Lavender Haze

Chapter Fifteen

The morning sun streamed through the windows of our Baker Street flat, casting a warm glow over the room. I awoke to find Sherlock already up and about, engrossed in his own thoughts. He was pacing around the room, a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Good morning, Sherlock," I greeted him, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Ah, Rose, you're awake," he replied, not taking his eyes off the newspaper he was reading. "I've been thinking about the Red Lotus Society."

I sat up, my interest piqued. "What about them?"

Sherlock looked at me, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I believe I've found a connection between the society and the stolen amulet."

He showed me the newspaper article he had been reading. It was a report about a recent burglary at a private collector's home. The stolen item was a small, red lotus amulet, identical to the one stolen from the British Museum.

"This can't be a coincidence," Sherlock said. "I believe the Red Lotus Society is behind these thefts."

"But why would they steal their own amulet?" I asked, puzzled.

Sherlock shrugged. "Perhaps they're trying to reclaim something that was originally theirs. Or maybe there's something about the amulet that we don't know yet."

We spent the rest of the morning discussing our next steps. We decided to visit the British Museum to learn more about the stolen amulet. The museum's curator, a man named Mr. Higgins, was more than willing to assist us.

"The amulet is indeed a rare artifact," Mr. Higgins told us. "It's said to be a symbol of the Red Lotus Society, a secret society that existed in ancient China."

He showed us a replica of the amulet. It was a small, intricately carved piece of jade in the shape of a lotus flower. The petals of the flower were painted a vibrant red.

"The red lotus symbolizes love and compassion in Chinese culture," Mr. Higgins explained. "But in the context of the Red Lotus Society, it's believed to represent their commitment to their cause, whatever that may be."

As we left the museum, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The Red Lotus Society was proving to be more mysterious and dangerous than we had initially thought. But I was determined to find Enola and bring her home.

That night, as I lay in bed, I found myself thinking about Sherlock. His dedication to solving the case was admirable, but I couldn't help but worry about him. He was so engrossed in the case that he barely ate or slept.

"Sherlock," I whispered, reaching out to touch his arm. He turned to look at me, his eyes softening.

"We're supposed to be searching for Enola" I reminded him

"No" he said, his facial features changing

"No? What do you mean no?"

"It is my job to find my mother and I feel I am so close.... Mycroft has already found Enola"

"What?" I asked distraught, as Sherlock said nothing in response.

"So that's it then? you're giving up on Enola, allowing her to go to that.. that school just so she can be paraded around to find a husband that she does not want?!" Again he says nothing

"Sherlock!" I cried

"Sherlock we must find your sister before Mycroft, he can't send her to that school"

Sherlock just sighed and out the paper down "alright, let's go" he said putting his hands in his pocket.

"let's go see Enola"