the bed, and I moved to stand, but a wave of dizziness had me lying back down again. Apparently this head injury was affecting me more than I thought it would. There was a possibility that I had a concussion, but my mental functions were all more than adequate. I just had a fierce headache that was making me dizzy. 

The sound of a knock on the door had me opening my eyes, and Dr. Hurthin stepped into the room. 

"Good morning, Ms. Holmes. How are you feeling this morning?" He asked as he sat near my bedside and opening his medical bag. It was on the tip of my tongue to brush it off, but decided that I would rather be honest. The sooner Dr. Hurthin had his answers, the sooner I could leave Basilwether Manor. 

"All of my mental functions seem to be in full working order, but the headaches cause a lot of dizziness." I admitted.

"Well, I've never treated a woman beaten up so badly before, but I would assume that would normal, assuming you didn't have a concussion." Dr. Hurthin said, removing the bandage he had wrapped around my head yesterday. He nodded in approval. "The bleeding has stopped, and the swelling has gone down. I reckon you'll be fine, given you don't overexert yourself in your occupation." He gave a meaningful glance at me. 

I met his gaze evenly, though I knew what he was thinking. Obviously I was going to be taking on this case of finding out who had attacked me. They needed to be found out, and who better to expose them than me? I had decided I wouldn't be informing my brother Sherlock of what had happened until it was absolutely necessary. He trusted that I could take care of myself, and I would. 

Dr. Hurthin took out a small pouch of what looked like cephalic pills, used commonly to cure headaches. He handed me two along with a glass of water, and I downed them gratefully. 

A knock on the door turned my head, and there was a maid there, waiting calmly. "The Lords and Lady Tewkesbury would like to invite Miss Holmes to breakfast this morning, if she be willing."

I smiled and nodded once at the woman, and she curtsied before leaving the way she had come. Dr. Hurthin looked over me once more and then left after saying a quick farewell. I could feel my headache starting to fade, and I could now stand easily without swaying from dizziness. I picked up the bundle of clothes that had been left for me and made my way to the changing area, putting on my whalebone corset and hip regulators provided and then the dress, stockings, petticoat, and shoes that had been chosen for me. I pulled on the stockings and petticoat quickly and slipped into the purple dress. It wasn't a tight fit, but it wasn't loose either. The fabric was smooth, clearly the best that money could buy. The sleeves stopped just below the elbow and were trimmed with lace, as was the collar. The skirts just brushed the tops of the heels, swishing lightly against my ankles. The black lace-up ankle-height boots completed the outfit. It was very lovely, but I felt badly that Lady Tewkesbury had given me such niceties when I would surely never be able to pay her back on the salary I earned as a detective. 

Yet another maid had come in as I finished dressing and offered to help with my hair. I graciously accepted, not wanting to dismiss the woman's efforts when she seemed so willing. She brought the top part of my hair back from my face and left the rest down, gently curling it in waves. I was stunned in seeing my appearance. I was very beautiful and couldn't help blushing. I thanked the maid and asked if she could show me the way to the dining hall. It was not necessary, as I had a very clear memory of where the dining hall was and how to get there, but the maid was eager to please. 

I was not sure whether I should have agreed to staying for breakfast, but it would have been impolite to decline after all they had done for me. I owed them a great deal now, the Viscount especially, as he had been the one to scare off my attackers. The only problem was that I could never possibly pay them back. And that scared me. I was always one to pay back my debts, and I would have said that this was Tewkesbury's way of paying back the debt he owed me when I saved his live two years ago, but he'd definitely paid it in full by rescuing me from the finishing school and agreeing with me on confronting his uncle, who turned out to be his grandmother, and he risked his life again for my sake. I could never repay him, that much was certain. 

The maid finished escorting me the dining room and gave a small curtsey before taking her leave. I took a deep breath and entered the dining room. All the Tewkesburys rose from their seats as I entered, making me feel self-conscious even though I knew it was a custom nearly all houses of England abided by. I smiled to myself as Tewkesbury pulled out a chair for me, being the gentleman that he was. He had all but openly stared at me when I entered the room, and the feeling of being appraised by him almost made me feel giddy, though I had no clue why it was happening.

We all began our breakfast then, and conversation flowed unbroken by all present, although it pertained mainly to politics, as Tewkesbury and his uncle had prominent places in the subject. It was evident that all the Tewkesburys, after the ordeal with the Dowager, had become closer and greatly enjoyed each other's company. I ate my breakfast almost regrettably, as I knew that after this meal, it would be necessary to take my leave. Then I could focus on the most pressing matter of all, finding out who had harmed me and why.

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Hello everyone! You all deserve an award for being the most patient readers to ever exist. I had inspiration for the first time in awhile, and you guys deserve this chapter after waiting for so long. 

Hope you enjoyed it! As always, please let me know what you thought of the chapter in the comments. 

-IcyCat

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