"Perhaps you would be good enough to explain what has you hiding as a maid in London?" Mr. Holmes said, his tone kind. When I looked up, there was a hint of sympathy in his gray eyes. Did he guess where my thoughts had led?
I cleared my throat. "Yes, of course. Just over a week ago—" Had it been so long ago? "Two gentlemen I did not know intercepted me returning to school from my music lesson. They informed me they were there to take me to my parents. They had a typed letter, presumably signed by my...father."
No. No stumbling. Until I knew better, Godfrey Norton was my father. He had always been my father. He had raised me, and really that was all that mattered. I forced myself to continue, "Miss Hunter—my headmistress—found this situation just as odd as I did."
Mr. Holmes flicked his hand up. "What, precisely, did you find so odd? That your father had sent these men for you?"
Oh, right. "Forgive me. I skipped a detail." I took a deep breath and reorganized my thoughts. "The gentlemen encountered me on the street. They insisted I was to go away with them immediately. They said the train would depart soon and there was no time to argue. They offered me no message or explanation, merely insisting my father had sent them for me."
"You refused to go with them."
"Yes. If my father would send anyone for me, it would be someone I know. Such as Mrs. Leigh, our housekeeper. When I questioned them about why Mrs. Leigh hadn't come, all they would say was that she couldn't."
Dr. Watson looked up from the notes he was taking. "Mrs. Leigh?" he repeated.
The corner of Mr. Holmes' mouth quirked up. "Perhaps not the most clever name to take on," he said.
My cheeks heated up. "Probably not," I admitted with chagrin. "I confess I did not put enough thought into my false name."
"Continue."
"I was afraid they might try to physically compel me to go to the train station, but the local constable saw us. It was only then that the men, Braxton and Keene—Keene was the man who found me this morning—said they had a letter from my father for Miss Hunter. So the constable escorted us to the school where Miss Hunter took us into her office."
"And these two men —Braxton and Keene, you said?—what did they look like."
I gave as succinct and accurate a description as I could. "Did they have an accent?" Mr. Holmes then asked.
"Very slight, but I couldn't place it. It sounded almost German at times, but not exactly." Other languages were not something that came easily to me, something Signori Bianchi said was a flaw I would have to correct if I was to continue as a singer.
He nodded as though I had merely confirmed something. "Please continue. Were you allowed to see the letter?"
"Yes. Once Miss Hunter had finished reading it, she handed it to me. It was typed, which I found odd. The signature looked like my father's, but I'm afraid I couldn't swear to it. And I don't have it with me anymore."
"Was Mr. Norton in the habit of typing letters to Miss Hunter?"
"I don't know." I felt foolish admitting such. "She didn't say and I didn't think to ask."
"But she did think the letter was sufficient to send you off with the men?"
"She worried that there was something not right, but didn't think she could refuse them. The constable would have taken their word if Braxton and Keene had gone to him with the letter. She told me to keep my wits about me and to let her know what happened. Before we departed, she warned the men that she had a specific message for me to send once we had arrived at our destination."
This time, Mr. Holmes let out a laugh. "Miss Violet Hunter," he said. "It's delightful to hear she is still using her wits."
"Miss Violet Hunter is your headmistress?" Dr. Watson asked in surprise. At my nod, his face brightened with a fond smile. "I'd heard she had done well for herself. What was the message you were to send her?"
"She didn't actually give me one. On the train, when the men pressed me for the information, I held off and then made something up," I said with a shrug. "It satisfied them but I am certain the words I gave them would not have reassured Miss Hunter."
Mr. Holmes' eyes glinted with amusement. "And how did you finally escape your would-be kidnappers?"
"I pretended to feel ill and then jumped off the train when they weren't looking."
"You jumped off a train?" Dr. Watson asked, his tone disbelieving.
"We had just left a station so we weren't going fast," I said quickly. "At least, not fast enough to cause any real damage. By the time they noticed I hadn't returned—" I shrugged again. "Who knows how far down the tracks they had gone? It allowed me time to return home. The things they agreed to, the things I made up about myself that they assured me my father had told them, made me certain I needed to get away from them as soon as I could."
The doctor shook his head and returned to his notes. "And you didn't find your parents at your home," Mr. Holmes said.
"No. Leigh, our butler, said Papa had gone to London for work and never came back. A note, which I couldn't find, had arrived for Mum and she left the house on foot. Neither of them has been seen since then. Leigh said a message had arrived for my mother, who then left for a walk. She did not return.
"Oh, and Mum's personal maid was also missing," I added, reminded of that fact. "Mrs. Leigh doesn't know when Marie left or why."
Mr. Holmes leaned forward. "This maid. Was she with your mother long?"
"A couple of years." I waited a moment but Mr. Holmes said nothing more. "I spent the day trying to find something among my father's papers, but there was nothing to indicate anyone was at odds with him."
"Not one of the two men who came to the school for you?" Dr. Watson asked.
"No. I did not recognize his voice. Leigh, the butler, put the man off, but I wasn't sure the man believed what Leigh said. That's when I decided to come to London. Miss Hunter had said I could rely on you, Mr. Holmes, to provide assistance. There seemed no other course of action, save to wait for those men to come after me. So I disguised myself as best I could and came here."
"And I was not in town," Mr. Holmes said with a nod. "Is that why you decided to masquerade as a maid?"
Shaking my head, I said, "Not immediately. Once I determined it may be some time before you returned, I found a boarding house to stay in. I thought I would be more anonymous than taking a room at a hotel. Then, I compiled a list of my father's associates and anyone who might know my mother. I sent messages to them all, asking if they had any information."
"Did you get any responses?" Dr. Watson asked.
Why was it he asked me the most questions? Was I being specific enough for Mr. Holmes? "I did, and they all denied knowing where my parents are. One associate of my father said he'd been told my father was going to be away for some time. I have the messages in my room if you need to see them."
With a shake of his head, Mr. Holmes declined my offer. "What made you decide to become Mrs. Hudson's maid?"
Sighing, I leaned back in the chair. "Because Braxton found me when I went to the bank to get more money. I managed to create enough of a scene that I escaped him. After that, I bought these spectacles and dressed for a lower station. It made enough of a difference that Mrs. Hudson asked if I had come about the position. It seemed...the best choice at the time."
Puffing on his pipe for several seconds, Mr. Holmes was silent. His expression was thoughtful. "Extraordinary," Dr. Watson said, setting his pen down. "What do you make of it, Holmes? Was that Herr Meyer a part of this?"
"There can be no other conclusion," Holmes said, his tone serious. He raised an eyebrow at me. "How much did you hear this morning?"
"Enough to know he was searching for a girl named Aida," I admitted, only slightly ashamed to have been caught out. "You deduced that he was from Bohemia. Is he connected to the king?"
I didn't know enough about European royalty to know the King's name.
"He is. Herr Meyer was anxious not to reveal why he sought you, even when I revealed I knew he was not in any way related to you."
My gaze drifted to the story in my lap and forced out the painful words, "He thinks I may be the king's illegitimate daughter, doesn't he?"
Dr. Watson cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. He was embarrassed by my question. How must he think I feel having to ask it?
"It's possible. I believe only your mother can answer that," Mr. Holmes said, drumming on the arm of his chair. "Even if that were the case, why would the king's agents be so interested in you now?"
"Perhaps he discovered Irene Adler -I mean, Norton- is in Europe again and worries about what she will do," Dr. Watson suggested. "She still has the photograph of them together, does she not?"
"If she does, I have never seen it," I said. That's not to say Mum didn't have it hidden. She'd kept it for a reason, after all. "Why would the King feel threatened now, fourteen years later, if Mum hasn't threatened him? Did not the King say himself that Mum would keep her word?"
"It is, indeed, an interesting conundrum," Mr. Holmes said. "I daresay it will be a three pipe problem."
Of course. It would take some time for him to work out the answer to my problem. In the meantime...
"I should return to Mrs. Hudson," I said, rising from my chair. I handed the typed story back to Dr. Watson. "She will be worrying about me, and it is nearly time for Colonel Forest's luncheon."
Dr. Watson turned his shocked gaze on me. "Miss Norton, you cannot mean to go about a maid's work!" he exclaimed. "A young lady in your position-"
"Well, I don't have anything better to do," I said, interrupting him. "I have, at this moment, nowhere else to go. And it would be frightfully rude of me to leave Mrs. Hudson shorthanded when it took her so long to hire me."
Really, it made a great deal of sense. The poor man then turned to his friend, no doubt to appeal to him.
"Miss Norton is correct, Watson," Mr. Holmes said before the doctor could say a word. "She was accosted earlier by a man who undoubtedly works for Herr Meyer. It would be highly dangerous to send her off to a lodging house or hotel that would be more suitable to her station in life."
It wasn't as though I liked the idea. Most every muscle in my body hurt. Colonel Forest had taken me in dislike and wasn't afraid to show it. But if I was going to stay, I had a role to play.
"Herr Meyer has seen her here and did not recognize her," Mr. Holmes continued. "There is no reason for Keene and Braxton to come here. I doubt Keene knew who I was and we were not followed. 221 Baker Street is the safest place for her."
"If there is something I can do, please do not hesitate to ask," I said. "Or if there is some detail that I have overlooked, you know where to find me."
I paused for a moment, but did not receive a clear dismissal. Feeling much more myself and relieved to have confided all, I bid Dr. Watson a good day and left the room. I was halfway down the stairs before I realized I had not quite finished with explanations.
Mrs. Hudson was waiting, and I had to decide what to tell her.
*****
In the end, I decided the truth was the best thing, though not all the details. The housekeeper had hot water for tea when I entered the kitchen. She insisted I sit down and recover from my scare. "Did Mr. Holmes set you at ease?" she asked.
"I feel better for confiding in him," I said honestly. I slipped my tea to fortify myself to continue. "I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you, Mrs. Hudson. I wasn't sent by an agency to be a maid. I came looking for Mr. Holmes' help."
She was quiet for a moment. "I see. Well, that does explain a lot, doesn't it?"
"I'm sorry I deceived you," I said quickly. "I have been hiding from men who mean me harm. They have my parents and I don't know what has happened to them."
My voice caught in my throat as I said it out loud. Mrs. Hudson's expression became sympathetic and she reached across the table to pat my hand. "You poor thing," she said. "I'm not angry with you. I don't like that you've lied, but you couldn't know you could trust me."
"I know I have put you in an awkward spot. I'll do all my duties until you have found someone to replace me." I glanced up at the ceiling. "Mr. Holmes is considering my case and said I would be safest here."
"Well, of course you would be," Mrs. Hudson said fiercely. "I'd like to see anyone try to harm you in my kitchen!"
The thought of Mrs. Hudson valiantly fending off an intruder with a cane made me giggle. "Thank you, Mrs. Hudson," I said, grateful to have her support. "I hope that the men after me don't know where I am, so it won't come to that."
The bell on the wall jangled loudly, drawing our attention. "Oh, dear," Mrs. Hudson said with the beginning of a groan. "That will be the Colonel. He wants his luncheon."
I took that as my cue. "Of course. He won't like that I am late," I said as I stood up. "I will get my apron. There's still the wood polishing to be done."
"It doesn't feel right making you work when I know you don't belong belowstairs."
"I have to keep up appearances, just in case someone does come looking." I adjusted my spectacles. "Until I know what can be done to reunite me with my parents, I must carry on."
After a moment's hesitation, Mrs. Hudson nodded. "Let's keep this between us," she said as the bell rang again. "I don't think the Colonel would appreciate your circumstance at all and may make things even more difficult for you."
Though I nodded, I wondered how that would be possible.