Fic: January 6th: G
Jan. 6th, 2018 10:01 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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holmes_minorTitle: January 6th
Form/Word Count: 449
Characters/Pairing: Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, Mrs Hudson, Inspector Lestrade, Inspector Hopkins
Rating: G
Warning/Content: January 6th is not a very interesting day.
Mr Sherlock Holmes rose earlier than was usual for a day when he wasn’t actively pursuing a case. He greeted Dr Watson who was eating his breakfast whilst perusing the racing pages of the newspaper. Watson acknowledged the greeting, mentioned that Mrs Hudson had provided sausages for breakfast, which were very good, and returned to the paper. Holmes felt slightly disappointed but said nothing.
When Bessie brought his breakfast up, he ate the sausages, which were reasonable, but Holmes felt they was something lacking in the presentation. A little later Mrs Hudson appeared to enquire when the gentlemen would be out, so she could clean the room. Watson indicated he was visiting a few of Anstruther’s patients that morning and had planned to eat lunch at his club. Holmes muttered he had no plans and would therefore be staying inside. Mrs Hudson smiled cheerfully and said they’d work around him.
Shortly after midday, Inspector Lestrade called to make some enquiries about a case they had recently been discussing. Holmes described the progress he had made, and suggested Lestrade might like to stay to lunch, but the inspector declined saying he had other things he needed to do. Lunch was perfectly adequate, and Holmes was looking forward to the pudding, expecting tart, but instead it was a rather disappointing rice pudding.
Dr Watson returned in the middle of the afternoon, and handed Holmes an envelope. “I met Hopkins on my way back,” Watson said, “so I said I’d pass this on to you.”
“He didn’t suggest he come up then?” Holmes replied.
“No, he seemed grateful to have saved some time.” Watson sat in his armchair and started to fill his pipe. “Is there a problem, Holmes? You seem a little down.”
“No, nothing. Just the date.”
Watson glanced at the top of the newspaper. “January 6th.”
“Precisely.”
“Epiphany. Feast of the Three Kings.”
“Yes …”
“Was there something else?”
“Er, no!”
Watson stood up. “I’ll go and ask Mrs Hudson for some tea,” he said.
When he came back he added, “Are you sure there’s nothing else about the date?”
“It is my birthday.”
“Oh. I got the impression you thought it was of no significance.”
“Well, it appears I was wrong.”
“Ah!” Watson said knowingly. He opened the door wider, and Mrs Hudson, Inspector Lestrade and Inspector Hopkins came in.
“Happy Birthday, Mr Holmes,” Mrs Hudson said. “And here’s your Epiphany Tart.”
“Some port,” Lestrade added.
“And a copy of the book you mentioned to me last week,” Hopkins said.
Holmes looked from one to the other and gave a bark of laughter. “Thank you, Watson, for once more demonstrating you know me better than I do myself.”
Form/Word Count: 449
Characters/Pairing: Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, Mrs Hudson, Inspector Lestrade, Inspector Hopkins
Rating: G
Warning/Content: January 6th is not a very interesting day.
Mr Sherlock Holmes rose earlier than was usual for a day when he wasn’t actively pursuing a case. He greeted Dr Watson who was eating his breakfast whilst perusing the racing pages of the newspaper. Watson acknowledged the greeting, mentioned that Mrs Hudson had provided sausages for breakfast, which were very good, and returned to the paper. Holmes felt slightly disappointed but said nothing.
When Bessie brought his breakfast up, he ate the sausages, which were reasonable, but Holmes felt they was something lacking in the presentation. A little later Mrs Hudson appeared to enquire when the gentlemen would be out, so she could clean the room. Watson indicated he was visiting a few of Anstruther’s patients that morning and had planned to eat lunch at his club. Holmes muttered he had no plans and would therefore be staying inside. Mrs Hudson smiled cheerfully and said they’d work around him.
Shortly after midday, Inspector Lestrade called to make some enquiries about a case they had recently been discussing. Holmes described the progress he had made, and suggested Lestrade might like to stay to lunch, but the inspector declined saying he had other things he needed to do. Lunch was perfectly adequate, and Holmes was looking forward to the pudding, expecting tart, but instead it was a rather disappointing rice pudding.
Dr Watson returned in the middle of the afternoon, and handed Holmes an envelope. “I met Hopkins on my way back,” Watson said, “so I said I’d pass this on to you.”
“He didn’t suggest he come up then?” Holmes replied.
“No, he seemed grateful to have saved some time.” Watson sat in his armchair and started to fill his pipe. “Is there a problem, Holmes? You seem a little down.”
“No, nothing. Just the date.”
Watson glanced at the top of the newspaper. “January 6th.”
“Precisely.”
“Epiphany. Feast of the Three Kings.”
“Yes …”
“Was there something else?”
“Er, no!”
Watson stood up. “I’ll go and ask Mrs Hudson for some tea,” he said.
When he came back he added, “Are you sure there’s nothing else about the date?”
“It is my birthday.”
“Oh. I got the impression you thought it was of no significance.”
“Well, it appears I was wrong.”
“Ah!” Watson said knowingly. He opened the door wider, and Mrs Hudson, Inspector Lestrade and Inspector Hopkins came in.
“Happy Birthday, Mr Holmes,” Mrs Hudson said. “And here’s your Epiphany Tart.”
“Some port,” Lestrade added.
“And a copy of the book you mentioned to me last week,” Hopkins said.
Holmes looked from one to the other and gave a bark of laughter. “Thank you, Watson, for once more demonstrating you know me better than I do myself.”
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no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 01:16 pm (UTC)I sense Watson rather enjoyed teasing Holmes here - the pawky humour makes another appearance! ^__^
no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 01:30 pm (UTC)I think it gave Watson a great deal of pleasure to see Holmes constantly looking for things which don't arrive.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 05:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 10:33 pm (UTC)Holmes really should know better
no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-06 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-16 09:10 pm (UTC)As someone who dislikes rice pudding, I would be rather put out with a rice pudding, especially a disappointing rice pudding.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-16 09:46 pm (UTC)I like a proper homemade rice pudding - and now we've found pudding rice we can have one!