Freedom • Lord Tewksbury

TWELVE

Catherine was awoken by Sherlock and Enola talking, groaning as she stretched. She grumbled as she rolled out of her chair and made her way into the room that her cousins were arguing in.

"I am not desperate, and I don't need your or anyone's help," Enola told Sherlock.

"Ouch," Catherine commented as she emerged.

"Okay, I need Catherine's, but that's it," Enola corrected. Catherine nodded and yawned, before blinking a few times. She was then fully awake and took in the situation of the room. Somehow it was more messy than it was the night before. How it got that way, Catherine had no idea. Enola then paused and walked back to the table, grabbing what looked to be a piece on Dundee cake, and a napkin. "But this I will have, come on Catherine."

Catherine shrugged, and bid Sherlock goodbye, before following after her younger cousin.

They found themselves sitting on a bench, in the park that Tewksbury always walks through on his way to the Lords. Catherine wasn't hiding like she always did, perhaps this time Tewksbury would see her.

Enola was ranting to her about Sherlock, while eating the Dundee cake quite aggressively, before she was cut off by a voice.

"Catherine?" Catherine whirled around to find Tewksbury walking forwards them. "And Enola?"

"I suddenly remembered that I have something that I have to take care of back at the agency, I will see you there Catherine," Enola said. "Hello Tewksbury, goodbye Tewksbury."

Catherine internally screamed at Enola for leaving so abruptly, but she also was thanking her cousin for leaving her alone with Tewksbury.

"It is you," Tewksbury said, as Catherine stood to face him.

"And it is you," Catherine responded. She ever so subtly looked him over, in his outfit for the Lords, and she held back her smile. He looked really good. She then remembered that she was in her dirty clothes from the match factory and she grimaced. She most definitely looked horrible.

"How are you? Are you well? You look..."

"I'm helping Enola with a case. We were undercover, that's why I'm dressed like this," Catherine explained, and Tewksbury nodded.

"You know it's the strangest thing, I could have sworn that I've seen you here before," Tewksbury commented, and Catherine's eyes grew wide.

"Really? How strange," Catherine responded. Maybe she hadn't been as careful to stay hidden as she thought she had been. She would have to work on that.

"Well, this is my...my route through to the Lords," Tewksbury told her, tipping his hat slightly.

"Oh is it? What a lovely path to take," Catherine said. "I occasionally come here for breakfast."

"I mean yes, it's a lovely place. I-I know the gardener here," he informed her, taking his hat off. She couldn't help but admire his hair. It had gotten longer since she had last seen him, but it wasn't nearly as long as it was when she first met him, and it was much more well kept. "We've been discussing what to sow for next year's crop. Some fine sunflowers. Uh, Sweet Williams, for their lovely vivid reds."

"I've seen everything that you've been doing," Catherine told him, interrupting his plant ramble. Tewksbury looked at her with a smile.

"Oh. Well it's...it's nothing," he replied.

"Don't be so humble, it's most impressive what you are accomplishing," Catherine told him. "I've also seen you in the society pages. You are quite the eligible bachelor."

Tewksbury's face seemed to fall at this comment, and Catherine internally kicked herself.

"Don't believe all you read," Tewksbury told her. Catherine bit her bottom lip and glanced down at her shoes awkwardly. "I wrote to you, but you didn't reply."