ₚᵣᵢᵥₐₜₑ 𝒹ₑₜₑ𝒸ₜᵢᵥₑ |ᴬⁿᵗʰᵒⁿʸ ᴮʳᶦᵈᵍᵉʳᵗᵒⁿ

• sᥱ᥎ᥱᥒ𝗍ᥱᥱᥒ •

After the Bridgerton was politely told to excuse himself and had left them alone, Sherlock just stared at his younger sister as if she would know what he wanted her to say.

"Sherlock I cannot read your mind. Tell me why you're here."

"Can't a legal guardian check up on his ward?"

"Lovely words to hear out of my brother's mouth," Enola scoffed. She scrossed her arms. "Why are you really here?"

"Well," he began, a little uncomfortable, "I read that I might have to congratulate you on your engagement soon, so I came to clarify whatever is going on here."

She crossed her arms and groaned loudly. "Seriously? You too? Would all of you do me the favour to stop believing that gossip columnist?"

"So there's no chance the prince is actually interested in you?"

Enola looked away, her eyes travelling around the room.

He crossed his arms. "You know I'm a detective right? As well as your brother. I know you."

"We haven't known each other for the first fourteen years of my life," Enola reminded him.

"Well, I got to know you afterwards, didn't I?"

A little confused, Enola shook her head. "Not that much. I mean, I convinced you to be my guardian but you mostly stayed out of my business as well as I stayed out of yours. I mean, I talk to John more frequently than I talk to you."

"Well you talked to me last."

"No I didn't." She shook her head. "I talked to you last when you helped me set me up with Lady Danbury. I talked to John last when he helped me with something just last week."

"What did he help you with?"

"Taking out the trash."

"I assume not in the literal sense?"

"Maybe."

The siblings stared at each other for a few seconds, none of them backing down.

Finally, Sherlock sighed. After all, he did once promise her to stay out of her business as a detective. Still, he was her older brother and guardian.

"Mycroft visited me two days ago. He asked me about you."

Enola furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Why would he do that?"

"He's got his eyes everywhere. After all, he is a very high standing official in the government. He's often in the palace to talk to the queen as well. He said he contemplated seeing you a few times."

"Well, thank god he didn't," she exclaimed, dissatisfaction written across her face.

"He said he was afraid he would destroy your chances of a proposal by the prince even though it would definitely be in his favour. He thought if he told you to do it, you would definitely try and rebel against him again."

Enola rolled her eyes. "Wow, I met him what, two times? And that gives him reason to believe he knows me?"

"Well, you did go against every order he gave you."

"Because I was a child and not a dog," Enola bursted out. "He send me to be locked up in that dreary school with that horrible woman, learning calligraphy for crying out loud. It's just not who I am."

Sherlock crossed his arms. "And if he would have come to see you and told you to try and charm the prince, what would you have done?"

"I would have told him that I won't be charming anyone for his sake. If I ever get married, it will be out of love." She huffed, then thought her words over. "Or because of money."