Fic: To Forgetting. And Kindness.: Gen
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holmes_minorTitle: To Forgetting. And Kindness.
Length: 500
Rating: Gen
Summary: After a heartbreak for the former, Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Hudson do a jigsaw puzzle.
“It was very kind of Doctor Watson to gift me this jigsaw puzzle,” said Mrs. Turner for the second time as she and Mrs. Hudson poured over the jumble of pieces on the table between them. “Just the thing to take one’s mind off of, well, things.”
Mrs. Hudson made noises of agreement, but her eye was wandering to the full bottle of gin and the two clean, upturned glasses beside it. There were other things which could take one’s mind off of…things…
But jigsaw puzzles were nice, too.
“Oh, help yourself, Martha. There’s no need to stand on ceremony here,” admonished Mrs. Turner.
Mrs. Hudson feigned reluctance but moved toward the bottle swiftly enough and poured herself a medicinal dose.
“Marie?”
“No, thank you.” Mrs. Turner linked a trio of pieces together and smiled at her work. “It was a kindness, too, in its way, for Mister Holmes to find out the truth about Mister Sweetwater before, well, before…”
“I’m sorry, Marie,” said Mrs. Hudson. “I know you were…fond…of him.”
“Of course, one does sometimes grow fond of one’s lodgers. He had such a way about him. Yes, he had a way. I was quite taken in.” She huffed. “Can you imagine it? At my age? I mean, nothing happened, of course. Now I’m grateful for that, but I had started to, well, you know, ponder possibilities if, if, my regard was reciprocated.”
“Daydream?”
Mrs. Turner frowned. “Now is this part of the cat or part of the clouds? Um, yes, silly fantasies. But, of course, it was all in my head, thankfully, and Mister Holmes proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
“You aren’t one of those women who can’t face facts.”
“Definitely not. I’d be a very poor landlady if I was.”
One corner of Mrs. Hudson’s mouth twitched. “You’re a very good landlady, Marie.”
“Thank you.”
They settled into a companionable silence.
Mrs. Hudson drank and watched her friend. When she’d drained her glass, she said,
“In a way, I envy you, Marie.”
“Really?”
“Well, not about being deceived, of course, but in a small way.”
“You wish you could make a fool of yourself?” said Mrs. Turner ruefully.
“Well, yes. You can still fall in love. You can still have your heart broken.” Mrs. Hudson stared wistfully into the bottom of the glass and licked her lips. “That’s something.”
“Not something I want,” retorted Mrs. Turner.
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Grass is always greener?” suggested Mrs. Turner.
“Yes, yes, it is.” Mrs. Hudson poured herself a second, more medicinal, dose of gin. She had, she knew, experienced that dull ache, the desire to forget, but it had been so long ago.
“Rather pathetic, isn’t it. Well, mustn’t dwell. Oh, look, yes, here is the farmhouse. The roof, the door.” Mrs. Turner hummed. “I need a few more green pieces.”
Mrs. Hudson smiled at her friend.
“Oh, pour me one of those, Martha,” said Marie without looking up. “And let’s toast to forgetting. And kindness.”
Length: 500
Rating: Gen
Summary: After a heartbreak for the former, Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Hudson do a jigsaw puzzle.
“It was very kind of Doctor Watson to gift me this jigsaw puzzle,” said Mrs. Turner for the second time as she and Mrs. Hudson poured over the jumble of pieces on the table between them. “Just the thing to take one’s mind off of, well, things.”
Mrs. Hudson made noises of agreement, but her eye was wandering to the full bottle of gin and the two clean, upturned glasses beside it. There were other things which could take one’s mind off of…things…
But jigsaw puzzles were nice, too.
“Oh, help yourself, Martha. There’s no need to stand on ceremony here,” admonished Mrs. Turner.
Mrs. Hudson feigned reluctance but moved toward the bottle swiftly enough and poured herself a medicinal dose.
“Marie?”
“No, thank you.” Mrs. Turner linked a trio of pieces together and smiled at her work. “It was a kindness, too, in its way, for Mister Holmes to find out the truth about Mister Sweetwater before, well, before…”
“I’m sorry, Marie,” said Mrs. Hudson. “I know you were…fond…of him.”
“Of course, one does sometimes grow fond of one’s lodgers. He had such a way about him. Yes, he had a way. I was quite taken in.” She huffed. “Can you imagine it? At my age? I mean, nothing happened, of course. Now I’m grateful for that, but I had started to, well, you know, ponder possibilities if, if, my regard was reciprocated.”
“Daydream?”
Mrs. Turner frowned. “Now is this part of the cat or part of the clouds? Um, yes, silly fantasies. But, of course, it was all in my head, thankfully, and Mister Holmes proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
“You aren’t one of those women who can’t face facts.”
“Definitely not. I’d be a very poor landlady if I was.”
One corner of Mrs. Hudson’s mouth twitched. “You’re a very good landlady, Marie.”
“Thank you.”
They settled into a companionable silence.
Mrs. Hudson drank and watched her friend. When she’d drained her glass, she said,
“In a way, I envy you, Marie.”
“Really?”
“Well, not about being deceived, of course, but in a small way.”
“You wish you could make a fool of yourself?” said Mrs. Turner ruefully.
“Well, yes. You can still fall in love. You can still have your heart broken.” Mrs. Hudson stared wistfully into the bottom of the glass and licked her lips. “That’s something.”
“Not something I want,” retorted Mrs. Turner.
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Grass is always greener?” suggested Mrs. Turner.
“Yes, yes, it is.” Mrs. Hudson poured herself a second, more medicinal, dose of gin. She had, she knew, experienced that dull ache, the desire to forget, but it had been so long ago.
“Rather pathetic, isn’t it. Well, mustn’t dwell. Oh, look, yes, here is the farmhouse. The roof, the door.” Mrs. Turner hummed. “I need a few more green pieces.”
Mrs. Hudson smiled at her friend.
“Oh, pour me one of those, Martha,” said Marie without looking up. “And let’s toast to forgetting. And kindness.”
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