I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 196 : Little lady

Christmas holidays had been filled with numerous and over-generous  meal and on this back to work day, Mycroft was feeling like if he weighted  two and a half tonnes. He settled behind his desk and unbuttoned the  last button of his waistcoat promising to his leaver to follow a soup  diet for the remaining of January. The Diogenes Club on the other hand  hadn't changed a  iota and if it wasn't for the new calendar on the politician's office,  we could damn well have been in 1897 without anyone noticing. A valet  pushing a tea trolley knocked on the door and entered before being  greeted, silently pouring the owner of the office a cup of Earl Grey  before going back from where he went. Sighting of ease, the elder Holmes  grabbed the first file on the stack of urgent matters to sort out and  started working, enjoying the silence of the early morning.

He  was struggling with a case of British spy's interfering in an election  in Uganda when he was disturbed by an unusual sound. He raised his head  up from his work, half persuaded that it was his mind which was playing a  trick on him and listened carefully. It took less than ten seconds  before the sound was to be heard again.

"Baby's cry ?" the official thought, no expecting anything like this in such a place.

He  was to stand up and go investigate the case of these weird noises when  the culprit actually showed herself at his door. Curled up in her  mother's arms, the young Grace Taylor was seeming pretty unsettled.

"I'm  really sorry but Grace caught a cold yesterday, so she can't attend  nursery today and I just couldn't find someone to babysit her." Anthea apologized greatly, aware of how much her boss valued the stillness of the club.

"Oh, the little pumpkin is not feeling well ..." Mycroft pouted, sincerely caring about her health. "Have you been to the doctor ?"

"We've been to A&E yesterday afternoon, and they gave her some medication but it might take a couple of days before she settles back." the assistant nodded whilst giving her finger to suck to the little girl, so she would stop crying.

"You know you could have stayed at home with her if you wanted." the politician proposed as he raised up from his chair and made his way to the baby.

"There is so many things to do here and anyway, she is going to sleep most of the day." the woman replied with a shy smile.

"Well  young lady, if ever you need something to be put to sleep we've got  enough soporific reading around here to put even the worst child asleep." the elder Holmes chuckled, running his fingers on the little girl's cheek.

"I'll settle her in her moose basket and I'll bring you this weekend's report. Is that alright ?" the PA proposed as the baby was starting to fall asleep in her arms.

Mycroft nodded before closing the door, unable to hide a little smile. It had been quite a long time since he had seen his god-daughter and despite his cold, uncaring  image, he was actually really fond of infants and the prospect of being  able to spend some time with Grace was filling him with joy.

Although he was now feeling quite cheerful, cases had pilled up on his desk during the holidays, and  he had no other choice than to go back to it whilst the toddler was  quietly sleeping next door. Being Mycroft Holmes had some advantages,  amongst which a huge house in central London and considerable influence about the nation's politics, but came with its load of annoying situations, not that the politician could really complain.

"Who the hell do they think I am ?" the elder Holmes outbursted as he was entering his assistant's office.

"Grace is sleeping ..." Anthea tried to warn him but the baby had already been awoken and was now crying her lungs out.