by Amelia Price
For a second, Amelia didn't know what to say. Mrs Wintern was normally so prim and proper, and she'd just insinuated that Amelia was there to sleep with Sebastian. It was even more of a surprise when Sebastian didn't deny it. Instead, he continued on to his flat as if she hadn't said anything.
“Creative minds are never good at respecting bed times,” Amelia said before following him up the stairs. With her intentions firmly fixed on Myron still, she didn't want a single person to think her involved with the younger Holmes brother.
“Right, let's get started.” Sebastian pulled his coat off, hung it on the coat stand and moved it to the centre of the room. After looking about the room, he picked up a pack of cards and slipped one out.
“We'll start with this. I'll teach you how to pick a pocket first. It's the easiest part. Then we can work on doing it discreetly, and after that, doing the opposite.”
Amelia nodded as he came back across the room towards her, swishing the bottom of the coat tails as he did.
“You use just two fingers.” He held up the first and second finger on his right hand where the card had been.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“In the pocket already.” He showed her the motion she needed to do to take the card back out again. It took her several attempts at copying him before he was happy she had the basic technique right.
“Now let's make it a little harder.” Sebastian took the coat back and encouraged her to pull the card from his pocket without him noticing. He closed his eyes and held still in the middle of the room.
After taking a deep breath, Amelia walked past him and reached into the pocket. Before her fingers had touched the top of the card, Sebastian grabbed her wrist.
“I could feel you,” he said. “Try again.”
Over the next half an hour she tried again and again, but every time Sebastian caught hold of her, and she noticed he didn't always let her go again very quickly. Deciding she wasn't completely comfortable with the situation anymore, she yawned.
“I think I'm too tired. I should go back to the hotel.”
“We can continue tomorrow...”
“Perhaps,” she cut him off, not wanting to hear what he might say next. “I should wait to see if your brother intends to teach me first.”
After thanking him she hurried out into the night, making sure nothing else could happen. When she'd settled back into a taxi she almost hit herself. It was foolish to fear that Sebastian would be interested in her. He just wasn't looking for a relationship, and was already aware she preferred his elder brother.
The day had taken its toll on her and she wasn't thinking straight any more. With silly ideas of immortal men, and now this, she almost laughed aloud at herself. She needed sleep, and she needed it soon.
Chapter 5
Mycroft paced his study. Several days had passed with Amelia in London, and every day increased the possibility that she'd be found. On top of that, she'd been exhibiting some strange behaviour. The things she'd searched on the internet had him concerned, but didn't appear to have revealed any important information. It had shown her to be far more curious about him than expected. She'd also spent more time with his younger brother than he'd anticipated.
A couple of old agents were taking shifts and keeping an eye on her, but neither would be happy to do so much longer, and already they were getting suspicious about his desire to keep tabs on her. He needed to figure out what Mr Delra had said to the ruling monarch to get her to allow the Russians to leave. Twice he'd thought he was close to an answer.
There was no doubt in his mind that it was information the terrorists were using to get their way. The royal family had several secrets, as any large family in power did. Most of them had been protected by Mycroft over the years, but occasionally they made a mistake and more people found out or were involved in some sort of scandal.
Earlier in the year he'd retrieved some compromising photos of one of the young women, but they were an unlikely threat over the heads of the family. A scandal if they came out, but not a disaster. He'd investigated it anyway and those were safe.
His second line of enquiry was an illness that had been treated by a doctor not recommended by Mycroft. The medical records were still sealed and safe. It left four possibilities, and all of them had implications that could take several years to unravel. Any of the four would be enough to garner the reaction of the royal family.
Mycroft needed to know more, but his hands were tied. He couldn't pursue the Russians until he knew what they had, if they were the ones who had it, and he couldn't ask for help from his younger brother through official channels.
He sighed and called Daniels to get the car ready. He needed space to think, and that meant a trip to the Diogenes Club. It had taken them several weeks, but the members had just about forgiven him for the disturbance Amelia had made. At least, most had. None of them scowled when they saw him, but there was still an extra layer of frostiness to the usual silence. Given enough time, even that would pass.
As soon as Mycroft walked in, he felt the familiar sensation of relaxation. The threads of half-finished ideas in his head unravelled from their tangled mess and allowed him to focus on one at a time. He followed the butler to his usual room and stopped in the doorway when he noticed another occupant. A single glance let him know it was Sherlock dressed as an older man. The butler thought this was their father. Mycroft had been their father twice before that. It helped them look like a normal family to any people who knew them over a prolonged period.
He gave Sherlock a nod of acknowledgement and went to his usual seat. Right where his tea tray would be placed in a couple of minutes was a sheet of paper. On it Sherlock had written a message in their own code and the alphabet they'd made up when they were children. It required a perfect memory of the original French version of the Count of Monte Cristo, as well as the knowledge and memory of what all the lines and squiggles meant in their personal example of an alphabet. Both of them were fluent in it.
Impressed that his brother had the sense to use it now when it was imperative their communication was confidential, Mycroft started reading.
Still no lead from boat owner. Thinking of giving him a nudge. You've been awfully quiet on the matter. Also the brandy isn't as good as it was last time I paid you a visit.
Mycroft picked up the pen and wrote out a reply, taking very little time to do something most people would struggle with.
A nudge would be a good idea. He will be trying to convince himself he lost the coin. I assume you still have it to send back with a helpful note. When he does make a move, don't go to the address until you have informed me. I will be handling the next stage personally. I think this brandy is better.
After tea arrived for both of them, Mycroft handed the note back and watched in silence as Sherlock read it. His younger brother raised his eyebrows and frowned. The reply he then furiously wrote out was not going to be a surprise to Mycroft. It was unexpected for the elder Holmes to want to attend as well, and Sherlock would want to know why.
Not like you. Has the situation changed? Is Amelia still safe?
The last question was an unanticipated one, but Mycroft paused for only a second with the pen in his hand.
Amelia in no more danger than before, and situation similar enough. I can handle it. Don't interfere. Give owner a nudge and report results to me.
When the message was passed back to Sherlock, his younger brother rolled his eyes but he didn't argue. Seconds later the piece of paper was feeding the fire in the grate, and not long after that it was gone.
They sat together in silence for a few more minutes, drinking tea and thinking. Mycroft could tell his brother wasn't happy with not being told every detail, but Mycroft knew it wasn't a secret they'd entrusted anywhere else, and that meant it was a secret he was responsible for alone. If Sherlock found out about it Mycroft would be betraying that confidence.
Half an hour later Mycroft still hadn't disclosed any more informati
on. Finally, Sherlock gave up and left. When it came to patiently sitting through and waiting for a result, Mycroft had always been the brother best suited to the task.
Although he couldn't have predicted Sherlock's presence there, Mycroft sat back in his chair, already satisfied that his trip to the Diogenes Club was fruitful. His brother might give Mycroft's tasks the lowest priority for solving, but at some point he always ran out of cases, and even Amelia's frequent visits weren't enough to stave off the inevitable boredom. Sherlock was unpredictable for this one reason.
To keep the royal family content and oblivious to Mycroft's dealings behind the scenes, he spent the rest of the afternoon solving a security issue with their palace in Sandringham. One of the maids had compromised their system. When Mycroft had seen her CV he hadn't been surprised, but no one else had picked up on the obvious issues.
He wasn't willing to read the paperwork of every applicant to one of the royal households, so he had been ordered to detail as many indicators of a problem as he could. They'd got the notion into their minds that some young technology geek could write a computer program to do it for them. It wouldn't work, but it amused him to see them try and replace his expertise.
When he was satisfied he appeared to be working on what others wanted, he went back to his house. For now, all he could do was wait, and that wasn't a task he struggled with. He might even take a short walk.
Chapter 6
Amelia sat down to sip the tea Mrs Wintern had just shown up with, and Sebastian joined her, sitting opposite in his usual chair.
“You're getting much better. You'd fool the average person now,” he said, and she detected the hint of smugness in his voice. He was pleased with her progress because it reflected well on his teaching capabilities, but it was a compliment and she'd take it. It was also obvious he meant that he still noticed her taking the card from the pocket of the coat rigged with bells on it. She could do it silently, but he still saw, and they hadn't got as far as doing the opposite of putting something inside a pocket or tucking it under a glass as he had the money while in the restaurant.
In the few days since being in London she'd learnt a lot and spent the entire time practising one task or another based on the directions of the Holmes brothers. It made her feel tired, but at the same time pleased. It was a taste of a more exciting life, one where she wasn't always at home by herself. The two most anti-social men in the world had let her in enough to show her she might just be able to fit into their worlds, and she didn't want it to stop.
“Has my brother given you another lesson?” Sebastian asked a few minutes later. She shook her head.
“No. I expected him to, but only the one so far.”
“Well, at least he's keeping an eye on you. You're safer under his watch than anywhere else.”
At this, Amelia furrowed her brow and tried to hide the flutter of panic that took hold of her insides and gave them a squeeze.
“He didn't tell you?” Sebastian asked. It took a second for Amelia to process this out-of-the-blue question. He'd evidently read her expression and figured out she knew so little.
“No, he hasn't told me anything. I suspected that's why he brought me here, but when you mentioned our arrangement and Myron bringing me to London, I assumed that it was as innocent as that.”
“Your arrangement? No, I had an arrangement with him to keep you safe after we found out who'd paid your stalker.”
Amelia's mouth dropped open and she stopped processing thoughts. She'd told Sebastian about her agreement with his brother. If Myron found out, he'd refuse to ever see her again.
“There's no need to worry, you're safe when you're with either of us.” Sebastian sat forward. After a few more seconds, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and concentrate on being present.
“I shouldn't have told you about my arrangement with Myron. He forbade it.” She gulped and got up, knowing it could end everything she'd just been thankful for.
“Ah, yes well, I did sort of trick you into it, didn't I?”
“Your brother won't care about that.”
Sebastian looked thoughtful for a moment and studied her face. At first she considered pretending to be calm, but she let him see the fear coursing through her. It would do nothing for her to hide her emotion right now.
“I won't tell him if you don't. Since it means that much to you. But at some point he'll find out, you know that, right?”
“Yes, but maybe by then he'll actually like me and consider forgiving me.”
“I'm sure he likes you already.”
“You're alone in that opinion. I've made him angry far too many times for him to like me, but maybe, if I try really hard, I'll get close to being as good as you and he'll decide he can tolerate having me around.”
Sebastian chuckled and took the hint. He stood up again and they ran through their little scenario where she had to try and take the card out of the pocket without him noticing. An hour of walking past the coat in the middle of the room and picking her moments, she still hadn't snuck a lift past his watchful gaze.
“Enough, I think. You're getting better, and I might not notice if I wasn't expecting it now. We'll move on.”
Sebastian removed the coat from the bell-rigged contraption he'd created and put it back on.
“Like before, try and put the card in without me noticing.”
“All right, give me the card, then,” she said and held out her hand for it.
“Left pocket.” His eyes twinkled with merriment as she hesitated. When she realised he meant her left pocket, not his, she reached in and pulled the card out. A laugh bubbled out of her. She hadn't noticed, and she wondered if she ever would, when he did that.
A moment later he closed his eyes, and she knew he was expecting her to slip the card in the pocket. Just as he had the first time she'd tried to pull it out, he grabbed her wrist long before she had the card nestled in the right place. She sighed as he let her go.
It took seven attempts until she could get the card in the pocket before he noticed her and reached out for her hand or wrist. Another four tries, and she stood on the other side of him without him moving. A grin flitted across her face.
“I did it,” she said, stirring him from having his eyes closed.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he checked and pulled out the queen of hearts.
“A few more times, and then we'll move on to doing it when I'm not wearing the coat.”
They spent the next few hours having him teach her to slide the card into the pocket without ringing bells, and then trying to do it as she walked by. Finally, she tried to hide it from his watching eyes, but just like before, Sebastian could spot every time she slipped something into his pocket.
Before he could teach her anything else, there was a knock at the door and someone she didn't know came in. He was dressed in shabby jeans and a hoody. He didn't look very warm, and was young enough he shouldn't be out that late.
“The address you wanted,” the teenager said and handed over a piece of paper.
“They didn't notice you or the others.”
The kid shook his head and shrugged down a little into his hoody.
“No, we were careful like you taught us. He went there and then left again a few minutes later. No one ever sees us.”
“Nope, that's what makes you invaluable,” Sebastian said and handed over a shopping bag of packages sitting by the door. Amelia recognised some food, snacks and matches.
“Cheers, mate.”
The kid hurried out the way he'd come, leaving behind the faint smell of unwashed sweaty body. She tried not to wrinkle her nose, suspecting it wasn't the kid's fault he had the unpleasant odour.
She watched and waited as Sebastian went to his phone and tapped out a quick message. Afterwards, he tucked the piece of paper with the address on in his pocket. She hoped he'd explain but he didn't. He simply handed her the card again and indicated that she should try once more to place it somewhere and get it past his not
ice.
After thinking for a few seconds, she decided she was going to try to deposit the card and then lift the address right after. The cover of the card might provide the distraction necessary to get the second action past his notice. With her nerves, he noticed almost immediately when she tried to place the card both of the next two attempts. Then an idea popped into her head.
“Sebastian?” she said, softening her voice and biting gently on her lower lip. He raised his eyebrows.
A couple of seconds later she took a few slow, deliberate, steps towards him and tilted her head down so she could look up at him through her eyelashes.
“You remember when I came over the other night and Mrs Wintern said that... well, that we were likely to not want tea?” Amelia came the rest of the way towards him. “You didn't deny it, and it got me thinking. Would you... maybe...”
She trailed off as if she couldn't finish the sentence and stepped into his personal space. He froze to the spot and she stared at his lips, trying to make it look like she was considering kissing him. As she closed her eyes and leant in a little closer, she slipped the card in and then followed it up with a quick pinch of the piece of paper.
Hoping he was still frozen and didn't entirely believe her act, she lingered but let it get awkward. Just as he pulled back, she grinned.
“Almost,” he said. “Very nice try, though. I was wondering when you'd try the feminine charms. That would have worked on most men.” As he pulled the card out of his pocket, she sighed.
“But not you or your brother.” She didn't hide the frustration in the sentiment. When he handed the queen of hearts back to her, she realised she'd got away with the second part of the trick.
With a smug grin on her face, she pulled the address out of her own pocket and read it.
