Sherlock Holmes in 2012: LORD OF DARKNESS RISING by Mohammad Bahareth Read Free Book Online

abroad.”
    “But, Holmes, you could engage a housekeeper who would look after everything for you,” Irene suggested helpfully.
    “Precisely what I thought of doing whence I would have furnished it.”
    “But all that does not answer my question,” Mycroft said, “where would you like to go after leaving the US.”
    “I was coming to that… ,” Sherlock replied. “When I bought the house on Baker Street, and since I didn’t have a United States’ passport or even an immigrant visa, I had to give them an address for taxation and other purposes.”
    “And which address did you give them?” Irene asked impatiently.
    Sherlock smiled. “I think you will appreciate my answer, Miss Adler.”
    “And why would that be?”
    “Because, Wellington in New Zealand is what I gave as my residence, and I suspect that you were about to suggest the same tonight, weren’t you?”
    “I am not going to ask,” Irene replied, tittering while looking over the rim of her glass of wine.
    “Are you saying that you would be willing to live in New Zealand?” Mycroft was somewhat surprised that he didn’t have to coax his brother in that direction.
    “Precisely, my dear brother. I had practically no choice in the matter, since the government of the United States – the CIA to be exact – only saw fit to give me a New Zealander nationality when I first landed in their country.”
    “But why would they do such a thing?” Irene demanded. “Even if they doubted who you really were – and I think they must have – why wouldn’t they give you a British nationality?”
    “Ah, very good question, Miss Adler, and one that deserves only one answer.” Sherlock shot a glance in his brother’s direction. “The US government has been dealing with Mycroft Holmes for years, which fact was confirmed soon after our official meeting in August… .” Mycroft fixed his gaze on Sherlock. “And they didn’t want to give rise to undue questioning or create an international incident by revealing a possible relationship between us.”
    Mycroft sank back into his seat, depositing his glass on the table. “I knew these people had dealt you a dirty hand, Sherlock, the moment you revealed that you had a New Zealand passport. And they knew I could not do anything about it – it was too late, as it were.”
     
    It had always been difficult for Sherlock to express his feelings to anyone at any given time, and tonight was one of those times. He was sitting in a comfortable chair in his brother’s sitting room, looking down at his glass of port. Mycroft had invited him to his suite to talk for a while before retiring and after they had accompanied Irene back to her room.
    “Why don’t you tell her how you feel, Sherlock?” Mycroft asked, knowing that his brother was rather unwilling to open up when it came to such subjects as romantic pursuits.
    “Because I don’t know how I feel,” Sherlock said, shaking his head. “Irene Adler was denied to me by circumstances a long time ago, and the only feeling that remained from that encounter is one of admiration.” He put his glass down on the coffee table. “I admire her for her perspicacity, her acute sense of rectitude and perhaps also for her cunning.”
    Mycroft had to smile. He knew all too well how cunning Irene could be. “Alright, but tell me: Do you worry for her when she is absent from your sight or when you know that she may be in danger?”
    “No doubt of it, Mycroft. When I saw her at the theatre this morning, I thought how silly it was of her to have followed me, and I was worried about what Adnan could have done if he had known she was on the premises.”
    “And did you realize she felt the same about you?”
    “Yes, that was obvious as the nose on my face, Mycroft.” Sherlock leaned back in his chair. “But apart from those so-called feelings of admiration and obvious esteem for her, I don’t know that I harbour any other emotions towards “ the woman