The Man With The Umbrella

- 22 -

Amelia fiddled with her necklace as the sleek car pulled up outside her building. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" She bent forward to face her daughter and stroke her hair lightly. "Mum, I'm eleven. Auntie Anthea will be round soon anyways, I like her. She's pretty cool." Viola spoke in excitement.

Amelia looked to Viola with love in her eyes. "Call me if you need anything." With that, she kissed her daughter on the crook of her hairline and proceeded to hoard the painting into the car.

She was nervous. The fact that she began getting ready three hours prior the engagement was a testimony in all of its rights in representing to do so. Apart from the exhibitions she participated in and working as a lawyer, she rarely got to dress up pretty.

It had been, what seemed to be a lifetime since she made an effort to look pretty for Mycroft Holmes...

She spent a good two hours trying to pick out an decent outfit, she felt that she was either over-dressed or under-dressed compared to a man that always wore three-piece suits and a pocket watch in tow. She was quite certain at this point that Mycroft slept in them. Maybe he did it for fun.

Yet, she wanted to look pretty for him and she possessed no shame in admitting to that. She used to enjoy getting dolled up once upon a time but the lack of sufficient funds and Jonathan ended that period of her life, full stop.

It was only Jolene that brought the shell of that person back.

She never got invited for dinner by someone with Mycroft's status before, but then again, who has? She was quite certain that she never had anyone cook for her either, that was normally left for her to do, acting as mother and all.

Of course, she's had dinner with Mycroft before, with and without Viola being present but it took a good while to understand the full extent of what he meant behind his words, if she got the right hand of the stick... Or umbrella in this circumstance.

In the end, knowing that she was driving herself into a panicked state, she settled on a dress that was thrown at the back of her wardrobe for sometime. It was a baby blue knee-lengthened dress that showed a bit of skin but was beautiful in its own right. It was casual but fancy enough that she wouldn't be second guessing herself for the whole night.

When her necklaces chain twisted in a rather unorthodox way, she decided to herself how she should perhaps take into suggestion to calm down a little. She got her phone out and decided to reply to some messages from colleagues, both from her job and from her art groups.

One of the ladies she had met through the gallery had a website page filled with eccentric paintings with her signature underlining the bottom. She usually painted to make a statement and they were always empowering. She had invited Amelia to a few drinks and it took the girl in herself to realise that this woman likely invited her outside of whatever friendship group she had currently obtained.

It was funny to Amelia, to think of how she was a popular girl in school but now she led a solitary life outside of her job.

After biting her pink painted lip for a solid minute, Amelia replied to the girl with a: Sounds fun! Drop me a message with the plans and I'll see what I can do.

After catching her reflection in the car doors window and worrying over how Mycroft would read too much into her effort, Amelia gracefully stepped out of the car. With great effort and with some unsavoury sailor-mouthed swearing, she managed to lug the canvas she had brought with her to his door without damage.

The door opened not a second later as she went to lean the canvas against the step. "Hi." Amelia spoke with a nervous smile on her face. Mycroft considered her with a cocked brow before muttering something and eyeing the car that was beginning to pull out of his closed driveway. "He could have helped you with this blasted thing." He stood offering Amelia a hand.